Craftsman mower, 15.5hp kohler won't start


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Old 07-01-08, 07:10 AM
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Craftsman mower, 15.5hp kohler won't start

Hello, our Craftsman mower starts when I jump it with a car battery, but I get a weak turnover and sometimes only clicking without the extra help. I just bought a new battery last year, and I don't think it's staying charged. I don't think the mower has an alternator, so how is it suppose to stay charged? Could the solenoid and/or relays have gone bad, or would being able to start the engine in the first place indicate that they work fine?
 
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Old 07-01-08, 07:23 AM
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first id charge the battery out of the machine. put it on a deep cycle charger if you have one and let it get a full charge. put it in the mower and try starting it. if it still turns over very slow, chances are its your starter. if it does turn over and run for a while, next time you try and start it, it should be fine. if not then your charging system isnt working. hope this helps
 
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Old 07-01-08, 07:37 PM
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Alright, thanks. What makes up the charging system? How would I figure out what needs to be replaced?
 
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Old 07-01-08, 09:35 PM
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Start with a battery that you know is good and fully charged, preferrably a battery with 275 or more cranking amps (not the cheapo battery, but a step or two up from that). Then with the engine running at full throttle, check the voltage at the battery. If it is not more than 13 volts, you have chraging system problems. You'll need a voltmeter to determine the source of the problem. Many kohler equipped craftsmans use a series of relay to accomplish certain switching functions, one of which is related to the charging system. If this relay is bad, it will not charge. This is a possibility.
 
 

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