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what’s wrong with my craftsman riding mower

Jones Jacobhose

3 years ago

I didn’t use my mower due to the storms that hit houston and now when i try to start my mower all i hear is a fast paced clicking sound. the battery is was bought this past july so what can i do to fix it

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Comments (3)

User
3 years ago
Clicking sounds, when they happen in your car, often mean the battery voltage has fallen. Often, but not always--there are, regrettably, other things that can be causing it, but this is one you can check at home.

If you have a voltage tester, check the voltage of your battery. Any battery left sit since July has a good chance of self-discharge.

A "12 volt" battery has a wide range. If it's reading 12 volts, that's actually not good. A live battery should be reading much higher, around 12.6 volts in a good charge state.

(A bit of spot research indicates that the Craftsman does use the 12 V battery, but absolutely check your manual before continuing from this point)

You might be able to jump start the battery from your car, but again, check the manual. If not, a 12 V charger may have a 50A setting that will allow a jump start from house power (mine does).

Post that, running the mower should recharge the battery if it has an alternator. If not, it will need to be recharged. You should use a safe and reliable 12 V battery charger to do this. I use a 10 A automatic adjusting model to charge my car right now during the pandemic since I'm not traveling and do almost everything via audio or video call.

******

Check the connections to assure that they're firmly attached as well. Sitting around can lead to a bit of warming and cooling and detach or weaken connections on wires. It's not likely, but it can happen. Make sure to wear electrically neutral gloves when fiddling around battery wires. They not only bite, they can kill if you complete a circuit across your chest.

The starter might also be a problem, but with it setting since July, my dollar's on the battery. Lead batteries don't reward sitting around very well. And I doubt it would have up and gone, and with sitting around, you threw a red flag on battery issues, so...
ssewalk1
3 years ago
I agree with everything Morpheuspa has suggested , some other advice is to have your battery charged by a competent person and then load tested to ensure all cells are adequate . Often a weak cell will cause issues . Also once you get the tractor running ensure you are getting around 12.8 to 13.3 volts to the battery from the charging system .
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Update: Good news...I think! Here's what's happened today: First, I checked the routing of the belt and verified that it was correct. Check. No blue marks on the belt. So I proceeded to take the deck off. Done. Started the mower...no smoking from the engine. Check. I then proceeded to put the deck back on. During this process it dawned on me that there was one thing that I had unnecessarily removed the first time that wasn't in the same spot as it appeared to be in the manual (the first time I removed the deck I pretty much removed every pin I found). I'm not sure what it is, but it was a rod (bent on each end) that was connected to the deck that seems to move (slide) a couple of parts on top of the deck. All I know is that when I looked at the mower assembly guide in the manual, it should have been connected from the deck to the back of the deck where another rod is also anchored (for the clutch?). Anyway, I put it on and reattached everything else. So I started the mower...everything ok so far. Let it warm up and bit and started to drive around. Ok. Then I engaged the mower. Seemed ok. So I started mowing the backyard. Other than running out of gas it was fine and I mowed the whole back yard! Well, I wish I could remember where I had connected that rod (by pin) the the first time so maybe it would make sense to you all what I had done wrong, but the main thing is I think I'm ok - for the moment! It started raining again so I'll have to finish the yard at another time. Thank you so much to you that offered advice. I was pretty much ready to give up before I posted this, and your input motivated me to keep trying. Jeremy
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Have a helper sit on the seat and put the tractor in gear and try to drive while you observe the end of each axle shaft at the wheel. If you see one of the axle shafts spinning inside the wheel hub, the one that is spinning is missing its axle key. The key is shaped like a small bar of metal maybe 1/4" square and about 2" long. Concentrate on the "key issue" and forget about the magneto. The only thing you have done that is related to your described symptoms would be the axle key. Look all around where you removed the wheel to see if you can find the key. If you transported the wheel in the trunk of a car or the bed of a pick up truck..........go back and see if it fell out in transit. If it fell out where the tire was fixed there may be a slim chance that the person found it and is saving it for you. There is also a chance I might win at Powerball.
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yardman1081- RUN (don't walk) with that power washer to the nearest trash can and give it a quick toss. Worst thing you could EVER turn loose on a lawn tractor. Use compressed air or leaf blower instead. M/W, remove spark plug(s) and crank engine - Observe if liquid is expelled out spark plug hole(s). If so, continue cranking engine until no more liquid is seen coming out - replace plug(s). Immediately drain/replace crankcase oil and filter as most likely water has entered crankcase. Remove air cleaner and allow cleaner element to dry - if wet from water. Allow ALL engine components to dry completely also. Using RATTLECAN CARB CLEANER, spray several shots directly into carb throat while assistant is cranking engine in a normal fashion (1/2 throttle, no choke, PTO off, Cl/Brake pedal fully depressed). Engine should start/run. If not, post back with details and we will go from there. Note: your starter motor most likely hangs like a "pail" and will catch/hold water from that washer - don't know if it has a drain hole or not. Just hope it does...
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User
3 years ago
Totally agreed with the above. (It's like an agree-fest here today). Even though a battery that's been stored can be expected to run down, it's never a bad idea to have a professional recharge and check it.

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