My 2002 New Holland TC40 is having occasional starting issues. Upon turning the ignition switch to START, I hear the solenoid engage but the starter does nothing. Each time this has happened the tractor has started after multiple tries of the ignition switch.

The tractor has a few safety features that prevent starting that have caused issues in the past, but this is not that. They either allow the engine to turn over without engaging the fuel solenoid OR prevent the starter solenoid from engaging.

I will check the ground but this strikes me as a starter brush wear issue. What do you tractor gurus say?

I had to have a relay put on my NH TT60.

The relay is connected directly to the battery so the starter gets enough current when you turn the ignition. Ensures 12v to starter.

New Holland has had some issues with this in the early to mid 2000s year models....ie when the key is turned the voltage has to go thru all those safety switches b4 it gets to starter. The voltage wasn't high enough after that to engage the starter.

Yes. Brushes are easy enough to check/change.
I probably have that same starter.
Hope it's not contagious.

On some models a whack can cost you
an extra hundo, er two in broken magnets. I have that prize.
This ones mother is a fa fa fa ford. So be careful.

This. Its not a New Holland issue, its a common starter issue. We have a Suzuki Samurai that does it. Have had it on multiple tractors (Ford, JD, and Case IH) as well as on a couple Dodge trucks. Usually we put up with it until it becomes to big of a annoyance then pull the starter and get it fixed.

In the meantime Leftlane's suggestion about colorful phrases may not fix the problem, but it does help you to deal with the frustration.

The relay installation cost $35

Thanks for the help guys. I checked the connections and they are good so I'll be looking at the starter.



A Samuri still on the road is a rarity these days. If you do see one they are usually going pretty slow. We had an '88 we bought new. It was a good little vehicle for a number of years until the engine put a connecting rod thru the sidewall. It ran for several more years with a used engine that had even less power than the original. When the rear main went I was done with it. That little thing was fun to drive on the back roads, would go anywhere, and the tires lasted forever, but my '86 full size Bronco turned a tighter circle.

Is the solenoid mounted away from the starter or on the starter?

The solenoid is right on the starter. I'm thinking that perhaps the solenoid is giving the "whack" needed to get the brushes to contact after 1/2 dozen or so tries.

Your solenoid contact disc is either dirty at the contact points, or there is some rust starting at the swivel pin or in the solenoid body, making it sticky and not traveling far enough to engage the contact disc to the contact points.

That sounds entirely plausible. Is there a fix other than a complete assembly replacement given that solenoid and starter are all one assembly?

I'm more familiar with the large truck/tractor Delco starters, but they are all the same principle. If you can disassemble the solenoid at all, you would be able to clean the disc and contacts up. It's usually just a copper washer that gets pushed forward on a plunger. The washer contacts a copper bolt or lug on each side of the solenoid. One lug has full time battery voltage (usually this is where your + battery clamp connects), the other lug sends power to the starter motor. When you turn your key, power energizes your solenoid which pulls your plunger with the copper washer forward. The copper washer connects the two lugs together making a circuit to send power to the starter motor. The washer and lugs tend to want to arc as the plunger gets close to contacting the lugs until full contact is made. The arcing builds up over time and causes the problem you have now. You are hearing the solenoid plunger moving but probably so much junk built up it is no longer making a good contact. The "whacking" method usually can bump the washer around just enough to make a new contact area temporarily until it turns back to its original spot.

I had an 2003 tc29 did the same thing. There’s a relay in the starter circuit which was a known problem. Replaced it with the updated new holland relay and problem was solved. I traded it a few years later for a tc 45 so I don’t have any of the paperwork left showing me exactly which relay it was. Tractorby net forums will have the info if you dig.

This^^^^

And as always, clean up all ground connections.

I went thru the process of elimination...check battery power, check all connections, check all safety switches and connections, tried to locate correct relays (good luck on that), check starter and solenoid....was advised to just install new relay at starter......Bingo!

I'm in that process right now. Located 5 of the 7 my owners manual shows in the wiring diagrams. One is a flasher and one is a lamp timer. Of the other 3, the tractor starts with either of 2 of them removed, but with the 3rd one removed there is no solenoid action. Still looking for the missing 2.

Doesn't the "relay at starter" fix bypass all the safety features?

I had the same problem with my 2005 zero turn mower. I pulled the ignition switch out and the contacts were corroded. I cleaned them and the problem went away.

No....guy at starter shop wired it in and all safety switches still work.