Not starting

[Brian Taylor 4]

I have a Wheel horse 314-8 73403 that will not start. It was running fine when I parked it last fall. When I try and start it no reaction except the PTO light comes on on the light bank on the left of the dash.

The oil light flashes but I think that should flash when there is no oil pressure. I checked the PTO and it is spinning OK with the brake on.

Any help would be appreciated.

Edited April 23 by Brian Taylor

[Ed Kennell 38,141]

Is the PTO disengaged and making contact with the two PTO safety switches?  Are all the wires connected to the two switches?   Are the fuses OK?

[Blasterdad 2,692]

Did you check the battery & connections? Were you sitting on the seat with the clutch pushed in? Any of those could make it not crank over...

[Blasterdad 2,692]

Oh yeah,  to 

[Brian Taylor 4]

Fuses are good, I don't know how to check the contact with the PTO and the safety switches.

[Brian Taylor 4]

16 minutes ago, Blasterdad said:

Did you check the battery & connections? Were you sitting on the seat with the clutch pushed in? Any of those could make it not crank over...

I just cleaned the battery terminals and I was sitting on the seat when I was trying to start it.

[953 nut 55,190]

Please give us a bit more information. Have you taken your battery to an auto parts store to have it load tested? When you turn the key to the START position what happens? Have you removed the old gas and replaced it with new gas? If the engine does turn over is fuel being sent to the carburetor by the fuel pump?

Attached is a wiring system diagram that may be helpful.

 

[Brian Taylor 4]

The only reaction is the two dash lights come on, PTO and oil pressure. It will not turn over. The battery is fully charged.

[Blasterdad 2,692]

Do you have a multimeter & a test light? If so check the battery voltage, then see if you're getting voltage to the solenoid with the test light when you turn the key to the "start" position.

If not,  try jumping the solenoid... 

[Brian Taylor 4]

Battery reads 12.9 volts and at the solenoid on the nuts it also reads 12.9 volts in "start"

[Blasterdad 2,692]

Do you mean the big nuts? If so you may have a bad starter. Can you hear the solenoid click?

[Brian Taylor 4]

No the solenoid does not click.

[Blasterdad 2,692]

Are you getting voltage to the little terminal on the solenoid in "start"?

[Brian Taylor 4]

There are two wires below the solenoid which should I check or just check across them??

[953 nut 55,190]

1 minute ago, Brian Taylor said:

There are two wires below the solenoid which should I check or just check across them??

One of the small wires goes to ground and the other one (probably blue) should read battery voltage when the key is in START.

[Blasterdad 2,692]

5 minutes ago, Brian Taylor said:

There are two wires below the solenoid which should I check or just check across them??

According to the wiring diagram it should be the purple wire.

[Brian Taylor 4]

12.9 volts to the left wire while disconnected 8.7 volts to the right wire while disconnected.

[Brian Taylor 4]

I was reading the wires not the terminals. The S wire read 12.9 volts while disconnected and the switch turned to start.

[Blasterdad 2,692]

According to the diagram it has a neutral

2 minutes ago, Brian Taylor said:

12.9 volts to the left wire while disconnected 8.7 volts to the right wire while disconnected.

We need the color of the wire, not left or right. The purple wire should be getting 12 volts. The black wire should be a ground. According to the diagram your tractor has a neutral switch, oil switch, PTO switch, & seat switch. Did you check the oil? Try runninng a jumper wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the purple terminal of the solenoid with the tractor in neutral

& the purple wire not hooked up to the solenoid.

[953 nut 55,190]

Be sure the transmission is out of gear. Take a small jumper wire from the battery "+" terminal and touch it to the solenoid small terminal.where the wire from the ignition switch "S" was connected

@Blasterdad posted while I was typing.

Edited April 23 by 953 nut

[Brian Taylor 4]

I did check the oil and the oil is right at the mark not below where it needs oil added. I need to buy some oil to fill it.

[Brian Taylor 4]

I don't have a jump wire set up check it that way.

[Blasterdad 2,692]

2 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

Be sure the transmission is out of gear. Take a small jumper wire from the battery "+" terminal and touch it to the solenoid small terminal.where the wire from the ignition switch "S" was connected

@Blasterdad posted while I was typing.

We both said the pretty much the same thing.  

[Brian Taylor 4]

Transmission has been out of gear all long, I checked with the wire like you said and the solenoid engaged the starter.

Edited April 24 by Brian Taylor

[Blasterdad 2,692]

1 hour ago, Brian Taylor said:

Transmission has been out of gear all long, I checked with the wire like you said and the solenoid engaged the starter.

Ok great, now we know one or more of you safety switches is interrupting the start circuit, I'd try filling it with oil first. That would explain the oil light flickering too.