Help Needed - Zero Turn Radius

[KM Richards]

I have a Toro TimeCutter MX 5475 that is having an intermittent issue that I'm hoping is just a sensor that can be by passed

I can start the mower just fine, but the last couple of times I have used the mower... once I start it up, it dies when I bring the levers in to back out of my shed. It does the same thing if I turn the blades on, it'll quit running immediately.

Not sure what I did really to get it to start working as normal. I just kept bringing in the levers and when it started to die, I'd move them outward again and it would remain running. It took like 5 minutes of messin with it before it started working so I could go mow my yard.

On mine, the steering levers have always had to be all the way out before the engine will start - and I pull them in and can go forward or backward as normal. I just bought the mower last June and it's been working perfectly all the times I've used it - until when I mowed my yard last week, and again today... is when this issue first started happening

Does this issue sound like maybe a sensor is going bad?

Is there anyway to bypass these sensors to avoid this issue?
No sure why this is needed (I'm not gonna cut my foot of or anything )

If anybody has any thoughts or ideas on what to try, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[hlw49]

sounds like a seat switch or a safety control module. Not familiar with your mower. looking for someone in the seat when you bring the lever in. r the brakes activated when you push the levers out and released when you pull them in.

 

[KM Richards]

I'm in the seat when bringing the levers in and the engine starts to cut off.

And, I didn't know the mower had brakes - so I'm not applying the brakes that I know of.

I'm not doing anything different than I have been since I bought the mower.

I guess I need to call Toro to see if they can walk me thru doing some trouble shooting over the phone.

I wish I could simplify the mower and bypass the safety features as that's just stuff that's gonna break down

 

[MParr]

Man, those cheap Toro switches. Brake module switch or seat safety switch.

 

[KM Richards]

Is there a good source to buy these online some where?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Lift the seat and locate the seat switch plug.
It should be a 2 prong plug
Jump the plug .
Problem goes away = faulty seat switch.
It is there to protect you particularly when in a brain dead mode you reach down to clear a blocked output chute .
It is there to protect others so if you should pass out, have a fit, or fall off the mower it does not go carrering down the road.
Had a customer who sufferred some sort of seizure while mowing the road strip.
The mower ended up hitting 2 of the neighbours cars.
Insurance company declined the claim because he had bypassed the safeties a $36,000 mistake .

 

[MParr]

There are two easy ways to check the seat safety switch. One is to pull the switch plug and jump it. Then try starting your mower and moving the control arms. If that works it’s definitely the switch. The other way is remove the switch and test the continuity with a multimeter. Set the multimeter to Ohms, put the probes on the male ends of the switch and mash the button a couple of times. This will show if the switch is opening and closing.
One thing more. Can you hear the parking brake module activate? Turn the key on and manipulate the steering bars. The engine DOES NOT need to be running. Do you hear a the module open and close?

 

[KM Richards]

Thanks guys!, I'll try that to see if the switch is bad or not

Can you hear the parking brake module activate? Turn the key on and manipulate the steering bars. The engine DOES NOT need to be running. Do you hear a the module open and close?

I'm not sure, so I'll need to go out and see

If nothing is coming on, does this also point to a bad seat switch plug?

 

[hlw49]

No seat switch is only active when the park brake is off. You can start the mower with the park brake set and not be on the seat. On most mowers

 

[hlw49]

Park bake is in the steering levers. When you move them out they activate the brakes