Goes dead when engaging travel or handlebars?

Rls8836

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2006 Lazer Z 48” 19 hp. Koehler engine
Mower has been running fine till now, went to turn blades on and blew the 20amp fuse. I replaced the fuse and blew it also. I’ve been thru this with my Scag and determined the pto clutch was shorted. So now have a new pto clutch in route to me. I found one idler rough feeling so I’m replacing it also while I am waiting on the new clutch. I don’t remember why but I unplugged the seat switch and both arm switches for some reason and reconnected them later. It will start fine with levers tilted outwards and the travel lever in the proper position but when it is running and I try to engage the travel lever it goes dead and both arms are outward. I can restart it fine and try to tilt either of the two levers inward to go and it goes dead just like it should if the travel lever is not engaged. I checked with my multimeter both switches to each arm individually. They checked out working correctly.The seat switch is also working correct when testing it with the multimeter. There is a connection in the factory wiring below the front of the seat that both control lever switches come back to. If you unplug that connection there. And check continuity on the bottom two connections it shows continuity with the travel lever off. When I engage the travel lever the TOP spade connectors show continuity and the bottom spades do not.This sounds correctly working to me. Suppose what I have done, I do know it was to be safety switch related. Give me some ideas on what to check.
 

bertsmobile1

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Genetic information
There is a safety circuit that connects the parking brake & lap bars so you can not drive away with the brakes engaged
There is a safety circuit that connects the seat switch so you can get off with parking brake engaged but it will stop if you fall off
There is a safety switch that connects the blades to the set switch so you can not clean out a blocked chute by hand with the blades running or get on/off the mower with the blade running and have your toes manicured by the blades
1) check that the PTO switch is off
2) check everything is in the proper position
3) check all of those plugs are connected tight
If you pulled on the wires you could very well have broken one at the crimp .
 

Rls8836

Active Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
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Genetic information
There is a safety circuit that connects the parking brake & lap bars so you can not drive away with the brakes engaged
There is a safety circuit that connects the seat switch so you can get off with parking brake engaged but it will stop if you fall off
There is a safety switch that connects the blades to the set switch so you can not clean out a blocked chute by hand with the blades running or get on/off the mower with the blade running and have your toes manicured by the blades
1) check that the PTO switch is off
2) check everything is in the proper position
3) check all of those plugs are connected tight
If you pulled on the wires you could very well have broken one at the crimp .
Thankyou, I’m sure you are right. I just need to slow down and check each switch and plug in again. Been 98 degrees today, will go thru everything again in the Morning.
 

bertsmobile1

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FWIW
When on site & I do not have access to wiring diagrams I test each switch to see if it is NO or NC
Then the NC ones get a jumper wire in the socket to bypass the switch
Works with the jumper in place but not when hooked back to the switch = bad switch
 

Born2Mow

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Sep 18, 2020
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• One or more switches on a 2006 model could simply be worn out and time to replace. 17 years is a LONG time in "mower years".
• Remember that none of the switches act alone, but usually in tandem with others.
• Are you in the habit of washing your mower? Water from a pressure washer could be accelerating the death of these switches.
 
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