MTD lawn mower, with the key in the off position tries to start. The motor turns over. I disconnected the key swith, and tried to put the cables back on the battery but it begins to spark and the motor tries to turn over. Would the solenoid be bad? If so, with a meter how can I tell if it's bad. Any suggstions to resolve this prob would be great. Thanks J

Your key switch may be hung in the start position. You may find your problem there.