Y'all remember the 1 to 10 scale someone posted about a few months ago, I slipped a notch yesterday.
Old Murray rider with a bad battery.
Replaced it and still got nothing. The solenoid wouldn't click. So I replaced it along with the fuse, and still nothing.
Turned out to be the PTO lever wasn't making contact with the safety switch.
I'm such a dummy sometimes.
If the safety switch hadn't been so visible and easily accessible, and easy to fix, I wouldn't feel so bad. It took like 2 seconds to free up the arm that makes contact with that switch.
So to punish myself, I'm gonna put the customers solenoid back on. Don't wanna be a dummy and a crook too. LoL.
#2
NorthBama
when i mess up like that i brush it off as a learning experience
#3
StarTech
As long you learned to do voltage tests before replacing next time. I called it a learning experience.
There's like 5 different tests, other than that one, that could've been done. I think I tested 4.lol
I checked the fuse, the fuse plug (both of which have nothing to do with the solenoid. But will have the same affect as a bad solenoid.
I checked the voltage going to the battery. Checked the key switch. Checked to see if their was 12v going to the small wire to solenoid. That should've been where I realized it wasn't the solenoid.
Experience is something that comes every day for us new guys. When I've learned as much as you, @bertsmobile1, @Rivets, @ILENGINE and a couple of the other pro's, I think I'll get bored with small engine repair. Maybe by then, I'll just be selling new equipment and letting some hands do the fixin.
PT when you think you have a good handle on things something new will pop up and give you a swift kick in the seat. Wait until you have a step by step ignition diagnostics flow chart that fails to find the issue why you have no spark at the spark plug. And the solution is a faulty voltage regulator and isn't part of the ignition diagnostics.
Not one of the experienced techs on this forum has ever made a mistake, but each of us have had a lot of “learning experiences”. You might as well realize that you just joined the club.
#7
Hammermechanicman
I thought i made a mistake once but i was wrong. But i did learn something.
History , mythology & religion records very few who have "never made a mistake " and none of them had a happy ending. ?
#9
Hammermechanicman
Good to see you back bert. I could write a book on all the mistakes i have made. If you learn from your mistakes i should be the smartest guy in the world but it doesn't seem to work that way.
#10
PTmowerMech
I sure wished they still made mowers like this Murray. Everything is easy to find and reach.
