MTD Cub Cadet starting trouble

[DLMKA]

I feel stupid for even posting this but I'm not sure what else to check. Started out with mower clicking but not starting. Solenoid clicked at start position but no B+ at starter. Put battery on charger for a a coupe hours and nothing changed. Tried jumper cables to truck just in case and got the same result. Battery reads 12.6V with multimeter. It's new battery from Autozone this spring. Put a new solenoid in and used the sanding wheel to clean mounting surface for solenoid and where battery tray bolts to chassis. Should not be a ground issue. Installed new solenoid now don't even get a click. I can jump solenoid terminals with screwdriver and it starts and runs like a champ. Do not have lights though. There is a 20A fuse between one terminal on solenoid and key switch that has continuity. Proper terminals on key switch are making contact in start position. There are two spade terminals on solenoid, one is a green ground wire and the other is orange with white trace for PTO safety switch. PTO is off when trying to start.

Electrical system is relatively simple but this is kicking me.

 

[todd hamilton]

Check the clutch and seat safety switches too.
Something is open somewhere

 

[DLMKA]

(quoted from post at 20:11:36 10/10/15) Check the clutch and seat safety switches too.
Something is open somewhere

Seat switch has been disabled. Will have to check the clutch switch and brake switch.

 

[Russ from MN]

Had a similar situation on an old cub this summer, it was a bad connection where the wiring harness plugged into the
engine.

 

[jeffcat]

Sounds like a bad sol. to me. The copper ring inside has finally worn out and the contacts don't make it any more. If you take a jumper cable form POS. terminal to the starter and she goes then that is the problem. If no go you have a bad starter. Use the two other ends of your jumper cable to close the power loop or you will burn off the stupid bolt on your starter! You said you have a good CLICK so that takes all of the wire and switches out of the way. Good luck.

 

[UncleTom]

Ive seen bad intermittent ignition switches engage the solenoid for milliseconds and then not engage the starter. You hear a click but not long enough for the starter to spin up. Long story short replaced the key switch and all was fine.

 

[jstpa]

I think what you are getting is a voltage drop on the switch side of the solenoid. which is very common on a lot of mowers anymore. I wire an extra solenoid in. so when you hit the switch it pulls in the new solenoid which then sends full battery power to the switch stud on the starter. You can also use a relay. HTH, jstpa

 

[kencombs]

Yep, there are so many safety switches in series and related connections, that the power delivered to the solenoid is low. You can clean connections, replace switches etc and make it work, until the next time. Or use the recommended relay to fix it permanently. JD even has a kit to do that on a lot of their little mowers/tractors. But the relay can be a light relay from the parts store, a few crimp terminals and a couple of feet of wire: lots cheaper.

 

[M-MAN]

On mine it was the plug that go's to the pto switch when that happened. One of the terminal ends was corroded.