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xmark quest wiring harness
#1
M
montey Thomas
M
montey Thomas
My exmark quest has what I feel is a poor wiring harness design. My mower is 6 years old and the wiring harness has been replaced 6 times. Every spring. It is showing all the symptoms it shows every time the wiring harness goes bad. The symptoms are: It is hard to start, It get intermittent firing to the starter. (Sometimes when you turn the key the starter will not spin but other times it will) when you do get it started when you move the control arms in the motor will shut off. When you engage the PTO the blades will not spin. (You can hear and feel the clutch engage but it will not spin the blades) I do store the mower outside but I keep it covered with a cover. This happens so often I is almost like routine every year. I do know there was a recall on this but after the recall was replaced it is still dong the same thing. The dealer is charging me so much to fix this I am gong to do it myself this time.
Question: Do I buy just the wiring harness or do I need to buy a control box that the wiring harness connects to also? What else do I need to know before I start this job?
Question: Do I buy just the wiring harness or do I need to buy a control box that the wiring harness connects to also? What else do I need to know before I start this job?
#2
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Wiring harnesses do not go bad.
Connections get some corrosion but that is removed by unpluging & repluging the connections, not replacing the entire harness.
They are all of a self cleaning design.
After several years wires can corrode through but not in a single season.
The safety switches are simple sliding contact type and can corrode internally but again a squirt with Wd 40 or better still contact cleaner then work the switch a few times will have it working fine.
If the mower has to live outside then get a VENTILATED car cover for it and make sure it is sitting over concrete.
If not concrete then get a sheet of heavy rubber and park it over that to prevent moisture being drawn up & condensing on the mower.
Use an old T-shirt as a seat cover and leave the mower uncovered during the day unless you are expecting rain.
Get a can of liquid electrical tape, clean the battery terminals & connectors the assemble & paint them.
Do the same where the battery cables connect to the frame & engine.
You might like to consider replacing both battery cables before painting as water can be drawn into the cables and they can corrode along their length so look good till you try & pass starting current through them.
Buy a jar of lanolin grease stuff all the plugs with the grease then plug them together this will keep the moisture out & prevent corrosion.
Lots of my customers leave their mower out all year with no electrical problems.
And don't go back to that dealer , the term "taken for a ride" comes to mind concerning their treatment of you.
Connections get some corrosion but that is removed by unpluging & repluging the connections, not replacing the entire harness.
They are all of a self cleaning design.
After several years wires can corrode through but not in a single season.
The safety switches are simple sliding contact type and can corrode internally but again a squirt with Wd 40 or better still contact cleaner then work the switch a few times will have it working fine.
If the mower has to live outside then get a VENTILATED car cover for it and make sure it is sitting over concrete.
If not concrete then get a sheet of heavy rubber and park it over that to prevent moisture being drawn up & condensing on the mower.
Use an old T-shirt as a seat cover and leave the mower uncovered during the day unless you are expecting rain.
Get a can of liquid electrical tape, clean the battery terminals & connectors the assemble & paint them.
Do the same where the battery cables connect to the frame & engine.
You might like to consider replacing both battery cables before painting as water can be drawn into the cables and they can corrode along their length so look good till you try & pass starting current through them.
Buy a jar of lanolin grease stuff all the plugs with the grease then plug them together this will keep the moisture out & prevent corrosion.
Lots of my customers leave their mower out all year with no electrical problems.
And don't go back to that dealer , the term "taken for a ride" comes to mind concerning their treatment of you.
#3
M
montey Thomas
Thank you. This is great information. Just to let you know, I do park it on concrete with a cover made for a mower. When I looked at the connections of the wiring harness at the control box, the control box was full of grease. (From the dealer) like that. Soooooo…. But I will take your advice under advisement when I tackle this problem.
M
montey Thomas
Wiring harnesses do not go bad.
Connections get some corrosion but that is removed by unpluging & repluging the connections, not replacing the entire harness.
They are all of a self cleaning design.
After several years wires can corrode through but not in a single season.
The safety switches are simple sliding contact type and can corrode internally but again a squirt with Wd 40 or better still contact cleaner then work the switch a few times will have it working fine.
If the mower has to live outside then get a VENTILATED car cover for it and make sure it is sitting over concrete.
If not concrete then get a sheet of heavy rubber and park it over that to prevent moisture being drawn up & condensing on the mower.
Use an old T-shirt as a seat cover and leave the mower uncovered during the day unless you are expecting rain.
Get a can of liquid electrical tape, clean the battery terminals & connectors the assemble & paint them.
Do the same where the battery cables connect to the frame & engine.
You might like to consider replacing both battery cables before painting as water can be drawn into the cables and they can corrode along their length so look good till you try & pass starting current through them.
Buy a jar of lanolin grease stuff all the plugs with the grease then plug them together this will keep the moisture out & prevent corrosion.
Lots of my customers leave their mower out all year with no electrical problems.
And don't go back to that dealer , the term "taken for a ride" comes to mind concerning their treatment of you.
Thank you. This is great information. Just to let you know, I do park it on concrete with a cover made for a mower. When I looked at the connections of the wiring harness at the control box, the control box was full of grease. (From the dealer) like that. Soooooo…. But I will take your advice under advisement when I tackle this problem.
#4
M
montey Thomas
M
montey Thomas
Update: I checked the wiring harness i did not see any bad wires or bad places. After reading and watching youtube videos i decided to replace the brake box (control box) I replaced the safety switches on both control arms and the seat safety switch. Now the engine starts good. but when I get it started it still turns itself off when I move the control arms in.
this is noteworthy. when you turn the key on you can hear the brake box motor doing its thing. and before you start the engine you can move the control arms and hear the brake box do its thing. but When you move the control arms in the brake box makes a sound and when you move the control arms out it makes a sound. With that being said, when i move the control arms in. the brake box makes a sound and then there is a delayed sound. Sort of like a secondary action. it takes about one second before you hear it. That is about how long it takes for the engine to cut off when you move the control arms in when the engine is running.
Now what do I check and how do I fix it?
this is noteworthy. when you turn the key on you can hear the brake box motor doing its thing. and before you start the engine you can move the control arms and hear the brake box do its thing. but When you move the control arms in the brake box makes a sound and when you move the control arms out it makes a sound. With that being said, when i move the control arms in. the brake box makes a sound and then there is a delayed sound. Sort of like a secondary action. it takes about one second before you hear it. That is about how long it takes for the engine to cut off when you move the control arms in when the engine is running.
Now what do I check and how do I fix it?
#6
M
montey Thomas
M
montey Thomas
Thank you very much for responding. Seeing as how I have replaced the seat switch it must be the brake switch. Where is the brake switch and how do I check it?sounds more like a seat switch or brake switch than a brake box
#7
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
The brake switch, or rather the parking brake switch is directly behind the parking brake lever
It has 4 wires, a yellow a yellow & 2 violets
Looks like exmark have drawn the schmetic wrong so check the switch first .
Looks like brake off the yellow & violets are connected and grey is disconnected
So with the brake on the grey & violet is connected & the yellow might be disconnected, or the grey , yellow & violet might all be connected
With all ZTR's I use a few short jumper wires to manually make the connections that each switch would normally make.
This gets done one switch at a time till the problem goes away and the last switch jumped was obviously the faulty one.
Using a multi meter can give a false OK because a terminal that is just barely touching will show continuity but will not carry voltage.
It has 4 wires, a yellow a yellow & 2 violets
Looks like exmark have drawn the schmetic wrong so check the switch first .
Looks like brake off the yellow & violets are connected and grey is disconnected
So with the brake on the grey & violet is connected & the yellow might be disconnected, or the grey , yellow & violet might all be connected
With all ZTR's I use a few short jumper wires to manually make the connections that each switch would normally make.
This gets done one switch at a time till the problem goes away and the last switch jumped was obviously the faulty one.
Using a multi meter can give a false OK because a terminal that is just barely touching will show continuity but will not carry voltage.
#8
M
montey Thomas
OK what I was calling the control arm safety switch you are calling it a brake switch. Now Im up to speed.:smile: But given the fact that I put brand new ones in Im now more confused unless I was sold a bad switch. I will go through the advice you said and see what I find. I used a jumper you described to determine The "BRAKE SWITCH" was bad and That is why I bought new ones and changed them. But will go check them out as you described and see it I can find the problem. It is raining here so I will have to wait till the rain clears out in a couple of days. I will get back with you and let you know what I find
M
montey Thomas
The brake switch, or rather the parking brake switch is directly behind the parking brake lever
It has 4 wires, a yellow a yellow & 2 violets
Looks like exmark have drawn the schmetic wrong so check the switch first .
Looks like brake off the yellow & violets are connected and grey is disconnected
So with the brake on the grey & violet is connected & the yellow might be disconnected, or the grey , yellow & violet might all be connected
With all ZTR's I use a few short jumper wires to manually make the connections that each switch would normally make.
This gets done one switch at a time till the problem goes away and the last switch jumped was obviously the faulty one.
Using a multi meter can give a false OK because a terminal that is just barely touching will show continuity but will not carry voltage.
OK what I was calling the control arm safety switch you are calling it a brake switch. Now Im up to speed.:smile: But given the fact that I put brand new ones in Im now more confused unless I was sold a bad switch. I will go through the advice you said and see what I find. I used a jumper you described to determine The "BRAKE SWITCH" was bad and That is why I bought new ones and changed them. But will go check them out as you described and see it I can find the problem. It is raining here so I will have to wait till the rain clears out in a couple of days. I will get back with you and let you know what I find
#9
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
The wiring diagram I have here shows switches on the control arms and on the parking brake.
If you have a parking brake lever there will be a switch on it.
I might not have the right diagram for your machine which is why we always go on about posting model numbers.
If your mower has a automatic brake module that turns on the parking brake when the levers are thrown out then it might not have a separate parking brake.
Never the less, the method is the same, use patch leads ( small jump wires ) to bypass the switches and relays.
I find it easier to start at the starter motor end and work backwards after pulling the plug from the ket switch & jumping the B & S terminals ( saves growing a 3rd hand to keep turning the key )
If you have a parking brake lever there will be a switch on it.
I might not have the right diagram for your machine which is why we always go on about posting model numbers.
If your mower has a automatic brake module that turns on the parking brake when the levers are thrown out then it might not have a separate parking brake.
Never the less, the method is the same, use patch leads ( small jump wires ) to bypass the switches and relays.
I find it easier to start at the starter motor end and work backwards after pulling the plug from the ket switch & jumping the B & S terminals ( saves growing a 3rd hand to keep turning the key )