# 2011 John Deere 1330SE Electrical Problems



## [email protected] (Feb 9, 2014)

Looking for some good advice on troubleshooting my John Deere 1330SE snow blower. It has an electric chute control which is nice, but hardly ever works. It has a motor to angle the discharge which only worked the first couple weeks I bought it. The ability to rotate the chute itself only works infrequently, and sometimes not at all. Last time I used the blower, the right headlamp was out. I'm assuming there is an electrical problem somewhere. I bought the unit at Lowe's and they had me take it to a John Deere dealer, who was actually not helpful at all. (Most likely due to not buying it there). The blower is a beast at removing snow, and seems to get good reviews here and at other sites. It was bought in October 2011 and was used very little that first winter due to a mild season here in upstate NY that year. Because of that, I didn't realize the extent of the issue until the following year, well past any Lowe's warranty. Last year and this year it's getting more use. I'd be grateful if anyone had some tips for me; like to try to fix myself. Thanks!


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

Your going to have to isolate just where the prob is. When the chute direction is not working, try to probe the wires right before the motor to see if its getting power. Do the same for the angle control. If your not getting power at these places, check right before the power switch. This will tell you whether your having power, switch or motor problems.


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## motorhead64 (Dec 15, 2013)

I couldnt find any wiring schematic on pdf file, just a parts breakdown. Where your problems appear to be affecting more than one circuit, they may be caused by moisture getting to your connectors. 
Try disconnecting them one by one and spraying the contacts with WD40. Wipe them dry and see if you see any improvement. MH


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

First check you grounds.


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## [email protected] (Feb 9, 2014)

Thank you for the tips; some more specific info I should have included earlier-the chute rotation usually does work for the first 5 or so minutes and then just quits. The motor that angles the discharge has not worked since perhaps the second time I used it, which was early 2012. When pressing the control switch for it to operate, the headlamp(s) dim greatly. Sometimes with repeated efforts it will operate again. I've checked the electrical connections for tightness, but I haven't sprayed them with WD40. There are a lot of wires that are connected with clips that seem like they could loosen. I would say in the 2.5 years I've owned the machine, it's been used 12-15 times at most. Thank you again for the advice and help!!!


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

A dimming light would mean a high current draw. Perhaps something is frozen?


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

I would concur on icing idea of the chute. I would make sure that there is enough lube to displace any moisture. 

Or. 

You could rotate the chute every few minutes, to break everything free.


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## Mr Fixit (Nov 19, 2013)

Dimming lights when other appliance is in use? =Low voltage to the appliance. Voltage drop is tested by putting a volt meter lead as close to the appliance +12 and the + battery post. The reading you register is your voltage drop/loss. Anything over 2 volts requires help. Any of these reasons (heat) below would be a cause.
Wire size too small. Look for heat.
-install 10 gauge wiring.
Connections not passing current. Look for heat.
-double connection sizes amp rating
Battery voltage too low. Watch it with a volt meter while operating appliances.
-or Assist the battery with a battery charger looking for improvement.
Switch poor quality or size. Look for heat. Screwdriver across the poles at same time.
-upgrade to 30 amp switch

Shorted motor? Use an amp meter in line with that +12 volt supply to the motor. Anything over 6 amps doesn't sound like a healthy motor.


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## Jay (Jan 24, 2014)

If the chute works fine when its thawed out/warm before blowing snow, then its most likely icing up and getting stuck. On mine I have to make sure the gear is greased every so often (monthly) by taking the black cover of the actuator off to access the rotating gear. Its important to keep ice from building up on the disc sprocket on the base of the chute that the actuator gear runs on. Spray some silicon lubricant on it helps. I sometimes use compressed air and a wand to blow all the ice and snow that builds up in that area when I am done working to keep this area dry. The actuator runs on AC power from the stator along with your hand grip warmers. The only thing that runs on DC is the headlamp which mine had a small inline rectifier on one of the red wires from the stator going to the light. It is normal for the light to dim when you press the button for the chute rotation. It also dims slightly depending on the level of heat you select for your hand grips. My light has burned out too, which I found out was due to too much vibration which reduced the life of the bulb in my case. I have since converted to LED lights and eliminated that issue. My 1130SE is pretty similar to yours if you have questions.


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## WestminsterFJR (Dec 30, 2013)

Today, the chute control stopped working on my JD 1330se as well. It would turn left, but not right. I removed the switch and separated the housing:









inside, there are 2 rocker/contact mechanisms. I removed them and bent them slightly. 










Reassembled and tested. All is back in order.


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## PLampe (Jan 4, 2015)

*WestminsterFJR - Nice fix!*

I can't really tell where or if this post will make it to the right spot, but it is a reply to WestminsterFJR's post for the electrical fix for the chute control switch for the John Deere 1330SE. Mine started doing the exact same thing (would go to the left with no problem, to the right occasionally with major jiggling of the switch) and eventually would not go to the right at all. After reading through the posts, because of the jiggling, WestminsterFJR's post seemed the most plausible. Indeed, after following his instructions and bending the contacts, the switch is working fine again. (I was able to remove just the bottom of the switch box in order to access the contacts and make the bends). I'm guessing almost all of the chute control problems listed before his post are a result of the same problem. I hope anyone else with the same problem makes it to this site and his post. Thank you for the great fix FJR. Also, if you happen to read this post FJR, do the contacts eventually need rebending from time to time or do you believe the fix is permanent? Probably no big deal either way, but it would be nice if it were permanent and I didn't have to trust my memory to be able to fix it again. ****Be careful when pulling down the switch box (after removing the wiring harness) that the two springs don't come off with it. You can see them at about the 1:56 mark in the video (not the silver bolts) and in the first photo of Westminster FJR's post. Pat.

Also: I have added a youtube video showing what I did to bend the contacts: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7cNDL2wsA"


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## jf1000 (Feb 9, 2015)

Mine had the same chute would not turn to the right problem. This fixed it. Thanks


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## labman (Mar 3, 2015)

*thank you from Minnesota!*

WestminsterFJR, 

This issue had been driving me crazy for two years! (I am a stubborn German) I initially thought the works were freezing and tapped the chute gear with a ball peen hammer. Failing to resolve I went on with frustration and chute controls that worked intermittently if at all. Both the left/right and up/down became an issue. I just found this post today, (we have snow falling as I type) and went out and tried the fix. In the dim light of the garage, I was able to do this repair and started the blower to test and it works splendidly. Thank you so much! I was regretting letting my 15 year old 1032 with a blown engine go but I have hope now! (still miss the 1032)

labman


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## kevin99 (Dec 13, 2013)

My electric chute on the 1330se worked every time for 4.5+ years before it stopped working few weeks ago.

In examining the switch internals, I was curious just how these two metal rockers (that are fairly thick) can somehow bend.

Unless the switch housing was compromised, I just could see how you can exert extra pressure due to housing design / switch travel distance limits.

In examining the electrical contact pads, on these rockers as well as on the housing, what I found were surface deposits and galling to what I guess to be due to frequent electric sparks when making contact (remember that this rocker switch is not sealed so moisture is present)

When I removed these cruds and surface imperfections via sandpaper, and without bending, my electric chute worked!

My guess is that when rockers are removed, bent and reinstalled, you are essentially changing the contact locations on these pads, allowing the electricity to flow through.

Due to unsealed nature of the switch, I am going to guess that needs to be on a checklist every season. After lightly sanding the surface, I applied some NOALOX to see if I can reduce the galling effect.

I have written a more in-depth article here and I would appreciate any thoughts or comments.


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## Will Ralph (Nov 6, 2016)

I had the same problem and am eternally grateful for the solution provided by WestminsterFJR. Thank you, thank you thank you for your ingenuity!!! I'm up and running now and it's working great!


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## porterlydia (Apr 19, 2017)

How can the actuator run on AC? AC current goes + then -, the toggle switch cannot change the rotation of the motor since reversing the AC current does nothing? Please explain. I have a Deere 1130SE. The actuator motorwill only run by applying a DC current to it and then a switch will reverse the DC current. Mine stopped working, so I put a diode in one of the lines and used a double pole double throw switch to change the current. I cannot find any diode in the original wiring harness. Warmers and lights work just fine on AC current as I expected. How did the original work if only AC was applied to the actutor motor. That makes no sense to me.


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