Billylegend
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- Joined
- Aug 16, 2020
- Threads
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- 7
I have a Briggs & Stratton engine in my ~10 year old Craftsman riding mower (model 917.288561). Earlier this mowing season, I noticed the engine was progressively taking longer and longer to turn over, until one day I got no sounds or response from the engine at all when turning the key in the ignition. I finally got it to crank again by installing a new solenoid (I also replaced the battery and ignition switch on my way to isolating the solenoid as the problem). I was able to start the engine and mow a half dozen times, but the cranking at startup still ran very, very long.
Last weekend, I believe the new solenoid “died” - I heard a single click, but then turning the ignition (again) elicited no sounds or responses from the engine. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I wonder if I damaged the replacement solenoid with the excessive cranking. I had _another_ replacement solenoid lying around, so I installed it, and now I can again get to a cranking sound. But I feel like I’m not addressing the root cause here.
My next step is to purchase a sparkplug tester to see if (when turning the key) the ignition coils are sending spark to the sparkplugs or not (my engine has a pair of coils/wires/spark plugs), and maybe a feeler gauge to ensure the magnet is the right distance from the coil. I wonder if the ignition coils need adjusting or replacing. The spark plugs themselves are fairly new, I replace the plugs and all filters when I change the oil every spring.
My question is: does this (sparkplug tester and feeler gauge) seem like a reasonable next troubleshooting step? Am I missing anything?
Last weekend, I believe the new solenoid “died” - I heard a single click, but then turning the ignition (again) elicited no sounds or responses from the engine. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I wonder if I damaged the replacement solenoid with the excessive cranking. I had _another_ replacement solenoid lying around, so I installed it, and now I can again get to a cranking sound. But I feel like I’m not addressing the root cause here.
My next step is to purchase a sparkplug tester to see if (when turning the key) the ignition coils are sending spark to the sparkplugs or not (my engine has a pair of coils/wires/spark plugs), and maybe a feeler gauge to ensure the magnet is the right distance from the coil. I wonder if the ignition coils need adjusting or replacing. The spark plugs themselves are fairly new, I replace the plugs and all filters when I change the oil every spring.
My question is: does this (sparkplug tester and feeler gauge) seem like a reasonable next troubleshooting step? Am I missing anything?