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I have a Scott's S1642 riding lawn mower with a Kohler 16 HP engine. When you turn the key over, nothing happens. Before, I seem to remember that when you turned the key on, you would hear an audible click. I don't hear that anymore. Is that clicking noise I used to hear, the solenoid for the carburetor?

With all of the safety switches, I'm also not sure if one is failing. There is the mower engage switch, seat switch and clutch switch.

I was able to turn the mower over, turned the key to the on position, battery to starter with a jumper cable and the mower did turn over and start. Ran a few laps and shut it off. Tried the same step and it would turn over but acted like it wasn't getting spark. Just turned and turned with no fire.

With what limitations I have (no service manual) I was able to test the key. It appears to be functioning, taking continuity readings at different positions and it performed. Color codes are not with me currently but can provide later when I'm at the mower.

I want to bypass (not permanently, just for testing to rule out switches) the safety switches and fire the mower up but am not sure of the jumpers necessary to perform this.

One other thing, when I did have the mower running, when I pressed the panel switch that you push when backing up without disengaging the blades? Just merely pressing that switch caused the mower to die. I released the switch and it was able to continue to run before it stopped cycling down.

Could that switch be the culprit? Anyone have a good starting point I can try?

sounds like a dead "starter" solenoid........it looks like this [from my 93 MTD]

heres a manual ..... http://www.deere.com/en_US/homeowners/media/pdfs/products_non_current/scotts/lawn_tractors.pdf

I can see that being the problem. Attached is a snap from the Kohler manual and this is what my starter looks like. I have not seen the starter solenoid from the engine. Possibly in the rear by the battery?

I am at work currently and will have to put an eyeball on it later this afternoon. Thanks for the heads up and information.

:laughing:

yeah...just follow the big wire on the starter back to the solenoid...you can use a wrench or old screwdriver to jump the posts on the solenoid...that will test if the cables are working:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

Okay, several things.

The five wires coming from the key switch routes down to a bundle of wires that go several directions. There was a red wire going cross ways on the backside of the mower that somehow, got sliced. It would look like something may have just sheared it because there is an opening behind the engine that would have allowed that by either a stray object or even a belt being thrown. Got that fixed.

Followed the line from the starter back to the battery and found the solenoid. Lifted the seat, removed the battery and after I got all the old grass piled up in there, found what looks to be about a 14 ga. wire with a quick disconnect...broken. It was red and went to one side of the solenoid. When I repaired that wire and turned the key, I heard the familiar audible click (which is the solenoid that goes to the underside of the bowl on the carburetor). I turned further to start and nothing. Left the key on and jump started the mower and Viola! It started.

So...now I believe I do have a defective starter solenoid. I'll check the parts list and see if one's available. Is this a generic part to fit multiple platforms?

THERE ARE UNIVERSALS....JUST BRING YOUR OLD ONE TO VERIFY.....CLUMPED OLD GRASS ROTS AND RUSTS AND DESTROYS WHAT WOULD BE A PERFECT MOWER OTHERWISE....."A CLEAN MACHINE IS A LONG LIVED MACHINE"...SOLENOID COULD BE CORROSION OR BURNT CONTACTS FROM USE....GLAD YOU FOUND IT MAN!.....TELL US HOW IT GOES!...:thumbsup:

I did get a universal starter solenoid and installed it and it did correct my problem. In addition to this problem, I did find two wires, one up front and one in the back by the battery that was severed. Corrected those wires with the solenoid and am back up and running just fine. Thanks for the input. Helped with leaps and bounds.

:biggrin:

:laughing:

awesome!...good to hear :smile:

Guys, need some assistance. My son brought this mower over to my house. Scotts (John Deere)
S1642 it is missing a part, i think it is a Spark Advance module (SAM), however, I do not know how it is mounted, hooked up or anything to the magneto as the magneto has 3 wire connectors on it. It is also missing the Air Cleaner parts, and the blower housing. he had some buddies try to get it to run, but boy, they did a job, so trying to figure it out, I did buy a Service Manual, course doesn't show that part. I purchased it online for $25.00. I have attacked some picks.

temarthers said:

Guys, need some assistance. My son brought this mower over to my house. Scotts (John Deere)
S1642 it is missing a part, i think it is a Spark Advance module (SAM), however, I do not know how it is mounted, hooked up or anything to the magneto as the magneto has 3 wire connectors on it. It is also missing the Air Cleaner parts, and the blower housing. he had some buddies try to get it to run, but boy, they did a job, so trying to figure it out, I did buy a Service Manual, course doesn't show that part. I purchased it online for $25.00. I have attacked some picks.

Click to expand...

Looks like the engine is missing a lot of parts, where are they, lost forever? If so where do you plan to buy them, new. What do you plan on spending on a engine like that? How is the rest of the mower. If it was mine I would go to a mower salvage yard and buy a used engine maybe one with a bad block and make one out of the two.

you need the engine's manual.....do you have the model/serial numbers for it?

Well, I got the Service Manual, not real hyped up on the pictures, doesn't show what I am looking for, but finally found it. Yes, I am missing some parts but the one I notice and most likely will need is a Spark Advance Module (SAM). It has 5 wires, 2 connects to the 2 terminals on the Magneto, 1 connects to the ground on the magneto, then the two wires go to the 2 wires (Red, White) wires you see there in that previous picture. Yeh, missing some other stuff, but got that all figured out. Other stuff like blower housing, air filer cover, air filter stuff, things I can see should be ok. Did crank it bypassing all safety stuff and has spark/compression, even though the Magneto and Flywheel Area is rusty, will get that fixed. I also have a guy that works at Northern Tools, he and I get along well, he helps me out, he has one EXACTLY like this one and today I am going buy and take off the blower housing, the owner of it decided not to have it fixed, so taking some pics and using it at home. Have to pick up parts for a transmission for a walk behind mower there anyway. He sell me parts little over what he pays as I go to him all the time for parts, and I take the part numbers, diagrams and everything so we end up BS'in as it don't take that long to lookup the parts.

I have a 1998 Scott's S1642 riding lawn mower with a Kohler 16 HP engine. When you turn the key over, nothing happens. Before, I seem to remember that when you turned the key on, you would hear an audible click. I don't hear that anymore. Is that clicking noise I used to hear, the solenoid for the carburetor?

With all of the safety switches, I'm also not sure if one is failing. There is the mower engage switch, seat switch and clutch switch.

I was not able to turn the mower over, turned the key to the on position, battery to starter with a jumper cable and the mower did not turn over and did not start.

I want to bypass (not permanently, just for testing to rule out switches) the safety switches and fire the mower up but am not sure of the jumpers necessary to perform this.

I have checked and changed out the fuse. The manuel states a 15 amp fuse, but mine has a 25 amp fuse. Does this make a difference? Also I changed the solenoid and it still does not start or crank over.

Could that switch be the culprit? Anyone have a good starting point I can try?

If you went directly from the positive post of the battery to the post on the starter, that pretty much narrows it down quickly.

Take your other jumper cable and put it on the negative battery post, and the other end somewhere on the bottom side of the engine that is metal, and try the positive jump again, if the connections are good, it should crank. If not, either bad battery, bad starter, or the connection isn't a good one. I am guessing that you just have a bad battery connection, so remove and clean and tighten all connections, including where the negative battery cable grounds on the frame and try it again.

if you can move a battery connection, that is likely the trouble spot.