Tiger Cat 2 - Starting Issue (since new)

[hlw49]

Where did you add the relay- show photos and a diagram. Is it activated by the crank wire and bypassing that wire, with tab 87 connected to the battery and tab 30 connected to the solenoid?

Adding a relay strikes me as similar to adding a fuel filter when the original one becomes clogged.

Has anyone ever lubricated the Bendix on the starter?

Not so I have seen starters not work just click and not turm the engine over. What people don't realize is the manufactures use the smallest wire they can get by with. Over time they can build up a resistance and not work any more. As well the contacts in the solenoid can oxidize and cause the same porblem. I have use solenoids for a inertia drive starter wired in and make it work this way. Just did my first one with the relay and it works as well.

 

[rhkraft]

Since day one, when endeavoring to start the mower, on first try I get only a click, and on second try turns over and starts immediately. I installed a relay per the dealers instructions, but nothing changed.
Any thoughts on how to correct this would be greatly appreciated.

Battery is weak. You said it was marginal. I think the new battery fixed it!

 

[Gym123]

Not so I have seen starters not work just click and not turm the engine over. What people don't realize is the manufactures use the smallest wire they can get by with. Over time they can build up a resistance and not work any more. As well the contacts in the solenoid can oxidize and cause the same porblem. I have use solenoids for a inertia drive starter wired in and make it work this way. Just did my first one with the relay and it works as well.

I looking at/working on the Ariens, I was a bit surprised to see unsealed Molex connectors, thin wire, bad head bolt distribution (the cause of the head gasket failures) and then, there's the headlights being fed AC Voltage because the alternator can't deliver enough to power them with DC. That just tells me the MBAs were in control and engineering had to deliver these at the lowest possible cost, which is made worse by competition from foreign competitors (China). The headlights didn't work, so I disconnected the wires at the hinge for the shroud, tested them and found that the contacts were corroded, so I cleaned them. After disconnecting the plugs enough times, they began to work.

I can't imagine designing something like these and using unsealed wire terminals/Molex plugs, knowing that they're used outdoors, often in bad weather and left outdoors, even if in a garage. They could have put dielectric grease on the terminals, a plastic cover on the plugs or used silicone rubber seals to keep moisture out. It's not that much more expensive! They probably paid more in warranty claims than these upgrades would have cost.

 

[StarTech]

Well I can tell you that the so-called sealed Molex MX150 connectors are not as water proof as they claim. I have replaced several of the Toro electric brake.control modules and the connectors with new terminals because water got in and corroded things.

Most mower connectors and terminal don't usually corrode. Now there are times they get loose and then things happen afterwards.