Macdon M150 Light issues.

[farmaholic]

Jay-mo: I have a call into customer support/service and waiting for a return call.

It's just I don't want to pay a service department to "diagnose" a problem that has no fix without modification. I believe this is an engineering/manufacturing issue.

So you're saying not enough ventilation and have a heat buildup on components in the fuse compartment? Why only the lights though? There are other functions on circuit breakers. I can't imagine the amount of dirt that would build up on that fuse/relay/circuit breaker panel, mine is coated in dialectic grease!!

[jamesb]

we have the same issue with our M155. the circuit breaker will trip intermittently and I will loose most of the lights. I have considered going to led lights in place, Im sure they draw less power. I have found that on cool nights the problem is less of a issue.

[Jay-mo]

It is definitely a design flaw in both electrical and in the physical location of the fuse panel.
If you put your hand on that cover after swathing for a few hours it is smoking hot. I think a lot of the heat is from external engine heat being directed at it. Not necessarily that the electrical system is really being overloaded.
I agree James, the cooler the night, the less issues with that relay breaker.
Yes, it gets covered in dust, but at least you can keep dropping canola when the pressure is on.
I haven't had any issues with it getting dusty and it doesn't get rained on where its located.

[Jay-mo]

Farmaholic, I am interested to hear what Macdon had to say to you about the problem.

[farmaholic]

Someone has been in touch with me and has put in quite an effort but wouldn't admit to it being a "recurring" problem. Sad to hear the M155s may still have the issue. I'll post pictures of our fuse panel and the revised("C") panel of August 2010. Yours might be different. ...again.

[farmaholic]

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Notice the changes at F3, F4, F15, F16 and F18. At F21&22 where mine is spare they put in a "lighting direction relay". The wiring may even be different so...

I need to determine why ALL the lights go out when they trip-- when F15 only controls the engine forward(roading lights) and F16 controls the rest of the lights on the cab, the radio and interior dome light.

The light switch at "field" position turns all the lights on at a time, the "road position" turns off the cab forward lights(field working lights) and leaves the two back corner cab lights and the roading lights and the tail lights on.

I have to go back to the wiring schematic and try to figure out what is tripping both F15&16 to cause all the lights to go out at one time. Can't look at those things too long, get a headache, lol. We've never blown a fuse, always the circuit breakers trip. We had the machine running today with the lights on, but as james said probably too cool out to cause it to trip. I think it is a manufacturing/engineering error. LEDs would be nice but they aren't cheap either, I would be more than satisfied with the quality of the lighting if the damn things would stay on!!!

[Oliver88]

If what Jay-mo says is true, going to LED wouldn't help.

Interesting that the fuse panel is located in an area that gets overheated from the engine.

[Oliver88]

Sounds like their electrical engineering department dropped the ball on this.

[farmaholic]

I am far from an electrical engineer but I looked at the schematics tonight and there seems to far too much happening through the F16 position in the fuse panel. I can't safely put in a higher amperage circuit breaker without knowing if the wiring can handle it. Circuit breakers and relays are really mechanical devices, I am going to ask or research if they weaken over time, especially if they've been tripped numerous times.

I hate giving up.

[farmaholic]

Jay-mo, is the face of your fuse panel covered in dielectric grease? Mine is.

As silly as this may sound, I wonder if that little compartment could be pressurized with air from the cab that has been A/C-ed, it would exhaust out the back where the wires come through the frame rail and probably out the sides were the cover meets the frame. Unless condensation issues would develop, that would cause a whole new set of problems.