Craftsman won't start

[jc22]

I bought this second-hand, beat up 42" craftsman mower last summer and thus far it has worked very well (except that I can't adjust the deck up and down so it cuts REALLY tight.)

It has a Kohler 14hp engine that won't start. I have been using it fine for the past few months charging the battery each time to get it to start. Last week it wouldn't even turn over. When I jumped the solenoid it would turn over just fine but wouldn't start. I replaced the battery and starter solenoid but it still won't do anything. I think I heard some clicking towards the front of the engine when I first put the key in the 'run' position but that was it.

Any ideas?
Thanks for the help.

 

[Bob - MI]

I had a similar problem that would come and go. After replacing the battery and it was still a problem I traced it to a bad battery cable. It was one of these with the spade terminal end that was crimped on. Over the years the connection loosend up and it would connect when it felt like it. I took the cable off, cleaned the end and re-crimped the connector on by squeezing in the vise. No more problems.

You should also look for a bad seat sensor, reverse cut out or something like that.

 

[El Toro]

I would check all the battery cables for any cracks or bare wires showing and I would replace them. If the cables look ok you need to to clean the battery terminals and all cable connections until shiny including the ground cable and where its grounded. Any corrosion is a good insulator.

Does this engine have the bendix drive starter or is it the starter/ generator? You probably have safety switches on the tractor and you need to locate them and bypass them with a piece of wire until you find the defective switch.

They may be on the seat, gearshift and one of the pedals. You can use a volt meter to check for voltage at the solenoid. You need to check your key starter switch for voltage to see if it
energizes the solenoid to make it crank. The connection at the solenoid and starter need to cleaned too. Use some 240 grit paper to clean them. There may not have been anything wrong with old solenoid. Hal