C141 electrical fire

[876wheelhorse 46]

Well right when everything going great with this tractor. Now smoke pouring out from under hood all wiring toast.. Is a harness hard to come by? I'm not sure if I even want to mess with it. Really good running 14 horse on it. I am just hoping we don't get any more snow........rrrrrrrrrtt

[Cam-c121 6]

I had the same problem one day mowing turns out the wires had got stuck in the steering gear I just re made the part if the loom that was fried

If you have a Manuel there's a diagram of a loom if you were going to make a new one if that helps at all

[Kelly 1,029]

Basic wiring with out all the safety switches is easy to do, good used harness good luck, most have been cut and cobbled

[876wheelhorse 46]

so how is a easy way to make my own harness? simple diagram is all i need. i hope everything isnt shorted out

[rmaynard 15,409]

The wiring diagram can be found here:

 

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Had the cooked loom problem with my C-120 auto last summer one minute mowing next the tractor stopped. Went to get another to tow it back but as the engine wasn't running brain didn't think to turn the ignition off. Returned to a fried loom!

 

Now the C-120 has no main fuse, just one for the lighting circuit and rather unusually it was the coil that had failed and gone short circuit, the huge current took out the points which were completely toasted as well as the ignition wiring itself. When I rewired the loom I included a main fuse even though it's not the original spec.

 

The later C-121, 141 etc tractors did have a main fuse so in theory it should have protected your tractor but I note from the circuit diagram that its rated at 25 amps. Others may disagree but to my mind that is too high for good protection. I fitted a 15 amp in line fuse to my C-120 to avoid another fry up. These slow to blow fuses will often take rather more than their rated value for a while before they break the circuit.

 

If you are making a new loom do make sure that the cable you use is capable of carrying a current greater than the fuse that protects the whole circuit.

 

Just a few thoughts that might be of some help.

 

Andy

[Racinbob 11,030]

Yea, it seems wrong but it's based on the very short wire runs and a few other factors. One problem is that the connectors get cruddy and create a heat build up which isn't seen as an amperage increase so the fuse doesn't care. For the most part the fuses on our Wheel Horses are there to protect against short circuits and should blow before the wiring has time to overheat (from a shorted wire).

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

I've done just as Kelly suggesgted to you. Don't think you can't do it. Just use color coded automotive grade wire. Use good crimp connectors. Solder any wires that are spliced together and use heat shrink. Also use fuse protection on your start/run circuit, and on your lighting circuit. Use a split wire loom anywhere you have two or more wires running together. Use plenty of zip ties. And lastly its always a good idea to install a new key switch as Its part of the wiring harness.

[876wheelhorse 46]

Yeah I'm gonna at least try I have a guy interested in it the way it sits but like I said I have to at least try to get it going

[wrightorchid 261]

My ignition switch went up in smoke.  Not fun.  Just use color coded wire, same as the diagrams, and you should be OK.  I would start simple, and then add the safety switches in, once it it running, or test them to verify working properly..

[876wheelhorse 46]

I'm going to wire 5 wires to switch

Rectifier

Starter

Coil

Lights

Battery

The safety switch to clutch is in between the battery wire but that switch is in with the pto switch so how would I wire that switch in there? That whole cluster with looks like relay I'm getting rid of its melted and I don't want to put money into that iif I can get around it..... Any ideas be awesome

[Save Old Iron 1,566]

A new wiring harness can be built by taking the old harness off the tractor and laying it out on a "breadboard". Wire by wire, replace the old pieces with new wires and terminals of the same style. When you are finished, lift the new harness off the board and into the tractor.

 

[Save Old Iron 1,566]

If you prefer to replace wiring piece by piece on the tractor, the following diagram might be of some help.

 

[876wheelhorse 46]

If you prefer to replace wiring piece by piece on the tractor, the following diagram might be of some help.

 

That what I was thinking just don't understand the switches

[Save Old Iron 1,566]

I'll put up these two drawings to show how the PTO, seat and clutch switch are wired on your model. Once I get a few more cups of coffee in me, I will take a shot at explaining what happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2014 by Save Old Iron

[MalMac 1,331]

I am following this thread because I have a C101 that decided to short out and burn up. Are the safety switches normally open or closed to make a complete circuit on these things. Maybe I should ask how are all the switches because I have by- passed   a couple of switches in the past by wiring together.

[Save Old Iron 1,566]

Different configurations of normally closed / open are present on different series tractors and different years.

 

Edited February 28, 2014 by Save Old Iron

[chazm 413]

Hey Chuck, how ya doing ?  Thanks for posting this safety switch pic . 

[Save Old Iron 1,566]

Doing good Chaz - just can't wait to wake up one of these mornings and not have the thermometer still be below 0F.

 

C'mon man, it's March already!!

[Save Old Iron 1,566]

The safety switch to clutch is in between the battery wire but that switch is in with the pto switch so how would I wire that switch in there? That whole cluster with looks like relay I'm getting rid of its melted and I don't want to put money into that iif I can get around it..... Any ideas be awesome

 

Let's do the starter safety / PTO circuit first

 

Let's strip down the previous diagram to show only the starter circuit safety wiring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the same diagram without the IGNITION wiring of the safety functions. We are now viewing only the STARTER safety function.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's begin thinking how the tractor would normally be started.

PTO OFF 

CLUTCH SWITCH NOT DEPRESSED - yet.

IGNITION SWITCH OFF

 

Notice the PTO switch is in the DISENGAGED position and the contacts inside the PTO switch are NC (normally closed). In this position, any power applied to the inlet of the PTO switch can be connected thru to the output of the PTO switch connected to the CLUTCH SWITCH.

 

Also note no pwer is applied to the PTO SWITCH since the IGNITION SWITCH is in the OFF position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So let's just turn the IGNITION SWITCH to START

 

Power flows from the BATTERY to the IGNITION SWITCH and out of the IGNITION SWITCH on the "S" terminal heading to the PTO SWITCH

 

 

 

Notice the power stops at THE CLUTCH SWITCH as this switch is NO (normally open) in it's relaxed postion. Not until the CLUTCH SWITCH is depressed will the power be applied to the STARTER MOTOR to begin to crank the engine.

 

(more pics and explainations later today ... much later)

Edited March 1, 2014 by Save Old Iron

[876wheelhorse 46]

I got her going.... New switch and solenoid..14ga wire all way there is a inline fuse now. 20 amp fuse...didn't mess with safety switch as I was thinking whole time I just did away with safety.....went to put ammeter on already had it wired in and noticed it was all melted that's only thing I need... I have a guy interested in it I may just sell it. Not sure yet