Problem with green wire and brake on Toro

14 years ago

I have a Toro personal pace that would not start. It was not getting any spark. However, I have narrowed it down the the green wire going to the brake. If I disconnect the green wire from the coil it will start. But will not stop without pulling the plug wire. Everything looks fine mechanically but hey I'm no professional. About the only thing that looks odd is the actual brake pad. Seems very thin but I don't know what a new one looks like. It is my fathers mower, who at 87 tends to go once around the yard and then takes a break ( He will not let me mow until mid summer ). The brake gets a workout. Does anyone have a suggestion? The mower is on it's third season.

Thanks, Scott

Comments (7)

tomplum
14 years ago
If it would appear that if the cable pulled a tad more the switch wouldn't close then a likely cause is the cable itself. Especially if the brake switch seems fine mechanically as you say. If you need further help, please post the 5 digit model # and first 2 of the serial. The number is at the left rear of the mower deck under the bag door if a steel deck model.
scott99
Original Author
14 years ago
tomplum,

Thanks for the suggestion. Although, now I'm really confused. I took your advise and made the cable pull a little more. It worked. Then I put everything back together like it was normally to make sure it would not start. The thing is, it started just fine. This same problem with a lack of spark happened a few weeks ago. Changed out the spark plug and everything worked for a couple of weeks. Forward to this week and lost spark again and narrowed it down to the brake. Is there something that could be loose in the brake workings that I cannot see? My guess is whatever is wrong this week was the same thing from 2 weeks ago. Just messing with the mower got it working again.

Model # 20073
Serial # 27*******

Scott
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scott99
Original Author
13 years ago
Now I go out and it will not start, no spark. Disconnect the green wire, still will not start. Is the coil going bad? Can it do this intermittently?

Scott
viqilance
13 years ago
Give the area around the flywheel a scrub with a scotch bright or it may just be you knocked out your spark plug again with all thay pulling and not starting my old push used to do this and I ended up taking the magneto off of another scraped mower and it worked just fine the break cut off sould be simple so I don't think its somthing you cannot see
scott99
Original Author
13 years ago
New spark plug, flywheel has been thoroughly cleaned, and both properly gaped. Still won't start. It has to be the coil doesn't it? But why would it do this intermittently.

Scott
tomplum
13 years ago
They do that at times. If you've got a magnet in the flywheel- you should have spark if the coil is good.
scott99
Original Author
13 years ago
Well, now with the new coil, everything is working fine. Wouldn't have been so bad if it had just died a proper death the first time. Thanks for the help.

Scott