# first snow in MA and problmes with the MM1



## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

this was my first storm with a fisher MM plow...at the last driveway, the plow styarting boggin down and not moving, motor would whine and then shut down, it would run again if I let it sit for a second, but again would trip or shutoff. Fluid level is fine, so I'm guessing that the motor is toast. Its a MM1 with insta-act hydrolics, but I'm unable to locate a replacem,ent motor...every motor i find is "new style" 4 1/2", none are the 21500K motor.


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## 04superduty (Jan 9, 2004)

when was the last time you replaced the fluid?


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

just got the plow, how would the fluid suddenly cause this problem? It's drawing my electriucal system completely when you try to do something. If it's as simple as changing fluid, then that's what needs to be done, but I don't understand how it happens so quickly between first drive and last.


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## gpin (Dec 5, 2003)

I would check the connections first, make sure they are tight and clean. Start at the battery and move to the pump.


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## chico1234 (Nov 13, 2004)

try changing the solenoid


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## echovalley (Dec 5, 2004)

chico1234 said:


> try changing the solenoid


I agree and check all the connections also make sure the plow to truck connections are not wet


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

ok, a better explanation of whats going on. It has trouble moving the ram up even with slack chain, no load on the pump...when it finally gets a load, it cuts right out. The entire electrical system on the trucks shuts down if you keep pushing it, starting with my radio and blower. Left and right angling yields the same thing. The motor sounds like it comes under heavy load and sewriously slows down. I've checked all the connections. At first I had a loose ground earlier on that was fixed...now I have full power through the solenoid, but the motors draws a lot of juice. It's simply not pumping enough fluid before it overloads.


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## ksland (Nov 27, 2002)

Sounds like your brushes are done in the motor. You would have to have the motor checked for amp draw. Sounds like she needs a new one.


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

found a new motor for $118, the motor even had that "brushes gone" sound to it, but I wasn't sure. I'm thinking of ordering the new motor, and changing the fluid also. Keep the old motor or send out for rebuild to keep as a spare.


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## fernalddude (Feb 15, 2004)

ok sounds like batt probs not motor have you checked amp output of alt.?


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

alt is fairly new, battery also. Thing is that it doesn't act right at all now, not even under no load...the rest of my electronics are fine, except the plow motor. As I said, the motor isn't even spinning right with slack in the chain. I'd expect to have had trouble starting the truck after driving it with all my strobes, lights, blower, radio etc all day if I had alternator troubles.


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## smitty (Feb 13, 2005)

My fisher did the same thing and I had two broken wires in the 3 prong connector.
If you go to fisher .com you can download the repair manual on that plow
and you can us a test light on the selnods to find the problem


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

Well, it looks like I was prolly wrong...the elec over hydrolic dump just did the same thing and the battery light is on, only while trying to run the accessories...battery it is, but I'm going to have the alternator checked also. Will keep the motor as a spare, since I'm sure I'll eventually need one.


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

new yellow top deep cycle, dump bed working great now, but the plow is still not functioning...I guessing motor on plow is bad, and took my battery with it or I burned up the motor from lack of power from bad battery. Going to pick up new fluid today and change while waiting for motor to come in.


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## Midwest (Oct 16, 2004)

Bgingras,

I had a similar problem with my MM1 2 years ago. We looked and looked and just could not figure out what the hell it was. Found out that we had a ground problem getting to the motor. A temporary fix was to run a wire from the ground lug on the motor straight to the plow frame. fixed it perfect. After having a chance to actually see where I was losing the ground, I found that the Main Battery Connection had an intermittant problem. The Problem originated inside the Rubber Connector, so there was no way to fix it except for getting a new wire. got that wire, replaced it and have never looked back. 

Before you replace the motor, run a good ground to the ground lug on the motor and see if that fixes it. if so, it is probably your power wire...


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

and in a word .... Slime! I was assured that the plow had been serviced by the dealership I got the truck from, but I really don't think so...I went to drain it and a chunk of "jello" came out of the hole...so, I pulled the whole canister and found it half full of a brownish green jello like substance, it had completely encased the intake screen, blocking any fluid from going up into it. Emptied it out, and I scrubbed the canister to bare metal and re-instaleld...works better than when I bought it...I used to be able to ehar the motor before, now it's quiet. Plus with the added deep cycle yellow top, we are back in business! Thanks for all the suggestions...now I just need to figure out what to do with a spare pump motor.


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## Midwest (Oct 16, 2004)

Glad to hear you got it fixed


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## danno (Sep 16, 2004)

So it was the fluid after all ?


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

yep,

I was told that the plow had been "fully serviced" by the dealer when I bought the truck, and I did a quick dip stick check to see the fluid, and it looked good, but what I didn't realize was that the bottom half of the canister was full of a jello like substance (anyone know what it is from?)...I didn't even see anything after I drained the entire system. It was only after I decided to take the unit apart that I discovered what was going on...it was lining the walls of the canister(about 1/2" thick) and was about 3" deep, but there was a hole striaght through it to the drain port so it allowed clean fluid out the entire time. I had to use a can of brake cleaner to get this stuff out of the canister, and then dried it out really good with a heat gun to get rid of any residue, and then wiped it down again. The stuff that was on the filer screen stretched like a rubber band but was hard to remove!

I guess the motto is to not listen to what a dealer tells you, but to check it out completely for yourself.


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## echovalley (Dec 5, 2004)

To be safe i would flush it again after the next time you use it


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## douglasl330 (Oct 4, 2005)

Ditto to what echo says--they do sell external filters for them also! just an Idea! Let it snow todays wasn't enough


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## bgingras (Jan 16, 2004)

Well the question is what was that slime? This stuff would clog a filter quickly, which it did. The plow ran fine since I got it, and ran great until the last driveway. It amost seemed like it developed rapidly, but I don't know for sure.


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