When a riding mower won't start: How to troubleshoot and replace the starter- MTD and more
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- This video shows how to troubleshoot the starting circuit and replace the starter on an MTD riding mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine. Included is a segment on how to find and check out the starter relay, or solenoid.
Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower th-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
I just had this problem this week after installing a new battery it still would not turn over fast enough to start, I didn't have any test equipment but I did have another starter ,So I swapped it out and bam! that was the problem. Thanks for posting this.
You're welcome and glad to here you got it going.
Still seems prudent to run the tests mentioned so as not be just guessing. Voltage at battery, starter, and solenoid. Possibly jump over solenoid to see if it turns over faster.
in correct info about solenoid testing try this way instead turn key to start if only get a click stop short 2 big bolts on solenoid with pliers this will spin starter if batt is good replace solenoid.
Thank you for sharing that awesome video. From there I was able to fix my craftsman lawn tractor starter. I did everything I could do to get it going. I tried the battery and charged it. Even bought a new solenoid and put it in. So far so good but still it would not work. I heard the clicking so that was a good indication that things were in order. Your video help me navigate how a starter works. I took The cover off. Then, IA began to remove the starter from the tractor itself. After turning the screw just a bit just to loosen the starter from the tractor, the gear shifted and became loose. What had happened is that the gear seized up and would not turn the motor. Once I got it to work and move I was able to turn on the tractor successfully. Thanks again for taking the time toShare your knowledge.
You're welcome. You did a nice job of sticking with it to get it going.
Very common problem with Briggs. Starter turns the engine over good when cold, but will not turn it over fast enough when hot, or will not turn over the engine at all when hot. The solution is to check valve clearance. I've seen this so many times over the years. Adjust your valves, and it will turn over when hot. Yes, it could be bad connections or a bad starter, but check the valve clearance before wasting money on a new starter.
Very true, I come across an old murray mower and sometimes it was hard to turn when cold even with a brand new fully charged battery, it was a little weird because sometimes intermittently would turn easily sometimes not, I checked and adjusted the valves (they were a little loose) after never had any issues with the starter having trouble turning the engine.
I don't wear gloves....Get the gas ,oil,and grease all over my hands.....It's a love thing...Lol..
Thank you very much for your video, you made it so simple that I can change it my self. That is if my Troy built 7 speed 42 inch deck riding lawn mower is as easy as you made it look I'm praying that it is. Either way you made it look so easy .
You're welcome and hope you have good results with your mower.
Your fantastic thank u I actually have a ranchking and it's set up very similar to yours very helpful
So if one takes the red wire off the starter and with a meter sees 12 volts or a bit more when one turns the key and when key is off zero volts and when on 12 volts proves without a doubt that the trouble has something to do with the starter and not the solenoid or anything else. The reason I ask this is that I just did that test before watching this video and phoned my small engine guy and he said that test means nothing and to throw the meter away as it can always read 12 volts even with a bad solenoid. Comments on this appreciated. Now I am confused as if its the solenoid its almost impossible to remove on my 20 twin hp briggs and stratton engine.
If 12V is getting to the starter and it isn't turning that is a good clue that the problem is likely the starter. The body of the starter must also be grounded, so make sure of that also.
@@TheOriginalMechanic Thanks kindly for your reply and I forgot to mention that on a bench test the starter will spin. Would it be that the starter under load is to weak to crank the engine but will work fine without a load as like on a bench test. It is a 20 year old starter.
@@erwinerwin1245 That makes it a tougher call. Make sure your battery isn't the problem. Those lawn tractor batteries don't last long. Also make sure the engine turns freely. I too have a 20+ year old starter that still works fine.
@@TheOriginalMechanic First thing I did was checked the battery as batteries can do funny stuff. I checked all connections for tightness. I tried another battery from my other lawn tractor and I am sure the battery is good. I re installed the starter today and tried it again, and click, click and all of a sudden full cranking and then click and click and all of a sudden normal cranking. Now can a solenoid be intermittent?
Can't hear the most important details. Not very clear or articulate. Otherwise the video is somewhat helpful. I can figure it out.
Put new solenoid stills clicks
Very clear. I think I have good electrical connections however it's weird and that sometimes it refuses to go up and sometimes it refuses to return back down and I have to manually back the crankshaft counterclockwise to turn the starter rotate it back down...
The Original mechanic would NOT be wearing gloves.
45sec in, my starter does that but only turns the motor about a 1/4 turn then stops, Motor wont turn all the way over, replaced new coil and battery , what could it be? Thanks
I would pull the starter out and make sure the engine turns (isn't seized). Next I would run the starter while it's out of the tractor. If it runs put it back in, it may have been jammed. I've seen this happen on a car.
@@TheOriginalMechanic ok great, thank you
I have the same thing when the engine hits the compression stroke the starter just stops then I get the solenoid click. I know the engine isn't seized do you think the battery might be the issue ? I put the multimeter on and had 14 volts on the battery but now it only turns over with the battery charger and still not enough power to get past the compression stroke. Do you think as long as the starter spins it's still good?
Thank you! This is far and away the most clear description of how the starting system works on these mowers. I’ve been looking at useless, poorly drawn wiring diagrams to get this information and feeling stuck.
Great video appreciate! But holy moly do you have a part # for starter seems like nobody has
I bought an Stiga Ride on last year end with an INTEK 500 engine, within two months the engine seized with little hours and sufficient oil in it, Briggs SA just pulled their shoulders
At 0:44 and 4:33, what is the difference between the old and the new? They both kicked didn't it?
Pry the best video available
I'm just a little confused with this video. what's his starter bad ? He said there it is 12 volts and then he remove the starter
Just showing that if 12V is present at the starter and it won't start, then the starter is likely bad.
The Original Mechanic Now that, i understood. thank you.
We call those - BOLTS in the real world.
So mine reads zero therefore I need a starter correct?
Thanks for the video. I have bypassed / jumped the solenoid with a piece of metal, which spins the motor and makes noise, but it wont fire up. So assumably it's not seized. Bad starter? Also tried a new key switch, no luck.
Try tapping the starter with a hammer. My starter gear was stuck on the down position.
NEVER INVEST in an Brigg and Stratton engine, the worst investment with NO backup service
got to tinker with them. parts are generally plentiful online used. they are the simplest engine short of RC car engine/COX .049" . oil the starter ends so the shaft spins freely??? Especially since ppl put their machines outside and no cover and it gets rained on all the time/mice eat the wires under the flywheel / "hat" , mouse house that they love to make nests in and chew up all the wires/insulation on the wires if dont put mothballs under the flywheel and glue them there with super glue.
I’ve got the same exact type of starter. Except when I turn the key on to start it it pops up but doesn’t have enough to spin the flywheel. Could it be bad? Or just the battery. The battery is brand new
It's unlikely a new battery is bad. I would pull the starter and check it out of the mower.
@@TheOriginalMechanic I just ordered a new starter. Got the mower for free. Doesn’t hurt. Pay 40 bucks for a mower basically. It’s a steal!
If anyone can help, I have the same engine on my John Deere. I have red wire with diodes connects to the black and red wires coming out of top left of starter. When I connect them even with key off they spark and heat up. What could cause that?
shorting out somewhere
Mine spins but dont go up to turn flywheel ??
Unless the engine is seized I would suspect the starter. You may want to take it out and energize it to see what it's doing.
I only get 5v to my startmotor, the battery is fully charged with 12v, any idea what it is
Make sure all power connections are tight and free of corrosion first.Then you may need a meter to check for a voltage drop.
you only have 12 volts to starter when key switch is in start pos ition and solenoid is good the way to test this is as follows i use a pair of pliers to short 2 big lugs on solenoid if batt is good and startor is good it will spin the startor if it only clicks with the key switch just replace the solenoid it bad measuring volts at startor is not a good test an almost dead battery will test some volts its the amps in the charge that does the job defect soleniods are a common problem its the first thing i check
My starter goes then stops then goes again and stops and makes a slip sound
oil the starter ends??? so the shaft spins freely. good connections with a little sandpaper on the cable connectors? grease / vaseline/ dielectric grease on the bolt on the starter/ cable ends so they dont corrode? how to rebuild starter vids on u tube. not hard. rebuilid kits on e bay. good battery? some will show 12.x volts sitting there but when cranking drop below 9v so they fail the "LOAD TEST" and are no good. i figure if can get 6 months out of cheap wm batteries... a year or so with charger and or starting the engine every so often and letting it charge... but dont expect the charging system on the mower to charge a dead battery... it just cooks the stator on the engine (black wires on the stater/generator means it is cooked and needs replaced)
@@gmcinnis6304 I wouldn't know if mines cooked up cause I need a flywheel puller tool it shouldn't be though cause I put a new starter on and it'll start off the battery charger while its connected to the battery but one i disconnect the charger cable the mower shuts off
My battery is from 2016 and i think its just dead even though the battery tester shows 36.13 on the reading while the battery is unhooked from the mower it on the mower the numbers drop fast with only the ignition key turned to on position
@@gmcinnis6304 I knew it was needing a new coil so I put that on the little slip on things on each end of the wires were to loose so I had to pinch them in tighter so that they'd stay on the ends of the coil prongs.
I was thinking maybe one of those are loose still to why the engine dies out when I unhook the battery charger when its running shouldn't it still run with a dead battery and a jump start from the battery charger it did for years before also before i changed the coil on it and then the coil i got was a new used coil from Amazon supposed to brand new i could tell someone had it before i got it the prongs weren't shiny new and the middle of the coil had small rust dots so I cleaned those off my mower run and stays running as long as the charger is hooked on it
Great Video! Thank you...Subbed!
I started my multimeter with battery got 12 volts there so I went to solenoid checked the battery lead post and got 12 volts there so I checked the outbound post of solenoid (where starter cable connects to) got 12 volts there so I ruled out solenoid....now just starter cable and starter are left....or a seized engine...when i went to check starter cable I'm confused....i put black lead on cable end right by the starter and then red lead on solenoid post and I get 0 voltage or maybe like .01 does this mean there's simply no voltage lost from solenoid post to end of starter cable? Did I perform a drop test and not know it lol...if that's the case then all that's left to do is what you did here and make sure I do have 12 volts at the starter cable end by the starter and we can rule out bad starter cable and point to the starter or seized engine....although I'm 99% sure it's not seized
Yeah that would be a way to check the cable under load (as you turn the key). This does point toward the starter (or more rarely, the engine). My only other suggestion: make sure all your grounds are tight, including the starter mounting bolts.
The Original Mechanic yeah everything was tight...i checked today and confirmed I have a bad ground somewhere because when I place black probe on chassis and red probe on starter stud I get nothing...but when I put black probe on negative terminal of battery I'm getting a good 12.4 volts at the starter stud...
That's just half the problem...the other issue is the starter isn't strong or I have something going on with the engine itself....i jumped the starter ground by taking jumper cables black to negative terminal of battery and other end to the starter mount and it starts up but only turns a little bit....when I pull out the spark plug it really turns pretty good but with spark plug in different story....could it simply be a weak starter?
I just have no clue on how to troubleshoot and find the bad ground....i don't know the schematics of the grounding system
My favorite way to check a ground is to disconnect the positive battery cable and use the meter in the resistance mode (ohms). Then put one meter cable on the battery negative and the other on the starter ground (what you call the stud). There should be zero or point one ohms there if the ground is good. A poor ground could cause what you are seeing with starter turning only a bit. You might try removing the starter and running it off the engine to verify whether it is good or not. I have yet to encounter a "weak" starter. Good luck!
The Original Mechanic well I know I have a bad ground cuz I can only get the starter going if I jump the black jumper cable from negative battery terminal and make contact to where starter mounts...thats only way I get good voltage reading and actually get the starter to run
I just don't know where to look to find this bad ground....i want to sell this mower and I can't just sell it this way having to connect black jumper cable to negative battery
When I try to turn my mower on nothing happens no noise or nothing. I can jump the mower by hooking up a battery straight to the starter.
There are 3 red wires connected to the solenoid. 2 of them gets over 12 voltage but the other one doesn’t get any. Do you know what that wire might be? It’s not the starter wire.
That wire is likely from a safety permissive such as the blade stop and is only energized when the key is turned and all permissives are met.
So I just finished checking the continuity on the wires from the ignition to the solenoid. Every wire had continuity except for an orange wire that’s connected to the S on ignition and bottom post of the solenoid. The solenoid is brand new so I know it works. Can that be the reason why nothing happens when I try to turn it on?
@@deegaw11 the orange is probably just going to your stator
ty . Give it a shot tomorrow. I'll be sure to let u know
You never let us know
@@LucifersDeathSquad lmao
I have a 17hp Briggs and Stratton engine in my riding mower... starts fine. after running it for a while if I shut it down... gotta wait for it to cool before it will start again
Sounds like an engine problem, not the starter.
so what could it be ???. oil is fine replaced coil. ???
Does it crank and not start, or not even crank? I once had a car that did that when hot, but it would crank. It turned out to be a broken cylinder head bolt.
The Original Mechanic doesn't even crank until it cools off. then it fire's right up and runs great. I replaced the coil. no difference
This is a job for a volt meter. Check and see if 12V is getting to the starter. If yes, replace it. If not work backward to the solenoid and find where it is lost. Also make sure all grounds are tight.
That was good information to know and I have to change the starter out on my John Deere mower which have a Kawasaki engine in it. After that I have to work on my Craftsman mower to get it running also, but it should run once my battery in it is charged. I knew about the starter on my J.D. mower since my neighbor who is a small engine repairman told me about it last Summer, but I didn't change it then.
Good luck to you getting those mowers going.