Strange sound when turn key

rigoletto

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Threads
36
Messages
282
People,

1) Old MTD riding mower (1998) I turn the key to start and hear a whining sound coming from (it seems) the solenoid. New battery. I jumped it with battery cables and started fine otherwise (neg cable on neg terminal, pos cable on pos terminal, other end neg cable clamped onto frame, then touch red pos cable to starter terminal).

Any idea why Im getting this high pitched whining sound from solenoid? I cant see where else the sound would come from.

2) Same mower- when I have the deck blades set on highest cut level blades turn at a certain speed, but when I drop the blades one notch lower for some reason the engine/blades speed up! Why?

Tips appreciated.
 
Last edited:

shiftsuper175607

Lawn Addict
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Threads
10
Messages
1,000
People,

1) Old MTD riding mower (1998) I turn the key to start and hear a whining sound coming from (it seems) the solenoid. New battery. I jumped it with battery cables and started fine otherwise (neg cable on neg terminal, pos cable on pos terminal, other end neg cable clamped onto frame, then touch red pos cable to starter terminal).

Any idea why Im getting this high pitched whining sound from solenoid? I cant see where else the sound would come from.

2) Same mower- when I have the deck blades set on highest cut level blades turn at a certain speed, but when I drop the blades one notch lower for some reason the engine/blades speed up! Why?

Tips appreciated.

No, could the sound be coming from somewhere else? say, the starter?

Try a smaller (12 ga) wire from the pos side of battery to the trigger connection on the solenoid(to operate the solenoid) and see if it starts.
 

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
64
Messages
24,647
People,

1) Old MTD riding mower (1998) I turn the key to start and hear a whining sound coming from (it seems) the solenoid. New battery. I jumped it with battery cables and started fine otherwise (neg cable on neg terminal, pos cable on pos terminal, other end neg cable clamped onto frame, then touch red pos cable to starter terminal).

Any idea why Im getting this high pitched whining sound from solenoid? I cant see where else the sound would come from.

2) Same mower- when I have the deck blades set on highest cut level blades turn at a certain speed, but when I drop the blades one notch lower for some reason the engine/blades speed up! Why?

Tips appreciated.

Run a jumper from the battery - to the engine near the starter
Engine cranks fine = faulty ground ( bad wire & /or corroded contact ).
 

rigoletto

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Threads
36
Messages
282
Wow- good tips, people. I will follow up and let yous know asap...........

What about the idea of blades turning faster when lowered just one notch?
 

shiftsuper175607

Lawn Addict
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Threads
10
Messages
1,000
Wow- good tips, people. I will follow up and let yous know asap...........

What about the idea of blades turning faster when lowered just one notch?

That's a hard one...one possibility is that belt is slipping at higher position...but that seems very remote as blades speed up they should continue to...until at full speed, even at higher position.

The belt is running on the same pulleys and there should be no change in speed of blades at any position change.
 

rigoletto

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Threads
36
Messages
282
That's a hard one...one possibility is that belt is slipping at higher position...but that seems very remote as blades speed up they should continue to...until at full speed, even at higher position.

The belt is running on the same pulleys and there should be no change in speed of blades at any position change.

Ok, makes sense to me too. I just wanted to throw it out there for feedback. I will keep an eye on it for further clues.........
 

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
64
Messages
24,647
Wow- good tips, people. I will follow up and let yous know asap...........

What about the idea of blades turning faster when lowered just one notch?

Fairly simple reasoning and fix but a real PIA to do.
Mower is 20 years old
All of the linkages that hold & move the deck will be worn.
Decks do not go strait up & down any more they swing in an arc so changing the distance between the engine pulley & deck pulley.
That is one reason why there is a spring pulling against the belt.
So the fix is to pull all for the links out restore all the holes to round again and build up all the rods.
Where springs have been anchoured the metal will have worn thus weakening the spring so these need attention as well.
Then we get to wear on the pulleys themselves and of course worn belts.
 

rigoletto

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Threads
36
Messages
282
Fairly simple reasoning and fix but a real PIA to do.
Mower is 20 years old
All of the linkages that hold & move the deck will be worn.
Decks do not go strait up & down any more they swing in an arc so changing the distance between the engine pulley & deck pulley.
That is one reason why there is a spring pulling against the belt.
So the fix is to pull all for the links out restore all the holes to round again and build up all the rods.
Where springs have been anchoured the metal will have worn thus weakening the spring so these need attention as well.
Then we get to wear on the pulleys themselves and of course worn belts.

Thanks, Bert! I should mention that it is a MTD 13A4667 F118. Meanwhile, I did some poking around under thew deck, raising it/lowering it and at top notch height the belt is slackish. When lowered to next notch it appears to tighten up a bit. Could a belt be stretched from age? That would be the culprit to me.

Also, is that called the "V" belt? Something else? "mower blade belt"?
 

shiftsuper175607

Lawn Addict
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Threads
10
Messages
1,000
Thanks, Bert! I should mention that it is a MTD 13A4667 F118. Meanwhile, I did some poking around under thew deck, raising it/lowering it and at top notch height the belt is slackish. When lowered to next notch it appears to tighten up a bit. Could a belt be stretched from age? That would be the culprit to me.

Also, is that called the "V" belt? Something else? "mower blade belt"?

Bertmobile1 tells you the problem and the fix in his reply to you before your last post.

Belts are made with cording inside them so they don't stretch.
 

rigoletto

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Threads
36
Messages
282
Bertmobile1 tells you the problem and the fix in his reply to you before your last post.

Belts are made with cording inside them so they don't stretch.

Yes, I did appreciate Bert's post (and yours). Just wanted to rule out the idea of a stretched belt before tackling a big resto project.
 
Top