alfapat wrote:

Ok , on turning to start the engine , there was no noise, so the solenoid not even moving, the mechanical part was not throwing to engage the motor, this was the dirty bit and completely able to be dismantled ,as long as you can get the bolts out of the starter body( which was my problem and warranted my purchase of another starter) then a good clean up is all you need once off .

The 12 volt supply on the small wire you are talking about, is that from the cranking position on the ignition switch or a permanent / ignition 12 volt supply. Are you turning the key to the cranking position and then shorting it across to start it ?

It’s the small feed wire to the top of the solenoid, this is energised on ignition only. Put ignition on get good access to your starter , and with a suitable screwdriver cross the feed wire with the large starter feed and it should start indicating the solenoid has been stuck.
I think there is a video demonstrating this somewhere.

So how do you test the crank feed that only comes on when you turn the key to crank ?

Probe for 12v at the solenoid on the main feed from the battery

Basically you are completing a circuit while key is on crank, so by crossing the larger terminal with 12v energised from ignition and the solenoid doesn’t throw the starter into life then you have a stuck solenoid , try tapping the solenoid while doing this and if that energises its then it’s a sticky solenoid.

I think he starts ok when he crosses the feed over so would that mean the crank feed isn’t getting to the solenoid?

No if your able to start the car by crossing the solenoid, then it’s the solenoid at fault. Have you tried it

I believe he has and it started, can't remember now without going back, but i also think he tried replacing the solenoid and it still wouldn't start. So if the crank feed was at fault you are saying it wouldn't start when you crossed from the live to the other connection?
Everyday is a school day, when i was working on the other TD6 that had the faulty ignition switch I was tempted to short across the solenoid but wasn't sure which wires were which and didn't want to fry the ECU.

Looking at the circuit diagram I can see the main 12 volt supply from the battery that goes to the starter solenoid, and then off to the alternator, I can see the start signal wire going back to the engine ECU to tell the lazy starting to stop cranking, I can see the earth and the only other wire I can see going in is from the EWS immobiliser module which is the feed from the crank position on the ignition switch and is only live when cranking.
Which two wires are you shorting across ?

Not good with diagrams , but started many a tractor by crossing the 12v signal wire with the larger 12v from battery .
What I was thinking at the time of my problem was that there was no switching over by the key and something else was obstructing this, then by doing the switching mechanically and tapping the solenoid at the same time this threw the solenoid into action turning the starter.
There was no indication that anything was moving up to this point, like a sticky solenoid and this took me to other routes ,......wrongly .

Edited sorry sent twice !

One of those tractors must have been a Massey Ferguson 35 or maybe a 135, I was driving a 35 yesterday and love it.

The L322 certainly is an electrically complicated so and so, why use two wires when you can use 6 and an ECU !
I'm not certain what is wrong with the OP's RR but the only way I have solved issues before is diagnostics to give me a clue and then a sometimes long winded process of elimination, which still doesn't always yield results.

Unfortunately diagnostics , won’t tell you this problem it’s purely mechanical, needs to try again.

agreed, diagnostics sometimes take me down a false path anyway

holidaychicken wrote:

One of those tractors must have been a Massey Ferguson 35 or maybe a 135, I was driving a 35 yesterday and love it.

The L322 certainly is an electrically complicated so and so, why use two wires when you can use 6 and an ECU !
I'm not certain what is wrong with the OP's RR but the only way I have solved issues before is diagnostics to give me a clue and then a sometimes long winded process of elimination, which still doesn't always yield results.