Riding Mower Problems

[Woodonglass]

Husqvarna 2008 YTH20k46 SV600 Kohler 20 HP.

OK, I'm an Old Dumb Okie and I put the Battery in Backwards HARD!!!! Once I realized it and disconnected and re-connected it was to late. Now everytime I hit the key it blows the fuse. Soooo something has burned to a dead short. Here's what I've checked so far. Seat Kill switch. OK. Ignition Switch. OK Solenoid OK. Rectifier/Regulator OK Stator-OK Not sure about Coil. Found a video on You tube about an inline diode but my wiriing schematic doesn't show one. Just wondering if anyone in iBoats land has had similar issues and if so how they cured it. I'm STUMPED and really don't want to take it in unless I have too!!!

 

[MTboatguy]

You have a riding mower?

 

[Grandad]

I have no experience with your engine, but I'd suggest lifting the condenser/capacitor wire and see if the short disappears. Reversing polarity on a DC capacitor will destroy it, sometimes catastrophically. Guys sometimes purposely blow them up just for the excitement of seeing the can explode. - Grandad

 

[Woodonglass]

I have no experience with your engine, but I'd suggest lifting the condenser/capacitor wire and see if the short disappears. Reversing polarity on a DC capacitor will destroy it, sometimes catastrophically. Guys sometimes purposely blow them up just for the excitement of seeing the can explode. - Grandad

I would if it had one. It has a Rectifier/Regulator. It Tests Good!!

 

[bigdee]

I would if it had one. It has a Rectifier/Regulator. It Tests Good!!

I would isolate the rectifier and see if fuse still blows. If not I would look for a blocking diode.

 

[Woodonglass]

I would isolate the rectifier and see if fuse still blows. If not I would look for a blocking diode.

I did both of those things. Neither have proved fruitful. Working on continuity of each wire from battery to switch at the moment.

 

[gm280]

WOG, I have a rider with the 15HP Kohler Command engine and they are basically the same layout. Is your a gravity fed tank or a fuel pump? If fuel pump, maybe it is toast. One other thing you may have over looked, The carb on those engines uses a solenoid at the carbonator to shut off fuel when you turn it off to stop backfire in the muffler. See if that carb solenoid is fried. Disconnect it and see if the short goes away...

 

[Woodonglass]

Sure does... I'll give that a try!!! Thanks

 

[gm280]

Sure does... I'll give that a try!!! Thanks

Wood, did you get your mower running yet?

 

[Woodonglass]

NO!!!! I bought a New wiring Harness and a new Switch and am waiting for them to arrive. Supposed to be here tomorrow. I'll keep you posted!!!

 

[Woodonglass]

WooHoo!!!! She's Fixed and Running like a New One!!! After tearing the old wiring harness out I saw where a lateral pigtail that was under the frame had melted and fused together. The New harness fixed the issue an was about a 30 min. re-routing and install. While I was at it I changed the oil, filter, fuel filter and air filter, Washed and waxed her too!!! She now runs like a new one!!!! Thanks to everyone!!!!

 

[ondarvr]

Wish I would have seen this sooner, had the same issue, almost bought new mower because this one was getting very tired. It had a melted wire just out of view, it was going to the fuel cutoff solenoid on the carb. Three years later and it's still running.

 

[gm280]

WooHoo!!!! She's Fixed and Running like a New One!!! After tearing the old wiring harness out I saw where a lateral pigtail that was under the frame had melted and fused together. The New harness fixed the issue an was about a 30 min. re-routing and install. While I was at it I changed the oil, filter, fuel filter and air filter, Washed and waxed her too!!! She now runs like a new one!!!! Thanks to everyone!!!!

Okay, another BOAT project finished....wait..... do you use your mower to fish? ound:

Glad to hear the good news...

 

[Woodonglass]

Wish I would have seen this sooner, had the same issue, almost bought new mower because this one was getting very tired. It had a melted wire just out of view, it was going to the fuel cutoff solenoid on the carb. Three years later and it's still running.

Yep, I checked that wire, and just about every other one too!! It happened to be a wire in a the Seat Shut off switch harness that I would never have found without taking it completely out. I'm hopin that this Old Dumb Okie will ALWAYS check the Battery Posts from now On and Make SURE to hook em up correctly!!!!:facepalm:

 

[gm280]

Yep, I checked that wire, and just about every other one too!! It happened to be a wire in a the Seat Shut off switch harness that I would never have found without taking it completely out. I'm hopin that this Old Dumb Okie will ALWAYS check the Battery Posts from now On and Make SURE to hook em up correctly!!!!:facepalm:

Wood, I have made just about every stupid mistake most anybody can think up over my years, but thankfully I have not reversed the battery connections yet

I did however, make a really nice explosion one Christmas. My wife bought me a new "Olson Electronics" (remember them), multi-meter with a mirrored scale. She asked me why there was a mirror on the scale. And rather then simply tell her, I had to get showy and tell her to watch. I plugged the probes into the local 115 volt AC wall outlet not knowing the meter was in the off position and that the probes were shorted together in the off position. You can imagine how high that meter jumped as it fried every run on the circuit board inside instantly... Her look and mine said it all that Christmas. :blue: I did rebuild those burnt runs and used it for a long time after that though. :facepalm:

 

[ondarvr]

My Melted wire(s) was from a small fire. It was a very hot and dry and after shutting off the mower and walking away I happened to glance back and noticed some smoke. Luckily I was parked near the hose and it was connected, so I put it out quickly. It did melt some stuff and I had to replace some wires, but the hard to find one shorted out about 3 years later. The cause of the oil leak is the crankcase (two halfs) bolts come loose and it starts to leak, when it leaks dry grass sticks to it and ignites when you shut it off. I've had it happen a few times since then so I always shut it off near the hose now, I never drive it back into the shop until it cools off.

 

[Woodonglass]

Thanks for trying to make and Old Dumb Okie feel better but... I'm still MAD at ME and at WalMart for reversing the Poles on the Battery. When I replaced the Battery I put the new one in the same way as the old one because the cables are bent to match up to the Poles a certain way so the Positive pole should be on the right closest to the front as you look at it. Soo I put the new one in the same way. Turns out the new Battery has the Negative Pole on the right when you put it in that way. I called WalMart and had them check the Old Battery that I returned and they confirmed that in Fact the configuration WAS reversed on the new batteries. It made me feel a bit better but not by much!!!! I still should have had enuf sense to check the stampings on the battery and confirm I was hooking it up correctly!!!:der: I'm HOPING I've learned my lesson and I WON'T do this ever again. Paying for Parts and paying to have the lawn mown 3 times ended up making this "Mistake" cost me $250 bucks. The good side is the repair shop said it would prolly have cost me $400+ to have them run it down and repair it @ $70 an hour!!!!