Wheel horse blowing 15amp fuse when trying to start

[Work horse 81 0]

Hello and thanks for letting me join. I have a 212-5 that is blowing the 15 amp fuse when attempting to start. I mowed part of the yard earlier in the day I came out and turned the key and I heard it pop. I checked most of the wires and don't see any issues but I'm stuck. Any and all information would be greatly appreciated

[953 nut 55,394]

             Here is a copy of the manual.

 

Try removing the wire from the electric clutch, see if the problem clears.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

 

[midpack 866]

had the same problem with a 417.

 

I bought it from a guy that way (cheep ). it ended up the new solenoid he had put on it to try and fix the problem wasn't tightened to the frame!

 

check your grounds, make sure there's good contact

[SCAVENGERGIRL 10]

Hi there, I'm having the same problem, did you find a resolution?

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,071]

10 hours ago, SCAVENGERGIRL said:

Hi there, I'm having the same problem, did you find a resolution?

Any idea on how the fuse is failing?

Is it instant or when it feels like it?

 

If it is a glass fuse is the element burnt in the center caused by a short to the chassis ground resulting in electrical overload? Take a good look at the location of the wires without disturbing them. A wire laying on the chassis metal somewhere or against a sharp edge will wear the insulation off the wire from vibration. Another common problem area is at the steering shaft as it is constantly rotating. I say locate possible problem areas because once you disturb them it may take a while before the short shows up again. That is frustrating. A flat could be worn in the insulation exposing the wire in the center. It usually appears as a line in the center of the flat and that is bare wire.

 

If it is a glass fuse is the element burnt at the end caused by overheating? The ends of the fuse need to make a tight connection to clean contacts in the fuse holder. Corrosion and/or a loose connection will result high heat. There is often evidence of this on the fuse holder in the form of discolorization or melting of the plastic. When they get hot the spring in the holder loses some of it's tension which compounds the problem. Now the contacts are even looser.

You can go to an automotive parts suppler and get a heavy duty 30 amp fuse holder which has a heavier gauge of wire and stronger spring. Replace the 30 amp fuse with the correct 15 amp fuse if that is what the wiring diagrams call for. If it now works remove the fuse one more time and apply dielectric silicone grease to the fuse and wire contacts so it won't corrode in the future.

 

Tell us more.

Garry

 

[doc724 925]

Garry beat me to it.  When a fuse blows it is usually a short circuit.  A multi meter will be useful in tracking down the location.

[953 nut 55,394]

I have found that when you are searching for a short that is blowing fuses it can best be done with a test light. Remove the bad fuse and replace it with a 12 volt test light connected across the fuse holder. When the short is there the light will be bright, move the wires around and when the light dims or goes out you have found the short.

[SCAVENGERGIRL 10]

The tractor is a Toro 212-5. The model# begins with a 3 but is scraped off after that, engine has a stamp reading 'GH400V 0.389L' and Toro Power Plus 12.5 Overhead Valve on the engine cover.

 

It's a 15 amp fuse that blows when I turn the key to run (doesn't even make it to start). I've gone over most of the wires & don't seen any obvious damage, however a few of the grounds are pretty rusty.

 

The tractor has a carburetor issue already, but pouring gas directly into the carb allowed it to start & drive. The fuse blew after I sprayed some carb cleaner in & started it again, it blew out white smoke, backfired & quit. I disconnected a few wires & tried to turn the key a few more times but it blows it each time. I quit trying when I had one fuse left

 

I took the engine cover (forgive my lack of technical terms) and removed roughly 30 acorns & saw one wire that had an abrasion, but no wires showing thru.

 

I do have a multimeter & a test light, but I don't know how to use either, especially to troubleshoot a short.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by SCAVENGERGIRL
Clarity

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,327]

Based on the acorn storage my guess is the squirrel , chip monk . or some other rodent has chewed the wiring causing the short. In the picture with the fuse box , there is a red wire and a white one coming out of the harness , looks like the white wire has a problem. 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,071]

If the engine was supplied by Onan

Garry

[953 nut 55,394]

Looking at the wiring diagrams Garry supplied I see that the 15 amp fuse protects the electric clutch circuit. It shows a purple wire from the fuse to the PTO switch and a gray wire from the PTO switch to the electric clutch. The PTO clutch would probably be on the end of the engine crank shaft (I don't own one of this model so not certain where it is). If you insert the test light across the fuse holder for the 15 amp fuse (may have to use a short piece of wire for the gator clip) and turn the key to run and the PTO switch to off  the light should not be on, if it is on then the gray wire or the switch itself would be going to ground. If the light was not on in the previous test then remove the purple wire from the electric clutch and turn the PTO switch to on, if the test light comes on the purple wire is grounding.

Hope this helps.