Toro Timecutter SS4235 blades won't engage

[wrdabney]

After studying the diagram and doing some testing the only thing it can be I think is the starter solenoid which the blade clutch wiring hooks to or the brake actuator. I'm sending back this blade clutch so I'm thinking about just buying the solenoid and trying that and if that isn't it trying the brake actuator. I tried running some tests with the multimeter and couldn't come up with a conclusive answer.

 

[Fish]

It wouldn't be the solenoid, as that is just hooking to the ground terminal side of the solenoid, and if the solenoid wasn't functioning properly, the engine wouldn't even crank.

 

[Fish]

Do you show voltage getting to the A side of the pto clutch? If so, just hook a wire to ground on the other terminal, and the clutch should then work.

Both the clutch and solenoid are just simple electromagnets, one side hooked to the positive side of the battery, and the other side to the negative/ground, and the
device pulls together magnetically, the clutch pulls the plates together, thus locking the pto shaft of the engine to the pulley that runs the deck.
On the solenoid, it pulls a plate with contacts on it which connect the positive cable from the battery to the positive cable to the starter.

 

[Fish]

Most starter solenoids have only one small terminal, as the switch is grounded where it is bolted to the frame. But some have two, so they can run some of the safety
switches on the ground side of the circuit.

 

[wrdabney]

Most starter solenoids have only one small terminal, as the switch is grounded where it is bolted to the frame. But some have two, so they can run some of the safety
switches on the ground side of the circuit.

Fish,
My starter solenoid has 2 small terminals. I am not getting any power at either terminal on the blade clutch hook up wiring. Would that point towards the brake actuator or even possibly the seat switch? One thing that could possibly be related is sometime when I start the mower and pull the handles together to drive it will try to cut the mower off and I have to push the handles back out real quick to keep it running. Could this mean an intermittent seat switch or possibly this is related to the brake actuator?

 

[Fish]

Just clamp your negative lead onto the negative or good ground, whether test light or multimeter, set in the 12v dc range, then touch the positive lead to the post B
on the back of the keyswitch {red wire}, should get 12+ volts.

Next, turn the key to "on", not "crank", then test for voltage at the R + I +A terminals, should show 12+ volts there as well.

If so, go to the pink wires on the pto switch, test them

 

[wrdabney]

Just clamp your negative lead onto the negative or good ground, whether test light or multimeter, set in the 12v dc range, then touch the positive lead to the post B
on the back of the keyswitch {red wire}, should get 12+ volts.

Next, turn the key to "on", not "crank", then test for voltage at the R + I +A terminals, should show 12+ volts there as well.

If so, go to the pink wires on the pto switch, test them

So I guess next round of testing complete and still no blades. I get 12v at post b all times, 12v at post r i a with switch on and 12v at pink wires on pto switch with starter switch on. What's my next move?

 

[Fish]

Can you give a pic of the switch on the bottom of the seat? Have you tested the seat switch? Can you give a pic of the starter solenoid?


With the pto and key switch on, do you have power on the other wires coming out of the pto switch?

 

[wrdabney]

I put a jumper wire on the seat switch to take that out of the equation and it made no difference for the blade operation. On the pto switch with the key in the on position and the pto switch off the pink wires are hot, the white wire is hot, and the brown wire is not hot. With the pto switch pulled out the pink wires stay hot, the white wire is no longer hot and the brown wire is hot.

 

[Fish]

On the diagram, it is called a grey wire, but no matter, it looks like every thing is working up to that point, so the ground circuit is likely where the problem is. To confirm this, run a jumper from the green wire from the clutch to the frame and ground it, and the blades should engage.