Hustler Z, click sound when trying to Start ... solution. I have been having a problem with my Engine starting on my Hustler Mower over the last year. I'm getting only a single "click" sound from the Silinold. This sounds happens with the key turned to the "Start" position, which is one position past the "on" position. Each time with no aperture engagement at the Starter, until I attempted to start the engine 5 or 6 times and the aperture would eventually engage. The engine runs great after the aperture engagement and the engine cranks as normal. After doing my yearly maintenance (oil, filter, belts, lube, etc). I thought it was the appropriate time to address the starting issue. Typically what happens when I try starting the mower after 7 to 10 days (normal grass growing cycle), you hear the sillinoid make one "click" and the aperture on the starter does not engage. If you wait a few seconds and try again, you get the same result. If you get lucky, you try this 5 or 6 times and the aperture on the starter will eventually engage and the engine will crank. If you don't get a start, I put the battery charger on the mower's batter, turn on the battery charger and immediately try starting the engine ... it starts everytime. Over the most recent of months I have had to crank the engine by attaching a battery charger to the battery and the engine then cranks instantly. My diagnosis is, if the silinold is getting voltage from the battery but not enough voltage to engage the aperture, then adding the battery charger to the equation increased the voltage to the silinoid and that increased voltage will start the mower. Then the problem must be the battery is not producing enough voltage to turn the aperture. With this diagnosis, in February I added a new battery thinking the battery was going bad after 4 years of service. Adding a new battery, this initially corrected the problem. However, after mowing the yard 3 times over 3 months, this year, the new battery would not crank the engine without adding the battery charger. With the new battery not holding it's charge, it must be the voltage regulator is not working and not re-charging the battery. I added a new voltage regulator in May. After the votlage regulator was installed, I recharged the battery overnight. The next day the engine started on the first try. After mowing the grass (4-hours of servive) the mower was shutdown, then one hour later the engine would not start. Thinking I must have received a bad battery, I returned the 3 month old battery and received a replacement new battery. (Side note, the three month old battery tested find at the dealership, amp draw and load test were both normal). After further attempts to start the engine, neither the new voltage regulatory nor the new battery corrected the start problem. Moving forward, (testing the starter). I removed the starter from the engine and attached all the wires to the starter, as it was while connected to the engine, except this time the starter was sitting on top of the engine and grounded it to the battery via jumper cables. I held the started firmly with my hand and turned the key to the start position, the starter appears to be working perfectly with the aperture "kicking out" and spinning as it should, each and every time. [ Side note, I bought the Hustler mower in 2009 and in 2018, I bought a new 27 HP Kohler engine due to compression issues. I removed all the accessories parts from that old engine. Before I discarded the original block. ] I took the old Starter from storage (from the original engine from 2009) and run the same test on it as I did with Starter described above. The old Starter appears to be working perfectly, as well, the aperture "kicking out" and spinning as it should, each and every time I turner the key to start. So, now I appear to have two starters that work properly. I now have to make a decision weather to put the mower back together with the older starter or the newer starter. I decided re-install the older starter (from 2009) in it's appropriate location when I put the mower back together. So, why did I choose the older starter to reinstall if both starters seems to work equally during my testing procedure. My rashonal was the newer starter (from 2018) was in the mower when the "start" problem showed itself, therefore I'm thinking if the same symptoms occur with a different starter, and both are equal, then surly the starter is not part of my problem. Now the mower is completely put back together and the engine started normally on the first try. Problem is, I didn't really change anything with all of my efforts. All I did was take out one starter and put in another. The Starter change out process was completed on (5/15/24). The next morning I started the mower on the first try. I wanted to run some "test starts" on the mower throughout the day to help me determine if I made the correct choice of using the older (2009) starter, as opposed to the newer (2018) starter. The engine started on the first attempt 6 out of 7 tries, throughout the day. With each attempted start not less than 15 to 20 minutes apart. The "attempted start" that failed, did infact start on a second turn of the key, on the first attempt there was no sounds other than the click from the sillanold. So, technically the original problem still exist, though much improved. Technically, each and every time you initiate the start by turning the key, I expect the engine to spin over and attempt to start. Since that's not what happened, the problem still exist. So, what's next in the electrical system that has not been checked out, tested or replaced at this point? Here's what we know at this point. The engine will not start by turning the key 100 percent of the time. It's not the battery (new 5/13/24), its not the voltage regulator (new 5/10/24), it's not the starter (changed 5/15/24), it's not dirty or corroded electrical connections at the: - Clutch Pigtail connection, - Voltage Regulator Pigtail connection, - Safety Switches for the Control Handles, - Safety Switches at the Seat, - Fuse box, - Ignition switch (All electrical connections were un-pluged, cleaned and Reconnected). At this point, I haven't changed the "Ignition Switch" or the wiring harnesses yet. All wiring harnesses look strong, the outer wrapping on the wires is not failing and there has not been pinching of the wire or other damage to the electrical connectors, so let's move forward with the "Ignition Switch" itself being the problem. I installed a new Ignition Switch, plugged the connector into the back side of the Switch and the mower cranked fine all day. I some-what believe the Ignition Switch was the culprit (or problem) all along. But I have no proof. Now I have Flywheel rotation and a engine start every attempt.
Kenh2817@gmail.com
