Garden Tractor Brain Teaser

[1dcforrest]

I have a 2015 G5500 Garden Tractor (917.204030) that has an interesting problem...
Long story short, attempted to start it up with a recharged battery, drained the batt while trying to get new gas into/through the engine from being stored over the winter and blew the 20amp fuse.
Bought a new battery and fuse, and now all the system does is light up the electronic ignition switch (seems to work properly), but when I attempt to start it, all I hear is a quiet click near the air filter inside the engine. Thought I may have damaged the starter solenoid, so I replaced that too, but it still only does the same quiet click within the engine when trying to start.
No solenoid 'loud' click, no turnover. Seems as though all the safety components (brake on, PTO down) are functioning. One odd thing is I can 'try to start it' whether I'm sitting in the seat or not...i.e. all I get is that quiet click, in the seat or out of it.
Would blowing the fuse cause something else to be damaged?

 

[Laabk2]

The click sounds like the anti-backfire solenoid, if you feel up to the challenge, you might jump the starter solenoid to see if it is the solenoid or the switch. If it at least spins, then you can be mostly certain that it is the solenoid. If you have a multi meter, check for voltage on both sides of the solenoid, also you can check to make sure that the solenoid is getting power.

 

[Richard320]

Put a voltmeter or a test light to the starter solenoid and see if it gets power when you turn the key. If it doesn't, work backwards through the various safety switches to see which one is open. If it does get power, you'll have to dig a little to see if the starter failed, you've got poor connections at the battery cables, or if the cylinder filled up with gasoline and is hydrostatically locked. The last one is easy. pull the spark plug and see if liquid comes out.

 

[Bellcrank]

What can happen when you crank a battery dead is the starter bendix remains engaged to the flywheel. Rotate the engine backwards to release the bendix and try to restart.

 

[slomo]

Mice eating some wires?

slomo

 

[mrg]

I have a similar model Craftsman garden tractor. Every few years I run into a similar problem. Check the wired safety connection under the seat. Make sure the plug-in connection is making good contact. If working it back and forth doesn't work you can un-snap it and clean the connections and reattach. Also check that the metal bar under the seat is making a clean connection with the springs on the mower when you let the seat back down. I've had my Craftsman GT for 12 years and that's always solved it for me. I hope that works for you.

 

[VRR.DYNDNS>BIZ]

The click sounds like the anti-backfire solenoid, if you feel up to the challenge, you might jump the starter solenoid to see if it is the solenoid or the switch. If it at least spins, then you can be mostly certain that it is the solenoid. If you have a multi meter, check for voltage on both sides of the solenoid, also you can check to make sure that the solenoid is getting power.

If you jump start at the solenoid, you have bypassed the permission to crank circuit which is probably the cause, so it does not mean it is the solenoid, but one or the other is most likely.

 

[1dcforrest]

Thank you for all the comments.
Update:
1) Did a resistant check on just about all the wires, so no broken/frayed/burnt wires from what I could tell, and with out dismantling the entire wire harness.
2) Jumped the solenoid and the engine turns over; although it doesn't fire up.
3) The solenoid grounding wire is grounded and not broken.
4) Tested the continuity of seat safety switch and it functions properly.
5) Both the brake and PTO safety switches function from the "SmartSwitch" ignition module (i.e. the proper light lights up when in the switch is in wrong position for start and goes out when the switch is properly placed for start).
6) Head lights turn on and the headlight indicator turns on on the "SmartSwitch" ignition module.
7) Could not turn on the reverse operating system from the electronic ignition switch (i.e. light does not turn orange on the "SmartSwitch" ignition module), but can't remember, but I think the engine has to be running in order to do that.
8) For info only... after pressing the starter button on the "SmartSwitch" ignition module and only hearing the quiet click of the fuel shut-off solenoid, all the lights flash indicating "the engine has shuts off for unknown reasons".
***9) Tested the voltage coming from the electronic ignition (white wire to the solenoid) and did not get any voltage when I pressed the electronic start button on the "SmartSwitch" ignition module (i.e. turning the key). Only guessing this should read 12Vs as if to start the motor, or at least Craftsman says it will if it was a normal key ignition.

I'm thinking when the fuse popped, it somehow allowed a stray tron to damage the "SmartSwitch" ignition module 'circuitry' that provides power to the solenoid and the ignition sequence

Other than that, I'm out of Schlitz and ordering a new "SmartSwitch" ignition module.

 

[Born2Mow]

The way I read this is that everything seemed to be working, until you popped the 20A fuse. I take it it sounded like it wanted to start and you were simply waiting on fuel to be pumped into the carb. Is that correct ??

 

[1dcforrest]

The way I read this is that everything seemed to be working, until you popped the 20A fuse. I take it it sounded like it wanted to start and you were simply waiting on fuel to be pumped into the carb. Is that correct ??

That is exactly what happened!