Solenoid Replaced-No effect

[Steve200/460]

My neighbors old Simplicity wouldn't crank. We thought it was one of the safety switches. I found one on the gear shift and another on the handle that engages the blades. Both checked out okay. I found 12.3V on the stud attached to the battery and 11.5 on the small contact at the solenoid when I turn the key, so assumed it was a bad solenoid. Replacing it hasn't changed anything. It has a stater/generator. Any suggestions?

 

[Ryan - WI]

Use a set of jumper cables to try the starter directly. Positive to stud, negative to frame near starter. If that spins, starter is ok. Leave the negative and remove the positive. Try again. If that spins, run a second ground wire from the battery to the mounting of the engine near the starter. Lots of times these tractors are grounded to the sheet metal near the battery compartment and that makes a crappy ground when the sheet metal pieces start rusting a little and shifting.

If it doesn't spin at all, you have a bad starter, (make sure you power the solenoid if it is mounted on the starter too) If the ground wire doesn't fix it, look for a bad switch somewhere, either ignition or safety switch. There may be safety switches on the seat, the reverse transmission linkage and the mower deck pto.

 

[El Toro]

I would check the specific gravity of each cell on your battery with a hydrometer. It should read 1.250 or better and all cell readings should be close to one another. I would replace the cable from the battery to the solenoid and look for any corrosion at those connections. Corrosion makes a good insulator and so does rust.

Here's a wiring diagram for engines with starter/generators. I have one on a Wards tractor by Gilson. Hal