Voltage drops when cranking...

slomo

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Craig, a battery should never drop below it's rated voltage. If it does likely it has a bad cell and it's time for a new one. Typical lead acid battery is ~2.2 volts per cell, 12volt lead acid battery at full charge will ready ~13 volts, if it drops below 12 volts it's time to replace. Cheers Ray
Normally it's 12.6 at full charge but I like me some 13 too.
 

CraigH

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O k ..... So new battery bought and charged just to make sure it wasn't flat/low from the shop. Its a 12v 30ah 330cca so plenty powerful enough, but the result was the same as before, the engine tried to turn but only goes about half a rev then locks.

I'm pretty sure what someone mentioned earlier must be the fault now, the cam!
 

sgkent

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does it spin freely with the plugs out?
 

CraigH

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Yep, spins over fine with no plug in.
Battery reads 12.8v then when I turn the key with the plug out it reads 10.8v
 

sgkent

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Yep, spins over fine with no plug in.
Battery reads 12.8v then when I turn the key with the plug out it reads 10.8v
where are you reading the voltage between?
 

CraigH

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Voltage taken at battery terminals.
 

slomo

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Check mower ground, starter and starter solenoid.
 

CraigH

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I'm guessing they should all read the same when cranking, otherwise I'll have an earth issue? Will try to check it in abit but not sure if I'll have a chance today.
I've already checked and cleaned all electrical connections, removed and cleaned where the earth lead from battery is bolted to the chassis, cleaned starter and checked it's got a good live connection, also cleaned the mounting plate for it as that's what earth's it to the engine, I've also removed the starter solenoid and cleaned the surface where it mounts to give the best earth possible there too aswell as cleaning the live leads on it.

I just keep coming back to the cam again and again now, the engine just acts like it's got too much compression when cranking it.
 

sgkent

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Voltage taken at battery terminals.
if the fully charged new battery BETWEEN POSTS is dropping to 10.8V at the terminals when the plugs are out, my instinct tells me you have a bad starter. Now that I have said that, maybe someone who works on these for a living can confirm that or not. Normally most engines have very little load when the plugs are out. Unfortunately most people do not have a clamp on DC ampmeter that can read starter current. Most clamp on meters are AC. But if you have access to a DC clamp on ammeter in the range needed, try measuring the current. Most likely it will be excessively high. If the engine turns easily by hand then the only thing left would be excessive current in the starter motor. If the engine turns hard with the plugs out by hand, then one would wonder why the engine is so hard to turn.
 

sgkent

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I might add, you can ignore bad grounds and cables right now if the post to post voltage is 10.8V. When I say post to post, I literally mean post to post, and not terminal to post or cable to cable etc. Post to post is between the actual connectors that are a part of the battery.
 
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