click from the solenoid

[powermax_paul 1]

It sounds like it could be the solenoid as Pat suggested. The contacts are letting 12V thru until they're under the load of the starter. It could also be the starter brushes not making good contact, but I'd hope for the former. Solenoids are relatively cheap and you can purchase a generic one at an auto parts store or Farm and Fleet. I guess I'd try that first. What do you think, Pat? Paul

[PatRarick 1]

Paul, Unless I misunderstand how he hooked up the meter, it sounds like he is getting good voltage to the starter, meaning the solenoid should be OK. The voltage drop when hooked to the starter sounds like the starter is drawing heavily leading me to believe that the armature is shorted out. Your theory is possible, though. Two final thoughts just occurred to me. I have had the starter gear bind on the flywheel, due to a buildup of dirt on the teeth. The starter kicks in, but is wedged too tight to turn. Try turning the engine backwards. That should disengage it if that were the problem. I have had them jam so tight that a pipewrench was needed to turn the engine backward. Once you are sure the starter is not bound on the flywheel, run a jumper cable from the + side of the battery, to the starter terminal. Just touch it momentarily to see if the engine turns over. If it turns, that should rule out the starter. That would leave the solenoid, or the ignition switch. That is the other thought. I recently ran into that problem on a customer's Deere. The solenoid would click, and would only occasionally engage the starter. He had it to several repair shops, with no luck. He brought it to me, and I had no luck with it. On day while getting parts at the Deere dealer, he overheard a customer complain of the same problem. The mechanic claimed that he had seen this on many Deeres. The ignition switch is in such a position that moisture can enter the switch. The contacts in the switch become slightly corroded allowing only partial current to operate the solenoid. The solenoid works, but without enough pressure to allow a good contact. Pat

[powermax_paul 1]

Rick, Regardless of your findings, I'll be curious to know how you make out. Good luck, Paul

[ScottS 0]

Hi Rick, I would be hard pressed to hook the meter to the posts on the battery. 12volts not cranking and see what you get when you try to start If it is less than 10 take it to the parts store and have it load checked. If the local wally world has a tire and lube section they can test it there also. ScottS

[powermax_paul 1]

Good point Scott! I hadn't thought about the battery. If it's bad, it could give 12V until it's loaded with the starter. Paul

[PatRarick 1]

Kinda takes me back a few years when a mechanics instructor told me never to ignore the obvious. Sometimes it's pretty easy to do just that. Hope that's the problem. Pat

[RickS 117]

The other day I used my 7012H several times with no trouble. The engine started fine. Today I went out to start it. It turned over just fine. I adjusted the choke pull out (on the dash) and tried to start it again. All I got was a loud click from the solenoid. I tested the battery and it is fine. I tried jumping the battery, but no change. The solenoid is located behind the dash and the battery so I cannot jump across the terminals to test the starter. I don't think it is the starter since before this happened the starter was fine.

[powermax_paul 1]

First I'd check for any loose connectins. Then you may have a dead spot on your starter armature. If so, can you turn the starter motor (by hand)a little? Then try again. Be careful not to hold the key in the start position too long, because solid current passing from the brushes to the armature (with the armature stationary) can melt the copper armature plates. Paul

[PatRarick 1]

The contacts in the solenoid could be burned out in one spot. There is a disc inside the solenoid that is forced down on the battery contacts to make the connection for the starter. That disc can turn on the shaft that actuates it. Chances are, that the disc is badly burned in one spot. It may turn with the normal vibration of the machine, sometimes stopping in a position that allows good contact, and sometimes at a point where the contacts are burned. Take the cable off the starter and hook up a test light to see if there is current reaching the starter when the solenoid clicks. Assuming your battery is fully charged, and all connections are clean and tight, no current, or current that causes the light to burn dim or flicker, indicates a bad solenoid. A good, steady, bright light indicates a problem with the starter. I ran into a situation last summer, where I shut my 716 down to re-fuel. When I tried to start it, the solenoid clicked. I traced the problem to the starter, and found that a piece of the ceramic magnet had broken off and jammed it. Being in the middle of a job, 15 miles from my shop, I removed the broken piece and the starter has worked fine ever since. Pat

[RickS 117]

I checked for loose wires on the battery and on the ground. I removed and cleaned both the positive and negative cables. Both ends of the negative. Next I removed and cleaned the cable at the starter. With the starter cable removed, I hooked up a test meter. (Note this meter uses LEDs to indicate battery strength.) With- out the starter hooked up the meter read 12.5 volts. With the starter hooked up and the meter hooked to the battery negative side and on the starter the meter only read 5 volts while I was trying to start the tractor. Does this mean my solenoid is bad? Should I have put the meter between the starter and the cable? Paul suggested trying to turn the starter over, but I am not able to do that. I cannot find a spot to turn the starter.

[PatRarick 1]

I would look towards the starter. That is an awfully big draw. If it were the solenoid, there would have been little, if any draw. Pat