Lawn tractor seat switch issues


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Old 04-05-18, 07:28 AM
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Lawn tractor seat switch issues

I was replacing the battery on our murray / scotts lawn tractor that's 20 years old.

I broke the plastic grabbers of the seat switch so it doesn't stay in place.

Trying to bypass it, at least temporarily.

It's a normally closed single pole / single throw switch (with no one in the seat, the connection is closed (zero resistance... I checked with a voltmeter) ./ and from this schematic, it seems to connect connect to ground when the circuit is closed.

With someone in the seat, it opens the switch / keeps it from going to ground.

Seems just disconnect the wire connector from the switch to always keep the circuit from going to ground.

But now, to start, I put foot on clutch and it starts OK. But as soon as I take my foot off the clutch, it dies.

Put the button switch back in, hold it down with my thumb and it continues to run when I take my foot off the clutch.

What am I missing? I guess I can just duct tape the switch in the down position, but eventually the tape will dry out?

THANKS!
 
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Old 04-05-18, 08:06 AM
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My lawn tractor has a ignition switch position for running in reverse . If I put it in normal run it shuts off in anything but forward.
Looked at wiring diagram and see nothing but maybe up on top there is a after fire solenoid that looks like it needs to be closed.
Try turning on / off the PTO switch.
 
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Old 04-05-18, 10:33 AM
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If you look at the plug close enough you might see a little button that is depressed when it connects with the switch.
 
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Old 04-06-18, 06:22 AM
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you mean to keep the wire harness securely connected to the switch? Yes, that's there. But I was able to disconnect the harness from the switch. and that keeps the connection (the 2 yellow wires) open / not going to ground, the same as if someone was in the seat. But it doesn't seem to work as if someone is in the seat.

pigsl - the power take off is the mower lever I would suppose. Yeah, that's in the disengaged position. If in the engaged position (like cutting grass), the unit won't start at all.
 
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Old 04-06-18, 07:17 AM
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I didn't spend enough time to figure out the schematic but the first thought that came to my mind was they might be preventing the machine from running if the plug gets disconnected. Unknown what they might be doing and circuit doesn't look sophisticated enough to be very smart. Measure the open resistance of that switch in case it has a resistor across it, closed is short but open might be a high number that that would tell the tractor the plug is still connected as it should be. May need to use a higher range on your meter.

Bud
 
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Old 04-06-18, 10:05 AM
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Not the lock to keep the connector secure, a button in the middle of the harness connector that depresses with the switch plugged in.
It is meant to deactivate when unplugged as Bud9051mentions.
 
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Old 04-08-18, 04:21 PM
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BFH is talking about an internal shunt located inside the connector. Look between the two terminals of the plug, you will see a tiny plunger that shorts out the wires when you unplug the switch so that you can't bypass it by simply disconnecting the switch. Just get a zip tie and strap the connector to the switch tightly enough to make it work.
 
 

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