Farm tractors are especially dangerous to attempt to start by shorting
at a starter mounted solenoid. There is often a graphic sticker applied near
the starter by the manufacturer to remind of the danger.

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote:
...

For the same reason, I found (with a voltmeter) where the starter
button wires come to the relay that engages the starter. I have been
able to start with near-dead battery by crossing th econnection with a
screwdriver.

A button would be better if I were doing that all the time.


Isn't this called an "ignition switch"? What you're saying is that
the wiring though the ignition switch is too small (or corroded, etc.)
and is causing a voltage drop.

BTW, I played that game hundreds of times with my old VW bug.
However, a few years back a friend was working under his car and
shorted the solenoid. Since it was in gear, the car lurched and fell
off the jackstands, crushing his hip. A big Ooops!

Steve Thomas wrote:

Farm tractors are especially dangerous to attempt to start by shorting
at a starter mounted solenoid. There is often a graphic sticker applied near
the starter by the manufacturer to remind of the danger.


The reason is because the farmer could short the solenoid with a
wrench and if the tractor was in gear it might well turn over and
move the tractor foreward until it stopped on the farmer's foot.

In pain, the farmer might well drop the wrench out of reach, and
then he could stand out in the bugs and sun until some one came to
rescue him.

Don't laugh! It happenned to my father in law, and he near died of
thirst, heatstroke and then exposure as it cooled down after dark,
not to mention embarrassment when the boys got to talking. He was
there most of a day and night before he was missed. He was 80 at the
time, working as a scarecrow in a large cornfield.

He just stopped for a pee, and the tractor moved, probably as a
result of dirt settling under the wheels.

He says he did nothing, it just rolled a foot and stopped on his foot.

The people driving by on the highway just waved back, all day.

I guess they didn't know the marine "arms up and down" distress
signal. He was within sight of the saint John River. He said later
"Never did well water taste so much like rum."

Terry K