Lawn tractor will not start. Had battery charged, goes to 15amp makes tatata sound when turn the ignition key. Please reply

Have you load tested the battery yet? Sounds like a weak cell, most automotive stores will do it for free.

I had it charged.

I did't ask if it was charged, I saw in your post that it was. I asked because Load tested is another thing entirely.

Those symptoms are of a battery that can't deliver anywhere near its rated capacity as far as discharge amps are concerned. A battery CAN take a charge and not deliver anywhere need enough cold cranking amps.

Lawn and garden batterys tend to be of low quality. And I have had them fail in just one year.

I replaced the battery, it did not have enough cc amps. However, the lawn tractor runs a bit rough. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Might be a little water in the gas. Add the recommended amount of Seafoam to the gas and inspect the air filter and plug.

You park it with fuel in it over the winter like a lot of people... right.

I'd mix a can of carb cleaner in a 5 gallon can (not a tank) of gas. Seafoam mentioned above is a good brand. (You get what you pay for, don't expect miracles from anything you pay a dollar or two for) That will clean out the carb as you are running it. Expect a few tanks before its really finished its job.

I thought so thank you.

On your last few trips to the gas station in the fall, add Sta-bil to the gas that you buy.

Run the gas out of the mower before storage, but there may still be some in the bowl.

In the OLD days, there was a fuel cut off valve and a bowl vent that you could drain the bowl with a push of the finger.

Did all that now the lawn tractor starts then dies. Please any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hey YTD did you take the bowl off the carb and clean it out.

The sound indicates to me that either you have too much battery series resistance and/or the bendix is not engaging the flywheel. The bendix is made to be expendable.

Please explain does this involve the belts. Where is the bendix located?

How about a make/model #?

Here is an example from an outboard engine. http://www.oddjobmotors.com/images/elgin/56elginbendix.jpg Note, it's a plastic gear on the end of the starter.

I can't find a good pic of what I'm looking for, but basically it's a gear that moves to engage the flywheel when the starter is cranked. It retracts when the starter is shut off.

That plastic gear may be damaged.

It may have gotten damaged because of valve clearance.

First:
Take the plugs out and try to engage the starter. You may not hear that sound anymore, but will engage. This is what I think will happen.

Next steps would be to examine the gear and check the valve clearance.

He says its cranks now... but starts then dies.

Its indicative of most likely a gummed up carb that's disturbing the Air fuel mixture... from partial retriction of the jet.

It will need to be cleaned well with a solvent that will disolve those residues from the jets, vents, etc.

Briggs and strattton engine model -289707 mtd model #135l671f336. It will not start at all nothing happens when I turn the ignition switch. New battery new solenoid new fuel filter cleaned the carburetor changed the spark plug ------NOW nothing ----no sound nothing. The battery has been tested, it is good. Some help would greatly appreciated-----lawn tractor neophyte

Do you have a voltmeter or a 12 volt test light?

Thank you it started wrong spark plug---I needed a special spark plug.

That's confusing... A spark plug could not possibly prevent it from cranking at all and you indicated nothing at all was happening..

Wrong spark plug in the beginning but wire had become disconnected when I checking the last time with the bad battery and spark plug.

Smoothy:

The plug could have been hitting the piston being too long then the starter would not be able to turn the engine because the piston hit an immovable object.

Just glad you got things running.

Smoothy:
I'm planning a throttle control mod on a particular briggs engine. I have 3 or 4 of them and the design is really bad. It uses a rivet for the pivot of the rotating choke/throttle control. I always have to take the air cleaner off and make sure the choke sets and move it when it starts. Want to use Belleville washer and an aircraft nut, but need a small one.

The other project is too ambitious and will probably fail. I'm going to try to convert an antique Tecumseh to electric start and solid state ignition.

My mtd lawn tractor dies, when I try to take it out of park an put it in gear. I reset a switch it start up again then does the same thing.

A safety switch such as the seat.