Export thread

I have the above mentioned mower (Model# 13AX615H730) with a manufacturing date of 1/2007. It's a mower shared by my mother and myself (we live next door to each other on her property). A few days ago it was too wet to mow anything so she was using it with a trailer attached moving things around on her property. While doing that, it stopped starting for her. Turn the key and nothing. She said she had run it through water but I'd done that several times and never had a problem. It was late in the afternoon and didn't have time (or a functioning meter) to look into it.

The next day I tested the solenoid (placing a screwdriver across both posts) and it was fine by that standard. We both needed to mow to I tried jumping a hot wire direct from the battery to the starter and it cranked right up. She mowed her yard and I mine and more and when I went to park it and shut it off, just out of curiosity, I tried to start it again and it started fine. And a second time as well.

It started again this morning just fine but developed a mowing deck problem. I parked it and took the hose to wash off the deck but, considering the engine and all was still hot, didn't wash the engine and left it while I took a break to wash the engine off later. Later I drove it into the garage to work on it. When I shut it off, it sounded like the starter was still going. Not actually engaging the engine, but still whirring. The only way I knew to stop it was to disconnect the negative cable (fortunately I had the tools handy and had just recently replaced the battery so it went pretty quick).

Now every time I touch the negative cable to the battery terminal it tries to start (starter engages the engine). We concluded that the previous problem with it "not" starting was water related for some reason. Maybe this problem will go away when things dry up, too, but I'm not counting on it.

Any idea - other than water related - what could be causing this? Solenoid? Starter? If it's still doing it the next time I plan to take a close look at the wiring for shorts, etc.

Thanks in advance for any advise or shared experiences.

I have seen this only 2 times in my life and both on someone else's mower. The starter relay got welded together and could not release. Both were caused by jumping with a truck battery. With key off the two terminals on top of relay had continuity. This ran the starter all the time and burned up both starters by the time I looked at them.

Yeah Chuck I've run across that also, these wimpy arse solenoids fry pretty quick if you keep motoring the starter or hit em with a high amp. battery when jumping, I found the best solenoids to use are the old automotive FORD fender mounted , just have to block use of one of the small terminals that is NOT the "trigger" terminal ,if using the 4 terminal model.

BlazNT said:

I have seen this only 2 times in my life and both on someone else's mower. The starter relay got welded together and could not release. Both were caused by jumping with a truck battery. With key off the two terminals on top of relay had continuity. This ran the starter all the time and burned up both starters by the time I looked at them.

Click to expand...

Thanks BlazNT, that did the trick.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VCLF2M/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1