Yahoo Kees 48 in model 48172

[bertsmobile1]

OK Joe,
I am not quite sure where we are.
You have found another red wire which was not connected to anything and have now connected it to the battery + terminal. is that correct ?
If so do you now have power to the fuse and to the B terminal on the ignition switch ?
Should this be the case then it is back to the tests from post 8.
From what you have said, the power should go to the PTO switch via the red wire and from there on to the left side lever switch via a yellow wire

 

[JoeCoplan]

Ok, I did some more test.

1). At the solenoid (3 pole solenoid) there are 2 bolts and a push on wire. I know where each of these wires go. On one bolt you have 2 wires connected. A thick red wire that goes over to the positive terminal on the battery and the smaller red wire delivers power to the rest of the mower. On the other bolt there is 1 wire that runs to the starter. And then there is a yellow push on wire that sends power to the starter side of the solenoid when the keys is turned

2). So, I tested the large and small wire that is running from the positive terminal on the battery to the starter and there is 12V.

3). I then pulled the yellow wire off of the push on and tested the push on and there was not 12V.

4). Next, I tested the spade push on post for 12V and again there was zero. With the key in the off position. But, I know there should only be 12V when you turn the ignition to start. Again, when I turn to start there is NO POWER TO THE SPADE POST OR THE YELLOW WIRE LESDING TO THE SPADE POST.

This tells me that there is NO power transferring from the battery side of the solenoid to the starter side of the solenoid. NOW, IF I LEAVE THE KEY TURNED ON IN THE RUN POSITION I DO HEAR A CLICKING SOUND EVERY 3 to 5 seconds underneath where all the wire harnesses are.

Is there anything I can test or do to get power to the yellow wire that slides onto the solenoid. So, it will transfer power to the starter side when I turn the key?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Joe.
Yes the aim is to get 12V on that yellow wire that goes on the spade terminal.
It is a daisy chain from the wire on the top of the solenoid, through the ignition switch, through the PTO switch, through the LH steering arm , through the RH steering arm through the starting relay then finally to the yellow wire on the solenoid.

That was the whole purpose of the sequence I wrote back in post # 8.
Tracing the power from start to finish looking for the broken link.

When you initally tried, nothing happened because there was no power getting to the ignition switch.
You have fixed that problem so now you can run through the list as first intended.

The alternative is jumping around going from pillar to post, and testing a switch with an Ohm meter does not mean it will pass current when required to.
So it is back to the start and run through the test sequence in post # 8

The fact that neither of us actually has a proper wiring diagram ( actual full circuit diagram ) makes it a bit more difficult so in these cases, point testing is a waste of time.
Thus it is a case of following the circuit all the way from start to finish.

Tedious as it is, it is what I have to do regularly when I get a mower in the shop that I can not find a circuit diagram for.
May times I have spent weeks testing this then testing that trying to think my way out of a problem when I could have simply followed the current .
SO when I dont know how the factory wired it the I just check everything from the battery all the way back to the battery.

Now it looks like your mowers cranking circuit is all yellow wires which is how the latter ones were wired.

so print the circuit diagram ( early with relays ) posted reply no # 14
mark out the wires I mentioned in post # 8 on the diagram,
This is the cranking control circuit that you are testing.
It has 3 parts
S terminal to relay ( + 12V trigger circuit)
G terminal to relay ( Ground trigger circuit)
A1 terminal to relay ( solenoid power circuit )

This is one of the most complicated systems I have seen so it will be slow and I am trying to make it as simple for you to follow as possible.
It appears that the seat switch on your mower is a + 12 V circuit, so testing continuity across the seat switch will be of little value if the switch is not getting 12 V in the first place.