eightksi
Bronze Member
I found out why my battery drains on my S470d....the smaller ground wire that comes off the wire loom next to the starter was kind of pinched between the mesh motor guard by the exhaust, and the clutch bell housing. The vibration from the motor wore off the jacket on that smaller ground wire. Then it was grounding on the tractor. Then, it sparked yesterday!!!!
I pushed the wire loom back a bit, away from the bell housing, and it stopped sparking. Just in time to not catch the thing on fire! That whole wire had its casing rubbed/burnt off. it some how did not damage the wire loom too much...the other wires for the alternator, headlights, etc, didn't get damaged too bad, and it ran fine when I drove it to the garage, and started OK after I let it sit for awhile. Scary, though. I happened to be off the tractor clearing some toys away so I could mow, and came back and saw it sparking and smoking there near the exhaust, and caught it in time before I had a real problem. I was able to get electrical tape over the ground wire and cover it/insulate it with tape pretty good. I bent the mesh cover out a little with a screwdriver to it would pinch and rub the wires anymore....Yikes.
I pushed the wire loom back a bit, away from the bell housing, and it stopped sparking. Just in time to not catch the thing on fire! That whole wire had its casing rubbed/burnt off. it some how did not damage the wire loom too much...the other wires for the alternator, headlights, etc, didn't get damaged too bad, and it ran fine when I drove it to the garage, and started OK after I let it sit for awhile. Scary, though. I happened to be off the tractor clearing some toys away so I could mow, and came back and saw it sparking and smoking there near the exhaust, and caught it in time before I had a real problem. I was able to get electrical tape over the ground wire and cover it/insulate it with tape pretty good. I bent the mesh cover out a little with a screwdriver to it would pinch and rub the wires anymore....Yikes.