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I have a Bad Boy ZT I am working on that has major electrical issues. The customer mowed with it and said it was cutting out the last time before he parked it. When he went to start it, it would do nothing. When I went to pick it up the battery was dead, so I put a battery in it and still nothing. I jumped started it over the solenoid, and it started but the deck wouldn't raise, and I had to disconnect the battery to get it to shut off. I have found 4 bad relays, a burnt wire, and several bad connections. The ignition switch also has to be wiggled, but I've tried a new replacement one as well and it still will not start. The solenoid has been replaced as well. Any suggestions? I contacted a local Bad Boy dealer to see about obtaining a copy of a wiring diagram and of course they wouldn't let me purchase a copy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, when you connect the wires to the positive battery terminal, the fuel shutoff solenoid starts clicking even with the key off.

I think the BadBoy uses a Briggs type ignition switch. Some aftermarket switches have a different contact arrangement, even though the plug connect. That is one possible reason why your fuel shut off solenoid is activated when you connect the battery. I have a wiring diagram for a
ZT Elite that may help. I’ll see if I can find it when I get home and I’ll send it to you.
Good luck.

Mr Fixit. said:

I think the BadBoy uses a Briggs type ignition switch. Some aftermarket switches have a different contact arrangement, even though the plug connect. That is one possible reason why your fuel shut off solenoid is activated when you connect the battery. I have a wiring diagram for a
ZT Elite that may help. I’ll see if I can find it when I get home and I’ll send it to you.
Good luck.

Click to expand...

I have tried switching back to the factory ignition switch as well, but it's still clicking the fuel shut off. But, thanks for looking for a wiring diagram!

Even with mower's serial all BB will is a wiring diagram and not a true schematic in my opinion. You have to know how relays and switches internally work in order to troubleshoot the problems.

You need to download the owners for your mower:

but this what the diagrams will look like.

chrisd1972vw said:

I have tried switching back to the factory ignition switch as well, but it's still clicking the fuel shut off. But, thanks for looking for a wiring diagram!

Click to expand...

This key switch diagram may help verify the switch contacts are working correctly. I am working on the BB 'Caveman drawing' wiring diagram to get a better understanding as I am also working on a BB with this arrangement. Good luck.

their wiring diagrams suck. They'll give you an idea, but that's about it. The ONE thing that always got under my skin with Bad Boy is the wiring. IF there are, for example, 20 wires in the entire harness, 15 of them are yellow which makes it "fun" to figure out. You get the idea.

If I had it in front of me, I'd put a new harness on it (burned wires...no telling what else you're gonna find). Best I remember, they weren't all that expensive, and pretty easy to replace.