Ignition switch, or something else?

[David-Davies]

Yes you can jump from your hot wire, or the battery, and touch each wire, to see what happens. You will atvate the starter, but it proabaly won't start, unless you jump the wire for the injector pump. Then again as said you have safty switches, witch may not let any thing work, so make sure that you engage, all switches. Do you have bright head lights, or are they a little dim?? Do they go dim when you try to activate the starter??
Dave

 

[Jason_MI]

David; I get no lights at all.

Edited to add> Okay; just spent several hours out there in the cold garage. I'm pretty sure it's not the safety switches; I bypassed all of them and still get nothing. This afternoon, I'll try to hotwire it from where the switch is; my plan is to simply jumper from the hot to each of the accessory wires. Does that sound reasonable?

Also, when I first hooked up the hot to the switch this morning, there was a spark...does that indicate anything like a ground situation that shouldn't exist?

Just kind of grasping at straws at the moment; I mean, there are SO many wires and harnesses on this dumb thing.

 

[Soundguy]

i think i'd check wire to the solenoid first and see what it hits.. via the schematic. check safety switches in that line.. might be a trans neutral interlock.. etc..

soundguy

 

[David-Davies]

Hello Jason MI. Did you try using a set of jumper cables from the battery. Ground on the battery to a bolt or good ground on the starter. touch the hot clamp to the starter. Not the solenoid, were the battery is bolted, on, but the outher bolt on the solenoid, that has a metal tab that goes in to the starter. Their should be a large spark, and the starter should turn over, but may not engage the starter. If you don't have a large spark, when you touch the starter, touch the hot clamp to a good ground. Their should be a large spark. Then touch the hot clamp to the ground clamp. You should have the same spark at all three spots, with maybe a little less at the starter. IF NOT you have a bad battery ground, dirty battery post, bad battery. If you get a large spark, then, test each circuit, one at a time. Disconect all outher wires, except the ones for the circuit that your testing. This is importent test, You must make sure that you eliminate, all battery problems before testing any circuits, or you`ll just go around in circles
Dave

 

[David-Davies]

PS. If you touched the hot tab on the key, and nothing was hooked up, and you got a spark, your key has a short. Test with an ohm meter, from each tab to the side of the swith, there should be no curent flow from the tabes to the side of the swith. Of course touching each tab with a hot wire is quicker. Their should be no spark.
Dave

 

[Jason_MI]

Thanks; I'll try those tonight.

 

[Jason_MI]

First off, let me say that I owe a huge, huge, huge thanks to those that have responded. Mr. Davies jogged a memory I had from long ago, which I followed. At the time, I had a relatively young riding lawn mower that failed. I tried everything to get it going, but nothing worked. My neighbor---rest his soul---said that the first thing you do is clean the terminals on the battery and the battery leads. I thought he was nuts, as they looked fine, but after some sandpaper; funny; it worked.

The same thing happened here. I took off the battery connections, and spent a GOOD deal of tiem cleaning them, sandpapering them, and making them basically bright. I took apart the connectors and soaked them in baking soda and water, used sandpaper on the wires, sandpapered the terminals on the battery.

I took a good long time, and as soon as I was done; well....the thing works. So once again, the simplest solution is the best one.

Thanks again, Mr Davies. I owe you on this one.

 

[David-Davies]

Glad to of helped. But David-Davies is my first name, I'm Welsh.
Dave

 

[Scrambler82]

Did you use some terminal paste on the battery terminals ?
It help with corrosion.