Picked up a 02 gt3000. Need some electrical help

woodlandfarms · Mar 12, 2012

So we just got a nicely used 23 hp gt3000 with a 50" deck. Previous owner complained it kept blowing fuses so we negotiated a sweet deal. I believe that the blown fuse was directly related to the head light bulb having at one point fallen out and melting to the exhaust.

But there is one weirdness in starting that I wanted advice on. Sometimes when I turn the engine over it clicks but does not turn over. The second part is that the amp meter dives to -30 amps( buries the amp needle). I am wondering if this is a symptom af a bad starter switch. Or a bad starter relay? Or.....

Any consistent issue that this might sound like? For the most part I feel this machine has been reasonably maintained and always garraged.

Carl

mostly_gas · Mar 13, 2012

Put a volt meter on the battery when you try and start it. If the voltage doesn't change in the crank/no crank tries, the go to the relay and check both the voltage coming from the key switch (S/B battery voltage) and the voltage on both sides of the relay (should not have volt drop across the relay during cranking). That leave the starter motor as the problem if everything else checks out.
Also if you don't have battery voltage coming to the starter relay you will need to check the safety switches as well as the key switch.

woodlandfarms · Mar 13, 2012

I have this old adage when it comes to auto electric. Clean the battery connectors on both sides. Of course my advice to other people is never heeded by me.

Turns out that the newish battery was never tightened down. No wonder it was acting weird.

So... Happy as heck about the deal I got.

toppop52 · Mar 19, 2012

It may well be that valves need adjustment, if the valves get loose enough the compression release doesn't work and the starter is not up to turning it over under full compression. I know, happened to my 26 h.p. B&S.

Jim32 · Mar 25, 2012

toppop52 said:
It may well be that valves need adjustment, if the valves get loose enough the compression release doesn't work and the starter is not up to turning it over under full compression. I know, happened to my 26 h.p. B&S.

This is so true. A friend of mine couldn't start his tractor. He found some info on the net about adjusting the valves. He adjusted the valves and now it starts easily and runs great.

General Lee · May 20, 2012

woodlandfarms said:
But there is one weirdness in starting that I wanted advice on. Sometimes when I turn the engine over it clicks but does not turn over. The second part is that the amp meter dives to -30 amps( buries the amp needle). I am wondering if this is a symptom af a bad starter switch. Or a bad starter relay? Or.....Carl

My GT3000 has been doing this for years, sometimes it will take several minutes before the starter finally engages. Reading the previous posts about adjusting the valves, anyone care to share how to do it? I have the 23HP Kohler V-twin

toppop52 · May 21, 2012

On my B&S 25 h.p. you just remove the valve covers, measure the gap between the rocker arm and valve tip, loosen the adjusting lock nut and adjust the inner nut until clearance measures to spec with a feeler's gauge. A snug but easy to move gap is correct.

icedragon · May 30, 2012

yes pull the valve covers but no no toppop25 you need to pull the plugs rotate the engine tdc then one cylender at a time rotate 1/4 down then adjust them then do the other side

toppop52 · May 30, 2012

icedragon said:
yes pull the valve covers but no no toppop25 you need to pull the plugs rotate the engine tdc then one cylender at a time rotate 1/4 down then adjust them then do the other side

Yes you do, I knew that as I've done it on everything from my Briggs to 426 Hemi's, but I left it out, sorry!