So my wife called from our place up north- she took the legacy out for the first time this spring and said it went on fire around battery compartment- Any ideas as I am not up there- thks
To me, looks like some wires rubbing on that steel throttle/choke cable got shorted. See that bundle of wires with no insulation? At the bottom center of the picture? Look at the blue crayon area I circled up.
Those steel corrugated cables are very rough on wires. I would plastic loom and tape everything up well next time. Definitely run the wires away from throttle cables. Mowers create a lot of vibes into the machine and wiring.
Doesn't look too bad for a repair. Run one new wire at a time. Zip ties and E tape are your friends. Use the same gauge or heavier wire. Don't use crap butt connectors. Solder and heat shrink is preferred. Let us know how it comes out.