Cub Cadet Tank will not start

[jimskio]

We have a Cub Cadet Tank 60" here at work that will not start. I got to looking at it and it gets gas and fire so I started thinking about the battery. This thing has never really turned over fast when starting but it turns over so slow that it will not start. I can hook jumper cables to it from another battery and it starts right up. A co-worker has stated that the last time he worked on it the pressure in the crank case was building so high that the engine would not turn over correctly. Isn't there a vent that would prevent this from happening? I had the battery tested and was told the battery is perfectly good. It is a Batteries Plus Extreme battery with 600 CCA and 645@32 degrees. Has anyone had any experience with this? This thing is starting to drive me nuts.

jimskio

[rcbe]

jimskin - pull the battery back out. Take it to a qualified shop that can LOAD test it for you. While the battery is still out, take some sandpaper and clean ALL contacts surfaces in the start circuit (particularly those going to the frame) to bright metal. Don't just give 'em a look, sand 'em clean and then re-secure each connection to get rid of of any corrosion that can reduce current flow. Also keep a sharp eye out for greenish-white stuff collecting on the wiring - remove by dunking wire into baking soda/water mix or replace wire if really bad. Lastly, clean battery post connections, hook good battery back up and retest. if still probs, post back with details.

[jimskio]

rcbe

The battery was tested at Batteries Plus and they are the ones that said it is fine. I will remove, clean and/or replace cables IF necessary tomorrow and let you know what happens. Thanks for the help.

jimskio

[rcbe]

jim - did batteries plus do a load test? Some shops do, some don't. The load test detects if the battery has a one or more failing cells that only hold a shallow surface charge that can fool one into thinkin the battery voltage is good....

[jimskio]

Not sure if they did a load test a girl from work took it to them. I started cleaning/sanding all battery/cable connections this morning and found a problem. The guy who worked on this before me had tightened the cables on the solenoid so tight that he broke both sides. Now I have to get a solenoid, maybe that was the problem all along. I will post an up date as soon as I can get that part in.
Thanks for the help!

jimskio

[Zork]

We have a Cub Cadet Tank 60" here at work that will not start. I got to looking at it and it gets gas and fire so I started thinking about the battery. This thing has never really turned over fast when starting but it turns over so slow that it will not start. I can hook jumper cables to it from another battery and it starts right up. A co-worker has stated that the last time he worked on it the pressure in the crank case was building so high that the engine would not turn over correctly. Isn't there a vent that would prevent this from happening? I had the battery tested and was told the battery is perfectly good. It is a Batteries Plus Extreme battery with 600 CCA and 645@32 degrees. Has anyone had any experience with this? This thing is starting to drive me nuts.

jimskio

He must be referring to cylinder pressure because excessive pressure in the crankcase would cause oil leaks; yes, there should be a crankcase breather. Additionally, if you have a vacuum operated fuel pump the excess pressure in crankcase would not allow the pump to work.

You can also go to your engine manufacturers web page and get a free owners manual and a maintenance maual, with trouble shooting tips. Some Kohler's specify around 550 rpms in order to start. The flywheel key and timing seems to be problematic on many cubs. Good luck and keep us posted.

[rcbe]

Not sure if they did a load test a girl from work took it to them. I started cleaning/sanding all battery/cable connections this morning and found a problem. The guy who worked on this before me had tightened the cables on the solenoid so tight that he broke both sides. Now I have to get a solenoid, maybe that was the problem all along. I will post an up date as soon as I can get that part in.
Thanks for the help!

jimskio

yup - yer on the right track. And if that solenoid only has one small dia wire running to it, make sure that the new solenoid mounting hardware gets a good contact to the frame metal ground - clean as needed. That will provide for a good ignition sw. circuit ground for the solenoid to engage the starter.
And don't forget to make sure that battery was LOAD tested - you don't want any weak links in this "chain" while troubleshooting