Went to get my old lawn tractor running. Turned the key and nothing. Figured the battery was dead so went to charge it and the needle pegged out, wouldn't take a charge. So went in town for a new battery and new spark plugs. Put the new battery in and tried it, still nothing. It ran good when I used it last fall. So I towed it up to the garage where I could work on it and started taking it apart. Found that the mice had eaten all of the coating off of the magneto wire. Used electric tape to tape it up and still nothing. Have ordered a new wire from Briggs and Stratton, but it won't ship until Monday. When you turn the key to start there is nothing. I have gone all over the wireing and the magneto wire was the only thing I could find that would keep it from starting.
Let's hope that when the new lead arrives, and is fitted, that lawn tractor runs smoothly again for you. Mice can be so distructive and can get into the smallest of spaces to cause damage. They chewed through the cable of Ian's power washer last year. He was anything but happy about that as it was almost new. :-x Will you be able to take the new battery and spark plugs back for a refund if the lead is the problem?
well, your knowledge of things mechanical will serve you well again, Capt. Me, I would not have a clue what to do...
No I will keep the new battery. The old one was 3 years old and it was bad. I think it had a dead cell in it. If it's not the lead, then there are a couple of things it colud be, but I will worry about those after I get the new lead.
Captain, I do hope your lawn tractor is up and running soon, with no more difficulties. We have an extra rat snake in the barn and I'll ship him/her to you if you like. Rat snakes are quiet and well-behaved, and can solve a rodent problem in a jiffy. Kinda cute, too!
The last mouse to take up residence in my lawn tractor became instant mouseburger. Cleaning the flywheel was needed to set things right. I did have a starting relay fail once which required a jumper cable bypass from the battery to the starting solenoid to get the tractor started. Once running it stayed that way. Wiring may not be your only problem. Good luck with repairs Captain. Jerry
Jerry, I am sure you and Captain understand what you said. It's Greek to many of us less mechanically inclined. "Starting relay, solenoid"? If I have trouble starting our mower, I know who to call!
I feel for you capt...mice are horrible here and get into every piece of equipment we put in our shed. We've had to repair wires in our snowblower, lawn tractor, snowmobiles, anything we put in there for storage. Once, the mice filled the muffler of our snowmobile with corn!! I hope that the new wire fixes your tractor Capt.
I was in at Lowes this morning looking to see if by chance they had the wire. But they didn't. I have it on order from Briggs & Stratton, but the shipping costs more that the wire. Anyhow a guy was beside with me and asked what I was looking for. He was just another customer, but repairs mowers and tractors. He said it sounded like maybe the starter solenoid was bad. He told me how to check it and said if I needed any other info to give him a call and gave me his phone number.
I checked out the solenoid and it was ok. So the only thing left was wireing. So I started checking it. Came to the small fuse box. It takes a 7.5 amp flat automotive type fuse. I pulled the fuse out and looked at it to see if it was blown and it was ok. Put the fuse back in and finished checking the wireing and couldn't find anything else. Tried to start the tractor and it started. Looked at the fuse and the top of it had teeth marks on it. I think the mice tried to chew on it and found out that they couldn't, but loosened it up just enough to break the electrical connection.
Three cheers for the detective work Captain. Perhaps some well placed d-Con lunch food for the mice in the fall may prevent a similar occurrence. Jerry
Pesky critters. I cleaned out the shed a couple of weekends ago and found a perfect little nest in one of my flower pots. In past years they have chewed through the kids paddling pools and garden parasols. On the allotment they scoff my bean and pea seeds leaving little holes where they have dug them out. Cute, but a real nuisance.
