Repairs Electrical Problem?

[ccheatha]

One would have thought that Sears would have at least picked a mower with good crimps on the wires.
Those are pretty bad.
I really hate professional videos that are only 1/2 done .
So he tested each of the switches that Sears sells but failed to test the wiring between the key switch & the brake switch and the brake switch & the PTO switch.
Measuring resistance is always problematic particularly on old mowers with a healthy oxide layer on the terminals.
This is why when I go through these proceedure I ask people to jump the B & S terminals on the key switch plug then check for voltage.
This is easier because you do not have to pull the plugs off the back of the switches all you need to do is back probe each side

I think it's geared towards novices like myself. When I found it, it gave me a better understanding of all the switches involved and it helped me solve another problem with the old mower I'm working on now. Now to an obvious, seasoned vet like yourself, it might not be of much help :smile:

 

[bertsmobile1]

I think it's geared towards novices like myself. When I found it, it gave me a better understanding of all the switches involved and it helped me solve another problem with the old mower I'm working on now. Now to an obvious, seasoned vet like yourself, it might not be of much help :smile:

I did not say it was not useful or even good, just dissapointing that it was incomplete.
Much like those demonstrators you see in hardwear stores on the weekend .

If you read any of my posts you will notice I do try to explain both what & why because it is better in the long run if the person understands what is happening so in the future they can nut it out for themselves.

And thank you for sharing it.
Finding use full vidoes on the web is not easy.

 

[ccheatha]

I did not say it was not useful or even good, just dissapointing that it was incomplete.
Much like those demonstrators you see in hardwear stores on the weekend .

If you read any of my posts you will notice I do try to explain both what & why because it is better in the long run if the person understands what is happening so in the future they can nut it out for themselves.

And thank you for sharing it.
Finding use full vidoes on the web is not easy.

Gotcha. I understood that. I guess I was just thinking that if it was in much more detail, it might be beyond the novice. Of course, with my limited knowledge, I really wouldn't know if it might be complete or not. I definitely appreciate you guys being around to share the wisdom. I'll keep you posted on my interlock switch install - waiting on the part.

 

[errn12]

So I got some starter fluid and the mower DID start while closing the solenoid. Motor spins great. There is no click on the solenoid under the carb. There is no fuse on the small red wire between the starter solenoid and the switch. There is a junction...but no fuse. Also read somewhere that there was supposed to be a fuse on the main red cable going to the battery but couldn't find that one either. Assuming that if there was a bad fuse on that cable, I wouldn't be getting anything so I didn't look for it long.
I agree with the comment about the PTO but there was only one cable attached to the deck (it is a manual engage)--a cable much like the old throttle cable on old-school push mowers. The safety switch is in the engage lever up by the steering wheel So I was never anywhere near that.

 

[cpurvis]

deleted.

Sorry, I waded into this not realizing there was a second page of comments.

 

[ccheatha]

So I got some starter fluid and the mower DID start while closing the solenoid. Motor spins great. There is no click on the solenoid under the carb. There is no fuse on the small red wire between the starter solenoid and the switch. There is a junction...but no fuse. Also read somewhere that there was supposed to be a fuse on the main red cable going to the battery but couldn't find that one either. Assuming that if there was a bad fuse on that cable, I wouldn't be getting anything so I didn't look for it long.
I agree with the comment about the PTO but there was only one cable attached to the deck (it is a manual engage)--a cable much like the old throttle cable on old-school push mowers. The safety switch is in the engage lever up by the steering wheel So I was never anywhere near that.

Yeah, so the reason I was thinking PTO related was cause you mentioned working with the blades, so possible mower deck adjustment. One thing for sure, the circuit is not completing due to one of the PTO switch or maybe the brake/clutch switch. My old MTD won't start unless I stand and press the brake down hard with my foot. I traced it and found that the break/clutch switch wasn't being pushed in all the way (not completing the circuit).

Here's a vid I came upon for the PTO - shows how the bracket for the blade engagement can wear and therefore not push the switch button in all the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-9BGOU6brU

Good luck figuring it out.

 

[bertsmobile1]

So I got some starter fluid and the mower DID start while closing the solenoid. Motor spins great. There is no click on the solenoid under the carb. There is no fuse on the small red wire between the starter solenoid and the switch. There is a junction...but no fuse. Also read somewhere that there was supposed to be a fuse on the main red cable going to the battery but couldn't find that one either. Assuming that if there was a bad fuse on that cable, I wouldn't be getting anything so I didn't look for it long.
I agree with the comment about the PTO but there was only one cable attached to the deck (it is a manual engage)--a cable much like the old throttle cable on old-school push mowers. The safety switch is in the engage lever up by the steering wheel So I was never anywhere near that.

Unless you bought the mower used and the PO has been playing silly buggers there is a fuse.
If the fuel solenoid is not opening then that says the fuse is blown and no power is being supplied to the key switch.
You can verify this by testing for voltage on the B terminal at the plug.
Remember the positions of the terminals will be reversed when you are looking at the plug.
The B terminal should be a red wire
You can do a simple test while you have the plug off by jumping from the battery + to the S terminal on the plug.
IF all of your switches are good the solenoid should energise & the engine spin.
It will not start because there is no power to the carb.

Fuses can be very hard to find.
As you saw on the Sears video , they hide it under the battery box.

 

[ccheatha]

Unless you bought the mower used and the PO has been playing silly buggers there is a fuse.
If the fuel solenoid is not opening then that says the fuse is blown and no power is being supplied to the key switch.
You can verify this by testing for voltage on the B terminal at the plug.
Remember the positions of the terminals will be reversed when you are looking at the plug.
The B terminal should be a red wire
You can do a simple test while you have the plug off by jumping from the battery + to the S terminal on the plug.
IF all of your switches are good the solenoid should energise & the engine spin.
It will not start because there is no power to the carb.

Fuses can be very hard to find.
As you saw on the Sears video , they hide it under the battery box.

Awesome info, Bert.

Yeah, I eventually found the fuse on mine by removing a plate in between the seat and steering wheel. Underneath that I found the solenoid and next to it was the fuse.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Awesome info, Bert.

Yeah, I eventually found the fuse on mine by removing a plate in between the seat and steering wheel. Underneath that I found the solenoid and next to it was the fuse.

SO that you know where the thinking is.
If the power to the key switch is good & the key switch is good then the carb solenoid will turn on when you turn the key to on.
If it does not then the starter can also not crank because it can not get any power.

If the solenoid turns on but the engine does not crank then the problem is in the cranking circuit.
Now this does not mean for instance a bad switch or wire in the cranking circuit is blowing the fuse but you need the fuse there first to find out.

 

[ccheatha]

SO that you know where the thinking is.
If the power to the key switch is good & the key switch is good then the carb solenoid will turn on when you turn the key to on.
If it does not then the starter can also not crank because it can not get any power.

If the solenoid turns on but the engine does not crank then the problem is in the cranking circuit.
Now this does not mean for instance a bad switch or wire in the cranking circuit is blowing the fuse but you need the fuse there first to find out.

So when all else fails, google the location. Errn, maybe you can take a look at this post on Houzz to see if it helps to find the fuse:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1647723/ok-i-give-up-where-is-the-fuse

Also, here's another post just in case Ariens are similar across models in where they put their fuses (check around 3:35 or so within the video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXq3pMVe6As

Good luck