Export thread

So this this mower had sat for a while and i decided to to try and start it. When i charged it and turned the key the thing immediately started turning over, and its not supposed to. The key has four positions. off, accessory, run, start. so what happens is it turns over in the 2nd and 3rd, but when you turn it to 4th it doesn't until you press the brake pedal, and it's supposed to do that. I just have no clue why it turns in 2nd and 3rd. Also I had taken the motor off to get to the coil. Before i took it off a spot in the wires started to smoke, after a while that stopped and i think it started to get hot on the ignition coil.

Wind the wire off the clug and toss it in the bin.
Go to an auto parts store and buy a screw on plug cap.
You need an unsurpressed ( non- resistor ) type.
These have a screw fixed into the wire end and you just screw it into the end of the wire.
Better ones will have a little hose clamp to clamp the fitting onto the spark plug wire.

bigd01 said:

So this this mower had sat for a while and i decided to to try and start it. When i charged it and turned the key the thing immediately started turning over, and its not supposed to. The key has four positions. off, accessory, run, start. so what happens is it turns over in the 2nd and 3rd, but when you turn it to 4th it doesn't until you press the brake pedal, and it's supposed to do that. I just have no clue why it turns in 2nd and 3rd. Also I had taken the motor off to get to the coil. Before i took it off a spot in the wires started to smoke, after a while that stopped and i think it started to get hot on the ignition coil.

Click to expand...

I think I once read about a similar problem , and I'm thinking the problem was in the IGNITION switch itself . Also it would most helpful to provide some information about your machine , 2166 is the mower SERIES number ... see example..

Boobala said:

I think I once read about a similar problem , and I'm thinking the problem was in the IGNITION switch itself . Also it would most helpful to provide some information about your machine , 2166 is the mower SERIES number ... see example..

View attachment 32837

Click to expand...

16 HP
Kohler engine

OK I think I have cross posted my original reply.

You have a Command Horizontal shaft engine which you should be able to undo the blower housing and slide it towards the rear enough to access the ignition module.
If it is behaving as you posted you have a wiring problem that needs to be addressed.

Unlike other mowers, Kohler use an automotive style starter with an intergral solenoid so the thick red wire is always live.
Allowing it to touch the mower anywhere will create a direct short.

The blue wire is the starter trigger wire and should have no voltage unless the brake is on, PTO is off and switch is in the Start position
If it has voltage in any other position then either the switch is faulty or the wire has a short to the red power wire or the purple alternator power wire.
As it has been sitting for a long while, corrosion inside the switch is highly likely as is insulation munched on by rodents.

If it were mine I would be thinking about a new ignition & PTO switch.

Go to the Cub web page support section then plug in the 13A number from the tag and download your parts book & service manual.
In the back of one of them is the wiring diagram

bertsmobile1 said:

OK I think I have cross posted my original reply.

You have a Command Horizontal shaft engine which you should be able to undo the blower housing and slide it towards the rear enough to access the ignition module.
If it is behaving as you posted you have a wiring problem that needs to be addressed.

Unlike other mowers, Kohler use an automotive style starter with an intergral solenoid so the thick red wire is always live.
Allowing it to touch the mower anywhere will create a direct short.

The blue wire is the starter trigger wire and should have no voltage unless the brake is on, PTO is off and switch is in the Start position
If it has voltage in any other position then either the switch is faulty or the wire has a short to the red power wire or the purple alternator power wire.
As it has been sitting for a long while, corrosion inside the switch is highly likely as is insulation munched on by rodents.

If it were mine I would be thinking about a new ignition & PTO switch.

Go to the Cub web page support section then plug in the 13A number from the tag and download your parts book & service manual.
In the back of one of them is the wiring diagram

Click to expand...

Well whoever had this mower before me has changed the wires, so there not the original color, but i guess i could try to look at the diagram

bigd01 said:

Well whoever had this mower before me has changed the wires, so there not the original color, but i guess i could try to look at the diagram

Click to expand...

Not unusual
I see a lot of mowers with toggle switches everywhere and very complicated work arounds to fix a $ 5.00 switch.
There is only one thing you can do to cause real damage and that is to put battery voltage to the magneto cut out wire.
It is a ground circuit so is either ground = off or open = running
Very few people go to the effort of making a terminal tool so usually a few inches from a plug you will find the original wire twisted together with the replacement wire wrapped up with household insulating tape that is falling off so all of the wires are shorting together because they cut all the wires off the same length so all the joints are at the same place.
Mower wiring is dead simple, high school elementry electricity stuff.
We just finished restoring the wiring of a 2155 with 3 toggle switches and a twisted wire ( kill switch ) because one of the safetys had broken away.
Cubs are a PIA because of the firewall & battery placement but not hard to fix, no relays switching relays switching relays like you get on some mowers.
There are only 3 circuits
1) kill circuit
2) cranking circuit
3) charging circuit ( includes lights )

If you treat them all as individual circuits it is really easy
people get confused because the PTO, & Clutch switches are in both the kill & Cranking circuits but the switches are double switches ( 2 sets of contacts ) and you treat them as 2 switches in the same housing.