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<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:4c51a06b-84ee-d130-15fc-df0dd99b61d8@basicisp.net"><font
face="Arial">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". <br>
</font> <font face="Arial"><br>
Phil in TX </font></blockquote>
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<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font> </p>
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<p><font face="Arial">Amen. </font><font face="Arial"><font
face="Arial">Recently g</font>ot 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.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">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!</font></p>
<font face="Arial"> </font>
<p><font face="Arial">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.</font></p>
<font face="Arial"> </font>
<p><font face="Arial">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.<br>
</font> </p>
<font face="Arial"> </font>
<p><font face="Arial">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. <br>
</font> </p>
<font face="Arial"> </font>
<p><font face="Arial">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.<br>
</font> </p>
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<p><font face="Arial">- Richard in OR<br>
</font></p>
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