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Dakota8338

'95 WH 312/8, no Crank

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Dakota8338

I have a '95 Wheel Horse 12 HP Kohler M12S engine which just decides not to do anything when the key is turned from time to time.  I know this is the third time.  The first time I thought it was the seat safety switch, but while waiting on the safety switch to arrive and doing some other maintenance, I absent minded turned the ignition key and the tractor started.  This past spring I gave it to my son along with a 42 inch side discharge mower to mow his grass.  He has been mowing all year with the tractor without a problem until the most recent time when he went to mow and the tractor would not start. 

 

I did not really check anything, just assumed the battery was discharged and took the battery from mine and put it in his since mine is not needed until time for the fall garden.  (The plans were to purchase a new battery for my own WH a 314/8, before it was needed this fall.)  No problem with my battery in place, the tractor started immediately.  He only had maybe a quarter tank of fuel, so he sent his wife to get a couple gallons of fuel while he was mowing.  After the tractor was up and running, I brought the battery from his tractor home with me for the core charge on a new batter a little later this fall.  When his wife returned with the fuel, he stopped the tractor and turned the ignition off while he filled the fuel tank.  With the tank full of fuel he was ready to do some serious mowing, only the tractor would not start, and has not since. 

 

With that development, I checked his battery which I removed.  Not a problem the battery is very much alive and ready to energize 12 volts.  The battery, seat safety switch & solenoid have all been checked and passed, so the clutch & PTO interlock safety switches are about all that's left.  Is there any diagnostic checks possible for either of these components with an ohm or volt meter or test light?  Is replacement the only test for these safety switches?  I did pull the wiring harness from the back side of the ignition module and brushed its contacts with a nylon brush and mostly dust was all that was seen, but just for safety's sake, I then used a stainless steel brush on the contact to remove any minor corrosion, I might have overlooked.  No other corrosion has been found or noted. 

 

Also does anyone have a better detailed view of the PTO lever switch and components interaction than is found in the parts illustration?  I am looking more and more towards the PTO switch as the culprit, but I would like to be able to confirm that before replacing a switch which might not be bad.  There is some play in the PTO lever or engagement arm, but pushing and/or pulling on the engagement arm has thus far had no effect on the tractors inclination to start.

 

Any suggestion or assistance will be most appreciated.

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FatJackDurham

Sounds like you pretty thoroughly checked everything.

 

i have the same issue with my 310. The PTO switch was the culprit. Sometimes when pulling the lever to disengage, the top tine of the switch would pop out over the part of the PTO lever that was supposed to depress it. I think this is due to an internal part that no longer holds the tine in place.

 

with the PTO disengaged, slide you finger back along the outside of the switch and see if you can feel if the tine has popped out. You should be able to push it back if you are careful and see if the tractor starts.

 

it could also be that one of your switches is internal broken and vibrations engage or disengage it, but I don’t know how likely that is.

 

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Edited by FatJackDurham
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Dakota8338

Thanks FJD for your suggestions.  I have been busier than a peg-legged man at a dancing contest the past few weeks, It doesn't seem I can solve one problem before something else goes wrong, so the more serious the problem the greater its attention, and the Wheel Horse seemed to be near the bottom of the pile.  I am leaning towards the PTO switch myself, but I have been wrong in my assumptions and deductions before, so I try and rule out everything possible.  In the interim I have purchased both a PTO & Clutch interlock safety switches, so I guess installing the new clutch switch and then checking everything will be my first move.  If nothing changes, then I will remove the new clutch switch and replace it with the old one, then install the new PTO switch.  If that does nothing then install the new clutch switch and see what happens with both new switches installed.  If nothing then I am back to square one!

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