Scott L2548 "Clicks" but only once... won't start

[Roamingdoc]

New to the forum, glad it is here!!
Have owned my L2548 for seven years, maintained it (use about 10 moving cycles of 2 acres every year) by changing oil two or three times a year
and the filter as well, fuel filter and air filter every season, new plugs every year, new blades every two seasons (rocky area) and keeping lubed and so forth.

This season began and when I tried to start the tractor it would not even "click" the solenoid. I put a trickle charger on it (here begins
my tale of woe) and perhaps ran it too long. Tried to turn it over, nada... the water in the battery had gone down over the two days
of trickle charging (I forgot it, dang)... I added water, charged it for 4 hours, turned the key, POP! Loud pop... then nothing, then I broke
my leg so now six weeks later returning to the "non-starting" Scotts tractor that has always behaved.

Checked water, ditto, good. Charged it for five hours, turn key, one solenoid (or???) click and nothing. I checked the battery and it was
12.6V. I did not run much in the way of tests on power to.... decided I had not spent a lot of money and so I bought from a good source
a 'new ignition', a 'new solenoid' and a 'new starter motor'... followed instructions and put in the new parts.... still just one click and no
start, not turning over, not even trying to.

So I need to test power to solenoid and start and so forth BUT I AM ASKING if this scenario is familiar to others and if someone
has the 'magical' fix (the choke works, there is fuel in the line but in any case not turning over). The leads are clean on the battery
and I've clean as well as one can the blades on the ignition harness.

Thanks for helping... take care.

 

[Williy]

Did you clean all the cables make sure all contacts
are clean? IMHO when the solenoid clicks you have
a bad ground connection.

willy

 

[CoyPatton]

I agree with Willy, the single most common non-start cause is a bad connection of the ground battery cable at the frame.
However, check all connections at all voltage related cables. Both ends of of both battery cables, all other connections at the starter. Tightness of starter mounting bolts as this is typically the grounding sources for the starter itself.
I always like to early on when charging the battery and tightening connections has not fixed the no start issue to jump power to the solenoid terminal to determine what is happening at the starter. I like to use the battery cable terminal for a power source.
I can learn lots of stuff from this quick and dirty bypass.
1: if the starter engages, I now know that my battery has the power and the starter has the ground to make the starter work. I also know that my issue is from the battery through the ignition switch to the starter. Typically this will mean a bad safety switch.
2: a failure to get the starter to engage, sends me back to the battery. This includes the battery cables. If it has not already been done, the battery needs to be load tested, this is not a mete battery voltage test. If battery test good, then test amperage the cables carry, corrosion within the insulation may mean that sufficient power (amperage) is not carried by either one or both cables. I have also seen corrosion create a barrier between the starter housing and the bell housing, creating a ground strap cable from a starter bolt to the tractor frame is the simplest fix for this issue.
When doing new cables, I like to shrink wrap the cables from the insulation to the terminal end to reduce the moisture access to the cables.

Good luck.

 

[CoyPatton]

I agree with Willy, the single most common non-start cause is a bad connection of the ground battery cable at the frame.
However, check all connections at all voltage related cables. Both ends of of both battery cables, all other connections at the starter. Tightness of starter mounting bolts as this is typically the grounding sources for the starter itself.
I always like to early on when charging the battery and tightening connections has not fixed the no start issue to jump power to the solenoid terminal to determine what is happening at the starter. I like to use the battery cable terminal for a power source.
I can learn lots of stuff from this quick and dirty bypass.
1: if the starter engages, I now know that my battery has the power and the starter has the ground to make the starter work. I also know that my issue is from the battery through the ignition switch to the starter. Typically this will mean a bad safety switch.
2: a failure to get the starter to engage, sends me back to the battery. This includes the battery cables. If it has not already been done, the battery needs to be load tested, this is not a mete battery voltage test. If battery test good, then test amperage the cables carry, corrosion within the insulation may mean that sufficient power (amperage) is not carried by either one or both cables. I have also seen corrosion create a barrier between the starter housing and the bell housing, creating a ground strap cable from a starter bolt to the tractor frame is the simplest fix for this issue.
When doing new cables, I like to shrink wrap the cables from the insulation to the terminal end to reduce the moisture access to the cables.

Good luck.

 

[betty2017]

Could I suggest a jump starter: Lokithor JA301 ? It is also a 150 PSI Tire Inflator, 300 Lumens LED flashlight and Powerbank.
It was used to start the dead battery in a tractor:

 

[Roamingdoc]

Amazing response and thank you ... first I did try my jump starter, been a life saver in the car,
12 volts, etc.
I have not really checked the ground cable into the frame... I mean I looked at it and it appears
fine however the cable is original... I know that it is a snug connection... but will examine it.

The starter is new as mentioned HOWEVER (and HERE is a tough question) the two bolts
that tighten it to the frame, one being very easy to insert and tighten, are both SAE and
TORX... however the right hand bolt as one looks at the starter is offset and very hard to
connect with either... IS there a trick (I of course removed the covers over the motor, and
so forth... the Starter is very secure with the one bolt. Will check the other suggestions.

Thanks again.

 

[CoyPatton]

Amazing response and thank you ... first I did try my jump starter, been a life saver in the car,
12 volts, etc.
I have not really checked the ground cable into the frame... I mean I looked at it and it appears
fine however the cable is original... I know that it is a snug connection... but will examine it.

The starter is new as mentioned HOWEVER (and HERE is a tough question) the two bolts
that tighten it to the frame, one being very easy to insert and tighten, are both SAE and
TORX... however the right hand bolt as one looks at the starter is offset and very hard to
connect with either... IS there a trick (I of course removed the covers over the motor, and
so forth... the Starter is very secure with the one bolt. Will check the other suggestions.

Thanks again.

Not sure I understand your issue with the starter mounting bolts.
One suggestion and again you may have done this and I am not following, is to start all bolts during any assembling process prior to tightening any bolts. Also alternate tightening bolts during the assembling process. Several turns on one bolt, then same number of turns on next bolt and so on. Once all bolts are snug, torque if you have those specs, otherwise use the old goodntight spec. A loose bolt puts greater strain on other bolts and on a starter with only a couple of bolts, likely reduces the grounding contact to the tractor.

 

[dodge man]

Is the battery good? Load test the battery, places like autozone will do it for free. I had a Scott’s mower, maybe bought it new 15 years ago, with a Koehler 25hp engine. I fought a similar problem almost from day one. I’d try different things but usually it would finally start. I might go a month and it was fine, then just a click next time. I finally took it somewhere, they put new cables on it, fine for a month, then every once in a while a click with no start. I sold it and never did 100% fix it, but I always could get it to start eventually.

 

[tomplum]

Kohler engine? Can you turn the engine via the screen on top?

 

[Hay Dude]

There’s a chance it’s the wires to the starter solenoid. My Kubota zero turn had this issue. Turns out one of the smaller wires to the starter solenoid was loose. Cut it off, crimped on a new end, problem solved.