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Craftsman lawn tractor makes one click but won't start.

9 years ago

Hi everyone. I have Craftsman 917.273642 lawn tractor with a peculiar problem. When I try starting the mower the first attempt results in a single loud click and movement in the Ammeter and Hour Meter. I then turn the ignition off and attempt another start. Same result. However, a fair majority of the time, the third attempt results in a successful start. Occasionally it may take a fourth attempt but then it runs well. Even restarting the mower after it has been running for a while still requires 2 attempts. Any thoughts on what is causing this? Thank you for you help.

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Comment (1)

bill_kapaun
9 years ago
A couple possibilities.
That's a Briggs OHV engine.
IF the valves get out of adjustment, the compression release doesn't function.

OR, you simply have a bad connection in the cranking circuit.
Clean the ends of all battery cables.
make sure engine mounting bolts are tight. The ground side is just as important as the "hot" side.

Then there's the possibility your battery has reached the end of its life.
Charge & get it load tested to be sure.

A bad solenoid is also a possibility.

This post was edited by bill_kapaun on Sat, Nov 8, 14 at 22:34
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