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Hey guys, I am 8hrs in on this problem. My mower looks like a small bomb went off, parts all over the garage floor ;-). Anyway.. here is my problem:

I was transporting my mower on a trailer. I get it home and go to start it to drive it off the trailer. It gets one partial turnover and then just low level buzz and clicking at the solenoid. It would not start. I disengaged the steering and brake and pushed it into the garage. After several hours of debugging, I realized that when in the 'start' position, I was only getting 2.2v to the other big terminal on the solenoid (the one from the battery is getting 12.5v). I replaced the solenoid last night and it's still doing the same thing. I went through and check to make sure the bars are extended out and brake is engaged and seat switch is depressed etc...

All of the safety switches seem to be funcational (i.e. if I turn them 'off' or disengage them, and then try to start it, the solenoid gets No 'clicking' or buzzing). The only one that doesn't affect the starting 'sound' is the seat switch. However, there's not a lot of these that go bad (I can't find any forum posts with this complaint). So I doubt it's the seat switch.

There is a 3 week wait at the repair shop and I NEED TO CUT MY GRASS!!! Please help!

Put some jumper cables on it from your truck battery to the mower battery.

I know you said you are getting 12.5 volts but could be not getting the amps you need.

Carscw said:

Put some jumper cables on it from your truck battery to the mower battery.

I know you said you are getting 12.5 volts but could be not getting the amps you need.

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I have tried jumping it from a truck. The battery is on a tender whenever its not in use (like it is currently).

Any other ideas?

Did you add oil back to the engine first before you did all that tear down and see if it would start?

Wildcat said:

Did you add oil back to the engine first before you did all that tear down and see if it would start?

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I didn't touch the engine. The starter is only getting 2.2 volts so it's not even trying to start

chitownmowerguy said:

I didn't touch the engine. The starter is only getting 2.2 volts so it's not even trying to start

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I smelled sulfur on the last couple of attempts so I replaced the battery and bingo! It started right up. I restored the old solenoid and still works. So it must have been the battery all along. It was on a tender and it was reading 12.5 volts. Jumping it from a truck did nothing. Strange.

chitownmowerguy said:

I smelled sulfur on the last couple of attempts so I replaced the battery and bingo! It started right up. I restored the old solenoid and still works. So it must have been the battery all along. It was on a tender and it was reading 12.5 volts. Jumping it from a truck did nothing. Strange.

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Glad to hear.

As for jumping it off a truck, I assume your manual states not to do it like mine does. However, sometimes you got to do what you got to do.