[AT] Right to repair

[Richard Walker]

> The point of all this is that the weak link in the newer vehicles is 
> the electronics. They apparently do not understand "worst case design".
>
> Phil in TX 


Amen. Recently got a call for help from my neighbor that his 2007 New 
Holland 4WD diesel tractor was dead. A 5-amp fuse would continually 
blow, even with the key switch off.

He and his BIL had done some basic testing with no luck.  As his wife 
quipped, now THREE idiots will be working on the problem instead of two!

Luckily the owner's manual had a wiring diagram.  I methodically started 
at square one, battery condition.  Then grounds and connectors, safety 
switches, relays, the key switch, etc.  Checked glow plug bus and fuel 
shutoff coil for any shorts to ground.  Finally the problem narrowed 
down to a plug-in module termed the "Safety Controller".  With it 
unplugged, the fuse was fine.  When plugged in, the fuse immediately 
blew.  Encapsulated black box, no clue what it contained so way to test 
for an internal short.

Since a new module was over $300 from the NH dealer and not returnable 
(electrical component), all three of us agreed it would be wisest to 
trailer the tractor into the dealer to have them double check our 
diagnosis.  We guessed under an hour of mechanic's labor to confirm our 
diagnosis and plug in a new controller.  That way the job would be 
warrantied.  My neighbor related to the service manager all the 
troubleshooting tests we'd done and how the problem seemed to be the 
controller.

Two weeks later, my neighbor trailered his tractor back home along with 
a bill for just under $1,000.  $325 of it was for a new controller, the 
remainder labor for mechanic's "testing".  ????  My neighbor bluntly 
asked the service department manager if we'd just bought a new 
controller and plugged it in ourselves if that would have fixed the 
problem.  After some hemming and hawing, the manager's answer was yes.

A daisy chain of safety switches, plus maybe one relay, would accomplish 
the same end result as that "Safety Controller" module.  Basically the 
engine won't start if you've done something dumb like leave it in gear 
or with the PTO engaged.  Like how '50's to 70's era tractors were 
sensibly designed.

- Richard in OR


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