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I have a Hustler Super Mini Z with a 24 hp Honda engine. I bought it used from a local homeowner who just had it serviced by the local Hustler dealer. The mower is a great unit when it runs, but I have an intermittent starting problem which is driving me nuts. The former owner swears he didn't have this issue and the dealer just wants me to bring it in and charge me up the wazzoo to repair it. The battery is charged and reads 12.33vdc. When I turn the key, the fan comes on and i believe I can hear the starter solenoid try to engage, but typically that is all that happens. Every once in a while though, the starter turns over the engine and it fires right up. Anyone had a similar problem?

Thanks for any help or advice...

Mark

WELCOME to LMF...
Any voltage drop in the safety interlock switches will cause what you are describing...
Next time you try to start it and it fails do the following...: Hold the key switch to start, move the left then the right steering sticks around... if one of the switches is intermittent it should try to start... if you do not find the fault there, Next pull the pto switch on and off, again while holding the key switch in the start position ... You will likely find the problem is with either the left or the right stick interlock switch...
post back with what you find...:smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

WELCOME to LMF...
Any voltage drop in the safety interlock switches will cause what you are describing...
Next time you try to start it and it fails do the following...: Hold the key switch to start, move the left then the right steering sticks around... if one of the switches is intermittent it should try to start... if you do not find the fault there, Next pull the pto switch on and off, again while holding the key switch in the start position ... You will likely find the problem is with either the left or the right stick interlock switch...
post back with what you find...:smile:KennyV

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Thanks Kenny. I have fooled around with the interlocks a bit, but not in a systematic manner as you describe. I will try your idea and be more attentive to detail. I hope the problem is as simple as a safety interlock switch. That would be easier to replace than the starter, which looks like a pain to get to!

One question: would the seat interlock fall into the categories you mentioned? It seems like it should not, as it only functions once the mower is running, but maybe I don't have the proper grasp of the logic...

Mark

You have it correct Mark... the seat switch is after it is started... :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

You have it correct Mark... the seat switch is after it is started... :smile:KennyV

Click to expand...

Not familiar with this machine, but does this mean that you can start it "without" sitting on the seat?

chance123 said:

Not familiar with this machine, but does this mean that you can start it "without" sitting on the seat?

Click to expand...

Yes, the machine will start without sitting on the seat. However, if you have the pto engaged or the control sticks not "homed", it will quit if you stand up.

KennyV said:

You have it correct Mark... the seat switch is after it is started... :smile:KennyV

Click to expand...

Kenny,

Its been a busy year and the grass stopped growing, so I haven't had the occasion/need to fire up the mower. However, yesterday I thought I would take one more pass at the lawn before the rains in Oregon make it impossible to mow. The mower, as expected, would not engage the starter, which is the problem I described earlier. I tried your suggestion and did not have any luck. I then connected, via jumper cables, a fully charged 12v deep cycle battery. It is not a standard car battery, but I thought it should provide a boost to the system and help starting. I noticed that the fan would spin faster when I connected this deep cycle battery, but still the starter would not spin. I messed with the control handles and then directly with the switches, which are easily accessable under the seat. Again, no luck. I am planning to remove the current battery and do a load test on it, and if it passes then throw it on a battery charger to make sure its topped off. My question, after all of this background, goes back to those safety switches. Can I pull them off and jumper across them to test if they are indeed the problem? I would not want to defeat the saftey system over any long term, as I think those switches are good idea. But at this point, frustration is setting in and I want to determine what the problem is before I loose my mind. It seems those switches are momentary contact, normally open switches which are closed when the handles are in the stop position. If so, I should be able to jumper across them to start the engine. Do you agree?

Mark

Mark...
Yes that's one way to find a bad switch.:thumbsup:..
The pto switch is also in your interlock path, you will have to look close as to what pair need to be shorted to complete the circuit...
You can also go directly to the starter solenoid, and momentairly, apply 12 volts directly to the small terminal (the one that would normally get power through all switches).. This will start the engine if the battery, battery cables, solenoid and starter are all good... so be careful & be prepared for it to start. :smile:KennyV

Some of these safety switches have more than 2 wires due to an interlock system, and would be difficult finding the right combination to jump. I have even found that a bad PTO switch can cause strange things to happen

Incredibly old thread I know but I thought I’d throw in a post to compliment both the OP as well as the responder. Probably the most intelligent and “efficient” forum thread I’ve ever seen. I am having the exact problem described here (though 14 yrs later). Stoked to have found this via Google!