I appreciate your comments and understand we may run into some wonki wiring problems here based on what you said, however, this tractor ran like a champ all winter and I am hoping the problems getting this running were purely caused by my trying to bypass the switch based on a youtube demonstration on a switch that did not match my switch. Also, I connected a the wire on the positive battery lead to a white unconnected wire which produced a spark and made the wire very hot after a couple of attempts.
Small Engine novice
- Thread starter rklemm60
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VegetiveSteam
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I may as well ask a question or two of RK and throw my opinion in.
Before you took anything apart and started jumping wires, what exactly did the machine do when you turned the key to try and start the engine? Did it do absolutely nothing as if someone had removed the battery?
I ask this because before you dive in too deep with wiring diagrams and such, a couple of very simple voltage tests might help determine if the issue is an engine issue or an equipment issue. Actually reading my post will take longer than the actual testing.
It looks like you may have already done one of the tests. If that red wire you unfortunately jumped to the white "ground to kill" lead connected to the B terminal on the key switch then the question of, "do you have power getting to the key switch" looks to be a definite yes.
The second test I would do since you have easy access to the key switch is, plug the key switch back in. Assuming you didn't blow the fuse by shorting power to the white wire, and you still have power on that red wire, take your voltmeter set to DC volts of course and put the black lead of the meter on a known good ground. Now take the red lead and touch only the S terminal on the key switch once it is plugged back into it's connector. Once you find which wire connects to the S terminal it might be easier to gently probe it from the back side of the connector but don't pierce the wire itself. Now, turn the key to the start position? Do you now get voltage on that S terminal?
If have no power to the S terminal you more than likely need a new key switch. If you do now have voltage on that S terminal there is one more simple test. After that, it may be time for the wiring diagrams. Get the engine to crank first and then you can worry about if you damaged the ignition modules or not.
So, if in the previous test you did indeed get power to the S terminal of the key switch when you turned the key to the start position, the next test will be at the starter itself. Find the small spade terminal on the starter solenoid. If the start circuit goes through the Kohler wire harness that wire I call the excite wire will be blue. Sometimes the OEM of the equipment has the engine built so it runs off their wire directly from the key switch. If that's the case that wire will probably not be blue but either way it's the only single spade terminal on the solenoid.
This is where you may need another person to help you. Again attach the black lead of your voltmeter to a known good ground. Now take the red lead and while leaving that excite wire connected to the starter spade terminal, touch the exposed portion of the spade and have your helper while sitting in the seat, turn the key to the start position. Do you read battery voltage at that spade terminal now? If you do have battery voltage at that spade terminal you probably have a ground issue.
If only it were that simple right?
Before you took anything apart and started jumping wires, what exactly did the machine do when you turned the key to try and start the engine? Did it do absolutely nothing as if someone had removed the battery?
I ask this because before you dive in too deep with wiring diagrams and such, a couple of very simple voltage tests might help determine if the issue is an engine issue or an equipment issue. Actually reading my post will take longer than the actual testing.
It looks like you may have already done one of the tests. If that red wire you unfortunately jumped to the white "ground to kill" lead connected to the B terminal on the key switch then the question of, "do you have power getting to the key switch" looks to be a definite yes.
The second test I would do since you have easy access to the key switch is, plug the key switch back in. Assuming you didn't blow the fuse by shorting power to the white wire, and you still have power on that red wire, take your voltmeter set to DC volts of course and put the black lead of the meter on a known good ground. Now take the red lead and touch only the S terminal on the key switch once it is plugged back into it's connector. Once you find which wire connects to the S terminal it might be easier to gently probe it from the back side of the connector but don't pierce the wire itself. Now, turn the key to the start position? Do you now get voltage on that S terminal?
If have no power to the S terminal you more than likely need a new key switch. If you do now have voltage on that S terminal there is one more simple test. After that, it may be time for the wiring diagrams. Get the engine to crank first and then you can worry about if you damaged the ignition modules or not.
So, if in the previous test you did indeed get power to the S terminal of the key switch when you turned the key to the start position, the next test will be at the starter itself. Find the small spade terminal on the starter solenoid. If the start circuit goes through the Kohler wire harness that wire I call the excite wire will be blue. Sometimes the OEM of the equipment has the engine built so it runs off their wire directly from the key switch. If that's the case that wire will probably not be blue but either way it's the only single spade terminal on the solenoid.
This is where you may need another person to help you. Again attach the black lead of your voltmeter to a known good ground. Now take the red lead and while leaving that excite wire connected to the starter spade terminal, touch the exposed portion of the spade and have your helper while sitting in the seat, turn the key to the start position. Do you read battery voltage at that spade terminal now? If you do have battery voltage at that spade terminal you probably have a ground issue.
If only it were that simple right?
Last edited:
Tiger Small Engine
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Testing for spark:
Remove the engine shroud (top black plastic cover). Pull the white wire off of the ignition coil(s). Take the spark plug out and reconnect to HT lead (spark plug wire). Rest the spark plug against the metal part of engine to create ground. Crank the engine with key switch and watch for spark. Repeat procedure with white kill wire attached to ignition coil. If no spark with kill wire attached then replace coil(s).
bertsmobile1
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Got it backwards there Tiger
Spark without wires on + no spark wires off = bad wiring on mower
No spark wires off = bad coils , replace them
First we have to get the engine to turn over before we can test for spark. Let us know when you have everything hooked up like it was when you got the unit. From that point we will figure out why it won’t turn over. Once it turns over we can check for spark.
Tiger Small Engine
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Oops, you are correct. No coffee and too early.
Star, Is this the 275 page Service Manual you suggested I download for $50?
John Deere Scotts S2048 Lawn and Garden Tractor Service Manual Download - John Deere Tractors
John Deere Scotts S2048 Lawn and Garden Tractor Service Manual John Deere Scotts S2048 Yard and Garden Tractors Technical Manual TM1777 275 Pages in .pdf format 30.2 MB in .zip format for super fast downloads! This factory John Deere Service Manual Download will give you complete step-by-step...
www.deeretractors.org
Bert, Rivet, Tiger, Please see the Magnetos that, as you suggested, I probably fried. White wire coming in and out of the spark plug side / right hand side of the Kohler has.a number 993X. I can't make out the last number. Could be a 6 so I just marked it X. Only 1 white wire going into the terminal side magneto on the oil filter side / left hand side of the Kohler. I am having great difficulty getting the server to accept pictures from my I phone 14 but I will keep trying. My understanding is that the 1st objective is that we need to determine the cause of the problem. Unless there is something else I need to do right now, I will go back to make sure I have answered all your questions and get you more pictures if needed. Please let me know if Service manual I have referenced above is the one I need to download today.
Attachments
Star, Is this the 275 page Service Manual you suggested I download for $50?
John Deere Scotts S2048 Lawn and Garden Tractor Service Manual Download - John Deere Tractors
John Deere Scotts S2048 Lawn and Garden Tractor Service Manual John Deere Scotts S2048 Yard and Garden Tractors Technical Manual TM1777 275 Pages in .pdf format 30.2 MB in .zip format for super fast downloads! This factory John Deere Service Manual Download will give you complete step-by-step...
www.deeretractors.org
Bert, Rivet, Tiger, Please see the Magnetos that I probably Fried. White wire coming in and out of the spark plug / right hand side of the Kohler has.a number 993X. I can't make out the last number. Could be a 6 so I just marked it X.
Tiger, Unfortunately, My engine does not crank. Nothing happen when I turn the key on even through as of two months ago, it worked fine. As instructed, I have removed the blow cover so everyone can see the two Magnetos which I guess I blew when I tried to bypass the switch. Right now, i am reading through all the posts again to make sure I have provided all the pictures we need to determine the problem / the damage I did.
Attachments
Rivets, That makes sense that I can't test for spark until I can get the engine to crank. I have re-read all the posts and I have now completed the assignment of pulling the blow cover and fowarding pictures of the two Magnetos. Before I hook everything back up again, I need to know what to do with those two Magnetos. I think you already told me before there is no good way to test them. Does that mean they next step is to replace them or is there another picture or more information needed? BTW - the server does not like the pictures I am sending bc they are too big. The two Magnetos I sent you are screen shots.