Just sent you my phone number...
Fuel solenoid question
- Thread starter geoff
- Start date
Just sent you my phone number...
The LAST installment of this post I think:
First of all, THANK YOU Kenny!!! for anyone who has followed this post, I spoke with Kenny this afternoon as I was desperate to get the mower fixed and mowing today.. and time was running out. I had put an email into Grasshopper's Tech Support but wasn't sure when I would hear back from them. In the meantime Kenny and I spoke about the issue of the solenoid. I had power to the RED terminal when the key was turned to the ON position,( not the crank position) and had a barely perceptible movement of the shaft of the solenoid. However, when I did crank the engine- I got nothing, nada, zilch. No movement of the rod of the solenoid. But if I manually pushed in the rod, with the key in the ON position, it would HOLD the rod in the retracted position and when I turned the key off, it let it go back to the extended or OFF position.
It was Kenny's idea that there was another fuse, other than the ones in the fuse box, which I had already determined to working, that might be blown. He said there was another IN-LINE fuse coming off the Starter Solenoid that powered the WHITE terminal when the engine was turned to CRANKING position. Sure enough I found that fuse with Kenny's help. It was a 20 AMP fuse and was definitely DEAD. Feeling I had discovered the problem, I drove down to the auto parts store to get a new 20 AMP fuse. En route, Dick from Grasshopper returned my call. He confirmed what Kenny said. The red terminal will be hot when the key in the ON position, and the WHITE terminal will be off. When the engine is cranking, the opposite occurs. The WHITE is hot pulling an increased load, compared to the RED, to PULL the solenoid's rod back, overcoming the spring on the rod. When the key returns to the ON position, the WHITE goes DEAD and the RED HOLDS the rod in the ON position, until you turn the key off and the engine shuts off.
I had previously used an Ohmeter to test the terminals on both the old as well as the new solenoid and found them both to be in specs.. before I hung up with Dick, he said one more key piece of information. The 20 amp fuse that blew SHOULD have been a 30 AMP fuse!!! which might explain why it was blown.
I replaced the blown 20 amp fuse with a 30 amp fuse and reinstalled the old solenoid. It did start up fine but when I turned the engine off, it didn't release the rod and the engine continued. I took it apart again and this time installed the new solenoid and BINGO it works perfectly!!!
Many thanks to Kenny for his patience , diligence and knowledge, as well as to Dick at Grasshopper for his insight into the correct amperage for the fuse. Had I reinstalled a 20 amp fuse, and it blew, I would have incorrectly assumed there was a short somewhere and begun a endless and useless hunt. Another positive note, the first time I took the solenoid out, it took me over an hour trying to find the correct sizes for the bolts, the wiring and the best way to get to everything. The final time- I took it out and replaced it-10 mins!!! Thanks again
Geoff
First of all, THANK YOU Kenny!!! for anyone who has followed this post, I spoke with Kenny this afternoon as I was desperate to get the mower fixed and mowing today.. and time was running out. I had put an email into Grasshopper's Tech Support but wasn't sure when I would hear back from them. In the meantime Kenny and I spoke about the issue of the solenoid. I had power to the RED terminal when the key was turned to the ON position,( not the crank position) and had a barely perceptible movement of the shaft of the solenoid. However, when I did crank the engine- I got nothing, nada, zilch. No movement of the rod of the solenoid. But if I manually pushed in the rod, with the key in the ON position, it would HOLD the rod in the retracted position and when I turned the key off, it let it go back to the extended or OFF position.
It was Kenny's idea that there was another fuse, other than the ones in the fuse box, which I had already determined to working, that might be blown. He said there was another IN-LINE fuse coming off the Starter Solenoid that powered the WHITE terminal when the engine was turned to CRANKING position. Sure enough I found that fuse with Kenny's help. It was a 20 AMP fuse and was definitely DEAD. Feeling I had discovered the problem, I drove down to the auto parts store to get a new 20 AMP fuse. En route, Dick from Grasshopper returned my call. He confirmed what Kenny said. The red terminal will be hot when the key in the ON position, and the WHITE terminal will be off. When the engine is cranking, the opposite occurs. The WHITE is hot pulling an increased load, compared to the RED, to PULL the solenoid's rod back, overcoming the spring on the rod. When the key returns to the ON position, the WHITE goes DEAD and the RED HOLDS the rod in the ON position, until you turn the key off and the engine shuts off.
I had previously used an Ohmeter to test the terminals on both the old as well as the new solenoid and found them both to be in specs.. before I hung up with Dick, he said one more key piece of information. The 20 amp fuse that blew SHOULD have been a 30 AMP fuse!!! which might explain why it was blown.
I replaced the blown 20 amp fuse with a 30 amp fuse and reinstalled the old solenoid. It did start up fine but when I turned the engine off, it didn't release the rod and the engine continued. I took it apart again and this time installed the new solenoid and BINGO it works perfectly!!!
Many thanks to Kenny for his patience , diligence and knowledge, as well as to Dick at Grasshopper for his insight into the correct amperage for the fuse. Had I reinstalled a 20 amp fuse, and it blew, I would have incorrectly assumed there was a short somewhere and begun a endless and useless hunt. Another positive note, the first time I took the solenoid out, it took me over an hour trying to find the correct sizes for the bolts, the wiring and the best way to get to everything. The final time- I took it out and replaced it-10 mins!!! Thanks again
Geoff
BlazNT
Lawn Pro
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- Apr 26, 2012
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This post is 5 years old.
I bet the return spring is still in the same place as it was five years ago. And if it isn't my 721d is a little over 5 yrs old so I was just checking. I don't have any external springs on the fuel linkage. Maybe mine is missing.
Thanks for your response anyway
Thanks for your response anyway
BlazNT
Lawn Pro
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Threads
- 28
- Messages
- 6,973
I guess I should have said it better. No one is still around that started this 5 years ago. If you would start a new thread we would be more than happy to help. Me and my simple mind. Thinking everyone will understand what I type. Sorry about the confusion.