Snapper with electric start

I bought a used snapper hi vac the other week with a Briggs 7hp Intek and electric start. the original owner said that the battery stopped charging a few years ago. Its sat the last two years cause it was getting harder and harder to pull start until finally it wouldn't start at all. I believe that problem is just a simple valve adjustment, or maybe even a dirty carb. Anyways, my question is about the battery. Do these mowers charge them as its running? I've looked up parts for it on Jackssmallengines.com, and the diagrams show a battery charger available for it. I also can't find a charging coil in the engine diagrams. I downloaded the owners manual and all it tells you is how to install a new battery and how to top off the electrolyte in it and charge it with a trickle charger. I just wanna be sure its just a bad battery and not that this thing isn't charging it while running when it should be. Thanks.

sorry guys, I wanted to give you the model number of the mower just incase it helped anyone. model# p17017bve. numbers on the engine were 128607-0113-E1

According to my book, the 7 in 128607 = electric start 12 volt gear drive, with alternator.

so the starter should be charging it then, correct?

I dont think the starter is charging it... it has a charging coil that is energized by magnets in the flywheel and then rectified to charge the battery. It sounds like once you get it running, you need to use a voltmeter to check to see if it is charging.

That's what I expected to see when looking up the starting system and flywheel arrangements, but I didn't see any mention of a charging coil.

There is NO charging system on this engine, which is the reason for the plug in battery charger.

Thank you Rivets, this is what I suspected, but wanted to make sure before I started chasing my tail, thinking that the "charging" system wasn't working:laughing: