Repairs Frustrating starting issue with Cub Cadet LT1045 Rider

[italy281]

So...multiple frustrating turns at every road here with trying to get this rider started! I bought a new battery and that didn't help. Changed the starter. No go. Changed the solenoid. No go. Bypassed the solenoid (had the seat safety switch engaged) and nothing. That's what has me confused--I thought bypassing the solenoid & going straight to the starter would get it going. All it does it click.

I must add that this issue occurred when I loaned my mower to a neighbor. We caught them pushing the mower as they couldn't get it restarted after running out of gas. They had the blade engaged & did not put the mower in neutral. It had 2 men behind it pushing it until we spotted them & stopped them.

So I'm leaning towards something wrong with the PTO or clutch as this action could have done something to it?

I'm at a standstill. I may try jumping it with a car battery tomorrow to give it more amperage?

HELP!!??!!?? What next?

Thanks
TimPTO

 

[mechanic mark]

ISeries Riding Tractor Shop Manual Try rotating engine clockwise by placing both hands on top of engine screen and turning just past hard spot then try with key. Let us know if this helps or not, thanks.

 

[Rivets]

Here's a procedure to help you solve the problem. Give it a try and let us know what you find.



Electrical problems can be very easy or very difficult, depending on four things.
1. * How well you understand basic electricity.
2. *What tools you have and know how to use.
3. *How well you follow directions.
4. *You don't overlook or assume anything and verify everything.

Remember we cannot see what you are doing. *You are our eyes, ears and fingers in solving this problem. *You must be as accurate as you can when you report back. *The two basic tools we will ask you to use are a test light and a multi-meter. *If you have an assistant when going through these tests it would be very helpful. *These steps work the best when done in order, so please don't jump around. *Now let's solve this problem.

First, check the fuse(s), check battery connections for corrosion (clean if necessary) and *voltage - above 12.5 volts should be good.*

Second, check for power from the battery to one of the large terminals on the solenoid. *One of the wires is connected directly to the battery and has power all the time so one of the large terminals should light a test light or show 12 volts on a meter at all times.*

Third, *check for power at the small terminal of the solenoid while depressing the clutch/brake pedal and holding the key in the start position (you may need an assistant to sit in the seat to override the safety switch). If your solenoid is a four wire solenoid, check both small wire terminals as one is ground and the other is power from the ignition switch. *If your solenoid is a three wire solenoid, make sure the solenoid body is not corroded where it bolts to the chassis of the mower as this is your ground path back to the battery. *If in doubt, remove the solenoid and clean the mounting area down to bare metal. *If there is no power to the small terminal then your problem is most likely a safety switch, ignition switch or in the wiring.*

Fourth, check for power on the other large terminal of the solenoid while holding the key in the start position (you may need an assistant to sit in the seat to override the safety switch). *If you have power what is the voltage?

Fifth, check for power at the starter while holding the key in the start position (assistant again). *If you have power what is the voltage?

Sixth, check your ground circuit back to the battery.

After you have gone through each of the above steps, let us know what happened when you did each step. *At that point we will have great info to tell you how to proceed. *Remember you are our eyes, ears, and fingers, so please be as accurate as possible.

Be as specific as possible with voltage readings as this will help diagnose your problem quicker. *If you do not know how to perform the above checks, just ask and I will try to guide you through it. *Youtube also has some videos and as you know a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[bertsmobile1]

So...multiple frustrating turns at every road here with trying to get this rider started! I bought a new battery and that didn't help. Changed the starter. No go. Changed the solenoid. No go. Bypassed the solenoid (had the seat safety switch engaged) and nothing. That's what has me confused--I thought bypassing the solenoid & going straight to the starter would get it going. All it does it click.
Thanks
TimPTO

OK , What do you mean by this ?
One single click?
a whole lot of clicks ?
a click then a squeal ?
If you jave jumped directly to the + terminal on a new starter motor, the starter must turn unless the engine is seized .
So start at the beginning.

1) remove the spark plug.
2) remover the engine cowl and have a good look at the ring gear on the fly wheel.
3) remove the valve cover
4) try to rotate the engine by hand

Watch look & listen .
watch for the valves going in & out
look at the valve gap. particularly on the exhausts.
If it looks ok put the plug back in finger tight and rotate again.
You should hear the compressed gasses escaping when the decompressor kicks in.

You would not believe how many people bring in a mower that they have spent $ 100 on a new battery ,then a $ 95 on a new starter only to find the exhaust rocker had either popped off the pushrod or the gap was way too big.
A $ 30 job + parts.

 

[stg]

I don't want to talk over this thread but I have a LTX 1050 and having similar problems. The mower will not start without the charger on it. I replaced the battery in the spring with no positive results. If I try with out the charger I get nothing, no noise, but lights will come on. then when I put charger on sometimes it will start but most time I need to leave it on for 5 min. then when I come back to try it keeps turning over but don't fire. after it turning for a while ( 30 sec.) sometimes it will fire. I checked the battery 13 volts mower off, 14.2 with mower on. Its getting late and too cold to work on it anymore tonight I will check the solenoid tomorrow. thanks

First time on this forum, but thank you for any help. How did we ever get anything fixed before the internet ?

 

[ILENGINE]

First make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight on both ends of the wires. After that connect your volt meter across the battery post and then try to start the mower. What is the voltage of the battery when you attempt to crank the engine.

 

[mechanic mark]

Page 81 in manual posted above check fuse first, then " hands on" check all wiring and connections for being tight & secure, especially ground straps & cables.

Cub Cadet Service Manuals

Manuals and Diagrams for Cub Cadet Mowers and Tractors. Factory Direct from Cub Cadet. Buy Parts for Less.

www.cubcadetpartsnmore.com

'

 

[bertsmobile1]

I don't want to talk over this thread but I have a LTX 1050 and having similar problems. The mower will not start without the charger on it. I replaced the battery in the spring with no positive results. If I try with out the charger I get nothing, no noise, but lights will come on. then when I put charger on sometimes it will start but most time I need to leave it on for 5 min. then when I come back to try it keeps turning over but don't fire. after it turning for a while ( 30 sec.) sometimes it will fire. I checked the battery 13 volts mower off, 14.2 with mower on. Its getting late and too cold to work on it anymore tonight I will check the solenoid tomorrow. thanks

First time on this forum, but thank you for any help. How did we ever get anything fixed before the internet ?

Run a jumper from your - on the battery to the engine. I like to use the drain bolt, just make sure that yours is not on a plastic extension you need a good earth.
Try the starter now, if all is good then you need to go through your earth connections, they take a pounding on mowers.

If the starter still does not turn then run another jumper from the + on the battery to the + on the starter motor. Best to hook the + up first then make & break the circuit with the - wire
If it turns better but still does not start the next culprit will be the float bowl solenoid.

If it does not turn then your starter or the battery is toast. If your starter is drawing to much power then you will get a big voltage drop to the fuel solenoid.
most need at least 10 V to open and a little corrosion plus a heavy starter load can easily knock the voltage down so far it keeps the fuel turned off.
A lot of the mowers I see down here have a fuel tap fitted ( before the fuel filter ) and the plunger in the solenoid cut off ( they are $ 80 to $ 140 down here ) which we can do as they are not an EPA requirement.
I believe there are big fines in some places in the USA if you get caught doing it to your mower.

You will save a lot of time if you spend $ 5.00 on neon tube High Tension tester . You plug it into the lead to the spark plug so you can watch it while the engine is turning over.
If it flashes in time with the rotaton of the engine then all is fine with your safety cutout wiring but if it does not fire regularly then one or more of the safety interlocks is grounding to magneto

 

[ILENGINE]

Run a jumper from your - on the battery to the engine. I like to use the drain bolt, just make sure that yours is not on a plastic extension you need a good earth.
Try the starter now, if all is good then you need to go through your earth connections, they take a pounding on mowers.

If the starter still does not turn then run another jumper from the + on the battery to the + on the starter motor. Best to hook the + up first then make & break the circuit with the - wire
If it turns better but still does not start the next culprit will be the float bowl solenoid.

If it does not turn then your starter or the battery is toast. If your starter is drawing to much power then you will get a big voltage drop to the fuel solenoid.
most need at least 10 V to open and a little corrosion plus a heavy starter load can easily knock the voltage down so far it keeps the fuel turned off.
A lot of the mowers I see down here have a fuel tap fitted ( before the fuel filter ) and the plunger in the solenoid cut off ( they are $ 80 to $ 140 down here ) which we can do as they are not an EPA requirement.
I believe there are big fines in some places in the USA if you get caught doing it to your mower.

You will save a lot of time if you spend $ 5.00 on neon tube High Tension tester . You plug it into the lead to the spark plug so you can watch it while the engine is turning over.
If it flashes in time with the rotaton of the engine then all is fine with your safety cutout wiring but if it does not fire regularly then one or more of the safety interlocks is grounding to magneto

The fine to the dealer is $38,500 per modification, per day if caught, and the consumer can be fined as well starting back in 2010 for the sum of $3,850 per day

The blink tester can be a quick test, but in the case of a bad spark plug sometimes can cause a false positive for fire.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The fine to the dealer is $38,500 per modification, per day if caught, and the consumer can be fined as well starting back in 2010 for the sum of $3,850 per day

The blink tester can be a quick test, but in the case of a bad spark plug sometimes can cause a false positive for fire.

Ouch. Thought that might be the case.
Just imagine how much polution is caused by all those mower engines doing 5 to 10 revolutions, pumping out unburned fuel, About .0000000001% of testing a bunker buster bomb.
Any way that is politics and this is tech.

Agreed that a fire on the neon tube does not equal a fire at the plug but it does mean that all the safety switches that earth out the magneto are not the problem and that is a lot of tedious checking or costly substitutions he will not have to do.
I have seen things like reverse cut out switches just touching so some times they short out the spark & some times they don't.
Then with continious cranking the mower shakes just enough to deactivate the switch and away he went ( took a lot of shop time to find that one ).

I use the neon tube purely as an indicator to tell me where to sart looking.
The next step up for me is a colour tune so I can see inside the cylinder and see if it sparks under compression and when it finally fires if it is running rich or lean.
These two tools save me thousands of hours every year. Neither will fix any thing but both at least send me down the right path
However that is another $ 40 and spending money on mowers now days seems to be a crime.
If you work on the same gear all the time you end up with enough experience to pick most by sound but when you play with some thing different each day it gets a bit harder and th customers will not pay for me "having my best guess"