JD 8700 Fairway Mower Cancel The title field is required!

1. Brice Griebler

   

   0 posts
   
   2/11/2014 2:02 PM

   Gentlemen,
   We are new to the forum here so just beware if things seem a little off, we are still experimenting. We have a John Deere 8700 Fairway mower currently in the shop. The lift arms will not raise up. First we checked hydraulic fluid levels, it is adequate. Our mechanic tested every possible wire from the control panel back to the brain box for continuity, everything is fine. We next tested our lift and raise solenoids and they are good to go. Just today we switched the brain box from our other 8700 Fairway Unit that we know works just fine, with the one we suspected is bad. Still nothing! Is there any other recommendations from other teams having this problem? Any advice will be much appreciated!
   
   Brice Griebler and team!
   Golf Club at Devils Tower
   Hulett, WY

   
   
   
   
2. Smith Kerry L

   
   2/11/2014 2:02 PM

   No advise yet but will quiz our tech. Just wanted to say I like the way you use the word team. Sounds like a tight group you have.

   
   
   
   
3. Harlyn Goldman

   

   0 posts
   
   2/12/2014 6:02 AM

   This used to be an issue on older fairway mowers, so I don't know if this'll help or not:
   
   Crack a fitting on a hose and cycle the lift/lower function. If there was a vapor lock, this usually fixes it. I recall being told temperature swings causing this.
   
   -Harlyn

   
   
   
   
4. Henry Heinz

   

   0 posts
   
   2/13/2014 6:02 AM

   I was going to suggest the same, cracking a hose to see if there is an air lock. Also, on your white box, when hitting the raise/lower lever are you seeing in and output light coming on? Take off the floor pan, with someone on the seat start the unit release the brake and put in the mow position, then swipe a hacksaw blade or thin piece of metal between the proximity switch and see if they kick on. Sometime that switch gets too far away from the plate and will not make contact. Also it could be a bad proximity switch but it works like a magnet, and I have had that issue before and a simple test/adjustment and we were back mowing..
   
   Regards,

   
   
   
   
5. Brice Griebler

   

   0 posts
   
   2/13/2014 7:02 AM

   Henry, on the white box, we do not see the in and output light come on at all. I personally haven't heard of a proximity switch before, I will run that by our mechanic and see if he has heard of it. If we locate it, we will definitely try your suggestion. We will also try just cracking a hose to see if air got in those hydraulic lines at all! Thank you guys very much for the information, it is awesome being able to reach out to all the other Superintendents across the country and knowing they are happy to help!
   
   Brice Griebler

   
   
   
   
6. Henry Heinz

   

   0 posts
   
   2/14/2014 6:02 AM

   I'll have to look at a schematic to follow the lift/lower circuit. The proximity switch you will see when moving the PTO engagement lever forward to mow position. It's under the floor plates on the right side when siting on the machine. You will see it move toward/passed a plate and then away from it when disengaging the mow. My guess is that's why you're not see any lights at the white box. If you're not seeing input/output lights then cracking the lines will most likely not do anything for you as you're not sending out any power. Also I believe the joy stick is just a micro switch and sometimes they go bad too. I'll see if I can do some digging for you.
   
   Regards,

   
   
   
   
7. Roland McPhearson

   

   9 posts
   
   2/14/2014 8:02 AM

   If you are not getting the " raise input light" on your ECU I'd check the raise-lower switch first. You should have 12v going into it on the yellow wire with key on and 12v going out of it (to the ECU) on the 660 blue wire terminal A when joystick is pulled back. According to the diagram I have.

   
   
   
   
8. Paul Double

   

   37 posts
   
   2/14/2014 9:02 AM

   Brice,
   I had the same problem on a 3225C before. You might check your lift/lower switch on the control console. There is a little micro chip up inside of it and we were able to just replace the little micro chip for 1/3 the cost of the whole switch and fixed the whole problem. I just looked up the parts for your mower and it does not show it in the parts diagram, but you may try switching the lift/lower switch with another mower and try to double check the switch and maybe contact your Deere dealership to see if you can get just the little micro chip.
   Good Luck
   
   Paul L Double
   Director of Turfgrass Management
   Sugar Valley Golf Club
   Bellbrook, Ohio

   
   
   
   
9. Brice Griebler

   

   0 posts
   
   2/14/2014 3:02 PM

   Thank you guys very much for the help. We ran tests again pretty much all morning. It did end up being the raise/lower lever. It was just like Roland said, we didn't have the 12V coming out of the blue wire from the lever. We switched that lever with the lever from the other fairway unit and the arms lifted right up. I will definitely check with our Deere dealer and see if there is some sort of micro chip, but as you said Paul, we didn't see it on a parts breakdown either. Thanks again for all the help guys! I really appreciate it!
   
   Brice Griebler

   
   
   
   
10. Henry Heinz

    

    0 posts
    
    2/14/2014 7:02 PM

    The proximity switch I mentioned controls the reels coming on and off. As I looked back I found where it wasn't a raise and lower issue we had, but the reels had stop turning. That was due to the switch being out of adjustment. So now if your reels stop you'll know where start at for that issues. Sometimes we have had the cables freeze up and not move far enough forward to make contact with the proximity switch and plate so the reel wouldn't come on again.
    
    Glad you got it going.
    
    Regards,

    
    
    
    
11. Roland McPhearson

    

    9 posts
    
    2/15/2014 8:02 AM

    Glad to hear you pinpointed it. I just happened to have the diagram in front of me. That, along with methodical probing of the hot wire starting at the midpoint of the circuit is often rewarded in these situations.

    
    
    
    
12. Paul Double

    

    37 posts
    
    2/16/2014 8:02 AM

    Brice,
    The part number for the micro chip I mentioned is TCA15189 Circuit Board and on the John Deere Part website it lists it at $62.76 (call your dealer). This is the same part that is used in lift/lower switches in 2500As and Bs, and fairway units. I actually found the part number in a 2500A parts book.
    
    Paul L Double
    Director of Turfgrass Management
    Sugar Valley Golf Club
    Bellbrook, Ohio