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Cub Cadet zero turn ZT1 50" no start, just clicks and solenoid tests good.

#1

T

testdepth

This mower was used just fine to cut half the lawn and then turned off to go get some water. I tried to start it and nothing but a clicking sound. Won't turn over and battery tests at 12.7V. I did the idiot check with arms out, deck disengaged and nothing but a click. Solenoid removed and tested good.

Any ideas?


#2

S

slomo

testdepth said:
This mower was used just fine to cut half the lawn and then turned off to go get some water.
Click to expand...
Mower was thirsty. (y)
testdepth said:
I tried to start it and nothing but a clicking sound.
Click to expand...
Bad battery terminals or connections. Bad starter solenoid. That is what's clicking the solenoid. Contacts are worn not passing the current.
testdepth said:
Won't turn over and battery tests at 12.7V.
Click to expand...
You need to load test the battery. Take it to an auto parts store. They check for free. Like in a car, dome light on but won't crank over. Meaning battery has enough amperage to light the dome light but lacks enough to turn the starter over.

If you take a screwdriver and short the cable connections on the solenoid, and it cranks over the engine, the starter solenoid is bad.


#3

S

slomo

testdepth said:
Solenoid removed and tested good.
Click to expand...
How was this done?


#4

T

testdepth

slomo said:
How was this done?
Click to expand...
Battery terminal positive to one side of the solenoid and negative to the other. Solenoid functioned by closing contacts. I also left 12V connected and placed my ohm meter across the top terminals and measured 0V or dead short which means the solenoid is good.


#5

B

bertsmobile1

Clicking solenoid is a sign that it is not getting enough power
Around 9 to 10 V will trip the solenoid but when the connection is made for the starter the starter draws a lot of amps which will cause the voltage to drop
When the voltage drops to below the 9/10 volts the solenoid turns off, the high current draw stops the available voltage rises and the solenoid closes again, the high current draw drops the voltage which gets too low the solenoid turns off, the current load dissapears so the voltage rises .
You hear the machine gun clicking

SO the actual problem is the starter can not get enough amps or wants more amps than the mower can supply .
The most common cause of this is a bad ground strap
The test is to run a ground jumper from the battery - to a good ground near the starter
Problem goes away confirms this.
Note on ZTR's I have seen a few where water has wicked into battery cables and rotted through the wires under the insulation so they look good, will Ω test good but not carry any current
Can happen to either or both cables.

Assuming that the ground jumper did not make the starter work then the next trick is to run a jumper from the + terminal on the starter motor to the + terminal of the battery ( connect the starter first) . The starter should spin if it and the battery is good .

Assuming no joy here either then jump from a known good battery as above directly to the starter
If the starter spins the mower battery is bad
If the starter does not spin then it is faulty.


#6

B

bertsmobile1

testdepth said:
Battery terminal positive to one side of the solenoid and negative to the other. Solenoid functioned by closing contacts. I also left 12V connected and placed my ohm meter across the top terminals and measured 0V or dead short which means the solenoid is good.
Click to expand...
That tests the operation of the solenoid, but it does not mean the solenoid will pass high current.
The contacts burn over time to the point that an Ω reading will be 0 but it will not pass enough current.


#7

S

slomo

Yup check you some grounds.


#8

S

slomo

testdepth said:
Battery terminal positive to one side of the solenoid and negative to the other. Solenoid functioned by closing contacts. I also left 12V connected and placed my ohm meter across the top terminals and measured 0V or dead short which means the solenoid is good.
Click to expand...
Not seeing any load here on the solenoid.

All electrical circuits need to be load tested to confirm they pass current as Bert is talking about.


#9

T

testdepth

Installed the solenoid and hooked battery cables from my truck to the mower battery. I turned the key and still nothing but a click. I can hold the key in the start position and pull the PTO switch up and down to hear a clunk at the starter but it won't turnover. Still nothing but a click.


#10

T

testdepth

bertsmobile1 said:
Clicking solenoid is a sign that it is not getting enough power
Around 9 to 10 V will trip the solenoid but when the connection is made for the starter the starter draws a lot of amps which will cause the voltage to drop
When the voltage drops to below the 9/10 volts the solenoid turns off, the high current draw stops the available voltage rises and the solenoid closes again, the high current draw drops the voltage which gets too low the solenoid turns off, the current load dissapears so the voltage rises .
You hear the machine gun clicking

SO the actual problem is the starter can not get enough amps or wants more amps than the mower can supply .
The most common cause of this is a bad ground strap
The test is to run a ground jumper from the battery - to a good ground near the starter
Problem goes away confirms this.
Note on ZTR's I have seen a few where water has wicked into battery cables and rotted through the wires under the insulation so they look good, will Ω test good but not carry any current
Can happen to either or both cables.

Assuming that the ground jumper did not make the starter work then the next trick is to run a jumper from the + terminal on the starter motor to the + terminal of the battery ( connect the starter first) . The starter should spin if it and the battery is good .

Assuming no joy here either then jump from a known good battery as above directly to the starter
If the starter spins the mower battery is bad
If the starter does not spin then it is faulty.
Click to expand...
Ran the jumper from the battery negative to the ground nearest the starter and no joy. Same click sound


#11

T

testdepth

Ran battery cables from truck battery to the mower battery negative and touched the positive terminal on starter. Starter spins so according to your troubleshooting guide I need to go buy another battery. This one is dated Dec 2021.

I believe there is another problem with the alternator or voltage regulator not charging the battery so when the mower was shut off while running it would not start back up.


#12

B

bertsmobile1

YEs

I think you have nailed it
A 1 year old battery should be good if the charging system is working
Down side is you have to have the mower running to test it
If you turn the mower's ignition on then jump the starter directly from your other battery it should start

Once started you can do a voltage test on the charging system
IF it is working the battery terminal should show 13 V to 15 V with the engine running full speed after a minute or two
If not then check for voltage by back probing the rectifier to ground
If it shows 13+ volts then your problem is the wiring between the rectifier & the battery
After 5 minutes or so running , turn the blades on
The engine may slow down a little but do not worry about that
Do another voltage check
If it is lower then the PTO clutch needs adjusting or the alternator requires attention.
A fully charged battery should runthat mower about 4 hours before the voltage gets so low either the PTO stops or the fuel solenoid closes and the engine stops .


#13

T

testdepth

So I bought a new battery and that did not fix the or change the problem. I hooked the new battery up and continued troubleshooting. The solenoid has two posts on top and two blade connections on the side for battery voltage applied when the ignition switch key is turned to start. The other is ground. I pulled the orange wire with white stripe from the solenoid and placed red meter lead on that wire and the black meter lead to ground. I turned the key and 0V. Tracing that wire back it attaches to the wire harness connector going to the PTO switch. I tested the wiring from this switch to the solenoid and it was all good. I noticed the connector had somehow (vibration maybe) backed off of the PTO switch prongs so I reseated it tight. I then tested the voltage again while turning the key and now had battery voltage. My zero turn now runs and is repaired. The problem all along was the PTO connector being loose.

So if anyone else has their Zero turn not start after it was running just fine a few minutes ago, then I would check this connector 1st before doing or buying anything else.


#14

T

testdepth

CalvinSet said:
YOU YOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOUYOU
Click to expand...
What I do?

BTW thanks to all that replied


#15

S

slomo

Couple items that can cause starting grief (clicks).

1.Valves never checked. High on the list.
2.Read you bought a new battery. Was it load tested and checked good? Could of taken your old one to an auto parts store. They would lf checked it for free as I suggested. New parts does not mean they work.
3.Remove the starter. Bench test it with jumper cables. Can also put an amp clamp on the + cable if you have one.
4.Pull out the spark plug/s. Does it start now with the key?
5.Clean/polish the + and - cable connectors all the way through to the starter. Eyeball each cable for wear and tear. Some look good and test like do-do. 2 strands of copper doing the load and the others broken off for example.
6.Solenoid clicking is either a bad solenoid, not able to pass enough current to crank the engine or a bad starter. Assuming cables are good and tight. Star grounding washers and dielectric grease can help a lot.
7.Could be control voltage from the key or something that supports starting. Solenoid not grounded if required.

Do you power wash the mower after you mow? If so stop it now. Leaf blower or compressed air is fine.


#16

T

testdepth

slomo said:
Couple items that can cause starting grief (clicks).

1.Valves never checked. High on the list.
2.Read you bought a new battery. Was it load tested and checked good? Could of taken your old one to an auto parts store. They would lf checked it for free as I suggested. New parts does not mean they work.
3.Remove the starter. Bench test it with jumper cables. Can also put an amp clamp on the + cable if you have one.
4.Pull out the spark plug/s. Does it start now with the key?
5.Clean/polish the + and - cable connectors all the way through to the starter. Eyeball each cable for wear and tear. Some look good and test like do-do. 2 strands of copper doing the load and the others broken off for example.
6.Solenoid clicking is either a bad solenoid, not able to pass enough current to crank the engine or a bad starter. Assuming cables are good and tight. Star grounding washers and dielectric grease can help a lot.
7.Could be control voltage from the key or something that supports starting. Solenoid not grounded if required.

Do you power wash the mower after you mow? If so stop it now. Leaf blower or compressed air is fine.
Click to expand...
Start simple first. My problem may not be everyone's problem but it sure is a lot cheaper to check the switches first. Just a different way of troubleshooting. Never power wash my mower. It just vibrated loose. It was a simple fix to reseat the plug and my mower is still running great.


#17

L

LMPPLUS

What engine is on it ?


#18

F

Freddie21

If you jump directly to the starter, what? No turn, bad starter.


#19

VRR.DYNDNS>BIZ

VRR.DYNDNS>BIZ

testdepth said:
This mower was used just fine to cut half the lawn and then turned off to go get some water. I tried to start it and nothing but a clicking sound. Won't turn over and battery tests at 12.7V. I did the idiot check with arms out, deck disengaged and nothing but a click. Solenoid removed and tested good.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Lots of ideas! You do not have a solenoid coil balance tester, so solenoid was not really tested. solenoid, flywheel, battery, terminals, cables, valve lash/rocker arms, hydro lock, seized, and I might come up with a dozen more. Pull the plugs and start by seeing if it cranks over.


#20

S

SamB

slomo said:
Couple items that can cause starting grief (clicks).

1.Valves never checked. High on the list.
2.Read you bought a new battery. Was it load tested and checked good? Could of taken your old one to an auto parts store. They would lf checked it for free as I suggested. New parts does not mean they work.
3.Remove the starter. Bench test it with jumper cables. Can also put an amp clamp on the + cable if you have one.
4.Pull out the spark plug/s. Does it start now with the key?
5.Clean/polish the + and - cable connectors all the way through to the starter. Eyeball each cable for wear and tear. Some look good and test like do-do. 2 strands of copper doing the load and the others broken off for example.
6.Solenoid clicking is either a bad solenoid, not able to pass enough current to crank the engine or a bad starter. Assuming cables are good and tight. Star grounding washers and dielectric grease can help a lot.
7.Could be control voltage from the key or something that supports starting. Solenoid not grounded if required.

Do you power wash the mower after you mow? If so stop it now. Leaf blower or compressed air is fine.
Click to expand...
"Do you power wash the mower after you mow? If so stop it now. Leaf blower or compressed air is fine."(y)
Outdoor power equipment of any sort does NOT like getting a bath! One may think it looks so good, but major head aches may be lurking.


#21

A

Auto Doc's

Connect the negative jumper cable to the negative battery terminal, touch the positive jumper clamp to the starter power stud. If it spins over there is a wiring issue such as the frame ground.

If it does not spin over, the starter brushes are shot, and you need a starter.


#22

R

rhkraft

testdepth said:
This mower was used just fine to cut half the lawn and then turned off to go get some water. I tried to start it and nothing but a clicking sound. Won't turn over and battery tests at 12.7V. I did the idiot check with arms out, deck disengaged and nothing but a click. Solenoid removed and tested good.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
The first check is to clean the battery terminals og corrosion. Take them off and clean the inside and posts.


#23

O

Overtkill

- Fully charge the battery if possible. Make sure to use a charger that has an AGM Battery setting. I use a Noco brand unit that also has an
automatic trickle mode.
- Verify the PTO switch is in the off position.
- Set the choke to about 90%.
- Try to start the mower.
- If it still clicks, the starter may be the issue.


#24

dicksonm

dicksonm

It sounds like you're having a frustrating issue with your mower. Since the battery is testing at 12.7V and the solenoid is working, the problem might be with the starter itself or the connections. Check the battery terminals to ensure they're clean and tight; even a small amount of corrosion can cause starting issues. If the connections are good, the next step is to inspect the starter motor for any faults. If you have a multimeter, you can also check for voltage at the starter when you try to start the mower to see if it’s receiving power. If all else fails, the starter may need to be replaced


#25

A

Auto Doc's

First thing I would try is run your jumper negative to the battery negative and then touch the jumper positive to the starter power post. If the starter does not spin, the starter has failed.

If the starter spins, you have a safety switch or wire issue.

Unbolt the right-side plastic panel and carefully pull it back so you can check all the wires and interlock relay connections. These wires are tucked under the cover and do come loose or break from time to time.

The other problem is if one of the arm safety switches has failed or moved out of position.

The harness is not too complex on this model.


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