Hello
I have an Ariens Sport Zoom 1232 that has served me well for a few years. Recently, it was getting difficult to start (it would crank slowly if at all and finally go). I bought a new battery a year or two ago and it improved. But now this year, it won't start at all. It will sometimes give one turn of the engine and that's it. I've had everything apart and checked everything in the wiring. My main suspicion, based upon behavior, not on a measurement, is that when the key is in the start position, there's something else drawing down current and starving the starter. I've looked at the wiring diagrams and measured things but can't figure out what it is. I replaced the solenoid with no change in results.
I took out the battery and tried to diagnose for a short. When I connect an ohmmeter to the battery leads (battery not installed) and turn the key to start, the resistance is about 4.5 ohms, which I think is expected since it runs through the solenoid coil and the starter. But I'm not absolutely sure if that's right as the maintenance guide only provides assistance if you're not getting voltage. My problem is that something appears to be shorting somewhere. I did find the 25A fuse that's connected in the red wire path melted (!) when I was going through stuff today.
I hooked it up to a good, known 12V car battery and it turned maybe 4 or 5 times and then stopped and was yielding the same results as with the original battery.
I measured the coil connections on the relay, and they're not shorted (I think they measured some 10's of ohms if I recall).
My two theories are (1) the starter has a problem where it turns, but it's got either brush or coil issues in which it draws too much current (partially shorted), or (2) something else in the starter circuit shorted (although I can't detect it with a meter).
Anyway, I'm at a loss now. I have no idea what else to check. I would send it into a local service agent, but honestly, for a problem like this, I really don't have confidence in their knowledge. If anyone has some suggestions or ideas, I'd like to hear them. Thank you.
Remove the spark plug & try again.
If the starter turns freely then your problem is the valve lash and not electrical.
I get a dozen or more every year, owners repalces the "bad " battery then the "bad " switch then the "bad" coil followed by the "bad" solenoid and $ 300 latter finally brings it in for a service and is gob smacked when I adjust the tappets & replace the rocker cover gasket ( I never reuse one ) relieve them of $ 60 and off they go, cranky for having wasted $ 300 and 10 hours of their time, suffering the inconvienence for several years because they just can't manage to read the owners manual.
Like I mentioned in my prior post [@5:39p], I tried it with the spark plug out, and the starter turned the engine just fine. So, based upon that, and your prior recommendation, I adjusted the valves.Did you try it without the spark plug in or just jump in and adjust the valve lash ?
There's no accommodation for a pull cord on the engine. With the spark plug out, I can barely turn it by "palming" the grill on the top and turning it. With spark plug in, it's too difficult to turn manually.Can you turn the engine over by hand when the starter motor can't ?
OK. Makes sense. I did replace the solenoid already with no change in results. My next step, to do something simple, was to clean all the leads. But I'm not hopeful that it's the issue, unfortunately.We do tests then take actions depending upon the results of the tests.
The crankshaft could be binding or bent, the big end could be about to drop out, the solenoid could be burned any one of the 3 major battery leads could be corroded or just have a bad contact.
A valve could be bent or sticking, the starter could have 1/2 crud in the bottom covering the brishes & shorting them out, or any one of a hunders other problems.
That is why the reply said to try without the plug in first then if the starter turned over freely to adjust the valve lash.
Well... it seems the saga continues.
The mower ran great all summer and started fine. It started strong and quickly most of the summer. Toward the end, it took a few turns, and sometimes the turns were a little sluggish, but it would start.
I went to start it this weekend for one last go to get loose leaves and such. It turned a little then suddenly just stopped. The symptoms seem just like before. I didn't do anything to abuse the electrical system this year. I'm really perplexed. It's really looking like I'm in the market for another starter again, but I have no idea what could be going wrong with the electrical.
Anyone have any ideas what I can check?
Thanks
Well... it seems the saga continues.
The mower ran great all summer and started fine. It started strong and quickly most of the summer. Toward the end, it took a few turns, and sometimes the turns were a little sluggish, but it would start.
I went to start it this weekend for one last go to get loose leaves and such. It turned a little then suddenly just stopped. The symptoms seem just like before. I didn't do anything to abuse the electrical system this year. I'm really perplexed. It's really looking like I'm in the market for another starter again, but I have no idea what could be going wrong with the electrical.
Anyone have any ideas what I can check?
Thanks
Remove the spark plug & try again.
If the starter turns freely then your problem is the valve lash and not electrical.
I get a dozen or more every year, owners repalces the "bad " battery then the "bad " switch then the "bad" coil followed by the "bad" solenoid and $ 300 latter finally brings it in for a service and is gob smacked when I adjust the tappets & replace the rocker cover gasket ( I never reuse one ) relieve them of $ 60 and off they go, cranky for having wasted $ 300 and 10 hours of their time, suffering the inconvienence for several years because they just can't manage to read the owners manual.
I removed my spark plug and tried to start. Nothing turned over. What does that mean?
It means you are hyjacking some one elses thread.
We have no idea what mower and engine we are trying to fix.