Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off

olbarndoor

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
I have a 2007 Toro zero turn 48 inch mower
was just mowing my right of way and had been mowing same area for hour when on my last pass -mower just shut off like i turned off by a switch.
i had fuel -- -pto switch was connected -- battery fully charged --
i moved the mower to my shed and started invesigating==
No burnt or loose wires -- no visible signs of anything wrong
i removed pto switch and tried to start unit and it will do nothing
i can engage the PTO switch with key on and it makes a click or connection sound so it is speaking to it but will not turn over
i found a 20 amp fuse blade broke on the center 20 amp fuse --so i replaced all 3 fuses --2 -20 amp and 1 -30 amp
i want to say the fuse was not blown just the blade was pulled or vibrated out of the fuse.
the mower will not turn over at all. i checked the wiring to the pto clutch and it was all still connected and no breaks in wiring.
the seat switch has been disconnected for years so i dont think that is in the equation.. is there another switch that could be keeping this from starting or running or what steps do i take to find issue. If it is the pto clutch -- when i removed the pto switch from the yellow button that should have isolated the pto and it should have started if it was in the pto but i am not sure -- any help would be helpful -- i am retired and really cant handle a 500 or 600 dollar shop fee --so i would like to change out parts till i find the issue -- i had a new starter installed last year so i dont think its the starter -- if a starter goes out does it stop the entire machine -- i dont think so but i am not sure ---- HELP fellow lawn mower wizards.
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
I have a 2007 Toro zero turn 48 inch mower
was just mowing my right of way and had been mowing same area for hour when on my last pass -mower just shut off like i turned off by a switch.
i had fuel -- -pto switch was connected -- battery fully charged --
i moved the mower to my shed and started invesigating==
No burnt or loose wires -- no visible signs of anything wrong
i removed pto switch and tried to start unit and it will do nothing
i can engage the PTO switch with key on and it makes a click or connection sound so it is speaking to it but will not turn over
i found a 20 amp fuse blade broke on the center 20 amp fuse --so i replaced all 3 fuses --2 -20 amp and 1 -30 amp
i want to say the fuse was not blown just the blade was pulled or vibrated out of the fuse.
the mower will not turn over at all. i checked the wiring to the pto clutch and it was all still connected and no breaks in wiring.
the seat switch has been disconnected for years so i dont think that is in the equation.. is there another switch that could be keeping this from starting or running or what steps do i take to find issue. If it is the pto clutch -- when i removed the pto switch from the yellow button that should have isolated the pto and it should have started if it was in the pto but i am not sure -- any help would be helpful -- i am retired and really cant handle a 500 or 600 dollar shop fee --so i would like to change out parts till i find the issue -- i had a new starter installed last year so i dont think its the starter -- if a starter goes out does it stop the entire machine -- i dont think so but i am not sure ---- HELP fellow lawn mower wizards.

Only 2 things stop the mower dead
1) the kill wire activates
2) the carb solenoid closes.

Check for a spark, if you have one that rules out No 1
hold the fuel solenoid and get some one to turn the ignition on & off, you should fell ( and hear ) it working .
 

olbarndoor

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
Thank you so much for the answer -- but just so i am clear
what steps and where do i go to get a spark and from where am i suppose to get a spark.
 

7394

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
1) Remove spark plug, put it back into plug wire, hold plug metal to touch engine to ground it, have someone crank engine a couple rotations, watch spark plug end to see if it sparks. Should see a nice spark there.

Try that & post results.
 

olbarndoor

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
1) Remove spark plug, put it back into plug wire, hold plug metal to touch engine to ground it, have someone crank engine a couple rotations, watch spark plug end to see if it sparks. Should see a nice spark there.

Try that & post results.

I guess i am not being specific enough -- everything is dead -- no cranking -- when you turn the key to crank it -there is nothing
if i remove the sparkplug and ground it there is no cranking to check spark -- this is how it has been since it just stopped like a switch was turned to turn it off-- there is no power or anything =.
could the ignition switch going out cause the machine to shut down
because nothing is going past the switch except when i turn the switch on and pull up the pto engage there is a clunk .
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
So we have a power failure, that is a good start
Now get a test lamp or meter and follow the wires.
You should have 12V at one solenoid terminal and coming off that terminal a thinner wire ( usually with a fuse in it ) going up to the B terminal on the back of the ignition switch.
From there is generally goes to the A terminal when turned on and also to the S terminal when in the start position.
 

olbarndoor

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
So we have a power failure, that is a good start
Now get a test lamp or meter and follow the wires.
You should have 12V at one solenoid terminal and coming off that terminal a thinner wire ( usually with a fuse in it ) going up to the B terminal on the back of the ignition switch.
From there is generally goes to the A terminal when turned on and also to the S terminal when in the start position.

Thank you Bertsmobile but this last thread takes my level of small engine troubleshooting out of the chase
i appreciate your help but i will try and locate a shop.
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
Dont get frightened just because it is electricity, it is easy to diagnose but time consuming.
It takes the dealers just as long to do it and they charge a lot more per hour than we do.
A lot of people get confused by electricity, but it is really easy, the + has to connect to a - or nothing happens.

So let us know what tools you have and we will walk you through it.
All that is important is we all are using the same circuit diagram so when you are asked what happens at B we all know what is being talked about..

The back of the ignition switch has tiny letters cast into it, the PTO switch usually has numbers and the wires are all colour coded so it is a lot easier than most think if taken one step at a time.
 

MowerMike

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
Are you sure you have a good battery negative ground connection ? I had an old Harley that developed a crack in the battery negative cable lug at the frame ground end, and it behaved like your mower. Anyways, it sounds like you have an open circuit somewhere.
 

bertsmobile1

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  • / Toro zero turn just shut down like light switch turned off
Are you sure you have a good battery negative ground connection ? I had an old Harley that developed a crack in the battery negative cable lug at the frame ground end, and it behaved like your mower. Anyways, it sounds like you have an open circuit somewhere.

By virtue of the PTO solenoid activating he must have at lease 10V available to the clutch and that amount of power will trip both the starter solenoid & the fuel solenoid.

I am not trying to ba smart A##e or know all, just setting out a logical path for the benefit of both olbarndoor and any one else who might chance upon this thread.
I have an idea of what might be the problem but the method of finding it is what is important along the lines of teaching a man to fish vs giving him some fish.

The proceedure is important from telling us the model number then going to TORO to get the wiring diagram to following it through to find the fault.
Otherwise all that happens is each person throws up their pet fix / fault and poor olbarndoor gets run from pillar to post like a headless chook , spending money replacing parts that are working fine and still might never end up mowing again.

Something failed and whatever it was that failed is in both the cranking circuit, cause it wont crank and the ignition circuit, cause it stopped dead
 
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