Starting problem

[casolorz]

So I took my mower in for service the other day, it wasn't moving, turned out to just be a belt. While it was there I went ahead and had them change the blades, oil, filter, basically a tune up plus the blades.

The mower came back running great however starting is a problem.
Its pretty odd, it behaves totally opposite from what you usually see when the battery is dying. First when I try to turn it on nothing happens, then after a couple of tries I get a click, then after a couple of tries the engine tries to turn, then afters another couple of tries the engine tries to come on, then another couple of tries and its on.

Any idea what may be wrong? its a small yard machine, whatever the lowest model they had at home depot a couple of years ago was.

Thanks,

--Carlos

 

[aczlan]

So I took my mower in for service the other day, it wasn't moving, turned out to just be a belt. While it was there I went ahead and had them change the blades, oil, filter, basically a tune up plus the blades.

The mower came back running great however starting is a problem.
Its pretty odd, it behaves totally opposite from what you usually see when the battery is dying. First when I try to turn it on nothing happens, then after a couple of tries I get a click, then after a couple of tries the engine tries to turn, then afters another couple of tries the engine tries to come on, then another couple of tries and its on.

Any idea what may be wrong? its a small yard machine, whatever the lowest model they had at home depot a couple of years ago was.

sounds like a bad solenoid. get one at your local auto parts place, should be $10-25.


Aaron Z

 

[3RRL]

Sounds to me like a bad ground connection.
Check the battery cable ground to be sure it is contacting metal and firmly attached. If that's not it then maybe it's the solenoid, but I'd check the cable connection first.

 

[casolorz]

Thanks, I'll take a look tonight.

 

[firemanpat2910]

ground, solenoid, key switch, seat safety switch, blade on switch, loose starter, loose wire to starter, low air in tire(ok that might be extreme) Just about anything can cause the issue you have

 

[casolorz]

I finally got around to working on this. I think the shut off solenoid is what is broken.
When I took it out moving the key makes the solenoid tip move once but never again, once it opens itself again it never closes again.

I see a lot of postings saying that its ok to snip the top of the solenoid off, or to replace it with a bolt. I have no idea how much the solenoid is worth, but is it needed? what does it do?