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I have a Z445 and am curious if the fuel solenoid is supposed to "activate" when the battery is connected. When I connect the negative terminal it "clicks." This is with the key off.

The symptoms I'm having:
1. Battery will drain to almost nothing over the course of several days. This has occurred on two batteries that are fully charged. It drains to the point where I need to use a "dumb" charger to even get the voltage high enough for a normal charger.
2. I have tested for parasitic draw with several different multimeters and get weird results that I'm not sure how to interpret. In general it seems to show an initial draw which quickly dissipates to zero on the multimeter.
3. I've tested the Voltage Regulator when running and it's putting out just over 14 volts.

I did have to rewire the fuse box this winter, as the positive battery lead was all corroded and I wanted to replace it. That turned into replacing the fuse box as I screwed up a couple of the connecting pins inside in the process. I THINK that's all good now, and everything functions on the mower with a fully charged battery.

Thanks for any help.

The solenoid should only come on when the key is turned on. You have something wired wrong.

Ugh, so that's not what I wanted to hear, but that is, unfortunately, possible. For some reason I did not take great pics of the fuse box before dismantling. I have a few, but it was hard to get the camera in their for a good photo.

I assume I should probably focus on the solenoid circuit. It seems to run through the hour meter on the wiring diagrams I've seen. Something else I should have mentioned/asked: is the hour meter always supposed to be on with the battery connected? Not running, but displaying? I've never noticed before, and maybe that's the actual source of the current draw.

Thanks again.

Hour meter should only be on while the key is in the RUN position. If the hour meter shows ON that circuit is causing your current draw. Something not hooked up correctly.

Well that seems to seal the deal. I messed up the fuse box putting it back together. Back to the drawing board. At least I think I know where to look.

Thank you!

Bigger hammer is always the answer.

Ok, so I'm additionally confused after reviewing the wiring diagrams, testing continuity, and looking at old photos. I've attached the way the fuse block looked before tearing into and how I have it now. The only difference is the original photo does NOT show the red / hot wire that was piggy-backed on the positive battery cable going to the fuse block. I don't see that in the wiring diagrams if I'm reading them right, but that's how it was on mine before I started tearing it apart. I was pretty sure that hot lead went to the fuse block with a common connection to all those fuses. In other words, are ALL those fuses supposed to be hot all the time? One half of the fuse block is a single four prong connector. The other half of the fuse block are individual connections (individual prongs are not connected together). My hot lead is going to the side that is connected to all four.

I also started testing continuity as much as I could. I got really weird readings on the starter switch. For example, I was getting continuity from positive battery cable to yellow lead on starter switch all the time, not just in the start or run position. Same thing with green lead.

Could this be starter switch related? It's possible I put that piggy backed hot lead in the wrong spot, but I'm scratching my head how.

Here's what fuse block looked like before I tore it apart, but after I removed the hot lead from the battery:


Here's how it looks now. The hot lead is going to the upper left connection on fuse block as seen in picture.

Well, it's not the starter switch. I realized I could test continuity to the leads disconnected from the switch and got basically same results. So that's an effect of the problem, not a cause.

Well you need the original wiring schematic as that appears to an added wire to the fuse block.

I'm going by two different wiring diagrams I've found online for the Z445. There are minor differences between the two as well as what I seem to have, and admittedly I don't know if any of these are supposed to be correct for my model. It's definitely not helping.

Can you post the wiring diagram you are using. I’m having a very difficult time trying to find a diagram for Z445 with a fuse block in it.

Here's a link to one, although I notice it's actually a Z425:



And here's another, similar, diagram. Come to think of it, I'm not sure now why I thought this one was a 445. But it doesn't show the fuse block.

You need four red wires going to this fuse block. According to the first wiring diagram you should have two hot leads coming from the battery going to the fuse block mounted side by side. F2 wire should go the the engine voltage regulator and F1 goes to the key switch.

Ok, that makes sense. I'm hoping the 425 is similar or the same as the 445.

So dumb question (perhaps): should all 4 connections on the "hot side" of the fuse block (the left side in the diagram above) be hot all the time? They'd have to be as they are all connected together, correct?

If that's the case, I still have no idea what I did wrong.

No, only the two I talked about, coming from the battery.

Sorry, I know I'm not explaining it very well. Right now I've got the main positive batter cable going to the starter relay and the piggy-backed hot wire going to the fuse block as shown in my previous illustration. BUT, since all prongs are connected inside the fuse block on that side, all of those circuits are hot when any one of them is hot.

The pic below is the kit I used to rebuild the fuse block. See how it's a block of 4 connected, and then 4 individual prongs? Connecting that hot wire to any one of that group of 4 makes them all hot. I was almost sure that's how it was previously, although maybe that hot wire is supposed to go on the OTHER side, with the prongs that are not connected.

FWIW I disconnected that hot wire and got nothing when I tried to crank.



Thanks for the help!

Now that kit changes a lot, which we didn’t know before. Sometimes those connections between the terminals are cut, depending on the type of unit they are used on. Because I can’t see the other half of the first diagram, I’m not going to be of much more help. Sorry about that, but I’ll get bet most of the other techs here will be in the same boat, not enough information.

Sometimes those connections are cut? Oh boy, I took it on faith that that's the way it went in to the block. Maybe not. I REALLY need a 445 fuse block (and general) wiring diagram. I have a TM1499 manual in my shopping cart on a vendor site, but it's weird I can't find a pic online of that specific model either.

Is that a JD kit or generic? I sure hope you didn’t burn something else out by applying power to the wrong parts?

Do you have the old fuse block?

I imagine the kit was generic. Nothing "seems" to be broken from a functionality standpoint, other than the issue I'm having now.

I do have the old block, but unfortunately I mangled the prongs in question trying to manhandle them out before I figured out how to remove them.

I’ve reread this post four more times and a couple of things caught my eye, so I’ve got a few more questions. How many red wires were attached to the old fuse block?
How many fuses were in the old fuse block?
Have you been able to trace where each of the yellow wires go?
Am I correct with this assumption? You can start the engine and everything operates as it should?
I‘m now thinking that both of those wiring diagrams are not correct for your unit and causing our troubleshooting problems. I sure wish I was standing next to you, as electrical troubleshooting is hard enough if it’s in front of you. Even worse when you’re a thousand miles away. Depending on your answers I may have a troubleshooting solution to the problem you originally posted.

This is exactly why I invest in the service manuals when I have a customer that has the equipment. And not the Z445 has two different service manual depending on the serial number break; therefore, there might two different wiring schematics for this mower.

I currently I have no reason to buy either one.

I can note that there will a small current draw even when everything is right if the mower has the Kawasaki engine as the Kawasaki voltage regulator does pulls currents even when the engine is not running. Now this mower does comes with a Briggs engine too.

EastonRob said:

Sorry, I know I'm not explaining it very well. Right now I've got the main positive batter cable going to the starter relay and the piggy-backed hot wire going to the fuse block as shown in my previous illustration. BUT, since all prongs are connected inside the fuse block on that side, all of those circuits are hot when any one of them is hot.

The pic below is the kit I used to rebuild the fuse block. See how it's a block of 4 connected, and then 4 individual prongs? Connecting that hot wire to any one of that group of 4 makes them all hot. I was almost sure that's how it was previously, although maybe that hot wire is supposed to go on the OTHER side, with the prongs that are not connected.

FWIW I disconnected that hot wire and got nothing when I tried to crank.

Thanks for the help!

Click to expand...

This is not the right set of connectors
The 4 connectors on a common strip need to be cut into 2 with 2 connections
The reds are on one pair & the yellows are on the other
Red is for unswitched power & yellow for switched power
SO there is one problem
Pull the 4 way terminal strip out & cut it in half

This is the same kit I bought for a Z 335 that had melted the fuse box because the main ground strap was loose & sparking .
I cut the entire sectionbetween terminal 2 & 3 away before fitting
It will be a PIA to pull that 4 way out but that is the root of our problem .

Now that can explain things...

Sorry, just got back from dinner.

This is ALL good information, and it makes perfect sense. I will pull the four connector set out and cut in half and report back.

I also did pull the trigger and purchased a TM1499 which I believe is correct for the 445 I have (based on S/N and Kawasaki engine).

Thanks for everyone's help!

StarTech said:

Now that can explain things...

Click to expand...

The fuse box "kit" Rob bought is for the headlights on a lot of 50's to 80's USA built cars
This is because JD only sell the fuse box with the full loom which down here was a bit over $ 400 ( aus ) so never going to happen
The latter models used a different fuse box which is easier to get and supplied with several sets of terminals .
Fairly sure I posted details and part numbers a year or so ago so whoever was compiling that list of mower connectors could add it to the list .

Understandable as JD is a pain on just about everything. Many of the JD used connectors I find through Mouser myself here.

Bert you beat me to it! That was where I was headed with the questions I asked. The only thing I was wondering was if it should be cut in half or three pieces? I’m wondering if the two yellow circuits should also be separated? Depending on his answers I was going to have him pull the fuses one at a time and see what they control and see if the voltage drain problem is remedied when one or both of the yellow circuits has no fuse when left standing. Let’s see what he comes up with when he posts back. Thank you for sticking you two cents in, as with electrical troubleshooting a fresh set of eyes is most often welcome.

Ok, thanks for everyone's help and patience in diagnosing this. I think I'm good now. Realizing that trying to get that 4 prong thing out of the fuse block was going to be a nightmare, I managed to get small snips inside and cut it in half while still in the fuse block. Not a pretty cut, but it should work. Everything seems to be working and the hour meter does not display with the key off. The fuel solenoid does not activate either. I'll monitor battery charge, but I'm guessing I'm good.

Next off season I may completely redo this again, but then I'll a) have the manual, and b) have a better idea what's going on. Shame on me for making assumptions about that "kit."

Thanks again all.

Thank you for letting us know, please post back in a month if all is good.

Hammermechanicman said:

Bigger hammer is always the answer.

Click to expand...

Sometimes a smoke wrench is required too.

StarTech said:

Well you need the original wiring schematic as that appears to an added wire to the fuse block.

Click to expand...

99% of the time, the wire from the BATTERY TERMINAL YOU SPEAK OF goes to ignition switch post marked battery - buy way of a fuse sometimes. On the after fuse side is usually the output of the regulator or common tie at the Ignition switch. Then the run terminal of the switch feeds your common hot feed on fuse box.

lbrac said:

Sometimes a smoke wrench is required too.

Click to expand...

Usually when you let out the magic smoke things stop working. There is no way to put it put in either.

Why did you add that wire?