John Deere 111 starting problem

motoman

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Matt, Use o hm meter on the disconnected cable-should be no resistance. Looks like corrosion at the crimp. Hope you are not guessing about the "full charge." Use a bat hydrometer if you can access the electrolyte (screw caps). No caps? Seeing 12 volts is sometimes not definitive as sulfated bats hold a surf charge. Poor mans load test: hook up multimeter for voltage accross bat terminals. Watch voltage reading while cranking engine for a FEW cycles. Voltage should continue to read around 12 v. Do not crank over 8-10 revos. Do not start engine.
 

Carscw

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Push the mower over to the car and run jumper cables from the car battery to the mower battery.

If it cranks then battery is BAD ( NO GOOD )

If it does not crank then take the red end of the jumper cable and touch it to the starter post.
 

MattRichWarren

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Push the mower over to the car and run jumper cables from the car battery to the mower battery.

If it cranks then battery is BAD ( NO GOOD )

If it does not crank then take the red end of the jumper cable and touch it to the starter post.

Still getting just the single click.
 

Rivets

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Time to go back to the beginning, you have followed some good advice, but let's go through it in an orderly fashion. Here is a procedure which I use.





Electrical* problems can be very easy or very difficult, depending on four things.
1. * How well you understand basic electricity.
2. *What tools you have and know how to use.
3. *How well you follow directions.
4. *You don't overlook or assume anything and verify everything.

Remember we cannot see what you are doing. *You are our eyes, ears and fingers in solving this problem. *You must be as accurate as you can when you report back. *The two basic tools we will ask you to use are a test light and a multi-meter. *If you have an assistant when going through these tests it would be very helpful. *These steps work the best when done in order, so please don't jump around. *Now let's solve this problem.

First, check the fuse(s), check battery connections for corrosion (clean if necessary) and *voltage - above 12.5 volts should be good.*

Second, check for power from the battery to one of the large terminals on the solenoid. *One of the wires is connected directly to the battery and has power all the time so one of the large terminals should light a test light or show 12 volts on a meter at all times.*

Third, *check for power at the small terminal of the solenoid while depressing the clutch/brake pedal and holding the key in the start position (you may need an assistant to sit in the seat to override the safety switch). If your solenoid is a four wire solenoid, check both small wire terminals as one is ground and the other is power from the ignition switch. *If your solenoid is a three wire solenoid, make sure the solenoid body is not corroded where it bolts to the chassis of the mower as this is your ground path back to the battery. *If in doubt, remove the solenoid and clean the mounting area down to bare metal. *If there is no power to the small terminal then your problem is most likely a safety switch, ignition switch or in the wiring.*

Fourth, check for power on the other large terminal of the solenoid while holding the key in the start position (you may need an assistant to sit in the seat to override the safety switch).*

Fifth, check for power at the starter while holding the key in the start position (assistant again).*

Sixth, check your ground circuit back to the battery.

After you have gone through each of the above steps, let us know what happened when you did each step. *At that point we will have great info to tell you how to proceed. *Remember you are our eyes, ears, and fingers, so please be as accurate as possible.

Be as specific as possible with voltage readings as this will help diagnose your problem quicker. *If you do not know how to perform the above checks, just ask and I will try to guide you through it. *Youtube also has some videos and as you know a picture is worth a thousand words.
 

MattRichWarren

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Is the flywheel supposed to move by hand? That thing is locked in place. I moved the starter gear down and the flywheel won't budge. Could that be the problem?
 

Rivets

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Yes, you should be able to turn the flywheel by hand. Remove the plug and if you are unable to turn the flywheel by hand, you have other problems.
 
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