ZG124E zero turn no start?

[Glen T]

Ok 1st time poster here so bare with me please.

My zero turn wouldn't start this spring so I jumped it off. As soon as I pulled the negative jump cable off the mower died. So I let it run and charge with the other mower still attached for about 40 minutes. It would mow on flat ground but would bog down when mowing on a incline.

Suspecting a charging problem. I went through all the diagnostics and determined the Voltage Regulator was bad and not charging.

But while diagnosing the problem and even with a full charge on the battery the starter started to barely try to turn over when the key is engaged. But will turn and start the engine when the solenoid is jumped.

Replaced the solenoid and regulator and its doing the same thing. turn the key and the starter barely engages, but will turn over and start with the solenoid jumped.

All fuses are good and all the relays I can find which is two, (plus hearing the seat relay click.) seem to be clicking and working.

B.S. 44M777 engine FWIW

I'm stumped. Any further guidance would be great. Thanks in advance!

 

[Motion]

I'd suggest having the battery load checked. When you say "solenoid jumped" do you mean battery voltage to the start terminal of the solenoid or from battery to starter motor? Ensure that you deliver a full 12 volts to the solenoid you may have a bad connection along the safeties. Good luck

 

[lugbolt]

the battery is dead.

alternators don't charge very well if at all when the battery voltage is lower than about 11v. In the old days when cars had generators you could charge a dead battery if you let it sit and run for a while. Mowers don't have generators, they have alternators. Your ZG124E is a briggs engine and the alternator on those briggs twins is pretty cheesy, it don't charge much....AND the regulator...LOL if we're allowed to call it a regulator....cheap cheap cheap, doesn't charge much (and none when the battery is low), yet you're asking it to run a pto clutch an electrical system and a shutoff solenoid, and it can't/won't, thus it bogs down, dies, no power, etc.

replace the battery. It is dead. Very common we think we can charge a battery when a lot of times they will "take" a charge, and will show 100% charged, then when you put it under a load it's dead again, where voltage drops below 10v while cranking. This is extremely common and will throw you for a loop. Replace the battery and call it a day.
Replace the battery.

 

[Glen T]

I'd suggest having the battery load checked. When you say "solenoid jumped" do you mean battery voltage to the start terminal of the solenoid or from battery to starter motor? Ensure that you deliver a full 12 volts to the solenoid you may have a bad connection along the safeties. Good luck

By jumped, I mean sticking a piece of metal across the top terminals to bypass the solenoid.

I'll try a known good battery. But this one tested ok with the cheap harbor freight load tester. I'll also try to get a amp and volt reading to the starter.

 

[lugbolt]

should have specified.

with both arms out, park brake set, pto off and you in the seat, does the starter relay "click" when you turn the key to start?

 

[Glen T]

Ok I have a good battery, even put a charger on start mode to boost it.

Still will barely try to turn the fly wheel. I'm getting 13+ volts on the control/switch side of the solenoid (little wires) and 13+ at the + side from the battery. But not on the starter side of the solenoid.

Does it matter which side the control/switch side wires are on? I've pulled them off and switched them but it still does the same thing.

I'm about to pull it to the dealer and be done with it.

should have specified.

with both arms out, park brake set, pto off and you in the seat, does the starter relay "click" when you turn the key to start?

Ok. What I've figured out so far. Blue wire has 12 volts to solenoid from ignition switch. Blue wire red stripe (BR from now on) has none so I'm thinking bad ground. So I alligatored a wire from the left terminal where the small BR wire connects to the mounting bolt for the solenoid. Engine spun with the switch. Yea progress.

Traced BR wire to a relay under the seat. It ohmed out perfect so the wire is good. Pulled out the plug from the relay some and jumpered across from the male termenal of the BR wire to the male terminal to the left. Hit the switch and the engine turned over. So I'm thinking the relay is bad.

Picture of the relay in question. BR wire comes in at 12 o'clock and I believe feeds from the brown wire that I didnt have time to trace. It does sound and feel like its clicking, but its next to another relay so I might be feeling that.

 

[lugbolt]

Ok I have a good battery, even put a charger on start mode to boost it.

Still will barely try to turn the fly wheel. I'm getting 13+ volts on the control/switch side of the solenoid (little wires) and 13+ at the + side from the battery. But not on the starter side of the solenoid.

Does it matter which side the control/switch side wires are on? I've pulled them off and switched them but it still does the same thing.

I'm about to pull it to the dealer and be done with it.


Ok. What I've figured out so far. Blue wire has 12 volts to solenoid from ignition switch. Blue wire red stripe (BR from now on) has none so I'm thinking bad ground. So I alligatored a wire from the left terminal where the small BR wire connects to the mounting bolt for the solenoid. Engine spun with the switch. Yea progress.

Traced BR wire to a relay under the seat. It ohmed out perfect so the wire is good. Pulled out the plug from the relay some and jumpered across from the male termenal of the BR wire to the male terminal to the left. Hit the switch and the engine turned over. So I'm thinking the relay is bad.

Picture of the relay in question. BR wire comes in at 12 o'clock and I believe feeds from the brown wire that I didnt have time to trace. It does sound and feel like its clicking, but its next to another relay so I might be feeling that.

U can do several tests since you have a volt meter.

First a voltage drop test. If you are getting power to the starter and the starter is not running, check the ground via drop test (one probe on the engine block another probe on the neg batt terminal)-you want to see 0.5v or less showing on the meter during a voltage drop test.

Secondly, look at your brake switch. Does it have a metal tab on the front side of it? If no, you have the original switch and the originals almost always die prematurely. There was a "recall" on them (not really a recall, a mandatory reliability update)--which is now expired. I think you can still buy the brake switch kit, though it's not much fun to install-takes me about 2 hours give or take, and I've done a couple hundred of them. Days' worth of work for most folks but it's a permanent fix.

 

[Glen T]

U can do several tests since you have a volt meter.

First a voltage drop test. If you are getting power to the starter and the starter is not running, check the ground via drop test (one probe on the engine block another probe on the neg batt terminal)-you want to see 0.5v or less showing on the meter during a voltage drop test.

Secondly, look at your brake switch. Does it have a metal tab on the front side of it? If no, you have the original switch and the originals almost always die prematurely. There was a "recall" on them (not really a recall, a mandatory reliability update)--which is now expired. I think you can still buy the brake switch kit, though it's not much fun to install-takes me about 2 hours give or take, and I've done a couple hundred of them. Days' worth of work for most folks but it's a permanent fix.

Where is the brake switch located?

 

[Glen T]

Where is the brake switch located?

Oh I only get a flash of voltage at the starter when it tries to turn maybe half to a whole tooth. Then the voltage drops to tenths.

Glen

 

[Glen T]

Thanks lugbolt for all the help. It ended up being the relay causing the no start.

It's still bogging down when the blades are engaged though.

I think I've reached the end of my mechanical ability on this one so off to the dealer it goes.

 

[lugbolt]

Thanks for posting a solution. I wish every post would.

Bogging under load can be lots of things hopefully nothing really bad or expensive. Keep us updated if you don't mine.