ZT-200 problems

R

rrodger9

Member
I own an old Ransomes/Bobcat ZT-200 that has given me fits all season. At the beginning of the season it just would not stay started so I did my usual cleaning of the carb and while that helped, it still acted like it was getting less/no gas on upward inclines no matter how minor the incline. This later also started happening on downward inclines also. Today it just wouldn't stay started so I removed the carb and rebuilt an old carb I just happened to have. After reassembly, I went to see if that fixed things...I never found out as not the entire mower is without power. When I turn the key, nothing at all happens. There are no clicks, the anti-backfire solenoid doesn't even click. I have had issues with it charging the battery also. When I started having issues with teh fuel is when it stopped charging. I can charge the battery and have it run fine for a cut and then it deteriorates especially when I have to restart it after several stalls from the fuel issue. I can jump start it right off when needed but even that has not helped with the latest issues.

The motor in a Kohler CV-25S Spec #6913

Things I have done in the past that might affect this:

1. I replaced the flywheel and coils several years ago to get rid of the electronic spark box.
2. I replaced the battery at the beginning of the season.
3. I replaced the stator and rectifier when it first started acting up with the charging issue.
4. I have visually checked the 2 20 amp fuses visually and they seem okay. I have not tested them with a multi-meter.
5. I replaced the starter switch with an OEM from Bobcat and matched the part numbers

ALL parts were OEM from Bobcat, not Chinese knockoffs including the coil conversion kit. My main concern is that it now has no power at all and all I did was to take the carb off. I made sure that the ground to the carb and the wire for the anti-backfire are firmly connected. It stalled right outside of my shop, I cranked it up and drove it in and now here we are.I am thoroughly baffled and am not sure where to start diagnosing at this point.
 
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Get out the voltmeter. Check those fuses, voltage at battery, battery connection at solenoid, wire from ignition to solenoid(key in start), solenoid connection to starter, also key in start position. Are there other fuses?

Give us model number of mower and motor, so folks can look up details.
 
Mark H_NO said:
Get out the voltmeter. Check those fuses, voltage at battery, battery connection at solenoid, wire from ignition to solenoid(key in start), solenoid connection to starter, also key in start position. Are there other fuses?

Give us model number of mower and motor, so folks can look up details.
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The tag on the motor is faded to almost nothing. I just know that it is a Kohler CV25S and according to prior posts the spec # for the motor is 6913. None of that is legible from the motor tag any longer.

The model of the mower is ZT-200 not ZT2000 as that is a later model. it was manufactured in the mid 90s by Ransomes/Bobcat. The 2 fuses I mentioned are on the main line and are towards the front of the seat but below it. I have never seen any other fuse locations. I also have issues in that the person I bought it from put a new wiring harness on it and may not have gotten the exact one but I have mowed with the mower coming up on 15 years and have never had this kind of issue so I don't think it's that. I will get the voltmeter out tomorrow and start fresh on this.
 
Sounds like the factory wiring diagram may not help a lot. While checking on wiring, it's always a good idea to clean up the battery, solenoid, and starter connections. Good luck.
 
What I can find it originally had either a Kohler LV675 [liquid cooled] or a Kawasaki FHV 23 hp so the engine has been replaced. As to which wiring diagram needed depends if you got 3 relays or 5 relays.

And that CV25 would be spec 69513.
 
StarTech said:
What I can find it originally had either a Kohler LV675 [liquid cooled] or a Kawasaki FHV 23 hp so the engine has been replaced. As to which wiring diagram needed depends if you got 3 relays or 5 relays.

And that CV25 would be spec 69513.
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Thank you for that information. as I said the tag on the motor has faded to the point it can hardly be read. The weather turned really bad today so I have not been able to mess with it. As soon as the weather clears I am going to do the tests advocated above and will look to see how many relays there are.
 
Are you saying that even the starter does not turn over? Might want to get the volt meter out, check the battery voltage while turning the key. Then check it again between ground and the starter.

Your incline problem can be a bad fuel pump or vacuum hose to it if you have a vacuum pulse type fuel pump. Gravity feed thru the pump can be barely enough for small loads but not on an incline. Also water in the fuel can move around on an incline. A bad fuel filter or pickup sock/screen can reduce fuel flow to where the engine starves on an incline.
 
sgkent said:
Are you saying that even the starter does not turn over? Might want to get the volt meter out, check the battery voltage while turning the key. Then check it again between ground and the starter.

Your incline problem can be a bad fuel pump or vacuum hose to it if you have a vacuum pulse type fuel pump. Gravity feed thru the pump can be barely enough for small loads but not on an incline. Also water in the fuel can move around on an incline. A bad fuel filter or pickup sock/screen can reduce fuel flow to where the engine starves on an incline.
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There is no power at all throughout the entire mower. The starter doesn't click or even try to run over and the usual click that you get from the anti-backfire solenoid on the carb is not heard. it is just like having the battery disconnected. The main thing that has me confused there is it was fine electrically other than the charging issue when I got it parked. All I did was remove the carb and didn't mess with anything electrical other than the 2 wires leading to the carb. As for the fuel problems, I first thought it was the fuel pump. I bought some off brand and had no change so I also bought an OEM fuel pump also...also with no change. I am wondering if the carb I had on it may have been sucking air somewhere given the age and the fact that it was rebuilt twice now also with no change. I have not had the chance to try the other carb I just put on it. The fuel filter is new and this has been going for for all season so several tanks of non-ethanol gas have been through it so I wouldn't think it would be a water problem(?) I could be wrong there so let me know. I can always go get a water remover if needed. I do need to get out there with the multi-meter just to see what is going on and I hope to be able to do that as soon as the weather here clears some.
 
The weather cleared yesterday and i spent the entire day working on the mower...My old eyes failed me and one of the 20A main line fuses had blown. I found one wire that looked a little bare and taped it up and moved it so it wouldn't rub. I got it to crank back up but still need to test as to why it isn't charging. It seemed to run a lot better on the new carb but I have not yet tried cutting with it so we shall see tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone for their help
 
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