Z525e mower dies when disengaging parking break to drive position

[HensleyDustin]

Good afternoon,

I am having issues with my John Deere Z525e. This is still under warranty but the dealer said they can’t get to my issue for atleast a Month.
So I can start the mower just fine no issues sounds great. When you disengage the parking break the mower continues to run. I have tested the seat switch but standing up and sitting down the mower dies.
But when you take the arms out of the neutral position the mowing dies Immediately. Is there anything I am missing or has anyone else had this issue. Thanks.

 

[Born2Mow]

Between the Seat, Parking Break, and Control Arms there is a highly defined sequence to run the mower. Check your owner's manual again.

On my Exmark it is: 1. driver in seat, 2. crank engine, 3. p-break OFF, 4. control arms can come in. If I don't move my control arms all the way out when parking, then I have your exact same issue.

 

[HensleyDustin]

Between the Seat, Parking Break, and Control Arms there is a highly defined sequence to run the mower. Check your owner's manual again.

On my Exmark it is: 1. driver in seat, 2. crank engine, 3. p-break OFF, 4. control arms can come in. If I don't move my control arms all the way out when parking, then I have your exact same issue.

Thank you for taking the time and responding. Yes I have thought of this and I tried to make sure I was doing everything correctly. Still same issue.

 

[Born2Mow]

If you have an Ohm Meter you can check the individual switches to be working correctly. (Do Not start the mower.) Find each switch and disconnect the 2 wires. Attach the meter to the switch. When the switch is actuated (for instance P-brake taken On-Off) there should be an abrupt ON-OFF reading on the meter for that function. Start with the P-brake switch, then the ones for both control arms. Sounds like the seat switch is OK.

Be sure and plug things back up the way they were. A cell phone photo can help.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The parking brake switch or perhaps relay is faulty
or
the seat switch or seat switch relay is faulty.

To avoid the possibility of flipping the mower , ZTR's now have a safety interlock between the parking brake & the control arms so you can not drive with the brake engaged.

I do not have a JD Technical Manual for your model so have no wiring diagram to check as I have no customers with one, but you should .
It will pay for itself the first time you don't have to take the mower to a JD service centre then have to pay some one to mow your grass or hire another mower.

I have a working knowledge on ZTR's electrics sufficient for me to trouble shoot a mower in front of me but it is not good enough to walk people through a mower I have never seen.

Having said that the standard proceedure for me when I am called out to a problem like yours is to check the safety switches with a multi meter to work out if they have power and / or if they are normally open or normally closed .
Then I bypass each switch, one at a time using some short patch cords ( fancy name for a bit of wire with a male terminal at both ends ) .
VERY IMPORTANT , safety switches connect flat to flat, not edge to edge or diagonally and jumping them that way can send battery voltage to the magneto which will kill them .

Now JD like to use relays so in many cases the switches will go to a relay which in turn will ground the magneto to stop the engine .
And remember that a lot of the circuits are GROUND circuits and these GROUND circuits can be switched just the same as power circuits , some thing which confuses a lot of owners.