I have a Craftsman 17.5 B&S 42" 247.203734. Today I went through some pile of grass where there was a small anthill (which I did not see.) After hitting it with the blades, the tractor jumped back a bit, the engine chocked and shut down. After that I have not been able to start it.
When I turn the key, the only thing that happens is a faint click coming from somewhere around the carburetor. During this click, the Indicator Light lamp blinks once red. Nothing happens. (The Indicator Light is ON when riding backwards with the blades engaged. I believe that is its only purpose.)
The small click you can hear is the fuel shut off solenoid, so your ignition circuit is OK.
If the reverse cutting warning lamp is on then the mower thinks the blades are engaged and the tractor is in reverse.
In that condition the starter will not crank.
So turn the blades on & off a few times, same with the direction control and see if the problem clears.
If not then the reverse safety switch and the PTO switch will both need checking.
There might well be some debris stuck in one of both, or wire pulled out at the joiner plug.
That was it. Doing it a few times did the magic. After that it started regularly. Thank you so much for the explanation of the issue and the suggestions!
