my countax ride on will not start.the battery has power,the starter and soleniod are ok but when i turn the key there is just a click with no engine turnover

rhino steve, June 2009

It occurs from start to run.It was working ok then i turned engine off then tried to re start,engine turned over but would not start and battery became flat(i presumed).re charged battery and this is where the clicking and no turnover has started.I have taken the starter off and tried it on the battery and it turns.there is also power to the solenoid but does this mean it could still be faulty.i did go over some hard ground before problem started with some heavy lumps of earth.the mower looked like it had been for a rally.could there be a problem with brake
thanks

rhinosteve, June 2009

Does the click occur when you go from OFF to RUN, or from RUN to START? If the latter, then the solenoid is duff, as it is obviously recieving switching power, but is not switching.

If there is no click at all when switching from RUN to START, then either the solenoid is duff (test for battery voltage on the trigger wire when at START), or there is a faulty interlock switch somewhere preventing the engne from cranking. Usual culprit is the brake switch.

If this is a model with electric deck lift etc, then either one or more fuses has blown, or the electronics have developed a fault. If this is the case, there is no alternative to replacement.

phil_saunders(a)bigfoot.com

Phil Saunders, June 2009