I'm not personally familiar with this brand/model of tractor but it sounds as if the transmission might have become "stuck in 2 gears" or the input shaft to the transmission might have seized up. Does the tractor still drive normally if you attempt to engage the clutch with the gear selector in forward or reverse gears? Does this machine have a separate brake/park brake pedal or do the brakes come on when you depress the "clutch"? Or, it might possibly be a fault in some interlock safety switches, but again, I'm not familiar with this specific machine.

YUP THE SEAT SWITCH
If this is as cheesy as the GT 5000 there is a wood block that engages the switch as the switch is too short. That block moves around and eventually falls out of position.

Take the two bolts out of the seat bracket and the whole assembly will come apart in your hand
THere will be a wood block just flopping around
Take some epoxy and glue that wood block to the upper half of the metal bracket just above where the seat switch is in the bottom of the bracket.

We spent $150 with a Sears repairman, travel and all to find out what you now know for free.

Symptoms were identical

When the tractor is in neutral the seat switch will not turn the engine off. I would suspect the linkage.

I believe that what don 1 2006 is referring to is only true IF the parking brake is applied and locked.

mownie, I believe you are correct, at least my Craftsman and JD both operate that way.
sadixen49, also is correct in that way of checking.
davidd, my craftsman doesn't have a wood block but I would have a look see if that was the indication. A tube of glue is cheaper than $150.00.

don_1_2006 wanna bet????

I know otherwise

"When the tractor is in neutral the seat switch will not turn the engine off."

That depends. I can get off my Wheel Horse when it's in neutral and the engine continues to run (provided that the pto is not engaged). I believe that seat switch functionality varies by manufacturer.

-Deerslayer

Setting the parking brake is the key to this situation. In fact if you set the parking brake you can leave the tractor in gear and leave the seat without killing the engine. The problem here is if your parking brake fails you may be chasing this thing down I-70.

Now THAT would make an award winning video :)

You can also hold the brake down with your foot and get off the seat and the tractor will continue to run, an on Sears this is a good indication that the seat switch is not functioning at all.

When the seat switch is working properly on a Sears you can't get off the tractor and have it continue to run even if the brake is depressed.

I can get off my Craftsman with the tranny in neutral and the parking brake locked. Never tried it any other way. Maybe mine has an extra block of wood under the seat that should have gone on newbie's tractor! :^)

I am with the others...

The craftsman machines (or at least my 2003 GT5000) have to have the brake set to be able to get out of the seat and still have the engine running.

If it is turning off when u release the clutch/brake like u turned the key off and ur still in the seat, the seat switch or wires to it have a problem like the others stated.

If the brake is not set, and the trans is in neutral if u get up out of the seat it should die, also no matter what if the mower deck is (on) even with the brake being set and u get up out of the seat it should die.

Howdy folks, itÂs been a while lots of new names...:)

When the seat switch is working properly on a Sears you can't get off the tractor and have it continue to run even if the brake is depressed.

On my DYT4000, you can set the parking brake, pto off, and get off the seat with the mower running. Has been that way since brand new. I doubt the seat switch is the problem. Especially since they said it "lurched" even in neutral.

I just had the same problem this morning. The previous owner had a bypass switch under the seat that became disconnected. I spent hours trying to figure it out until I finally logged onto this site. I would have spent hours more and probably taken it for repairs if I hadn't given this site a try. Thank You!!!!!!

I just got one of these yesterday..runs fine.

I need a manual...would be more than happy to pay for a copy.

Please e- mail me at Tech@sheppardinc.com

Thanks

For a manual, go to-
http://www.searspartsdirect.com

Plug in your 917.xxxxxx# and then look when the page loads, look on the right side to see if a manual is available.

IF it isn't, post your 917# here and maybe I can find one thats very close.
Sometimes they'll have a manual for example, 917.272240 but not 917.272242.
Also, sometimes tractors that are only 1 number off may be very different. I've seen very different electrical schematics for example.

Howdy Folks...
After Winter of 2008 was over, and including a several month long drought, I finally got my Sears 917274400 Lawn Tractor started again.
I put it into reverse, moved back about 50 feet, then noticed that someone had hung-out lots of clothes. I decided to move the tractor back to where it was parked, so I put it into 1st Gear and did so.
I noticed that when I tried to put the blades into engagement, that they were either stuck, or loaded with grass; so I turned the mower off, and proceeded to clear out any mess.
When I got back on and re-started the mower, when I removed my foot from the clutch/brake pedal, the mower would die unless I had the parking brake engaged.
The Brake Rod was not in the feedthrough bracket beneath the transmission; so this may be another problem. I straightened the rod so that it's length allows it to reach the feedthrough; but the mower continues to stop when the clutch/brake pedal is released.
Any ideas as to the problem; and can anyone tell me where the dadgummed interlock switches for the clutch/brake pedal, and the blade engagement lever are ???

Thank You All in Advance !

ed VA

You can download an OM at-
http://www.managemyhome.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/L0409324.pdf

The electrical schematic is on page 33/56.

Basically the engine kill circuit works when the "M" terminal of the key switch is grounded.

Most likely, the clutch/brake switch is misadjusted/bad, or ditto the seat switch.
Also make sure the connector to the seat switch is fully plugged in. THAT connector is called a "shorting connector". WHEN UNPLUGGED, A METAL TAB SLIDES IN PLACE AND COMPLETES THE CIRCUIT, KILLING THE ENGINE. tHE SWITCH MUST BE "OPEN" FOR THE ENGINE TO RUN. Simply unplugging it, does not disable it.
OTOH, the clutch/brake or attachment switches can be unplugged, to test, but the engine won't crank over to start. You can jumper 12V to the small terminal on the starter solenoid (white wire) to crank the engine, or start the engine and then unplug the latter 2 switches to test.

I charged the battery and started mowing. Everything was fine but the mover stopped due to the battery again. I think that it is not being charged while running. Anyone know where the alternator is on the 4000? Thanks.

As stated above it is the stupid chitsy sw under the seat. I
removed the two bolts, and slid the sw out, and taped the
plunger in with 4 or 5 wraps of electrical tape. I then just
wire tied it to the under seat position. 5 minutes and tractor
was back in service.

You are an unparalleled genius, and lawyers all over the land salivate at the mere thought of folks like you.

You can tell someone's a newbie when the revive a 2-1/2 year old thread.

Our Craftsman riding lawn mower would start just fine but once we took our foot off the brake to go forwad it would stall out. After a process of elimination we discovered there is a safety override switch that went bad. Once we unhooked it the tractor would move. Of course it was necessary to replace the switch otherwise the tractor would continue to move forward and the blades to turn unless you put it in neutral and turned your mower deck off. Hope this help someone.

Craftsman DYT4000 engine dies when you let out clutch/brake
while in neutral, blades disengaged and sitting in seat.

I have a craftsman DYT 4000 tractor. It starts and runs fine
and throttles up and down smoothly without missing. When you start to release
the clutch/brake (in neutral, , blades disengaged, sitting in seat) the engine
immediately begins to die. If you let the clutch all the way out it dies
completely. If you push the clutch back in as soon as it starts to die, it
immediately goes back to running smoothly. When the engine starts to die, the
tractor does not lurch forward as if it is in gear. It does not have manual transmission.
I don’t think the original poster (newbie 38) ever said if his problem was
solved. All suggestions welcome.

LAWN TRACTOR

24.0
HP, 48" Mower

Electric
Start

Automatic
Transmission

Model
No.

917.273620

chk for bad seat switch (replace, don't just disconnect).

i have craftsman GT 5000 riding mower. while sitting on it pushing pedal on left side to start it when you release pedal it dies. push pedal back in before o it stops it will continue to run. while its running with clutch pedal pushed down if you pull up button to engage blades it dies. HELP!!

as above...

Same as bnubs...did you resolve your problem? Mine is doing the exact SAME..replaced the seat switch, clutch/ brake switch and the PTO switch. Any ideas?

still most likely the seat sw. make sure your replacement sw is an OEM ( not an aftermarket willfit). Also make sure you yourself are putting enuff weight on the seat to make the seat sw engage. It is easy to slide forward when pressing down on the clutch pedal and take too much weight off the seat....

Thank you Rexlex...we will try tomorrow.

The replacement sw is an OEM part not an after market, it's a Sears orig. equipment part. That's what the Sears store man told me. The tractor will drive forward and backward until you try to engage the blades to mow. Then the engine stalls out. Plenty of weight on the seat. We ordered a starter ignition switch and that's not the problem either.

can only suggest closely tracing the related wiring between each of the switches for a ground fault, torn insulation, etc. OTW, prolly time for the shop.

Thank you Rexlex. He'll check that tomorrow. Otherwise, your right. :(

The BLACK wire goes from the key starter...another one goes to the solenoid. Then they go to a plug and the plug just dangles. The RED wire connects from the key starter and meets up with another RED wire connected to the Pto then they connect to a plug that also dangles.

make sure the two supports on the front of the mowing deck are in the top holes,This was my problem.

Hey, this is great stuff!!!! I had this problem with my Craftsman Lawn Tractor "it starts, runs, then turns off as soon as I take my foot off the brake. I read all your comments and ran out to my tractor. I then removed the 2 bolts holding the springs and seat switch, removed the seat switch from the housing unit but left it connected to the wiring. Then I put the housing back under the seat (without the seat switch in place) and laid the seat switch down under the seat. Now when I let my foot off the brake my tractor continues to run. The only thing is that now when I get off the tractor it continues to run but who cares. I always wished it wouldn't stop running when I got off anyway. Dreams to come true. Thanks guys for your wisdom.

Where are the other switches located in the inter lock system I'm sure one is messed up I just can't find them.

wm3133 - not surprising... we don't even know make/model/etc of what you are referring to - do you? If so, pls share. Then, tell us what interlock system you are concerned about....

PLEASE HELP MY DYT 4000 21 HP ENGINE RUN, RELEASE CLUTCH OR PULL OUT disengaged ENGINE DIE . WORKING FIND LAST SUMMER BY JUMPING SEAT SWITCH, THIS TIME , SEAT STILL JUMP . STAR RIGHT UP RELEASE DIE .JUMP CLUTCH WHITE +WHITE STAR RIGHT UP, JUMP BLACK WIRE ENGINE DIE , PLEASE HELP HELP GRASS GROW TOO HIGH FOR 3 DAY RAINING

THANKS ALL

It is possible that an OP presents relay has failed.

thank you Mr Tomplum i check 3 safety switch working fine, my glass so high

i have to disconnect black wire go to the 2 coil and it working fine. have to release clutch to turn off engine, thanks

So some seat switches need to be open in order to sense presents. These also have a tiny spring inside the connector to short out should it become disconnected. The center pulls out of the end.

thank you i will check it