hi i have a customer who has a craftsman riding mower it has a kohler 15hp on it . its a single cylinder . it was running fine but my customer said it wouldnt start so apon checking it out the battery was down to 5 volts so i jump started it i checked the voltage on a multi meter and it read 14 volts then started a count down ttill it gets to one volt while running then just shuts off . i took the cover off and discovered a mice nest and two dead mice . i looked at all the wires and cant find anything . i know something is wrong with the charging system though . i havent pulled the flywheel off yet . and tips suggestions ect would be greatly appreciated . thanks
#2
reynoldston
Sound to me like you have a voltage draw. hook up a test light at the battery and trace back to it.
i have never had to ise a test light before . i own one so do i juat check bak till it doesnt light up ?? . i still think those mice chewed something up . isn' the charging system under the flywheel ??
i have never had to ise a test light before . i own one so do i juat check bak till it doesnt light up ?? . i still think those mice chewed something up . isn' the charging system under the flywheel ??
Hook one end of the test light to the battery, disconnect the battery cable from the battery and fasten the other end to that. If you have a draw the light will light and if not you have no draw. Now disconnect wires till the light go's out. Yes your stator is under the flywheel. It is very possible that it is shorted out. I just had to change one this pass summer.
:smile: Them Mices pee is very corrosive, could have shorted the stator out. You stated it was producing 14 volts after starting so it must be producing something. How old is the battery?
#6
reynoldston
How old is the battery? You did test the battery?? Nice thing about the forum more then one thought here.
when i went to my customers house i tested the battery with a multimeter it read 5 volts so i jump started it well then i put the multimeter on it again and it read 14 but started counting down then it shut off so i went and tried to re jump start it and it wouldnt turn over . the reaso is because the battery was under 1volt left so i waited a few and re jumped it and put the multimeten on it again and it just cou ted dow quice and when it hit under 1 volt it just shut off again
#8
reynoldston
Just how do you test battery's? Frist of all you want to get a good charge into the battery and you will only know this by a hydrometer reading. Then you can check how well the battery will hold its voltage.
but here is what confuses me . the tractor should still put out a charge right ??. i started servicing the tractor about 2yrs ago so i know the battery is at least two yrs old . but maybe im wrong but even if i stuck a dead bad battery in a riding mower and jump started it wouldnt it stay running because it keeps trying to constantly charge to the battery ?? i thought because the tractor seems to put out no charge the issue would be with the tractor but i could be wrong
#13
reynoldston
Your mower is in Maryland and I am in NY. This is just a guessing game that seems to jump all over the place. First we are talking about a battery that drains, then bad battery's. I was just saying have your battery checked before replacing it. If your battery is going dead then the tractor sets do a draw test which I told you how to do earlier. Yes a short in a bad battery will drain its self also. You might want to look at some repair manuals to help you diagnose your problem. They will walk you right through it.
You have to start somewhere, have your battery checked. You ask more help, but then instead of following our suggestions, you question our answers. As reynoldston said we are not there to see your unit. You haven't even posted any engine or unit model and serial numbers. Kohler makes many different types of 15 HP engines we don't even know the type of unit you have, for all I know it is a cement mixer. If the battery is good, you are going to be looking for a dead short draining the battery. That short could be anywhere. It may be a short between the charging circuit and the run circuit, which will drain the battery and kill the engine. This is not as simple as black and white. That being said, I am bowing out of this one, as you don't like my answers anyway. Bye.
its not i didnt like or appreciate anyones answers i just always thought the charging system on the engine would keep the motor running . i havent gotten back to the tractor to pull the battery ect . i do appreciate the help and advice ect . im gonna pull the battery in the next day or so and ill charge and test it . ive always thought if the engine was putting out a charge it would keep the motor running so thats why i asked thats all
i found the info on the mower its a craftsman mod 917.273130 sn 052203a016692
the kohler is a cv490-27508 . im going to pull the battery tomorrow and charge and have tested . ill go from there.
its not i didnt like or appreciate anyones answers i just always thought the charging system on the engine would keep the motor running . i havent gotten back to the tractor to pull the battery ect . i do appreciate the help and advice ect . im gonna pull the battery in the next day or so and ill charge and test it . ive always thought if the engine was putting out a charge it would keep the motor running so thats why i asked thats all
You are talking about two completely systems. Your engine runs off the mag and your battery charges off the stator. The mag is on the out side of your flywheel and the charging system is in the inside. One of your test should be is always isolate your chassis and engine so you know what you are looking for. You are thinking about a car which runs off the battery. Like I said earlier get your self a repair manual and it will walk you through it. You started with why is the battery drawing itself down to not running which is two different things because you shouldn't need a battery for the mower to run.
im gonna look for the manual but that is what confused me as well is this tractor will draw the battery down so low to under a volt then shut its self off . i thought once you got the motor running the coil would keep it running . thats what confused me . im going to take my test light and try to find the short like you suggested . thanks
ok here is the update . i took a new battery over because i have two other tractors that need batteries so i figured id put the new one in and test it with the multimeter . i did and it isnt charging the battery at all . so there is def something wrong with the charging system . i pulled the flywheel and the charging thing under neath it was caked in dust mice nest ect . i cleaned it all off and out and put it all back together and still not charging ....
