Saftey switches are just like light switch? either on or off. so if your off the seat the switch would be in the off position. Utilizing your wiring diagram it should show the switch in the correct position in relation with the key position on the diagram. So if you want to check switch say the seat switch with your butt not on the seat the switch should show no continuity meaning the switch is in the open position or OFF position. Now set on the seat and check the switch, it should be in the closed position meaning showing continuity a lowing the circuit to be completed. Or some could be wired opposite Closing making ground to kill the engine again your wiring diagram will show which way it wired? Depending on the model of your tractor you should have at least two other safety switches in the system Blade switch so the tractor won't start unless the blade switch in in the OFF position. Brake pedal switch so it won't start unless the brake is applied. Again these are basic on and off switches and can easily be tested with multi-meter if you know how to test circuits for continuity, know where the switches are located, and can read wiring diagram. But IMO you need to MAKE sure the battery cables (ALL OF them) are tight, free from corrosion (as mentioned ESPECIALLY the Neg. side all the way to the frame. Another thing just cause the battery has 12 volts don't mean it has the ampere required, Dead battery will most likely read 12V (cause there is NO load being applied to the plates) this is why Load test (applying Load across plates in battery) required to determine if battery has enough Ampree (the power to crank any giving engine) to say it good or passed the load test. This post was edited by rcmoser on Sat, Apr 19, 14 at 8:34

"might be a stupid ? but, here goes. did you hook the battery up backwards? the starter will turn both ways. " My thought exactly. "Well looks like the one they gave me has the post positioned differently for positive and negative and they are reversed. Can't believe I never caught that." Don't know about Kohler but if you do a B&S that way, it will either blow a fuse (if there is one) OR burn out the diode in the charging system. I had a guy buy an engine from me years ago and come back all worked up because charging system would not work. Turned out he had done exactly what you did, bought a new batter and "put it in just like the old one" problem was poles were reversed. I guess he thought he would put one over on me as his starter would not have worked either and he must have seen the problem. Walt Conner

*SIGH*... Y'know mownie, I really do think that the hard-to-turn-the-engine-over syndrome is related to the starter. Now I can't get it to turn the engine more than a single revolution at all even when it is cold (I have it uncovered so I can see what it is doing when cranking it), let alone turn it over to fire. This is what it was doing when it was hot. So can't try out the carb adjustments yet since I can't get it to turn the flywheel fast enough to fire the engine at all. What HAS been happening is when you turn the ignition key, the starter driveshaft pops up, the gear engages the flywheel, then it stops wmmph at a high compression point in the engine or something, and then labors and can't turn it past that point, like something is jamming up somewhere. At least once tonight though it cranked the engine a couple revolutions without incident but it wasn't seeming to get any firing action; that was right after I put the battery on the charger briefly. THEN, after that a couple times the starter drive shaft (or whatever it is) did not pop up at all upon turning the key; it sat there and spinned....so we know it is getting current. Tried a little WD-40 to the shaft under the silver disk-shaped part below the gear but did not make much difference...a and finally another time the shaft popped up, engaged, stopped (when it stops it is engaged with the flywheel and stays there after releasing the key; you have to turn the shaft to make it come back down), and then there were a couple of clicking noises coming from inside the starter too when the key was held in start briefly past the jam-up point. That also happened on one or two tries. Sooooo....Battery? Starter? Neither? Both? lol. I replaced a broken plastic part at the top of the drive shaft on the starter season before last; will have to look up what it is called but remember removing and replacing the pin that holds it all together to the drive shaft was next to impossible...so kind of hesitant to try to tear it all down again because it was such a pain. Way easier to just buy a new one, albeit a lot pricier.. Might make more sense just to put the battery on the charger to be sure it does have sufficient charge before blowing $125 on a new starter but will it hurt the battery if it DOESN'T need charging to do this? Can't afford the starter at this point anyway. Sorry to change this thread so late in the game, if you think I need to start another let me know. Dang dinosaur...it just doesn't want to do any work, that's all... :^\

You new-comers to the lawn tractor field--hear this: When you pull out the dip-stick to check the oil, wipe it and check it again, because you will get a false reading in the first pull of the stick! This is because the oil that is splashed around from the last time you ran the engine, will show a really high reading! Engines have been blown because folks don't know this fact, and just assume, because there is lots of oil on the stick, that there is lots of oil in the engine. So--pull stick, wipe it off, then put stick back in the engine, then pull it back out, and you will get the true reading! But, if it still shows way more oil in the engine, then you must look for other troubles. A leaking float in the carburetor will allow fuel to get into the crank-case of the engine, and quickly ruin it--with a big "BANG", and a new ventilation hole in the engine block! Been there--done that!