Gravely riding mower won't start

[RobertBrown]

It would be nice to know if you got it started and what you found !

x2:thumbsup:

 

[JDgreen]

x2:thumbsup:

Yes, we helpful folks here at LMF always want to know if our nickle's worth of advice helped or not....

(this from the guy who asked about the possibility of the flywheel key on his Craftsman pusher being damaged over three weeks ago)

But the barn door where the mower is stored has 2 feet of snow blocking it....:laughing:

 

[BKBrown]

I hope they found a solution -- It would just be nice to know !

 

[Richard-TX]

Electrical issues can happen anytime to anyone.

Since you are in Michigan I suspect that the battery terminals are corroded. Lead oxide builds up and acts as an insulator. Take a pen knife and scrape the inside of the terminals clean and shiny. A battery cleaning brush will not cut through the hard oxide layer.

 

[cblair113]

I was having this same issue. My mower was running but needed a new battery (tested with a meter and was reading low...the mower sat up for a long time without being ran) so I had to jump it off a few times. In the process of cranking one time, it started making the clicking sound you described. I have some experience working on engines, vehicles and mowers, so I started checking the obvious things...battery, solenoid, safety switches, electical connections, etc. Eveything checked out fine. I figured it had to be the starter so I took off the upper engine shroud to get a better look and saw that the starter spline had got lodged on the flywheel. All that was needed to do now was to unlodge the starter spline allowing it to drop down. I left the shroud off and turned the key and there she blew!!

Let us know if/when you get it running and what the issue was!

 

[Richard-TX]

I hate electrical problems on powered equipment. Current cannot be seen, only measured.

I love electrical issues. They are just too easy to fix. A good volt-ohmmeter capable of reading to tenths is all I need. I haven't come across an electrical issue on any piece of equipment that I could not diagnose and fix (assuming I have parts) in a few minutes.