Cub Cadet LT1046 - Cutting Problem

cubcadet1046

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Hi Guys

I'm new to this Forum so sorry if this problem has been discussed previously - I couldn't find it through the search feature so here goes:

I parked my Cub Cadet LT1046 (about 2 years old with 43 hours use - serviced at 40 hours) for the off season, everything was working fine when parked. I connected my trickle-feed battery charger (brand new) to keep the battery charged. It has been about three months since the mower was used, time to start the mower.

The first thing I noticed was that the battery charger was dead, no lights illuminated at all. I disconnected the charger and then I tried to start the mower. There were no ignition lights, completely dead. The battery was fine previously but it was starting to struggle when asked to start the mower after a two week break, hence the use of the trickle-feed charger.

I connected the mower up to my car, jump started fine. I left connected to the car at idle for five minutes. When I disconnected from the car the mower immediately wanted to stall. I re-connected before it stalled and left for a further five minutes. It takes about two hours to mow my yard so I figured it would be charged by the time I finished. When I disconnected the car after ten minutes the mower was running fine.

I put the mower throttle to the full on position for another couple of minutes to get a bit more charge into the battery. Finally took the mower out of the shed to start some mowing but when I pulled the PTO switch out to engage the blades nothing happened. I tried a few more times without result. I could not hear the blade motor running, so it is not just an engaging problem. I got off the mower and I pulled the drive belts to confirm that all the belts were connected and to also confirm that it hadn't seized, as explained earlier, everything was working fine when parked.

Not knowing what to do I decided to park the mower again and then come inside to do some research. Before I left the mower I tried to start it again under its own power, there was not enough charge in the battery (not really surprised at this) but there was enough power to hear the familiar "clicking" from the starter motor when there is not enough power to turn properly.

So, my enquiry is probably an electrical one. Is there a fuse or something simple that I need to check out, or hopefully, is it a case of getting a full charge back into the battery before the cutters will operate? Sorry for my ignorance in this matter!
 

Chev

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Something similar has come up recently.

I suspect that the mower did not have enough voltage to engage the electric PTO (or similarly one of the safety switches is not transmitting the proper voltage to allow engagement of the PTO clutch)

You need to sort out the battery situation first, charge or new battery before you can expect the rest of the electronics to work.


:thumbsup:
 

taxidermist

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You need a new battery. Yours bad and will not take a good charge. Charge it up good and then have it load tested and you will see a bad battery.


Rob
 

benski

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You need a new battery. Yours bad and will not take a good charge. Charge it up good and then have it load tested and you will see a bad battery.


Rob
+1 on the bad battery guess. Those things are notoriously short lived, and the ones from Wal-Mart even moreso.
 

cubcadet1046

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Hi Guys

Thanks for your responses to my pridicament, I will get a good charge into the battery to start with (pardon the pun:laughing:) and then I'll see what works and what doesn't. If it still will not engage, I will get the battery tested/replaced as required. If still not sorted, I will test the safety switches next.

Thanks for your input/advice, I will follow up this post when sorted so that Forum members know the outcome.:thumbsup:
 

SONOFADOCKER

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You need a fresh battery . There is a 30 amp fuse in the steering wheel tower that runs the PTO - dormant machines can get safety switches stuck from lack of use .
Remember you might get 2-3 years out of a battery if you use your charger . If your trickle charger lost power over the winter - one frozen night will kill the battery and will never charge .
This model is also known the the drive gear breaking on the starter .
I frequently pick up machines for service with brake, seat , PTO safety can seize from normal night moisture over time .
 

SONOFADOCKER

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I forgot - PTO system draws Alot of power - I bet your new 39.00 battery will solve the problem . The charging system of the motor is NOT strong enough to run the engine , charge a dead battery AND run an electric PTO .
 
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