Husqvarna GT52XLS won't turn over - battery is good

[TexasDad76]

My Husqvarna GT52XLS refuses to start, or even turn over.

The funny thing is, it started just fine, then after it was shut off it refused to start again.
And this is the 2nd time this has happened!

How did I fix it the first time?

I don't know really, but here is what I did: I took a metal pliers and hotwired it -- I manually shorted the 2 posts (on the solenoid) and made the engine turn over a bunch. Eventually I got the mower started, but I used the normal key in the end to start the machine.

I believe my hotwiring did something though -- but what did I "reset" by hotwiring it in this manner? I don't know.

Battery is good (only a few months old, currently 95% full, etc.)
I checked the fuse and it's good.

Hotwiring it makes it turn over. But when I use the key in the ignition, the machine doesn't even click, much less turn over. Just as if there were no battery.

What should I check? What is the problem likely to be?

Keep in mind that whatever caused me to have to hotwire it was not enough to totally break the machine for good -- I was able to start it 2 or 3 times more after that, with NO hotwiring. I just used the key as normal.

But now the machine is back to acting as if it didn't have a battery. Why?

 

[coolreinfarm]

Sounds like a safety switch is not closing, could be pto switch or the seat switch, check for 12 volts on the small terminals of the solenoid when the key is in the start position.

 

[TexasDad76]

I tested, and there are 13.2 V across the 2 solenoid posts -- the same voltage I find across the 2 battery posts.
The voltage between them is still 13.2V, even when the key is in the "start" position (and someone sitting on seat, foot on the parking brake, etc.)

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Check the electric schematic in the book. I jumpered out one of my safety switches, because of issues like this.

 

[jaxs]

The small terminals coolrein is talking about are the 2 spades (might be 2 screws instead)with small wires on them, not posts with cables on them. Proceedure (A) #1 Before turning key on,remove both wires from small terminals(remember which wire is on which terminal) then test for 12 volts between - battery post and each small terminal. #2 If one show's 12v,put the wire back on it. #3 Make certain machine is out of gear. Turn key on. #4 Use a wire to short vacant terminal to chassis or - battery post. Engine should crank. Proceedure (B) If there was no voltage on either terminal in procedure (A) step #1,turn key on then test between each wire and - battery post. If one wire show's 12v,put it back on it's terminal and start at Step #3. Engine should crank. Both tests indicate a bad safty switch. Post back if you need help locating bad safty. If engine doesn't crank in either test,post back and we will test solenoid and ignition switch.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I had a similar problem... After stopping to do something, I turned off the engine. When I came back it seemed to be completely dead. Hauled it back to the dealer. They got on it, pressed the brake pedal and side-stepped it. It fired right off> Since, on rare occasions, I've found that if I gently release the parking brake and let up the brake pedal, it doesn't release a safety switch. The 'fix' is to reapply brake pressure, then side-step the brake pedal. Then all-is-good-in-the-world again.

Doesn't cost you anything to try this, but its worth the effort. Regardless, please let us know what you find wrong, or the fix.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I had a similar problem... After stopping to do something, I turned off the engine. When I came back it seemed to be completely dead. Hauled it back to the dealer. They got on it, pressed the brake pedal and side-stepped it. It fired right off> Since, on rare occasions, I've found that if I gently release the parking brake and let up the brake pedal, it doesn't release a safety switch. The 'fix' is to reapply brake pressure, then side-step the brake pedal. Then all-is-good-in-the-world again.

Doesn't cost you anything to try this, but its worth the effort. Regardless, please let us know what you find wrong, or the fix.

What is "side step"?

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I would suspect the key switch, I had one go bad on an LA130 JD.

I also would suspect the starter solenoid, relays do funny things sometimes, those are like $12.

Have you tried to start the tractor with the parking brake set? If that magically changes anything I would point at the brake safety.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Also you can still show 12v on the battery and have a bad one, had a 318 that was dead, battery was showing 12-13v, I finally got tired of pricking with it, pulled the battery and it tested bad, was shorted. It also fried my starter solenoid closed, so when the battery decided to turn the engine over, the key switch didn’t matter. New battery and solenoid, solved all probs.

 

[Leejohn]

There is a wiring harness plug in left side under the dash. Take that apart and you might see that all ate up.