No 12VDC on RTV900 Electric System

I've had no problems with my RTV900 since buying it new in 2006. That is, not until the present one, described as follows:

My OEM battery began showing signs of weakness a few weeks ago when I had to put a charge on it in order to start the machine. Yesterday, it again would not start and I checked battery voltage and it was down to 10.5vdc. So, I saluted it, thanked it for 9 years of faithful service and replaced it with a new one.

I installed the replacement with a reading of 12.7vdc. When I tried starting the 900, the starter did not respond. I switched the headlights on, darkness. I pushed the horn button, silence. Wow.

I checked the battery cables and all look good. The ground is grounded and the positive is positive. I checked continuity on all the fuses, all OK. I tested for power to the fuses and there was none. Ah Ha!

I tested for power at the starter terminal where the battery connects. Yes, there was 12+VDC on that terminal. I tested for power at a little plastic connection on the starter that has a wire running to the electric system (to alternator, et al) and I see none at that little connection on the starter. Ah Ha!

My questions:

1. Should there be power at that little connection on the starter? I would assume so, since it seems to be the only electric connection for the battery to the rest of the system after the starter.

2. If "yes" for question 1, is the lack of power at that little connection likely the reason for my no-power condition to the rest of the system as described?

3. If "yes" for question 2, how can this be resolved? Can this little connector be replaced. If so, how? If not, what needs to be done?

Any other observations on what my problem might be are welcomed.

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum.

Most of the time when I see this, although the battery cables "look" good, they've given up on the inside, mainly due to internal corrosion.

The first thing I'd do is to take a set of jumper cables and run them parallel with both battery cables and see what you have.

Thanks bczoom. I just ran jumper cables: red from the + terminal on the battery to the starter; black from the - terminal on the battery to the frame and engine. Still no power to the system. This seems to rule out faulty battery cables.

As I said in my first post, I've got power to the starter terminal, but the power is not being dispursed from the starter terminal to the rest of the system, which it seems it should. No?

It's as though a main fuse has blown and is preventing power from that point on.

The last time I experienced such a condition was on my Kubota 1500 tractor, when some heavy brush knocked a main fuse from its rather exposed holder and stopped me cold until I got a new one.

Does the 900 have a master fuse hidden somewhere that I should be looking for that could prevent power from reaching the fuse panel?

See if these help.
Let me check the WSM to find where the fuses are.

OK, open your fuse box cover.
When looking from rear towards the seat, there's 2 fuse boxes.
The one on the left should have 2 main fuses.
- the one on the left is the key switch main.
- the one on the right is the alternator.

Test both of those to see if they're good.
Test the slots for those to make sure you have 12VDC on them. Start with the red wire.

Working notes
WSM
8-S1 pg 308
G-39

I tested those yesterday and again just now, one 50A and the other 60A I believe. They are called "slow-blow" fuses. There's no power to either of them, and the fuses themselves test good for continuity.

As noted, it "appears" the fuses are supposed to get power from a wire that goes to that little plastic connection on the starter that I mentioned in the initial post. The starter terminal is "hot." Nothing else is, including the terminal in the little plastic connection on the starter. Could it be that little connection is bad/disconnected internally? If so, can it be changed? It must be connected to the starter internally, because it is located on the starter just below the "hot" terminal from the battery and there is no external wire to that connector.

Thanks for the help!

I am with bczoom that your cables are the problem, there plugged up. Fact is your present problem started after you changed the battery out. When you used the jumper cable to test yourself did you clamp onto the outside of the clamp at the battery, the resistance could be caused by the crud on the inside of the connection there. I have fought this before when you get tricked into believing you have voltage, it lights your test light but wont let enough amps through to turn the starter. Clean the inside of the battery post clamps and clean and secure the other ends of the cables.

Yep, I hooked a jumper from the battery positive pole to the terminal on the RTV's starter, and a jumper from the battery negative pole to the engine and frame. Still no sign of electrical power on the RTV. None at all.

I looked at my Kabota tractor and on the pole where the positive battery cable connects there is one or more eye connections for wires leading to the machine. There are no such connections on my RTV 900 at the terminal where the battery connects. The only wire on the RTV's starter that connects to the machine's wiring harness is a blade connector which goes into a plastic port on the starter. However, I would have to disassemble the starter from the housing to see how that plastic port is wired inside for the blade connector. I do know that the blade connector has no power on it when the battery is connected to the starter.

I don't want to start disassembling things without some guidance. So I have ordered a CD that is supposed to contain the factory service manual. If the CD/manual doesn't give me a hint of what to look for, I'll haul the machine to the dealer for the $500 fix :- /