Riding Mower won't start

[Russianwolf]

What is it with me and batteries lately. That's the first suspect at least. I ran the thing a couple weeks ago, using it to haul some stone around the yard. Went out to cut the grass yesterday and turned the key and..... nothing. No cranks at all.

Anybody know off the top of their head what voltage these things run off of? I'm not beyond jumping it off from the car, but don't want to fry it if it's only a 6v system. (didn't see any markings on the top of the battery)

It is still under it's warranty, So I'm going to dig up the papers tonight and give them a call in the morning if I can't figure it out tonight.

[Jim Boyd]

Very few 6 volt batteries around anymore. One sure fire way to know is count the cells. 2 volts per cell. If you have 2 long caps on the top of your battery, lift them up and you will see 3 holes under each cap.

[JSUPreston]

Mike, I've been jumping mine off for two years now. For some reason, I can't keep a battery on my riding Crapsman. I'm tired of spending the money, so I just pull the truck up next to the locking lean-to, push the mower out, and jump it off. I'm baffled as to what is wrong with the mower...I've replaced everything electrical. For some reason, I can never get enough amps off the mower battery to start. Car battery will do it everytime.

[pushrod]

First, check the terminals and make sure they're tight and not covered in corrosion.

Verify it's a 12V system (maybe by surfing the 'Net for your models' specs) and jump it off.

Invest in a Battery Tender or the like to keep the battery from draining. If the battery is a bear to get to, go to a Radio Shack and buy male and female pigtails for a remote control car battery. Then you can have the pigtail mounted on the mower where you can plug in easily.

Lastly, use a fuel stabilizer.

I worked at a shop for small boat building and repair, and we did land-office business every Spring replacing or servicing batteries, cleaning carbs and dumping syrup out of gas tanks.

HTH, Steve

[Russianwolf]

First, check the terminals and make sure they're tight and not covered in corrosion.

Verify it's a 12V system (maybe by surfing the 'Net for your models' specs) and jump it off.

Invest in a Battery Tender or the like to keep the battery from draining. If the battery is a bear to get to, go to a Radio Shack and buy male and female pigtails for a remote control car battery. Then you can have the pigtail mounted on the mower where you can plug in easily.

Lastly, use a fuel stabilizer.

I worked at a shop for small boat building and repair, and we did land-office business every Spring replacing or servicing batteries, cleaning carbs and dumping syrup out of gas tanks.

HTH, Steve

terminals are all clear. this is only this mowers 3rd season.

fuel is clean. I run it dry at the end of every season so no goo.

The battery is a bit of a pain as it's under the seat and you are supposed to be sitting when you crank her. I just need to make sure she's a 12volter. Are all the newer MTD made mowers 12v? I'm leaning that direction since the craftman mentioned above is 12v. I believe MTD makes it also.

[Hellrazor]

All new mowers are 12v, unless someone did something very odd and I missed it. You have a few choices:

1. Jump start it and drive it around/let it run to see if it will charge.
2. If you have a battery charger, heres your chance to use it.
3. If you don't have a charger, buy a battery tender as previously suggested.
4. Buy a new battery.

[Jim Boyd]

terminals are all clear. this is only this mowers 3rd season.

fuel is clean. I run it dry at the end of every season so no goo.

The battery is a bit of a pain as it's under the seat and you are supposed to be sitting when you crank her. I just need to make sure she's a 12volter. Are all the newer MTD made mowers 12v? I'm leaning that direction since the craftman mentioned above is 12v. I believe MTD makes it also.

Count the holes dummy! I've sold and checked literally thousands of batteries both car and mower. Maybe 2 6 volt mower batteries in the bunch and they were from 1950's models. And yes all newer mowers are 12 volts

[just4funsies]

While you're counting holes, LOOK IN the holes, and see if there are any dry cells. If you ran this mower 2 weeks ago and now are dead, you may have one or more dry cells. If all are dry, or if some are full and others are dry, look for a crack in the battery casing (can happen during the winter if the battery freezes).

[gsmittle]

I have a teenager I'm willing to lend you. He works hard, but eats as much as any three normal people.

g.

[Pappy]

If the cells are low, top them off with distilled water. The chemicals in tap water will cause build up on the plates in the battery. If you have to replace the battery, stay away from the "NEVER Start" that Wally World sells. If you get 2 seasons out of one, you are doing good. A few more bucks on a decent battery is worth the investment.

Use caution jumping the battery off a car. The charging systems, as well as most motorcycles, aren't designed to handle the amperage that a car puts out. If you must, jump it with the car engine off.

[buckeye]

The battery is a bit of a pain as it's under the seat and you are supposed to be sitting when you crank her. I just need to make sure she's a 12volter. Are all the newer MTD made mowers 12v? I'm leaning that direction since the craftman mentioned above is 12v. I believe MTD makes it also.

I have an MTD and the battery is also under the seat. It for sure is 12 volts as I had to jump mine to get it started before I went out and bought a new battery for $46.99 at autozone. OUCH! It seems I can't get more than 2 years out of a battery even though I charge it several times over the winter. On mine, as long as you have the parking brake set, you can hook up jumper cables and start it without putting the seat down.

[Stick]

It mystifies me why so many people have battery troubles. My seasonal use batteries (trikes, lawnmower, harley, sprayer, etc) all seem to last around 8-9 years and my small truck and tractor batteries about 10-12 years. Big truck and tractor batteries about the same, but I've got one that uses two 8D batteries in series for 24 volts and they are over 20 years old. Good thing, because they're close to $300 each here now. My only secret is maintenance. All the unused ones come inside the shop in the winter and get charged every 2 weeks and electrolyte levels are maintained at least once a month in winter. In the summer when they're being used, once a week. Only ever add distilled water. Clean the cases and mount brackets/carriers regularly because dirt/grease/corrosion can cause self-discharging.

Other than gel batteries, there is no such thing as a maintenance free battery. They all lose electrolyte. The manufacturers simply calculate how much a battery is going to lose over its life expectancy (warranty period) and allow that much extra fluid. If you keep them clean and topped up they last a LONG time.

One thought on the lawn tractor though. Some of those key switches are finicky about turning off. My wife has done that, not quite got it turned off and killed the battery.

Oh, and on boosting a six volt machine, even a positive ground one can be jumped off a 12 volt as long as no parts of the vehicles are touching. Don't connect to the battery of the 6 volt machine, but rather directly to the starter terminal. Make absolutely certain that the machine is in neutral, turn the key on and touch the ground clamp of your booster cables to the frame. What you're doing is applying 12V directly to the starter, but bypassing the rest of the electrical system, including all safety interlocks. A 6V starter will work fine on 12V as long as you never let it crank for long. Antique tractor guys do this all the time.

[crokett]

Or you could touch the red lead directly to the starter motor. I do this all the time to jump start my dad's 40yr old gravely. That thing is a beast but it still runs well.

[Stick]

I like to make the last connection to ground to avoid pitting the starter terminal. Aren't old tractors fun? I've got a couple of 2N Fords over 60 years old. I like them little old toys better than the 70hp and 150hp ones I've got.

[Russianwolf]

Count the holes dummy! I've sold and checked literally thousands of batteries both car and mower. Maybe 2 6 volt mower batteries in the bunch and they were from 1950's models. And yes all newer mowers are 12 volts

It's hard to count the holes when you're 70 miles away from the machine, my eyes aren't that good. Plus trying to see throught the garage door and through the lowered seat is to much of a hassle.

I checked after I got home and yep, 12v. I jumped it off and mowed the front yard before it got too dark. I'll check the battery over this weekend and top it up etc. to see if it's a bad cell or not. Otherwise I'll just keep jumping her when I need her (I have an extra 450Amp car battery now, remember)