better than another half a day wasted, and this time it's still not fixed.

Started end of last week with a hydraulic leak, at the front of the cab. Those wonderful hi-grade steering lines from the steering motor to the steel lines had pin hole leaks in them. That wasn't to bad a fix, other than what all you have to take apart so you can actually get to them, including having to jack the front of the cab up to reach the lower fittings. Now have 2 wire real hydraulic hose on them. No wear spots whatsoever, just a pin hole where it was blowing the oil thru the outer coating.

Two days latter, I get the call that "It's dead again", in that it won't do anything, none of the electrical works. Not so bad once you find the "source" of why there isn't any power. Cab solenoid behind the seat had taken a crap. Still lost 3 hours of planting time by the time the problem was found, get a part, replace it, and get it going again.

This morning, they were waiting at the shop for me. The lovely thing wouldn't start. Turns over just fine, but it won't fire a lick. Had 3 codes up, 329, 328, 456. Make the phone call to the dealer. Of course, first thing, 329, has to be the fuel filters. Tell them I just put filters on it about 30 hours ago. Has to be the fuel filters, that's what always solves the 329 code. So I waste another set of fuel filters, and guess what, it still won't start. Loosen the line at the fitting at the caps pump, turn key on, fuel just shoots everywhere, Electric fuel pump is doing it's job. Put a guage on just to check, 9psi, within tolerances according to dealer guru. 

Next, 328, sounds like one of the solenoids on the top of the pump is bad. Case swears the tractor will run with one bad one, but remember, this thing won't even start. Well, take the connections loose and swap them between solenoids, and let's see if it'll throw the code for the other one. Nope, that's when we get the 456 code, which seems totally unrelated to the problem.

So change all that back, and in the mean time I did get the tractor started, if you gave it a shot of ether. Still, we have a problem, and is it gonna make the problem worse if we run it??? No answer to that question, just well.........can you gauge the gear pump??? Well, I can find the port, problem is, I don't have the correct fitting to hook up my gauges. Well, maybe you can use the test fitting from the rear hydraulics. Ok, find it, shoot, it's metric and my metric box is still in the combine. So off I go to get it, just to pull the fitting, pull the plug, well......that ain't gonna work, they are different threads. One last call, to the dealer, tell him I can't get gauges hooked, but I have it running. Finally says, if it seems like it's running all right, run it, and we''ll call Case and see if we can get any info on the problem.

Never did hear back on that one, but three hours latter, get the call, tractor just fell flat on it's face and won't move nothing. So now we've drug the piece of crap off to the side of the field, and had to work at hooking the quadtrac to the planter, a 2600 Kinze 31-15". If that ain't just the sight. If I get lucky, maybe someone will come steal that 285 tonight, but wait, it won't run, they'd have to wench it on a truck to haul it away. Ain't worth the effort. Last comment to the dealer was, with the problems this tractor has had over the last 30 days, it's become John Deere's best salesman, and he actually agreed with me.