Red wire super hot!

[cubcadet79]

Hello,

Just getting the mower dusted off today. I ran into a problem. I have a picture below.

So, I turned the key a few times and it lacked oomph.

A little background: When I turn and hold the key it usually (for the last 3 years) fires, pauses like it gets stuck, then right that instant I lift and then push down the throttle, then the firing resumes and then it starts.

So I tried this way of starting it, but there wasn't enough oomph.

I started smelling a little burning, especially as I inspected the battery (I suspected the battery was low since it's 2 years old and was left in place over the winter).

I touched the red positive cable and it was very hot. It was hot enough to melt some plastic around a bolt adjoined to the red wire. I don't know what the bolt is for.

Anyway here is the picture, it will help explain.
The green circle is where if you touched the wire you could tell how hot it was.
The red circle is the bolt that got so hot it melted the plastic that it was in.
The blue circles are the bolts that are holding the thing that the red circle bolt was in before it got super hot.
The white circle is the obviously corroded terminal with a possible crimp in the red cable.



One other funny thing that happened was i touched the red circle bolt to the frame and the engine wanted to fire.

So, questions are:
What caused this melting problem? The dirty terminal? Crimp?
Should that red wire EVER be hot like that?
Do I need to replace some kind of unit that the blue circle bolts are holding that seems to be where the red circle bolt was situated before it melted out?
Any advice on the starting issue that is 3 years old now so i don't have to jigger it to get it started?

THANK YOU!!!

 

[Rivets]

The corrosion is an obvious problem, as it is offering a high amount of resistance which will lead to overheating. I would start by cleaning all those connections and make sure no corrosion is left behind. After you finish cleaning I recommend that you get a tube of di-electric grease and make sure all charts of the connections gets good coat. Post back if you have more problems.

 

[ILENGINE]

Sounds like the engine is not turning over and the key has been held to the point that is melted the plastic housing of the starter solenoid. The two bolts in blue are most likely the bolts that mount the solenoid to the frame. I would start by making sure you can turn the engine over by hand a few revolutions to confirm that it isn't seized or hydrolocked with gas. May need to remove the spark plug to assist turning over.

 

[cubcadet79]

Hello,

Just getting the mower dusted off today. I ran into a problem. I have a picture below.

So, I turned the key a few times and it lacked oomph.

A little background: When I turn and hold the key it usually (for the last 3 years) fires, pauses like it gets stuck, then right that instant I lift and then push down the throttle, then the firing resumes and then it starts.

So I tried this way of starting it, but there wasn't enough oomph.

I started smelling a little burning, especially as I inspected the battery (I suspected the battery was low since it's 2 years old and was left in place over the winter).

I touched the red positive cable and it was very hot. It was hot enough to melt some plastic around a bolt adjoined to the red wire. I don't know what the bolt is for.

Anyway here is the picture, it will help explain.
The green circle is where if you touched the wire you could tell how hot it was.
The red circle is the bolt that got so hot it melted the plastic that it was in.
The blue circles are the bolts that are holding the thing that the red circle bolt was in before it got super hot.
The white circle is the obviously corroded terminal with a possible crimp in the red cable.

View attachment 51345

One other funny thing that happened was i touched the red circle bolt to the frame and the engine wanted to fire.

So, questions are:
What caused this melting problem? The dirty terminal? Crimp?
Should that red wire EVER be hot like that?
Do I need to replace some kind of unit that the blue circle bolts are holding that seems to be where the red circle bolt was situated before it melted out?
Any advice on the starting issue that is 3 years old now so i don't have to jigger it to get it started?

THANK YOU!!!

I have the battery cleaned. I got the di-electric grease as well. Thank you.

Also, I have removed the solenoid that had a bolt melt out of it. I have a new one on order.

I'm concerned about the fraying on the wire. Do I need to clip off the circle and get a new one?

 

[bertsmobile1]

If it was in my shop. I would replace both battery wires
I havve seen way to many on mowers that sit outside or just under an awning where the battery leads are corroded almost completely through 1/2 way between each end due to water getting sucked in .
Whe the replacements get fitted, I let them sit out in the sun all day so the wire is hot ( & hopefully dry ) then seal each end with liquid electrical tape
When the cables age bolted to the battery or frame , more liquid electrical tape .
No water = no corrosion = happy electrical system .
This of course just prevents electrical problems & won't be of any use if your engine is hydro locked or the ACR is not functions & putting way too heavy a load on the starter.
Every company recommends no more than 30 sec of continious cranking with a 2 minute wait between each attempt for everything to cool down.

 

[StarTech]

Without the equipment model and the engine's model and type (spec) numbers it is only a guessing game but there are a few common things to mention. Also from the image it does kinda look like a Cub Cadet but that is just a guess.

As said first make sure the engine's ACR (automatic compression release) is working unless the engine has hydraulic lifters which does this. There should be no hard cranking. And yes the piece circled in Red was part of the starter solenoid which severely overheated and melted. This also can be cause cranking too long or by a partially shorted starter.

The image in post #4 does shows a cable that needs either repairing or replacement. If your mower is a MTD this cable and the battery ground return cable are probably copper clad aluminum and 8 Ga. It is undersized even if it solid stranded copper. It needs to be 6 Ga copper cable with well crimped terminals. Since most DIYers don't have the proper crimpers it is recommended that purchase already made replacement cables. I had to replace a lot of half done crimped cable terminals. Most cable lug terminals require a hydraulic crimper to properly crimp them.

Also your starter should be checked for mechanical and electrical problems like bad bushings and partially shorted armature windings.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Part of my annual maint on mowers is to clheck battery connections and clean as needed and then spray with Permatex 80370 battery protector. I tried the liquid electrical tape thing once. Worked well till i tried to change the battery. Too much to aggravation to clean it off.

 

[StarTech]

Part of my annual maint on mowers is to check battery connections and clean as needed and then spray with Permatex 80370 battery protector. I tried the liquid electrical tape thing once. Worked well till i tried to change the battery. Too much to aggravation to clean it off.

That why I prefer cable lugs, a conductive antioxidant, and heat shrink. Doesn't 100% prevent corroding but does help prevent battery acid getting wicked into the cable.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

It does amuse me when i get older equipment in with electrical work by, shall we say, uninformed novices. Or the utube vids of some guy who is self taught acting like an expert showing how to crimp connectors wrong.

 

[StarTech]

Yes I don't even bother to watch those vids. My crimper can crimp so tight that is actually fuses all the strand and cable as on piece but that isn't how the crimp should be done either.