I'm an electrical engineer, retired from utility control circuit design. This presentation was the most correct in electrical terms that i think i have seen. Good trouble shooting techniques as well.
I have watched many, many videos while attempting to do all sorts of repairs. This video, by far, is the most informative one I have ever watched. I went from just trying to get my mower running (which I did) to getting a full blown tutorial on the entire electrical system. Now I actually understand how it all works, which will certainly pay off in the future. Thank you so much for this.
I fully agree with Gregory Orr's comment above. The best electrical troubleshooting video I've seen. Well done!!! This should help anyone who takes the time to watch it. Simple, complete and spot on.
As a complete novice with a multimeter, I followed your steps and located the problem. Clear, easy to follow instructions, with no waffle. The best instructional video I have seen on TH-cam. A lesson to others on how to do it. Good job
Thank you for making your diagnostic information easy to understand even to me, being a 70 yr old woman. While watching ur video on my cell, I was able to diagnose my ride on by my self. U were so helpful.👍🏼
I can't thank you enough. I am a 63 year old wife, and my husband has dementia. My craftsman zero turn quit on me last week, and I had to fix it myself. You made the job very easy for me. I didn't realize that even though my battery showed it had 12.5 volts, it won't hold the charge under a load. I went through half of your tests and was getting 12 volts at all the contact points. So I put my battery charger on and it said the battery was bad. You are my new mechanic and you are a GREAT teacher!
Amazing presentation. Not a single um, or aaaah, or "you know" or "like I said." This man knows his stuff and, our good luck, he knows how to share it clearly and efficiently. He could be a college professor; he talks like one. Knowledge, confidently delivered, is like the proverbial gold to watchers like us. Eliminator Performance is THE MAN and this video sets a very high bar for others to attempt to reach.
Hurray! I was able to fix my mower. I went to one of your other videos where you talk about carburetor problems, and I was able to get the mower running by spraying a liberal amount of carb cleaner into it. The carb itself looked really clean, but there must have been some gunk in one of the jets that broke loose when I sprayed it. It now runs like a top! I bought a used mower engine off of eBay, cleaned it up, installed the carburetor off my old blown engine and saved myself $600! My mower now looks and runs amazing - not bad for a Sears Craftsman mower that was built in 1997.
I have watched numerous TH-cam lawn mower, repair videos and yours is, by far, the most comprehensive and easy to understand. I have a 2005 Troy-Bilt with a Briggs & Stratton 18.5 hp engine and I'm doing my best to make it last as long as possible. Lawn mower prices today are roughly twice what they were when I purchased that one.
Just wanted to add to the others and tell you what a great you've done with this video. I do a lot of my own repair work with everything from the battery and screen on my phones to the heater core on my car and this is propably the *best* problem troubleshooting tutorial I've seen. Seriously. You explain not just what you are doing well but also why. I've never known *why* you need to test car batteries under load but don't have to with my flashlights; now I do. Excellent work!
Kia Ora from New Zealand, I have 2 broken rideon mowers at the moment, I think both have an electrical fault as they both stopped while mowing. I suspect they may be safely switches. I am yet to explore the problem. I just wanted to say thanks for your great advice on repairs. I found this one very informative, and I learnt so much from it. Please keep up the great work you are doing, which helps us less mechanically minded people so much also saves us a lot of money.
Although I am not mechanically incline, the more I watch your videos, the more I understand. Your teaching will help many of us diagnose our own lawn tractors. I thank individual like you that share your skills. Your continuation of videos on diagnosing Electrical issues will make you a great instructor. Again thanks and God Bless.
I watched many videos to repaired my 300 xJohn Deere and did find my problem after spending many hours remove starter solenoid switches and it was exactly what you explained. My battery was a full load but did not have a battery load tester, and at the end, I boosted with my gator and it started and realize it must be the battery. Thanks for clarifying this situation. You’re the only one video that I watch that explained this. thumbs up and yes I will get a battery load tester.
Hey I have been a mechanic for 33 years I just came across your video and man I wish my instructors could explain things the way you do would have made apprenticeship school a lot easier. Very nice job you did with the video 👍🏻
I'm so happy there are people like you who share there experiences and knowledge . Dude thank you so much . Couldn't get my ridding lawn mower on . Next step was a hammer. I cleaned the contacts . Old Betsy turned on . May life bless u back multiple times .
Great video!! I picked up the same mower a few days ago and the mower was slow to crank. The ground wire on the solenoid switch was melting the insulation off the wire too! Long story short; the previous owner had changed the solenoid but used a 4 post where the spade connectors were hot when the key was engaged. This video helped me realize there is a 4 post terminal with one being a ground!
This was actually fun to watch. I've been working on my mowers for many years. Sometimes they can get frustrating. But having a good attitude towards the repairs etc. is the key. Great job!
AMAZING teaching job! You not only taught me how to troubleshoot my mower, you also explained to me the various parts of the mower, what they do, how they interconnect, and how to use my multi-meter. Your videos are so clear and concise, it's easy to follow along and learn. I wish I had found your channel sooner. Unfortunately, I have yet to solve the problem of why my mower turns over, but won't start. But I have no doubt that with your help I'm going to figure it out. I'm going to spend the afternoon perusing your videos for an answer to my problem. I'm beginning to suspect that I may have a bad wire leading to the magneto or perhaps the magneto itself is bad. (It's old.) I think the easiest way to do that would be check to see if a spark is being provided to the plug by pulling its boot back while the engine is being cranked. It has a new spark plug, it's getting gas, and the carburetor was rebuilt by lawn mower a mechanic two years ago. The only other thing I can think of is perhaps the engine is flooding or the timing is off due to a broken key in the flywheel.
Thanks for the kind words, yes definitely test for spark 1st, then spray some carb cleaner in and turn it over and see if it fires up. If it does and then it shuts off, it probably isn't getting fuel
Yeah, what the electrical engineer said! I'm a dummy who always viewed electrical issues as magic. Thank you for taking the time to explain what each component does and how it functions.
I just wanted to say Thanks!!! I didn’t have a problem troubleshooting an electrical problem on the Abrams Tanks I worked on for years, but for some reason? I was intimidated by my Badboy Mower, maybe the name? Idk. But thanks to your helpful walk through? I was able to locate the problem & figure out the root cause of the issue.. Which, was a little different than your problem here, so I’ll explain what I went through to help anyone else in my shoes. Symptom: No response when I turned the key, no solenoid click, nothing. It gave out after 3 hours of cutting grass on a hot day, going down a hill. At first I thought it needed fuel because it was low, added fuel, then checked engine oil.. No, nothing. Started at the battery which was good & well connected, tested the ground which had voltage going through the frame. But because I wasn’t getting any type of power response? I immediately thought it was a safety switch acting up, so I tested each one, but they were all good. So, went back the battery, checked the solenoid, & it was getting power to it, but not across it. So when I tested the started side of the solenoid, & turned the key? Nothing. Instead of following my gut, I tested the ignition switch which was great to learn, but nothing.. The switch was working fine, but while I had the switch off? I decided to test the wire, & I was only getting 3.03 volts coming to the switch. When I traced it backwards, it lead me right to the 25amp wide blade fuse on my mower. After seeing that the fuse from the solenoid was blown, a quick run to the store, & $3 dollars later? It was running again, but I noticed the throttle cable was stuck in the full open position, maxing out the rpm’s. Apparently the plastic melted around it? So once that was fixed, it was running back to normal. Thanks again, for all your help. Every video I watched from the switches to the solenoid were all yours, so thanks man! You saved us a ton of money over a $1.50 part.
Excellent video in every aspect! Great planning. Great camera work, Clear and concise narrative. Absolutely one of the best instructional videas I've ever watched on TH-cam. Screw lawnmowers. You should be making videos for a living!
As someone who is terrible with electrical troubleshooting, this is by the far the simplest and easiest to understand guide I’ve seen to date. Thank you for making it so simple lol
DAM!!! I have been searching for a trouble shoot video like tgis for 2 years!!! All of them seem to start half way thru a test and never give any good details. YOU ARE THE MAN!! I AM NO LINGER ELECTRICAL DUMB!!! Thanks brother!! Subbed!!
Brilliant vid. Great shots, angles and lighting. Everything explained without skipping over things. After 3 days of a TH-cam crash course on rideon mower electrics, this vid helped me solve my issue. You are a legend in the TH-cam Community, many thanks.
Awesome step by step. I had done some disassembly to repair a serious gas leak which turned out to be a disconnected hose that must have vibrated loose from a poor connection. Put it all back together and not even a click. I suspected the seat safety switch because that’s the only electrical I touched. According to your protocol I got a bad read on the ground wire from battery! Why now? Was starting fine prior to disassembly. Anyway, back to cleaning and/or removing cable after a break. 19.5 hp Twin Craftsman. Thx.
Best video so far. Working on a friends. Haven't done mechanic work in ages. My friend has no clue how to use a meter. He replaced the ignition switch with one from another mower, that one may be bad. He put in a new solenoid and a new starter, still no go. So now he has called me. I replaced the battery with a brand new one I bought for my mower that I know is good. Did some of these tests but not all. I will have to get back up there to complete these tests. I needed a refresher lol. If all tests good, it is on to your next videos to check the safety switches. You didn't mention the safety switch under the seat. There is also one on the shift lever that I will need to test. It is a Husqvarna. It shows in the wire diagram of the owners manual that there is a 20 amp fuse under the hood but I could not find it. I will have to look more. It may be just a generic manual and it is somewhere else? Thanx J.D.
Reason I didn't do seat switch is because there are many different kinds. Some craftsman ones are similar to the brake switch, so you can watch that video and it'll show you it's a connector on 1 side and a circuit breaker on the other.
Thanks ,helped me narrow down what is wrong with my mower,as others have said you did a great job on the vidieo an explaining the wiring an what controls what,thanks again
Man I found your videos today. I wanted to understand how to troubleshoot starting issues on my craftsman mower. I love and respect you simplify how and why you did things. Thank you.
Outstanding job of troubleshooting. I have 3 older mowers, one is a Cub Cadet that has always been plagued with electrical problems. I plan to re wire is without all the safety switches and your video will help me do that I feel sure. The ignition switch has been replaced, now has failed again, and the PTO clutch sometimes works, sometimes does not and I suspect a bad ground or a bad safety switch. Also, I was able to cure a no crank condition on my farm tractor by doing what you did. Bad connection at the starter. The voltage was there, but a corroded connection was blocking the current.
Thank for the detailed video. I just changed deck and drive belt on a troy bilt bronco. After 3 days of figuring where the springs go back, I went to start the engine and it did not start. So now on with the trouble shooting. I'm tired and will have to do this another day. Much appreciated for your expertise. 😢
Just the most concise plain spoken video I've seen on TH-cam and needing plenty of help I've watch hundred's. You'd be great in a college class sending young people into the world with knowledge that they could earn a living with. Bravo Sir!
Thanks for the video…it was awesome! You helped me self diagnose the problem with my Husqvarna lawn tractor…it was the starter solenoid. $10 part on Amazon and it was fixed! Thanks again.
I spent hrs on a Husky rider did all kinds of things then found it was a 20 amp fuse....when it was narrowed down to that it took a while to find the thing as the schematic is horrible. Just happened across it noticing a clip barely visible that held the housing. grrr
This is the most informative, clear and concise "how-to" of any kind that I have ever viewed! step by step, well articulated, clearly filmed and edited. GREAT job!!! THANK YOU!!!! can't wait to see your video on basic Brain surgery. fantastic work !!!
A Great video.. I've had a starting problem with my Hustler 54" Fastrak for months & I initially thought it was a bad ground because the 3 pole solenoid is bolted to a powder coated frame but thanks to your video it appears to be a faulty solenoid. It clicks when powered but no power when testing the starter side of the solenoid.
Amazing how simple it can be when well explained. I had 2 issues, and was able to discover both before throwing money at parts. I'm a 60 yr old guy that is cursed with the fix it jean, I've been doing this since I was 10. And I couldn't figure this one out . Thank you
Great video. Never used a multimeater before and followed your step by step instructions to solve a Kawasaki equipped riding zero turn lawn mower lawnmower engine no start problem. Keep up the good work. George
Thanks for the illustrations on trouble shooting the electrical components you made it some what easier to understand components and there importance to establish the solution and eliminate problems your excellent tutor thanks a bunch
Man, this video is going to save a lot of people a lot of headaches, including me! I'm going to pick up a new multi meter since I left mine outside. Thanks for the awesome video! And you better believe I saved this video. I have 5 acres in Florida and 4 of it needs to be mowed and my mower just took a shit.
I’ll give you a “thumbs up” for sure as almost everything is correct and you were pretty thorough. However, continuity testing alone is not sufficient when testing a cranking (or any other higher amperage) circuit. The reason is simple, a cable with broken strands may show perfect continuity, but cannot deliver the amperage necessary to operate the circuit properly. The way to test for this possibility is to dynamically test the circuit by checking for voltage drops while the circuit is loaded (being operated). In this instance, you would put one side of the volt meter (properly set for the voltage expected) on the positive battery post (not at the cable) and the other side at the starter cable lug (when checking the positive side) or the negative battery post and the case of the starter itself. By turning the key and loading the circuit while monitoring the voltage, you would’ve seen that the starter was properly grounded, but wasn’t getting any power at all. With one simple test, you would’ve eliminated the entire ground circuit and narrowed the problem to the positive side. In this case, the next place to look would’ve been to check the larger cable connections at the solenoid and you would’ve easily found that the loss was inside the solenoid itself. As far as checking the primary side of the solenoid, since you could hear the actual solenoid heavy “click” of the solenoid when the key was turned, you would know that the solenoid was moving, but since it wasn’t delivering the power necessary, it was failing internally. One other point, I know that the solenoids might corrode as well, but the main problem I’ve seen is that the internal contacts get burned due to excessive amperage draw in the circuit. Very often when that is the case, the starter is the root cause as when the starter draws excessive amperage, it will cause the solenoid contacts to burn. This would necessitate replacement of both the starter and the solenoid to correct the condition. Regardless of my comments, I believe that you did a good job overall and that anyone following your testing recommendations would almost always find their specific problem. I would personally recommend that you start doing the dynamic voltage drop testing to eliminate the possibility of any erroneous electrical diagnosis.
You can test a fuse without pulling it out by taking you positive lead and touch the top of the fuse on the left then right side. Look close at the fuse on top ,you will see the post to test it. Great Video. Well done.
Thank you so very much for your videos. they are very helpful.. maybe one comment you could make is before troubleshooting your starting problems; make sure that your blade is not engaged!!!!!!!🤣😂 No kidding!!! i watched both of your videos. PULLED my solenoid and tested it as per your instructions and all was good.... Followed the white wire from the solenoid to the cut off switch at the blade engage lever and from that position, my face was half in the engine compartment and I looked at the switch and at the same time my eyes moved up and seen that the blade was still engaged!!!!😆😆 The last time I cut the lawn it started poring rain and I drove it up and shut it off quick, never realizing that the blades where still engaged!!! The next time I tried to start it it wouldn't.. Never even thought to notice that the blades where still engaged!!🤣😂🤣😂 Thank you so much for the informative video!!🤣😂🤣
I was just provided two walking mowers and one riding mower to see why they don't start after they sat for the winter or more. This video could be a life-saver! I recommended that they buy an electric battery operated mower in the future!
Probably the best most concise easy to follow and understand video on the subject I’ve seen. Thank you for removing the mystery out of electrical riding mower issues.
Best video ever!! Step by step logically working through every possible inch of electrical testing multiple ways. Superbly explained! Thank you. I feel like a pro now.
Interesting how mowers work simple systems but if your not able to get a diagram you don't know what to expect at some terminals, I am working on a sears version of this same mower that has 2 relays dangling from the harness and they look OE, not sure how to test them, Ill watch more vids to see it you have addressed this item.. Thanks for the assistance
Very good teaching video... my Craftsman T1200 just developed a no start situation. The battery is at 12.55 and I have no clicking so I'm going to TRY to check some of these things. Thanks Well done!
Today my mower just wont click with a fully charged battery so i will be looking for electrical issues using ur video thnks i hope to find my issue and learn alot.
U are a great teacher thanks for sharing with us this appreciations for the good explanations .u did save my money for buying a new start. Thanks once again for that 👌👍🇩🇰
Thanks for the vid. The ground screw to the chassis had backed out. Lol! I expected the worst and got off easy as could be. Need to stop myself from going worse case and working backwards! Cheers!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I now have a working riding lawn mower again! I'd never attempted to fix anything as seemingly complex as a mower before, and I started out a bit overwhelmed. Your video was a godsend! (I only wish I had come across it first)
Best video that I've seen on the subject bar none. VERY well done as usual and thank you for your time and for sharing your expertise. Much appreciated!
I have Toro rider with a brand new battery and absolutely nothing when I turn the key. I'll be following your video to diagnose my issue. Thnx for the very informative video.
Wow! Excellent job of explaining the step-by-step troubleshooting steps. Seriously, I watch a lot of TH-cam "How to" videos and yours is one of the clearest I've ever come across. You've got a new sub!
Superb knowledge of subject AND camera work/video editing. Other vids contain “um’s” and the camera is moved with no care to the point I get nauseous. Well done young man Can’t wait to dive into my rider which has been trouble free but joined the won’t start brigade last week.
Success! Your video helped me determine high resistance on the positive side. Had some stubborn crusties on the positive connector and wire wheeled and got a new washer and wired the bolt. And fired right up. 3 hours of tinkering and taking off the starter and testing it also with your video.
Brilliant video. Fantastically clear verbal description and really great supporting video. Next step - buy myself a multimeter and try to follow the wiring on my ride-on for the day I need to fix a problem! Thank you very much for the effort you’ve put in. Needless to say I’m a subscriber now!
Can't thank you enough for the great tutorial here! Your logical and thorough process helped me diagnose what turned out to be the same issue with my ancient craftsman rider. Very grateful for such awesome content. Subscribing now for when my mower takes a dump next year!
I just had a similar situation occur with my x350. Everything would power on, battery was fully charged, but it would start. Turns out the ground cable to the battery was slightly loose! After snugging it down, it started right up, good learning experience!
This video was great. I thought you seemed a little over the top at first, but then took notice of how clearly you spoke and continued to recover each step in order to really burn the process into the brain. Great job. I’m hoping you have some trailer light troubleshooting videos.
I really like the way you get right to job and point...saves me time...highly approve your channel, and thanks for doing such a quality job on the videos...i know that is not easy
Great video. Very informative. The only other thing i would have done is jump the 2 positive terminals on the starter solenoid. If the startrr works this wouls comferm a defective solenoid.
Not quite, if you had a bad key switch or safety switch, the key wouldn't send 12v to engage the solenoid, but using a screwdriver to jump the solenoid would still start the engine if you left the key in the run position.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm an electrical engineer, retired from utility control circuit design. This presentation was the most correct in electrical terms that i think i have seen. Good trouble shooting techniques as well.
I have watched many, many videos while attempting to do all sorts of repairs. This video, by far, is the most informative one I have ever watched. I went from just trying to get my mower running (which I did) to getting a full blown tutorial on the entire electrical system. Now I actually understand how it all works, which will certainly pay off in the future. Thank you so much for this.
Glad it helped, thanks for watching!
I fully agree with Gregory Orr's comment above. The best electrical troubleshooting video I've seen. Well done!!! This should help anyone who takes the time to watch it. Simple, complete and spot on.
As a complete novice with a multimeter, I followed your steps and located the problem.
Clear, easy to follow instructions, with no waffle. The best instructional video I have seen on TH-cam. A lesson to others on how to do it. Good job
Thank you for making your diagnostic information easy to understand even to me, being a 70 yr old woman. While watching ur video on my cell, I was able to diagnose my ride on by my self. U were so helpful.👍🏼
Thanks for the kind words, glad it helped!
I can't thank you enough. I am a 63 year old wife, and my husband has dementia. My craftsman zero turn quit on me last week, and I had to fix it myself. You made the job very easy for me. I didn't realize that even though my battery showed it had 12.5 volts, it won't hold the charge under a load. I went through half of your tests and was getting 12 volts at all the contact points. So I put my battery charger on and it said the battery was bad. You are my new mechanic and you are a GREAT teacher!
🙏
Hands down the absolute best video I've ever seen to find a problem. Thank you so much!
Amazing presentation. Not a single um, or aaaah, or "you know" or "like I said." This man knows his stuff and, our good luck, he knows how to share it clearly and efficiently. He could be a college professor; he talks like one. Knowledge, confidently delivered, is like the proverbial gold to watchers like us. Eliminator Performance is THE MAN and this video sets a very high bar for others to attempt to reach.
Thanks for the kind words Lee! I try my best not to say uh, you know or like I said but sometimes they slip in. Thanks for watching!
Hurray! I was able to fix my mower. I went to one of your other videos where you talk about carburetor problems, and I was able to get the mower running by spraying a liberal amount of carb cleaner into it. The carb itself looked really clean, but there must have been some gunk in one of the jets that broke loose when I sprayed it. It now runs like a top! I bought a used mower engine off of eBay, cleaned it up, installed the carburetor off my old blown engine and saved myself $600! My mower now looks and runs amazing - not bad for a Sears Craftsman mower that was built in 1997.
I have watched numerous TH-cam lawn mower, repair videos and yours is, by far, the most comprehensive and easy to understand. I have a 2005 Troy-Bilt with a Briggs & Stratton 18.5 hp engine and I'm doing my best to make it last as long as possible. Lawn mower prices today are roughly twice what they were when I purchased that one.
Just wanted to add to the others and tell you what a great you've done with this video. I do a lot of my own repair work with everything from the battery and screen on my phones to the heater core on my car and this is propably the *best* problem troubleshooting tutorial I've seen. Seriously. You explain not just what you are doing well but also why. I've never known *why* you need to test car batteries under load but don't have to with my flashlights; now I do.
Excellent work!
Kia Ora from New Zealand, I have 2 broken rideon mowers at the moment, I think both have an electrical fault as they both stopped while mowing. I suspect they may be safely switches. I am yet to explore the problem.
I just wanted to say thanks for your great advice on repairs. I found this one very informative, and I learnt so much from it. Please keep up the great work you are doing, which helps us less mechanically minded people so much also saves us a lot of money.
Although I am not mechanically incline, the more I watch your videos, the more I understand. Your teaching will help many of us diagnose our own lawn tractors. I thank individual like you that share your skills. Your continuation of videos on diagnosing Electrical issues will make you a great instructor. Again thanks and God Bless.
This gentleman's video was exceptional and is deserving of viewership and $$$$$
I watched many videos to repaired my 300 xJohn Deere and did find my problem after spending many hours remove starter solenoid switches and it was exactly what you explained. My battery was a full load but did not have a battery load tester, and at the end, I boosted with my gator and it started and realize it must be the battery. Thanks for clarifying this situation. You’re the only one video that I watch that explained this. thumbs up and yes I will get a battery load tester.
Hey I have been a mechanic for 33 years I just came across your video and man I wish my instructors could explain things the way you do would have made apprenticeship school a lot easier. Very nice job you did with the video 👍🏻
I'm so happy there are people like you who share there experiences and knowledge . Dude thank you so much . Couldn't get my ridding lawn mower on . Next step was a hammer. I cleaned the contacts . Old Betsy turned on . May life bless u back multiple times .
Great video!! I picked up the same mower a few days ago and the mower was slow to crank. The ground wire on the solenoid switch was melting the insulation off the wire too! Long story short; the previous owner had changed the solenoid but used a 4 post where the spade connectors were hot when the key was engaged. This video helped me realize there is a 4 post terminal with one being a ground!
This was actually fun to watch. I've been working on my mowers for many years. Sometimes they can get frustrating. But having a good attitude towards the repairs etc. is the key. Great job!
Omg. Thank you. Not only did you diagnose my tractor but you taught me all about it too.
This might be the best TH-cam presentation I've ever seen. Such a great explanation of a small engine electrical system! Thanks Eliminator!!!
I have used TH-cam to research things from A to Z. Never have I found a video that was so informative AND enjoyable. Thank you very much.
It's this kind of video that I am talking about when I talk about being a proud graduate of TH-cam University. Thank you so much for this tutorial.
Thanks for the kind words, and thanks for watching!
AMAZING teaching job! You not only taught me how to troubleshoot my mower, you also explained to me the various parts of the mower, what they do, how they interconnect, and how to use my multi-meter. Your videos are so clear and concise, it's easy to follow along and learn. I wish I had found your channel sooner.
Unfortunately, I have yet to solve the problem of why my mower turns over, but won't start. But I have no doubt that with your help I'm going to figure it out. I'm going to spend the afternoon perusing your videos for an answer to my problem. I'm beginning to suspect that I may have a bad wire leading to the magneto or perhaps the magneto itself is bad. (It's old.) I think the easiest way to do that would be check to see if a spark is being provided to the plug by pulling its boot back while the engine is being cranked. It has a new spark plug, it's getting gas, and the carburetor was rebuilt by lawn mower a mechanic two years ago. The only other thing I can think of is perhaps the engine is flooding or the timing is off due to a broken key in the flywheel.
Thanks for the kind words, yes definitely test for spark 1st, then spray some carb cleaner in and turn it over and see if it fires up. If it does and then it shuts off, it probably isn't getting fuel
most informative riding lawnmower troubleshooting video ever. you are a natural teacher.
Yeah, what the electrical engineer said! I'm a dummy who always viewed electrical issues as magic. Thank you for taking the time to explain what each component does and how it functions.
I just wanted to say Thanks!!! I didn’t have a problem troubleshooting an electrical problem on the Abrams Tanks I worked on for years, but for some reason? I was intimidated by my Badboy Mower, maybe the name? Idk.
But thanks to your helpful walk through? I was able to locate the problem & figure out the root cause of the issue.. Which, was a little different than your problem here, so I’ll explain what I went through to help anyone else in my shoes.
Symptom: No response when I turned the key, no solenoid click, nothing. It gave out after 3 hours of cutting grass on a hot day, going down a hill. At first I thought it needed fuel because it was low, added fuel, then checked engine oil.. No, nothing.
Started at the battery which was good & well connected, tested the ground which had voltage going through the frame. But because I wasn’t getting any type of power response? I immediately thought it was a safety switch acting up, so I tested each one, but they were all good.
So, went back the battery, checked the solenoid, & it was getting power to it, but not across it. So when I tested the started side of the solenoid, & turned the key? Nothing. Instead of following my gut, I tested the ignition switch which was great to learn, but nothing.. The switch was working fine, but while I had the switch off? I decided to test the wire, & I was only getting 3.03 volts coming to the switch. When I traced it backwards, it lead me right to the 25amp wide blade fuse on my mower.
After seeing that the fuse from the solenoid was blown, a quick run to the store, & $3 dollars later? It was running again, but I noticed the throttle cable was stuck in the full open position, maxing out the rpm’s. Apparently the plastic melted around it? So once that was fixed, it was running back to normal.
Thanks again, for all your help. Every video I watched from the switches to the solenoid were all yours, so thanks man! You saved us a ton of money over a $1.50 part.
Glad to hear you're back up and running!
Gj. This is by far the best, simplest riding mower electrical diagnostic tutorial on Utube.
Excellent video in every aspect! Great planning. Great camera work, Clear and concise narrative. Absolutely one of the best instructional videas I've ever watched on TH-cam. Screw lawnmowers. You should be making videos for a living!
Thanks man, I’m still watching and trying to find where my repair is.
Simply the best all-around instructions on the internet !!!! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
As someone who is terrible with electrical troubleshooting, this is by the far the simplest and easiest to understand guide I’ve seen to date. Thank you for making it so simple lol
Thanks for watching!
2 Wa aaa
DAM!!! I have been searching for a trouble shoot video like tgis for 2 years!!! All of them seem to start half way thru a test and never give any good details. YOU ARE THE MAN!! I AM NO LINGER ELECTRICAL DUMB!!! Thanks brother!! Subbed!!
Brilliant vid. Great shots, angles and lighting. Everything explained without skipping over things. After 3 days of a TH-cam crash course on rideon mower electrics, this vid helped me solve my issue. You are a legend in the TH-cam Community, many thanks.
Thanks for the kind words Ron, glad it helped!
Awesome step by step. I had done some disassembly to repair a serious gas leak which turned out to be a disconnected hose that must have vibrated loose from a poor connection. Put it all back together and not even a click. I suspected the seat safety switch because that’s the only electrical I touched. According to your protocol I got a bad read on the ground wire from battery! Why now? Was starting fine prior to disassembly. Anyway, back to cleaning and/or removing cable after a break. 19.5 hp Twin Craftsman. Thx.
Best video so far. Working on a friends. Haven't done mechanic work in ages. My friend has no clue how to use a meter. He replaced the ignition switch with one from another mower, that one may be bad. He put in a new solenoid and a new starter, still no go. So now he has called me. I replaced the battery with a brand new one I bought for my mower that I know is good. Did some of these tests but not all. I will have to get back up there to complete these tests. I needed a refresher lol. If all tests good, it is on to your next videos to check the safety switches. You didn't mention the safety switch under the seat. There is also one on the shift lever that I will need to test. It is a Husqvarna. It shows in the wire diagram of the owners manual that there is a 20 amp fuse under the hood but I could not find it. I will have to look more. It may be just a generic manual and it is somewhere else?
Thanx
J.D.
Reason I didn't do seat switch is because there are many different kinds. Some craftsman ones are similar to the brake switch, so you can watch that video and it'll show you it's a connector on 1 side and a circuit breaker on the other.
@@EliminatorPerformance Thank you. First I have to finish all the tests shown in this video and find that god darned fuse.
Most clear and complete diagnostic on the web! thanks
You explained the electrical sequence from battery to starter extremely well. Thanks for the tutorial.
Thanks Jerry
Thanks ,helped me narrow down what is wrong with my mower,as others have said you did a great job on the vidieo an explaining the wiring an what controls what,thanks again
Man I found your videos today. I wanted to understand how to troubleshoot starting issues on my craftsman mower. I love and respect you simplify how and why you did things. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Outstanding job of troubleshooting. I have 3 older mowers, one is a Cub Cadet that has always been plagued with electrical problems. I plan to re wire is without all the safety switches and your video will help me do that I feel sure. The ignition switch has been replaced, now has failed again, and the PTO clutch sometimes works, sometimes does not and I suspect a bad ground or a bad safety switch. Also, I was able to cure a no crank condition on my farm tractor by doing what you did. Bad connection at the starter. The voltage was there, but a corroded connection was blocking the current.
Thank for the detailed video. I just changed deck and drive belt on a troy bilt bronco. After 3 days of figuring where the springs go back, I went to start the engine and it did not start. So now on with the trouble shooting. I'm tired and will have to do this another day. Much appreciated for your expertise. 😢
Just the most concise plain spoken video I've seen on TH-cam and needing plenty of help I've watch hundred's. You'd be great in a college class sending young people into the world with knowledge that they could earn a living with. Bravo Sir!
Thanks for the kind words Clay!
I have 7 old Bolens tractors that I am attempted to restore your video's have helped me more than you know.
Thank you for your time. Dave
Thanks for the video…it was awesome! You helped me self diagnose the problem with my Husqvarna lawn tractor…it was the starter solenoid. $10 part on Amazon and it was fixed! Thanks again.
Glad it helped, thanks for watching!
Extremely well put together step by step electrical tutorial that explains everything you need to know. You should get a raise!
Good day Wayne Boy you are right with that , he should have a raise. Thanks
I spent hrs on a Husky rider did all kinds of things then found it was a 20 amp fuse....when it was narrowed down to that it took a while to find the thing as the schematic is horrible. Just happened across it noticing a clip barely visible that held the housing. grrr
Brilliant Video my lawnmower has an electric issue. I will update tomorrow to see if I can finally find the problem
This is the most informative, clear and concise "how-to" of any kind that I have ever viewed! step by step, well articulated, clearly filmed and edited. GREAT job!!! THANK YOU!!!!
can't wait to see your video on basic Brain surgery. fantastic work !!!
Thanks for watching!
yeah I would totally agree. Very well done. Saved me money and time.
Straight information, clear speaker with no additional nonsense. Excellent video bro.
Thanks for watching!
A Great video..
I've had a starting problem with my Hustler 54" Fastrak for months & I initially thought it was a bad ground because the 3 pole solenoid is bolted to a powder coated frame but thanks to your video it appears to be a faulty solenoid. It clicks when powered but no power when testing the starter side of the solenoid.
Amazing how simple it can be when well explained. I had 2 issues, and was able to discover both before throwing money at parts. I'm a 60 yr old guy that is cursed with the fix it jean, I've been doing this since I was 10. And I couldn't figure this one out . Thank you
Thanks for watching, glad it helped!
Great video. Never used a multimeater before and followed your step by step instructions to solve a Kawasaki equipped riding zero turn lawn mower lawnmower engine no start problem.
Keep up the good work.
George
Thanks for the illustrations on trouble shooting the electrical components you made it some what easier to understand components and there importance to establish the solution and eliminate problems your excellent tutor thanks a bunch
WOW. Great info. From the battery to the starter. Tests all the way. Thanks for explaining each step.
Excellent video on this topic
Man, this video is going to save a lot of people a lot of headaches, including me! I'm going to pick up a new multi meter since I left mine outside. Thanks for the awesome video!
And you better believe I saved this video. I have 5 acres in Florida and 4 of it needs to be mowed and my mower just took a shit.
Thanks for watching!
I’ll give you a “thumbs up” for sure as almost everything is correct and you were pretty thorough. However, continuity testing alone is not sufficient when testing a cranking (or any other higher amperage) circuit. The reason is simple, a cable with broken strands may show perfect continuity, but cannot deliver the amperage necessary to operate the circuit properly. The way to test for this possibility is to dynamically test the circuit by checking for voltage drops while the circuit is loaded (being operated). In this instance, you would put one side of the volt meter (properly set for the voltage expected) on the positive battery post (not at the cable) and the other side at the starter cable lug (when checking the positive side) or the negative battery post and the case of the starter itself. By turning the key and loading the circuit while monitoring the voltage, you would’ve seen that the starter was properly grounded, but wasn’t getting any power at all. With one simple test, you would’ve eliminated the entire ground circuit and narrowed the problem to the positive side. In this case, the next place to look would’ve been to check the larger cable connections at the solenoid and you would’ve easily found that the loss was inside the solenoid itself. As far as checking the primary side of the solenoid, since you could hear the actual solenoid heavy “click” of the solenoid when the key was turned, you would know that the solenoid was moving, but since it wasn’t delivering the power necessary, it was failing internally. One other point, I know that the solenoids might corrode as well, but the main problem I’ve seen is that the internal contacts get burned due to excessive amperage draw in the circuit. Very often when that is the case, the starter is the root cause as when the starter draws excessive amperage, it will cause the solenoid contacts to burn. This would necessitate replacement of both the starter and the solenoid to correct the condition. Regardless of my comments, I believe that you did a good job overall and that anyone following your testing recommendations would almost always find their specific problem. I would personally recommend that you start doing the dynamic voltage drop testing to eliminate the possibility of any erroneous electrical diagnosis.
I was going to say something similar
Best instruction video on electrical diagnosis of riding lawnmower I have watched so far. Thank you!
Thank you !!!! You just teach me so much 👍
You can test a fuse without pulling it out by taking you positive lead and touch the top of the fuse on the left then right side. Look close at the fuse on top ,you will see the post to test it. Great Video. Well done.
Thank you so very much for your videos. they are very helpful.. maybe one comment you could make is before troubleshooting your starting problems; make sure that your blade is not engaged!!!!!!!🤣😂 No kidding!!! i watched both of your videos. PULLED my solenoid and tested it as per your instructions and all was good.... Followed the white wire from the solenoid to the cut off switch at the blade engage lever and from that position, my face was half in the engine compartment and I looked at the switch and at the same time my eyes moved up and seen that the blade was still engaged!!!!😆😆 The last time I cut the lawn it started poring rain and I drove it up and shut it off quick, never realizing that the blades where still engaged!!! The next time I tried to start it it wouldn't.. Never even thought to notice that the blades where still engaged!!🤣😂🤣😂
Thank you so much for the informative video!!🤣😂🤣
The best lawnmower electrical troubleshooting video I have ever seen. Kudos.
Cheers!
Brilliant narrative, you got me out trouble 👏👍🇬🇧
I was just provided two walking mowers and one riding mower to see why they don't start after they sat for the winter or more. This video could be a life-saver! I recommended that they buy an electric battery operated mower in the future!
Thanks for watching!
Probably the best most concise easy to follow and understand video on the subject I’ve seen. Thank you for removing the mystery out of electrical riding mower issues.
Thanks for the kind words, and thanks for watching!
Best video ever!! Step by step logically working through every possible inch of electrical testing multiple ways. Superbly explained! Thank you. I feel like a pro now.
Glad it was helpful!
You are a king amongst men. Thank you for this wisdom. It has helped me greatly!
Interesting how mowers work simple systems but if your not able to get a diagram you don't know what to expect at some terminals, I am working on a sears version of this same mower that has 2 relays dangling from the harness and they look OE, not sure how to test them, Ill watch more vids to see it you have addressed this item.. Thanks for the assistance
You have a great talent to explain and teach. Glad I found your channel. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to fix my mower after this. Thanks
Very good teaching video... my Craftsman T1200 just developed a no start situation. The battery is at 12.55 and I have no clicking so I'm going to TRY to check some of these things. Thanks Well done!
Where have u been all my life. If I could get my people to explain things like this....Thank you for making it make since
Today my mower just wont click with a fully charged battery so i will be looking for electrical issues using ur video thnks i hope to find my issue and learn alot.
You sir and the most elegant Taryn Dactyl helped me alot getting my mower running. Thank you
U are a great teacher thanks for sharing with us this appreciations for the good explanations .u did save my money for buying a new start. Thanks once again for that 👌👍🇩🇰
I like your step by step teaching. I learn something’s. Thanks
Thanks for the vid. The ground screw to the chassis had backed out. Lol! I expected the worst and got off easy as could be. Need to stop myself from going worse case and working backwards! Cheers!
Glad you solved the problem, thanks for watching!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I now have a working riding lawn mower again! I'd never attempted to fix anything as seemingly complex as a mower before, and I started out a bit overwhelmed. Your video was a godsend! (I only wish I had come across it first)
Thanks for watching and great to hear!
Thanks for your diagnostic expertise. Evaluated my electrical system on my vintage toro, I had a bad solenoid as well.
Great video. Reversed battery poles by accident so it is helping me to diagnose a no start. Thanks.
Best video that I've seen on the subject bar none. VERY well done as usual and thank you for your time and for sharing your expertise. Much appreciated!
I have Toro rider with a brand new battery and absolutely nothing when I turn the key. I'll be following your video to diagnose my issue. Thnx for the very informative video.
Wow! Excellent job of explaining the step-by-step troubleshooting steps. Seriously, I watch a lot of TH-cam "How to" videos and yours is one of the clearest I've ever come across. You've got a new sub!
Thanks for watching!
Clear, concise, easy to follow and understand, my go to channel to learn all that I need to maintain my small engines and lawn tractor.
Thanks for watching!
Superb knowledge of subject AND camera work/video editing. Other vids contain “um’s” and the camera is moved with no care to the point I get nauseous. Well done young man Can’t wait to dive into my rider which has been trouble free but joined the won’t start brigade last week.
Thanks for the kind words Don, good luck!
Great Video, my mower is now working again. Thanks so much.
Success! Your video helped me determine high resistance on the positive side. Had some stubborn crusties on the positive connector and wire wheeled and got a new washer and wired the bolt. And fired right up. 3 hours of tinkering and taking off the starter and testing it also with your video.
Brilliant video. Fantastically clear verbal description and really great supporting video. Next step - buy myself a multimeter and try to follow the wiring on my ride-on for the day I need to fix a problem! Thank you very much for the effort you’ve put in. Needless to say I’m a subscriber now!
Excellent instructional video. You're helping me keep my 2013 Honda Harmony alive. Thank You very much!!
Can't thank you enough for the great tutorial here! Your logical and thorough process helped me diagnose what turned out to be the same issue with my ancient craftsman rider. Very grateful for such awesome content. Subscribing now for when my mower takes a dump next year!
I just had a similar situation occur with my x350. Everything would power on, battery was fully charged, but it would start. Turns out the ground cable to the battery was slightly loose! After snugging it down, it started right up, good learning experience!
Perfect diagnosing steps, will use this pattern to test my no start/power issue:-)
Thanks a bunch. I've Been searching for clear mower electrical info - you nailed it. You've got me as a long term subscriber.
This video was great. I thought you seemed a little over the top at first, but then took notice of how clearly you spoke and continued to recover each step in order to really burn the process into the brain. Great job. I’m hoping you have some trailer light troubleshooting videos.
No trailer light videos, but they're fairly simple. Usually bad ground causes issues on them.
Great video explaining the electrical system. !
Thanks for watching!
You are one of the best teachers! Your videos are so good. I am learning so much by your channel!
Best DIY on riding mower electrical issues. You are a GREAT Instructor!!
Thanks for the kind words!
Excellent walkthrough! Electrical issues can seem so daunting at times but this video will help many...
Thanks for watching!
Great information given in a way that someone who has little knowledge can understand and I thank you
Awesome! Very nice and clear step-by-step. Thank you.
I really like the way you get right to job and point...saves me time...highly approve your channel, and thanks for doing such a quality job on the videos...i know that is not easy
Great video. Very informative. The only other thing i would have done is jump the 2 positive terminals on the starter solenoid. If the startrr works this wouls comferm a defective solenoid.
Not quite, if you had a bad key switch or safety switch, the key wouldn't send 12v to engage the solenoid, but using a screwdriver to jump the solenoid would still start the engine if you left the key in the run position.
Great video bro. Thank you!!