No start mower

[merc_man]

Got a free riding mower. Its a craftsman with a 15 h.p. kohler. It will not turn over with key. So i thought i would just turn the key on and cross cylinoid terminals to see if it would start that way. It turned over but no start. Pulled pkug and checked spark and nothing. Grabbed a new pkug to dpuble check and nothing stihl. Any ideas what to check for why not cranking by key and i figure that may be the spark isue too. I had my son sit on seat so the seat kill swith should not have been the isue.

 

[huskihl]

Pto switch? Seat switch? Unplug them or hotwire them and see if it works

 

[merc_man]

Pto was off and had boy on seat. What ya do to hotwire. Just cross termnals with wire?

 

[huskihl]

Mine is a JD with a kawasaki on it. Might be different, but my seat wires have a jumper between them. Contact = run. No contact = no run

 

[merc_man]

Ok will have to look at it later pr tomorrow not home write now.
Thanks

 

[Canadian farm boy]

Some mowers have to also have the brake pedal pressed down and the transmission in neutral.

I've got a troy built with a 18hp kohler. To start mine you have to sit on the seat, pto off, in neutral, brake pedal depressed.

 

[Frogfarmer]

Start with the brake/clutch safety switch and work your way from there. It can cause both a no crank and no spark situation. Deck engage/ PTO safety switch would be next. If the seat switch is unplugged you need to plug it in. The harness has a safety override if it's unplugged.

 

[merc_man]

Start with the brake/clutch safety switch and work your way from there. It can cause both a no crank and no spark situation. Deck engage/ PTO safety switch would be next. If the seat switch is unplugged you need to plug it in. The harness has a safety override if it's unplugged.

What is the best way to test switch

 

[Frogfarmer]

With an ohm meter. Each switch is a little different but most have two circuits. One is normally open and the other is normally closed. When the switch is depressed the circuits swap operations. This allows for a start circuit as well as a kill circuit. It does get more complicated but that's a general operation of the system.