Problem with B&S engine on mower. Solenoid clicks (battery ok), new one did not solve problem. Any ideas?

Question

Problem with B&S engine on mower. Solenoid clicks (battery ok), new one did not solve problem. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Is starter ok? It might be best to have it checked out by a small engine repair shop versus doing more damage or having the cost of replacing parts that never needed replaced. Good luck. Also try using a volt meter to determine if you are getting enough voltage to the starter. Most need 12 volts to activate. There could also be a bad connection or wire. If you or somone you know is good at using a voltmeter I would start their and then take it in for repair if you can't find the problem.

Answer 2

I've had that problem before and found the connection to the starter to be corroded.  It is difficult and unsafe to jumper from the battery positive post to the electrical post on the starter body but in so doing you prove the cable or the connections are bad.  If the starter does not growl then it is probably the starter motor.

Answer 3

New what? battery??solenoid?? Can you jump start with a real (car)battery? What voltage do you get at starter when you turn the key? How much resistance is starter? Is Bendix of starter engaged(broken/weak spring)? Can you turn motor by hand(not frozen up)?Have you bypassed the solenoid to test it??Have you wired starter directly to a battery to test it?

Answer 4

Jedicks:  The pinion gear on top of your starter is worn and need replaced. It is not making good contact with the  flywheel and does not have enough torque to turn moter.  Try turning flywheel with large flat blade s***w driver about 1" and then try to start.  I just went back and looked for you a pinion gear.  Ace has them.

Good Luck

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-briggs-and...

Answer 5

Only three choices of things it could be.

1. Battery ( most likely cause first)

2. Starter ( second most likely)

3. Solenoid ( is actually less likely than starter).

You did the battery so my next guess, the starter and it is slowly drawing all the power from the battery, that is the reason it was unable to lstart the vehicle after some time of sitting. Furthermore, if the starting drained the battery it is drawing too much power; hence, takes more to even turn the starter, so that depleted battery could not have started this vehicle anyhow.

Test Battery, Solenoid, and Starter at the same time every time you suspect either starter or solenoid.

Answer 6

Sounds like a bad ground or dirty contact. Even if everything is connected, a dirty connection has so much resistance to it that the effective amperage delivered is so low, it won't work. You'd be surprised at how little dirt/c**p it takes to keep it from working.

Answer 7

Harry is right.  The most common cause is a dirty or loose terminal on the battery or starter solenoid.  Occasionally the solenoid contacts will get burned or dirty so when the magnet closes them no current flows.  Less likely cases can be a frozen starter motor, starter bendix caught in the flywheel or engine locked up.  You can turn the engine over by hand to check that possibility and take the starter off and have it bench tested if you haven't found the problem beforehand.