If you post the Sears 917.xxxxxx number, one could look at a schematic and know what they are talking about. Depending on the schematic, if you really have a drain, pulling the fuse MIGHT solve it. IF it has a drain, it MIGHT have a direct connection between the charge diode and battery. Like I say, one needs to look at the correct schematic. My guess is that your battery is simply getting old and you don't realize that a 3 AMP charging system that you likely have simply doesn't have enough run time to get it charged fully. It takes 10-12 hours running at high engine speed to fully charge a totally discharged battery on these machines. This post was edited by bill_kapaun on Sat, Jun 28, 14 at 15:51

Hi Guys, Todays activity - tried to start it but it could only be started by priming the carb with gas. So, it needs the carb taken off and cleaned. I put some sea-foam in the tank but I think the carb could use a good cleaning . Next, I removed the battery box and then aha I could finally get a view of the 'hydrostatic' transmission. Then I got the compressed air out and blew off all the dirt on the top of the tranny. With a flashlight and a mechanics mirror, I looked it over pretty well and could see that -vent tube, where others say it can be drained + filled from -the brake lever, which was not springing back, and which caused the wheels to be locked while in neutral, will oil that and put on a new spring -finally the model number tag with bar code, but the darn thing is so tiny and at the front of the unit that I could not read it clearly, plus it was backwards on account of me using a mirror. Oh well enough progress for one day. Question: are there 2 types of oil in this unit ? I read somewhere that there is a hydraulic section and a gear drive section but that might have been on a different unit. This is just a gear driven transmission, right, not a hydraulic tranny as the name 'hydrostatic' sort of implies? Oh, sorry you need the model tag info, ok ok, I'm working on that. Thank you. Tim

90% of eX-Mark z turn mowers have a Kohler Command engine. So I will go with that for now. On the right (when sitting on the mower) of the engine. Look for the Rectifier/Voltage regulator. It will have two same colored wires and one of another color plugged into it. Like in the photo. The rectifier will have two screws that hold it to the engine shroud. Loosen one of the screws and attach a 14 or 16 GA wire to the screw. Ground the other end of the wire to the frame. Do not know how it works. But doing it will fix 99% of the charging problems on a Kohler Command engine. I have been running three of mine mine like that for 6 to 8 years and have yet to find a dead battery or experience any other electrical problems.

A gell cell battery has from 13.2V-13.4V therefore more CCAs. Use one of these in a very hot or cold environment. So your not waisting money. Everything is made to last a certain time including transmissions ect... It just happens to fail out-of-warranty as we call it. In our shop we repair CNG systems, Hybrrids, and EVs (Electric Vehicles). Though fewer problems, when they do happen it is much more expensive to replace than your regular car. A EV or HEV battery pack can cost up to $23,000 for the most expensive (Ex: Fisker Karma Coupe or Mercedes Benz S-400 Hybrid). So love your cheap stuff now and hate the dealers now: Honda, Lexus/Toyota, Kia... ect, Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge, because they are set to fail after warranty. Your best bet is a foreign car like Fiat, Jaguar, Benz... ect. UK cars in general (Better economy where based). Though Fiat has brought back the 500 with Jeep/Dodge (The companies they own). We needed a small turbo deisel not gasoline powered. With a motor generator and a deisel to charge a pack we would be set. But we are afraid :(. Boo hoo America. We have almost no polution from some deisels now. Lets see your paying an extra dollar to gain a extra 25-35 mpgs its worth it trust me. We are not ready for this innovation, for even i drive a souped up 1994 940 Turbo that uses premeium gasoline. Thanks, The Hybrid guru. JKSully