Zero turn won't start after it's been running

[Mjulson]

Hi there, new here and hoping someone can help me out.

I have a problem with a Husqavarna RZ 5424 with a Kawa 24 HP motor.

It began with after mowing for a while, I'd stop for a drink, come back starter won't spin. Leave it for a while and starts right up.

Checked all connections, fuse, tested battery was fine, couldn't find anything.

This happened maybe 4 times(different days), so it was pretty consistent.

Next time it happened, I was tired of waiting or towing it to the garage, so I grabbed jumper cables and connected it to my jeep and bam, started right up! Excited, I run down and got a battery, even splurged and bought one with an extra 150 CCA! Swapped it out, everything ran great, but only that evening.(yesterday)

Today, my son tries to cut the lawn, gets halfway done, stops, it won't restart. Ugh! Grab the jumper cables, hook them up, makes no difference. I then disconnect jumper cables from Jeep, and decide to by pass solenoid. Starter spins and engine starts right up!

So, I don't think it's safety switches like seats, blades, etc..

The only things that make sense is solenoid and wire harness. I read on a different site, about a different mower/motor, someone commented the valves might need adjustment because they could be open causing the compression to be too high, but I don't know what to make of that.

Any ideas what to do next? I think I'm going to order the solenoid. It's $15 on amazon and looks like a 5 min change. But this is really frustrating.

 

[YVS]

The same thing happened to my zero turn awhile back. I'd mow for a while, go in and grab some lunch, then it wouldn't start. Then it would start right up a few hours later. It turns out it was bad gas. The gas had water in it. The repair shop had to drain all the gas, replace a few things. None of it covered by warranty. I only get my gas from one place now.

 

[Mjulson]

The same thing happened to my zero turn awhile back. I'd mow for a while, go in and grab some lunch, then it wouldn't start. Then it would start right up a few hours later. It turns out it was bad gas. The gas had water in it. The repair shop had to drain all the gas, replace a few things. None of it covered by warranty. I only get my gas from one place now.

I don't think it's gas. Would your starter spin at all? My starter doesn't spin. If it was bad gas, I would expect it to spin, but never fire up or stay running. I think it's gotta be electrical, since I can get it to start by bypassing solenoid.

 

[dusty3030]

Check your grounds and connections good first. Where the ground wire is bolted to frame take it loose and make sure it's clean / shiny.

 

[Mjulson]

Check your grounds and connections good first. Where the ground wire is bolted to frame take it loose and make sure it's clean / shiny.

Will do. Any thoughts why it would only be intermittent when it's been running and hot? And when I jump solenoid, I'm only jumping hot, so ground would be the same.

 

[txdon]

Mine did that twice. Once it was the ground connected from the battery to the motor/frame - the motor/frame side was loose and the next time the little hole in the gas cap got obstructed and it would not start after it had run a while.

 

[LD1]

really hard to do much troubleshooting if you dont have a volt meter.

IF you do have one and know how to use it, you can start tracing the circuit from the switch to the solenoid and see where you are loosing power.

It is very possible you have a bad or loose connection somewhere. And just getting on, sitting down, and jarring things around may explain the intermittent part

 

[mitch becton]

is this the ohv model if is adjust valves my mower did same thing found out very common problem valves get tight when engine gets hot can turn motor past compression and it would start

 

[YVS]

When mine wouldn't start. The starter did try to turn the engine. I didn't key in on that symptom you described. I didn't do much troubling shooting after. I just sent it to the dealer and they blamed it on the gas.

 

[Hill Farmer]

I'm having the same issue with my Bad Boy with Kawasaki engine. Like you, I thought it was the battery. Replaced it and it did fine for a mowing then started doing it again. Mine will click, but not kick in the starter. Jumping it helped. Turning the key 12-15 times and it will finally kick starter in...sometimes. I'm thinking a relay or some such now, but I dunno. Maybe someone will be able to help the both of us.

 

[Hill Farmer]

Should the mower run once jumped off even with a bad battery? I jumped mine, mowed half a round, and it just quit. That's when I replaced battery and it ran fine after. The next mowing I had trouble again, but not as bad. I'm starting to wonder if the battery is just not being charged. I'll have to put a volt meter on it this weekend.

 

[Fawken]

The resistance in a copper wire rises with temperature. Solenoid windings may be weak or there could be a weak, crimp-on lug or spade connector on the starter or solenoid.

 

[LD1]

Should the mower run once jumped off even with a bad battery? I jumped mine, mowed half a round, and it just quit. That's when I replaced battery and it ran fine after. The next mowing I had trouble again, but not as bad. I'm starting to wonder if the battery is just not being charged. I'll have to put a volt meter on it this weekend.

No it will not run with a bad battery. Dont really know why, never bothered to find out why because it doesnt matter. Just know that it wont run with a bad battery. At least not mowing with the electric clutch engaged. Which is what you will notice as the first symptom. The mower will start running rough like it aint getting enough power (due to weak spark I assume). IT will act like it is running out of gas. As soon as you turn the mower blades off, it will clear up and seem to run fine for a bit. Engage the mower again, it may run for a few minutes, but will start doing it again until the blades are turned off once again.

At least thats how its been with every mower with electric clutch that I have had once the battery starts to go (of you blow the charge circuit fuse).

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I'm having the same issue with my Bad Boy with Kawasaki engine. Like you, I thought it was the battery. Replaced it and it did fine for a mowing then started doing it again. Mine will click, but not kick in the starter. Jumping it helped. Turning the key 12-15 times and it will finally kick starter in...sometimes. I'm thinking a relay or some such now, but I dunno. Maybe someone will be able to help the both of us.

I had a motorcycle that did this. It would start fine until I got miles away from home in the most inconvenient location to have a problem. Then when trying to start it, I would hear a click but the starter would not engage.

After trying all sorts of stuff, it turned out to be a $10 starter relay that was an easy plug and play fix. It would be worth a shot to replace that relay and see if that fixes your problem.

 

[LD1]

Once started, the solenoid does nothing. If the issues of it dying are happening after it runs awhile, the solenoid won't cause this.

Now if there is another issue causing it to die AND the solenoid is on its way out, that will give fits trying to restart

 

[jpirtz22]

Hi there, new here and hoping someone can help me out.

I have a problem with a Husqavarna RZ 5424 with a Kawa 24 HP motor.

It began with after mowing for a while, I'd stop for a drink, come back starter won't spin. Leave it for a while and starts right up.

Checked all connections, fuse, tested battery was fine, couldn't find anything.

This happened maybe 4 times(different days), so it was pretty consistent.

Next time it happened, I was tired of waiting or towing it to the garage, so I grabbed jumper cables and connected it to my jeep and bam, started right up! Excited, I run down and got a battery, even splurged and bought one with an extra 150 CCA! Swapped it out, everything ran great, but only that evening.(yesterday)

Today, my son tries to cut the lawn, gets halfway done, stops, it won't restart. Ugh! Grab the jumper cables, hook them up, makes no difference. I then disconnect jumper cables from Jeep, and decide to by pass solenoid. Starter spins and engine starts right up!

So, I don't think it's safety switches like seats, blades, etc..

The only things that make sense is solenoid and wire harness. I read on a different site, about a different mower/motor, someone commented the valves might need adjustment because they could be open causing the compression to be too high, but I don't know what to make of that.

Any ideas what to do next? I think I'm going to order the solenoid. It's $15 on amazon and looks like a 5 min change. But this is really frustrating.

I have a 2017 Deere Z960M with low hours. Mulched leaves for a couple of hours. Went to barn to blow off and grease. Got that done. Tried to start to put away. Nothing. No growl, no gauges, no nothing. Went through all the diagnostics you tried and might try. I re-checked the fuses a couple of frustrated days later and noticed one had a pin hole on one side of the horseshoe fuse. Changed it and whadda ya know.. Gauges on, motor starts...
Just goes to show ya. It's always... always somethin....