Deck Clutch Switch - Raptor 52"

(I am starting a new thread as the last one is a tad off topic and 3+ years old)

Just this last week....depressed my deck clutch switch to kill the mower blades while operating and blades won't shut off.....they keep running. I shut off engine (with depressed switch) and when I restart, deck is then now disengaged and not active until I need to lift switch again for mowing. Also, with switch in off mode, and I get off the seat, the blades keep running too, which is a major concern with my 2 teenage kids mowing the lawn on alternate occasions.

Anyone else have this issue ?? Checked fuse and it looks fine...will replace anyway. Is there another fuse I am missing maybe?? This seems too easy for me to haul 40 miles in for service.

Thanks for your assistance in advance...cool site.

This is a weird one.
From your description it is a faulty cutch relay, which would be fine but the wiring schmetic does not show a clutch relay.
However yours might have a clutch relay and I might be looking at the wrokg diagram as yo have not included the full description of your mower so I can not check to see if I am looking at the right diagram.
All of the wiring diagrams I have for Hustlers are basically the same.
Now if whne you get off the seat with the blades running, the blades turn off, then you have a blade relay and it is faulty
If when you get off the seat with blades running the engine shuts off then the kill relay is faulty
Have a look at where the realys are.
If there is only 2 then the PTO switch and/ or the kill relay could be the culprit

I will go over all of the specifics tonight and even maybe nab some pics. I agree...a little baffling.

It is the plain Jane consumer level Raptor with the 52" deck with the Kawasaki FR691V motor and void of any remaining warranty this late in the game. Mulch kit, flex forks are all I added. Hour meter, lights, and arm rests will be summer adds.

I will admit....after perusing the manual and what not (again) and looking on this site and Excel's site, I can tell you that none of the 4 us at home that have ever operated that machine have probably ever throttled it down to 2/3 throttle or lower when activating or deactivating the deck switch, as it says to do in the manual. It specifically mentions that in the ops manual....so that's on me, and I'm not shy to admit it.

It says in the vanilla troubleshooting section that I should check/replace the 15 amp fuse or call dealer, the latter of which will be last resort.

But...here's what I get for not sticking to the book. My dad was right.

4. If the mower blades continue to rotate with the deck
clutch switch down, discontinue operation immediately
and contact your Hustler® Dealer.

Clutch life will be maximized if these procedures are
followed.

1. Engage the clutch only when the throttle is set at
approximately 2/3 throttle and there is no load on the
blades. After clutch engagement, advance the engine
throttle to full rpm.
Engaging the deck clutch at high engine rpm or when
under heavy load (in tall grass, for example) can cause
belts and/or electric clutch to slip, resulting in premature
wear or possible damage.

2. Disengage the clutch only when the throttle is set at less
than 1/2 throttle.
Never disengage the clutch with the engine running at
high rpm. Setting the throttle to less than 1/2 throttle
when disengaging the clutch will help extend clutch life.

bertsmobile1 said:

This is a weird one.
From your description it is a faulty cutch relay, which would be fine but the wiring schmetic does not show a clutch relay.
However yours might have a clutch relay and I might be looking at the wrokg diagram as yo have not included the full description of your mower so I can not check to see if I am looking at the right diagram.
All of the wiring diagrams I have for Hustlers are basically the same.
Now if whne you get off the seat with the blades running, the blades turn off, then you have a blade relay and it is faulty
If when you get off the seat with blades running the engine shuts off then the kill relay is faulty
Have a look at where the realys are.
If there is only 2 then the PTO switch and/ or the kill relay could be the culprit

Click to expand...

Thanks for your 2 pennies. 1 other place I read online with a mower that was an SD I think with similar problem....the kill relay ended up being the issue.

Just ran it now. Engage deck/pull button, blades fire up...if I lean off seat, it starts to croak out. If I depress button, blades don't quit and then getting off the seat also does nothing and blades keep rotating, only quitting if I shut off engine. Then back to square one.

Description of the mower is the make & model number of both the mower & the engine.
Now check if you have 2 or 3 relays.
Some mowers wire the PTO switch through a relay which can go bad and stick
If it dosent stop when you get off then the kill relay sounds bad.
However the kill relay is also connected through the PTO switch

Here is what we've got for a deck clutch (PTO) switch on this bird.

I will start here and replace it this weekend and see if that is/was the culprit. Assuming so.....or hoping anyway.

Start with the relays.
Std 30A headlamp relays available from any auto parts store for $ 5
That switch is $ 35 and is highly unlikley to be the problem as it is a plain sliding contact switch.
If you download the Hustler service manual ( it free ) and check the wiring diagram it shows the contacts.

Buy 1 relay and progressivly work across the bank of them.
You still have not provided the model numbers nor answered the question about how may relays are there ?
Most of the relays work on the ground circuit so if one shorts to ground it will remain active

bertsmobile1 said:

Start with the relays.
Std 30A headlamp relays available from any auto parts store for $ 5
That switch is $ 35 and is highly unlikley to be the problem as it is a plain sliding contact switch.
If you download the Hustler service manual ( it free ) and check the wiring diagram it shows the contacts.

Buy 1 relay and progressivly work across the bank of them.
You still have not provided the model numbers nor answered the question about how may relays are there ?
Most of the relays work on the ground circuit so if one shorts to ground it will remain active

Click to expand...

Yeah....I coach a girls fastpitch team and that business got in front of this business last night. Will do. Thanks.

So I broke one of the tabs off of the PTO switch casing last night getting it out of the panel....wobbles in the knock out opening now, so I bit on another one to the tune of $21 today....the red button actuator is actually bigger, don't really mind that. (I also splurged and bought an hour meter that I will add this weekend.) Thanks JohnWD for that thread.

As luck would have it....this site and JohnWD's thread (http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/showt...in-my-new-Hustler-Raptor?highlight=hour+meter) had a few pictures, and one of the pics looks very similar to the inside of my machine - looks like 2 relays up towards the top of the harness and wire assemblies going to the ignition switch and all. My relays are closer to the panel than this pic shows his.