Engine JD 125 automatic won't turn over Mower pics enclosed

[xman]

Hello Everyone,
Great pre spring day here in Mcdonough, GA. I hope all are as good or at least comfortable today. Bad time for me right now. I am having difficulty with my Snapper rider, and I pull out my John Deere to change the tank which had split. JD had been sitting up for almost three years with no use. Would start it every once and a while and started fine. I changed the tank, loosening the seat spring bolts, the six bolts under the cowling and lifted the back enough to put the new tank on. Did not disconnect any wires except the battery, which I pulled out to lift cowl. Tank went in with no hitch and proceeded to put together mower. The only thing that I had a little problem with was reinserting bolts in the cowl (6), I had to put a little down pressure on cowl to get bolts to line up. Everything was tightened down and before I put the battery back in, I pressure washed the inside of the cowl and around the engine, put the battery back in, check the charge before installing, and when I went to start, I turned the key, 1st the lights came on, I heard a click, went to start, and nothing at all. No engine turn over, nothing. Check the 20 amp fuse, it was good, re checked the battery, showed full charge right away, tried jump start with charger, nothing. I am not electrically prepped here so any help will be appreciated. My first question is could I have disconnected a wire under the base when lifted to change gas tank. Is there a way to start the motor without the key, or is there another fuse somewhere that could cause this problem.
Again, any help will be appreciated. I have no way right now to get the mower up on my truck to take it in to be checked.
Thanks,
Xman

 

[Nwatson99]

Sounds like you could have cut the operator present wire, did not re-connect it, or look really close sometimes ground wires have been know to be i that location since you removed things under the seat to replace the tank that would be my area of concentration.

 

[RoperGuy]

I would check your wire ing eveywhere you pressure washed, almost sounds like you disconnected a ground or the ignition lead to the solenoid

 

[xman]

Thanks guys for your replies.
Update!!,
the battery was bad, put on a new one but still no turn over, completely dead at switch. Checked engine start at solenoid and engine turns over. I am guessing now that I have disconnected a neg wire somewhere on the chassis. If nothing changes, I will retrace my steps and check for wires under cowl and under seat to chassis.

 

[RoperGuy]

I'd Check for a neg wire on your solenoid, make shur it's grounded well

 

[xman]

Thanks guys, I just took everything off per instructions to change out gas tank. Something that I did not do when I changed out the tank. I just loosen the six bolts on the cowl and lifted up the deck from the rear, held it up with 2x4s and did the tank. That might be where I got in trouble and disconnected a neg lead somewhere. Tomorrow I will be tracing everything and re installing everything. Hopefully I will be good when I finish. So far I have not seen any loose wires in the dis-assembly.
Any other suggestion along the way will be appreciated.
Thanks again, Xman

 

[xman]

Hey Guys,
Well, After a little delay due to work, I got back to the mower and so far, new battery, new solenoid, all the wires are connected, but nothing at the switch, except the lights do work. If someone is not sitting on the mower, will the engine crank over but will not start up? My Snapper is that way. The motor will turn over at the solenoid with switch on but not at the ignition switch.

 

[bertsmobile1]

So one of the wires to the safety switches or the switch itself is broken.
Power goes from the solenoid hot wire to ignition switch then to PTO switch ( behind dash ) then to seat switch Under seat ,some times neutral switch ( under fender or on tranny ) then to brake switch under floor ) and finally back to starter.
One of the links in the chain is broken.

Pick your favourite method, Meter, Test lamp, Jumper leads.
Start from one end and follow through till you find the problem

 

[xman]

Hey Guys!!
Thanks to all for the help. I traced the problem back to the digital meter on dash. It must have burnt out. Engine now cranks, got a new one piece fuel tank, and I am ready for the summer!!
Thanks again,
Xaman:smile: