i have an old series 6 with the 3 prong ignition switch. is there a way to test the ignition switch to see if it is bad? If i jump the solenoid with a screw driver it turns the starter and starts fine and I replaced this solenoid 2 years ago with a new one. If i take the wires out of the back of the ignition switch is there a way i can connect them together to bypass the switch to see if it activates the solenoid?
Yes & No .
The key switch connected the Battery terminal to the Start terminal
SO you connect the B & S wires together .
The letters should be on the back of the switch.
BE extra careful because if you connect any power to the M terminal you will destroy the magneto.
However that is just the start of it
The 12 V then has to go through the PTO switch, the brake switch & the Neutral switch ( if the mower has one ) before arriving at the solenoid to trip it and supply current to the starter.
IF you have a solenoid with only 1 small terminal near the base then it grounds through the base so you need to have a good contact there as well.
This is the solenoid. which wire can i test for 12v to see if the issue is the ignition switch, the fuse or something else? The small red wire running to the terminal on the right?
That looks correctly wired
The small wire on the left of the photo should go to battery voltage when the key switch is in the start position
Take the ground wire off & polish the frame where the lead sits polish the bolt, the nut & use a new washer
Paint over the whole lot with liquid electrical tape to prevent corrosion .
actually that was an old picture. i replaced this solenoid with a new one wired the same way and it worked for a year then the ignition switch got bumped a few times and keeps coming unplugged because the leads are kind of loose im just trying to rule out that it is not the fuse or a short in the wire leading to the solenoid. can you tell me how to test the ignition switch with multimeter? This is the ignition switch.
no you just turn it to start like in a car. turn it off like in a car. the pull start will not work unless it is in the run position and when its running turning the key off still kills the engine like it should
Sorry,
We do not get Snappers down here so I am not that familiar with them
Usually i can ut out most of the electrical problems but I can not see how this thing can work.
If it was pull start only then the terminal that is obscured would be run terminal that holds the carb solenoid open & recharges the battery
We have a few local mowers wired like that but they all have a start button.
Hopefully some one more conversant with Snappesrs will chime in.
If not after a day or so reply to your own post with
"Any one else please "
#9
StarTech
If the terminals are loose that needs to taken of first as it can cause lost contact at those points.
if i recall correctly, the ones i had was a kill switch using switch body to frame grounded connection when key is off and the start was a momentary contact switch across the other 2 pins to activate the starter solenoid after passing through an inline fuse
most of those 3 pin switches are on the pull start only oem setups and they use the 5 pin switches on the oem electric start models
well thats not good, trace the wires for a chaffed wire touching somewhere, thats the most common issue with blowing fuses
if the wiring looks ok, then it might be the starter shorted and drawing too many amps, or it could be the alternator ring under flywheel has something wrong causing the short
