# Craftsman riding mower won't start



## HeathR (Jul 29, 2012)

Hi guys,
I haven't worked on a small engine since highschool and i'm a little perplexed with my current problem. While cranking I only get clicking from my solenoid, my dad just replaced the battery but I thought maybe there was a drain so I removed it and recharged it. It was nearly fully charged but I let it charge fully. After reinstalling it the mower fired and started twice in a row but on the third attempt all I got was clicking yet again. I don't have a volt meter on hand and the next time I'm in town I'm going to pick one up, but I figured I would pick everyones brains on here first. The solenoid is new as is the starter. I've checked all the connections and cleaned them and I can jump start the mower with my pickup. The battery is a 300 ca and 250 cca..i assume this is plenty of amps. Any Ideas?


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## asat (Jun 28, 2012)

hi
How old is this riding mower?
You replaced battery,selenoid,and starter but you battery still get depleted after a couple of start !...
My first impression is your starter is drawing more current than normal,possibly du to your motor hard to turn.You won't notice it with your car battery since it is bigger and more powerful.
When you just charge your riding mower battery and it started the first two times does it take long to start or just a few second?
You could check the starter before and after starting you motor to feel the difference in temperature.
Once you check with a meter it will be easier to find the problem
Asat


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## Don L (Jul 14, 2012)

If it's a single cylinder Briggs and won't turn over easily I would adjust the valves,.005 intake and .007 exhuast.These engines have a compression release built into the cam and they won't start if it isn't working properly.This is a very common issue on these engines.


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## HeathR (Jul 29, 2012)

The mower is a late 90s? The starter overdrawing was my first thought, but this starter is performing the same as the last one. The motor turns easily by hand, i can even move it by spinning the starter gear by hand while its engaged with the flywheel. After messing with it again its not even suppling enough power to engage the bendix spring now. I think its pretty clear I'm going to have to start chasing wires.
Thanks for the responses, I'll post if I find the reason,
HeathR


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

It's very possible that the starter solenoid is the culprit here. They arc internally and eventually the contacts stop allowing sufficient current to flow through to the starter. If jumping the posts on top allows it to crank over good, then the solenoid needs to be replaced. If it still won't crank, then I would clean all the battery cable contacts and make sure the ground cable is clean and all connections are tight.

If the engine is an OHV then I would also check the valve lash as previously suggested.


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## Rentahusband (Aug 25, 2008)

Sounds like the solenoid to me. I doubt the fully charged battery would discharge after a few starts. Even though the solenoid is new, it could still be defective.


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## Don L (Jul 14, 2012)

Even if the connection of the ground cable to the frame looks clean I would unbolt it and clean it.You can also use jumper cables from the negative battery terminal to the engine block to diagnose a bad ground.


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