lol... Tractor not starting (out of place I know)

You guys helped me w/ my SN earlier, and I couldn't find a forum for my tractor... so I figured I'd go to the well again.

My Sears Tractor has a new battery (that has been checked by the seller ~ as 'good.').

When you turn the key, it only turns over 1 time, and then stops.

When I hooked it up directly to my car battery, it went "click click click click" when you turned the key, but wouldn't turn over.

I've cleaned the battery terminals, and connectors, and I'm at a complete loss. Worse yet, there is a herd of zebra browsing on the grass in my front lawn ~ making trips to the lake impossible until I get the grass mowed.

I don't want to get into a "wild guess/ part replacement" ordeal, so I was hoping you guys might have an idea as to what should I do next.

I was thinking replacing the battery cable connectors, or the battery cable ~ before the starter, but wanted your thoughts.....

Thanks for your patience with this completely out of place post.

Iplan

Jim_In_Houston wrote: Please tell us you pull your boat trailer with your tractor and you need your tractor to get your boat into the water. Then we may all be happy. (Maybe)

Unfortunately, that is not the case. It just cuts grass. That said, I can't go skiing until I get the mower working and the grass cut (so in some way they are slightly related....).... maybe....

make sure that all of the safty cutouts are working, I always forget at the begining of the season that the tractor has to be in neutral before it will start.

iplan wrote: Safety Cutouts are fine. I took some voltage readings. The Voltage reading from the battery posts read the same as the reading on the connection to the relay. On the other side of the relay, however, I've got nothing (with the key in the 'on' position). I think the readings ruled out the cable..... Is it safe to assume it's the relay? The thing that has me stumped is that it turns over once every time you turn the key, and then it freezes. I know some power is getting through ~

Did you take the readings with the key was turned to the start position? Sorry I didn't mention that but if you did not turn the key to start, the readings mean nothing. You are looking for a voltage drop under load.

You will not get any reading on the starter side of the relay unless the key is turned to start energizing the relay.

Clicking sylinoid is generally not the starter but a voltage drop from the battery to the sylinoid (+ or - side) or bad sylinoid contacts like Pete said. Usually this bad connection will be extreemly hot (high resistance creates heat ~ think oven element). If you disconnect the battery you might could get it to show by checking resistance but some failures show best by voltage drop under load.   


If you can get to it ~ you might try direct connecting the starter with jumper cables (this method is generally reserved for bench testing) ~ but if grss cutting is keeping you from skiing then this is an emergency. I prefer from the car battery (Car not running), but a strong lawn battery may work too provided the jumper cables are GREAT.

With jumper cables hooked to a good battery ~ Ground the starter to the ground side and then bump the + lawn mower starter terminal with the hot side. This should bypass everything but the starter it's self. If it does not turn over immediatly REMOVE the + connection so you do not do dammage. A car battery has enough current to fry a bad lawn mower starter quick. Like any other electrical component it will only pull the amps it needs, but if somthing is shorted it can get ugly quick.

A starter alternator guy can work with some of the lawn mower starters. But for replacment some of the newer onese get pricey. Sylinoids are common and should be inexpensive and easy to find. I keep a few spares on hand when I scrap somthing out.   

http://www.mowpart.com/ has bailed me out a few times with parts that were overpriced or hard to find.

Whitfield wrote: Clicking sylinoid is generally not the starter but a voltage drop from the battery to the sylinoid (+ or - side) or bad sylinoid contacts like Pete said. Usually this bad connection will be extreemly hot (high resistance creates heat ~ think oven element). If you disconnect the battery you might could get it to show by checking resistance but some failures show best by voltage drop under load.

Okay, I think I just figured out what was going wrong. I think it's a bad connection with the starter. I was testing the connection to the starter and the wire was hot to the touch (like an oven element ~ good parallel). As my son was turning the key, I was pressing on the connection with the tester tip to see what kind of voltage it was generating.... The tip kept sliding off the contact point, so I moved back to the wire itself, and pressed pretty hard, and that's when it began trying to crank.

I guess I should clean that connection w/ a wire brush, and some battery cleaner?

Regardless, my son and I will be cutting the wake tomorrow!