Z225 issues

[David2291]

I have a 2009 Z225 went to start up a week ago and nothing. Replaced battery and the solenoid and ended up shaving the fuel solenoid down so it wouldn’t be up and started up. How ever after replacing the fuel solenoid the plunger won’t move from the off position. Also when disengaging the brake the mower shuts off. With that I have tested the seat switch and has continuity when the button is depressed. I replaced the small relay that I could see and still nothing. But when I unplug the relay I can release the brake and drive but the blades won’t engage. Any help?

 

[mechanic mark]

John Deere Technical Manual TM112919 - Z225 Z235 Z245 Z255 ZTrak Mowers

John Deere Technical Manual TM112919This technical service manual is 496 pages of repair information for the following John Deere ZTrak Mower models:•Z225 - serial number 100001 to 130000•Z235 - serial number 130001 and above•Z245 - serial number 100001 to 130000•Z255 - serial number 130001 and...

greenfarmparts.com

I would order this manual for $118, most are $140 & up. All the information you need to troubleshoot & repair your mower if you are mechanically inclined. Let us know how it goes, thanks, Mark

 

[bertsmobile1]

In act all you need to know is in there if you have never held a screwdriver in your hand.Easiest to read & understand manuals ever written & will pay for itself the first time you do not take the mower into a shop for repair.

Sounds like the fuse is blown.
A singe fuse is used on the power wire that goes to the switch.
No power means the fuel solenoid will not open.
However if you jump start and use starting fluid then the power generated by the alternator can back feed into the electrical system so the mower works fine, till you turn it off again.

 

[StarTech]

Must be nice to pay S118 for a manual when it can be gotten @ $39 for a PDF version download.

 

[David2291]

In act all you need to know is in there if you have never held a screwdriver in your hand.Easiest to read & understand manuals ever written & will pay for itself the first time you do not take the mower into a shop for repair.

Sounds like the fuse is blown.
A singe fuse is used on the power wire that goes to the switch.
No power means the fuel solenoid will not open.
However if you jump start and use starting fluid then the power generated by the alternator can back feed into the electrical system so the mower works fine, till you turn it off again.

I checked the three fuses and all are intact. Unless there is a fusible link somewhere

 

[bertsmobile1]

Firstly have you got the manual ?
Secondly what most people have trouble getting their heads around is with the exception of the cranking & PTO circuits, all of the rest are ground wires .
As such there is no connection between the kill functions doing funny things & the mower failing to crank
You mentioned the solenoid, did you replace it and if so did you connect the small red wire to the powered side of the solenoid and not the switched side ( we have all done it at least once ) .
Other than that it is out with the meter / test lamp and hang from the rafters trying to get to the switches .
The manual tells you how & where to test and what the results for each test should be .
BAsically the cranking circuit is a daisy chain from that power feed wire on the top of the solenoid, through the key switch , through the PTO switch , through the brake switch then down to the trigger terminal on the solenoid .
The last item, brake switch is some times hooked up to a relay switching the power and the lap bars connected to the ground on the same relay or a second relay and these feed the power to the starting solenoid trigger terminal.

 

[David2291]

Firstly have you got the manual ?
Secondly what most people have trouble getting their heads around is with the exception of the cranking & PTO circuits, all of the rest are ground wires .
As such there is no connection between the kill functions doing funny things & the mower failing to crank
You mentioned the solenoid, did you replace it and if so did you connect the small red wire to the powered side of the solenoid and not the switched side ( we have all done it at least once ) .
Other than that it is out with the meter / test lamp and hang from the rafters trying to get to the switches .
The manual tells you how & where to test and what the results for each test should be .
BAsically the cranking circuit is a daisy chain from that power feed wire on the top of the solenoid, through the key switch , through the PTO switch , through the brake switch then down to the trigger terminal on the solenoid .
The last item, brake switch is some times hooked up to a relay switching the power and the lap bars connected to the ground on the same relay or a second relay and these feed the power to the starting solenoid trigger terminal.

I did replace the solenoid and it’s cranking over fine just won’t run once I take the brake off. Now if I unhook the relay it runs but no pto. I’ve seen two ground wires that are bolted to the same as the negative that are rough looking but not terrible. I’ve seen the wires that link the ignition to the pro to the hour meter but I don’t see how that would interrupt the mower from running when I brake is released

 

[bertsmobile1]

Put everything back together
If you can not hear the PTO engage when you pull the knob out
and the engine stops dead when you let the brake off
Then the mower sees no operator present .
I think on the Z225 there is a relay for that .

 

[StarTech]

There is only a few ways of knowing how the wiring is done. One is the electrical (wiring) diagram which is in the service manual another is take the mower to a shop that has the service manual. Unfortunately I currently don't have a customer with a Z225 so I have no need to purchase the service manual.

But as said the seat safety circuit does controls both magneto kill and PTO inhibit operations via relays since it is a normally open switch. Now JD does some of safety circuit a little different than most OEMs which why we need to see the schematics. A good example is the 445 where a PTO circuit must latched up at the moment the ignition is turned and a bad PTO switch cause it inhibit mower operations. Several relays in that mower setup.

Bert if I remember correctly with some JDs the kill circuits and starting circuits are interlaced. I think the 445 is one of them. Anyway without the schematic there is no way simple way to know; unless, a fellow has access to them.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Exactly right
Same story here I only buy manuals as I need them
Got 5 Z225's in the service run, 1 is private & the other 2 are commercial customers who do residentials so need a small mower with a small deck.
None of them have ever had electrical problems , just failures of the deck lift but at 2000 hours on a domestic ZTR that is to be expected .
But we shall wait till Dave gets back
Sneaky feeling that there are 2 relays , one for the seat switch & another for the kill switch one of which could very well be bad.