Tractor Trouble

badcertified · June 21, 2005

Good Morning Guys

I know this is a little out of place but I am having trouble with my lawn tractor . I went to srat yesterday and got a clicking noise , so I assumed the Battery , this morning I went to Wally World and got a new one --still wont start and no noise ? I know you guys are savvy on motors and such so I thought I would ask you for help !! Thankx in advance

BlueTahoe · June 21, 2005

I have had similar problems with mine in the past. This is what I would check.

Check all electrical connections (starter & battery) to make sure they are tight and corrosions free.

Sometimes if you tap on a starter that has a sticking solenoid it will go.

Make sure the end of the starter is free of debris so the starter can engage the flywheel.

After checcking and double checking and If all the moving parts at the end of the starter look good and the wireing/fuses all look good then it is probably a starter.

It sounds like you are getting no noise with the new batt and did get some with old one so I would double check connections first. If it is a 12volt system you could try jumping from a car. I have to do this to mine if it is below 70 degrees outside. Mine turns over VERY well with the jumper cables

sxmax · June 21, 2005

It can be many things but here are some generic things to try without knowing the brand of your mower. My first guess as you are describing I would say your solenoid is bad. Any easy way to test it is to jump it by either using a pliers or screwdriver to make a connection between the poles on the solenoid, in a sense taking it out of the picture. Jumper cables would also work. Starter may also be your problem. To test that, take your battery and jumper cables and hook directly to your starter. Black to ground and the red to the post on the starter. Do not clamp one of the cables so that if it engages you can quickly disengage the starter. The third thing I would look for is safety switches. There might be one on the seat, mower deck and shifter.

71GMC_3/4T · June 21, 2005

I had a solenoid melt down from me grinding on the starter and the engine not starting. You should never grind on the starter for more than 15 or so seconds without waiting several minutes between tries. Yes, that's a lesson I learned. It would still click, but the internal parts wouldn't make contact to start.

Also, like the guys above said, check all the safety switches and crap. My old tractor wouldn't start unless you had the brake pedal down and the PTO off. The seat kill was bypassed though.

On my new tractor, you have to be in the seat, brake pushed, PTO off or it won't start. They make these things so darn safe nowadays that you have to know what you're doing to hurt yourself!

Good Luck, and tell us what you find...

mmmikkke · June 21, 2005

Since your old battery would make the starter click, and the new battery doesn't, I suspect the new battery is *dead*. Did you check that? Like with a volt meter?