I'm fixing up a JD 325. Among numerous other issues, it had no headlight switch. I purchased a switch and plugged it in. I have installed a new battery. Everything else is working properly, the PTO switch, fuel solenoid, etc. I have noticed the alternator light stays on most of the time. I cannot get the headlights to work. The bulbs and sockets both tested good. I put a voltmeter on the plug where you can disconnect to remove the hood and when I pull the headlight switch the meter reads about 12.70 vdc, so the switch appears to be operating properly. If I connect one or both headlight sockets to that plug I get nothing. The battery is reading about 13.40 vdc. I can connect the light socket directly to the battery and they work.
There are two wires, one yellow and one black. I'm assuming the yellow is hot and the black is ground so the light sockets themselves do not have to be grounded to the frame.
To say I struggle with electrical issues is an understatement. What am I missing?
Yes.
Mower lights are generally connected to the unregulated output from the alternator so run AC not DC
How you wire them in will depend upon what alternator you are using.
Usually they are connected directly to the alternator and the switch makes the ground contact.
Aaahh, that makes sense, so the black would go to ground and the yellow from the charging coil, would not think then that it should be showing a DC current. Time to go through the wiring harness l guess. It's never simple. Thanks Bert, you come through more than once for me.
Looking at a diagram it looks like black is to ground and the yellow is actually a yellow/black coming from the rectifier to the switch. That shouldn't be too difficult to figure out.
Yeah, should have double checked.
Runs the Kawakasi not the Briggs
So no AC feed for the lights.
Light switch taps into the power reed to the relays through the A terminal on the the ignition switch
On a plain 325, don't have diagrams for GX 325 or GT 325
First I am not JD service agent so I can post the relevant pages without contraviening my franchise agreement.
Second it is against the philosophy of public forums to send PM's with the information needed to fix the problem.
Otherwise you end up sending out 300 PM's
So here is the headlamp section of the manual.
My JD manuals mostly came from an old agency and in this case all of the full 2 page wiring diagrams were torn out.
Thus this is just the lights wiring bit
For those of you not used to JD wiring diagrams, the X numbers are plugs so X2 is plug as is X3. X9 is the plug with a yellow & a black wire near the hood hinge. View attachment 325-Lights.pdf
And if I have not mentioned it before.
The JD manual is the best mower manual ever printed and all JD owners should buy one from JD as it will pay for itself 100 times over,
Thanks Bert, very helpful. I tracked it down to a broken ground. Having same issue with the PTO and I'm guessing a similar problem. Do you happen to have the wiring diagram for the PTO/switch
Bert, that chart was awesome, when I got to #23 on the checklist I found no current, I jumped a positive lead to that terminal and the PTO clicked. That sealed it, bad switch. Thanks so much!
This exactly why I keep advising everyone with a JD to buy the JD service manuals.
As you have just found out, no technical skills required.
If you want to know HOW it works then there is the theory bit up front but if you just want to fix it, step by step instructions which are applicable to almost any mower.
If I was still teaching at college this is exactly the sort of book I would use for a text.
Thus JD need to be encouraged to keep on writing these things.
I have written equipment use & maintanance manuals and know just how much time & cost goes into making them.
Bert,
Good day to you Sir. When I worked at a Harley Davidson dealership I would suggest to all the customers buying a "new to them" bike that they buy the Service and Parts manuals for their bike. I would tell them half the issues they would have with the bike might be fixed at little to no cost and with the use of few common tools by following the manuals.
Most people would be surprised at what they can do using a service manual, common hand tools and having a bit of common sense. This place has helped me solve a bunch of issues I have had with my different mowers.
Respects to you
Tom
Yah,
It is a bit dissappointing everyone squeals about the price of the JD manuals.
But it is less than 2 hours of dealer service time so it will pay for itself in the first year.
OTOH they are happy to spend $ 500 to buy unnecessary parts and waste several days fitting all of them, just s long as they bought the parts "cheap on ebay"
I really don't get the mentality of it.
