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Another no-start issue(s)

#1

K

Kneale Brownson

My new-to-me old Grasshopper 616 would not start after I blew most of the grass off outside my garage. Pushed it inside and have spent a fair amount of time trying to figure it out. First I found the 30-amp fuse had its legs corroded off stuck inside the fuse box terminals, so I got that all uncovered and discovered three red wires hanging loose. After removing the fuse box and digging out the two corroded terminals on the 30-amp part, I identified the wires as the hot one from the solenoid, the one from the switch and the one to the regulator whatever that is. I got new terminals, hooked the hot and the switch wires together on the top terminal, as on the wiring diagram. and the other to the other half of the 30-amp block. The other three fuses were OK. So when I turn the switch to start, power goes to the start fuse terminals, but nothing happens. Previous Owner said he'd just replaced the solenoid, so I assumed it's still OK. I suppose I should remove it and test it. How would I test the starter itself?

By the way, I've learned that there are two little bent arms coming off the drives that will twist and mount into two holes in the steel support next to them to free up the drives so you can push the darned thing around without leaving wheel skid marks.


#2

K

Kneale Brownson

Kneale Brownson said:
My new-to-me old Grasshopper 616 would not start after I blew most of the grass off outside my garage. Pushed it inside and have spent a fair amount of time trying to figure it out. First I found the 30-amp fuse had its legs corroded off stuck inside the fuse box terminals, so I got that all uncovered and discovered three red wires hanging loose. After removing the fuse box and digging out the two corroded terminals on the 30-amp part, I identified the wires as the hot one from the solenoid, the one from the switch and the one to the regulator whatever that is. I got new terminals, hooked the hot and the switch wires together on the top terminal, as on the wiring diagram. and the other to the other half of the 30-amp block. The other three fuses were OK. So when I turn the switch to start, power goes to the start fuse terminals, but nothing happens. Previous Owner said he'd just replaced the solenoid, so I assumed it's still OK. I suppose I should remove it and test it. How would I test the starter itself?

By the way, I've learned that there are two little bent arms coming off the drives that will twist and mount into two holes in the steel support next to them to free up the drives so you can push the darned thing around without leaving wheel skid marks.
Click to expand...
I have determined the starter operates by jumpering it. I had a starter repair shop test the solenoid and it clicks as it should, but the guy said there's no real test to determine it would hold continuity with the heavy load of a starter. So I picked up a spare solenoid (everyone needs one, right?)

In the interim, I discovered the innertube is sticking through a crack in the tire casing, so now I'm seeking a new tire. Won't be mowing for a while yet.


#3

K

Kneale Brownson

wiring diagram marked up.jpgWhile awaiting my new tire, I replaced the starter solenoid after polishing all the electric contact points and treating them with dielectric grease. Haven't tried to start it because it's sitting on a bottle jack.

So I've been trying to figure out the wiring diagram in the manual and wonder what the part circled in yellow is????? I know what the starter, solenoid, fuse block, key switch and various safety switches are, but can find nothing that would be the part indicated in the yellow circle.

EDIT: Don't know why the image comes up twice and can't figure out how to edit one out.
wiring diagram marked up.jpg


#4

B

bertsmobile1

For want of a better term it is the mower management module.
It gets all of the signals from the various safety switches then triggers various things to happen , like the engine not crank cause the blades are on or deck to shut down because you have fallen off or the bagger is full etc etc etc .
Sort of like the ECM in your car .


#5

K

Kneale Brownson

New tire in place, new solenoid installed with all the connecting surfaces polished and treated to a dab of dielectric grease. Still no start. Too bad the "sort of like the ECM in your car" doesn't have a way to check it out like the scan tool for the car. Will I hurt anything if I started it with a jumper wire and the key turned on so I can load it onto a trailer and haul it in? I've figured out how to release the fluid drives so it can be pushed/pulled, but I'd rather just drive it onto the trailer.


#6

B

bertsmobile1

Nope
I regularly have to Jerry rig modern mowers so the owners can use them till I get the parts in.
And in some cases this can take a full year down here .


#7

K

Kneale Brownson

(y)(y)


#8

K

Kneale Brownson

So I mowed most of my 3 acres of rough lawn spaces yesterday, using the jumper system to start the Grasshopper 616 with the key set to "run", and near the end, I started losing ability to move. I shut off the mower and crept the machine toward my garage. I parked it outside to blow off all the grass, and when I went to run it into the garage, it would not move forward or back. I pushed it in with a tractor and looked to the drive system. The fluid reservoirs that were maybe half way up the windows with fluid when I started now were full to overflowing. Does the fluid increase in volume that much from the heat of operating for a couple hours?


#9

K

Kneale Brownson

After an overnight cool down, fluid level in the reservoirs was back to a little below the top marks on the reservoirs. Drives will not engage, however. Have I blown both drives? Is there an easy solution or do I now have a "Parts" Grasshopper?


#10

B

bertsmobile1

If neither side will go either direction then the most likely problem will be the drive belt has come off, broken or the PTO to the drive has broken one of the flexable couplings
Almost impossible to have both hydros fail completely at the same time


#11

K

Kneale Brownson

I remembered later that I had locked the drives out to be able to push the mower into the garage. After freeing the lockout arms yesterday afternoon, I was able to mow for almost an hour. The fluid lever rose just a bit in the reservoir windows, but did not overflow like before. Should I be changing the fluid and filter?


#12

K

Kneale Brownson

Turns out I had forgotten I put the drive control levels in the lock-out position so I could push the machine into the garage. Once released, I got more grass cut. However, the fluid level went from just below the top line on the reservoirs to wanting to overflow/leak out of the cap. Ambient temperature in the 80s. Do I need new fluid and filter? Is fluid supposed to expand A LOT as it heats up?


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