[jamielaura]

Hi All, I'm new here,nice site.I have a 42" Lowe's 16 horsepower Lawn tractor that ran fine last year.I tried to start it the other day and it does nothing,was clicking but does not even do that now.I bought a new battery and a new solenoid for it and it is still doing nothing.I also was wondering if the mower has to be running for the headlights to come on? Thank You in Advance:)

[21boat]

If you put the solenoid in correctly and a new battery that's fully charged lets lean towards the starter and ignition switch. Check for power at the solenoid and ignition switch.

1. Check the battery. Check for a loose connection. Remove the corrosion on the terminals, if any.

2. Check the switch. Make sure there are no loose connections and check with a test light if the switch is any good.

3. Check battery for charge. It must have at least 12 volts.

4. Check the starter. If the battery is good, check the voltage to the starter by taking a volt meter and grounding the black probe to a good ground and touching the red probe to the starter terminal. Turn the key. If all 12 volts are going to the starter and the engine still will not crank, then starter must be repaired. If less than 12 volts are going to the starter, check for exposed areas in the wiring which could cause a partial ground or corrosion. Remove the corrosion, if any, and tape up the wire with electrical tape.

5. Check the starter solenoid. After all the above checks have been done, finally check the starter solenoid. To check the solenoid, remove the wire from spade terminal. With a screw driver, touch the spade terminal and the hot side of the solenoid. If the starter turns, the starter solenoid is good and there is a problem in the safety switches. The solenoid is usually located on the back side of the accessories panel, in the engine compartment, on Riders and Tractors. On Rear Engine Riders, the solenoid is located under the seat or in a separate compartment. Follow the Positive (Red) battery cable to find the solenoid.

6. No Ground. Check the ground cable at the battery and where it connects to the engine or chassis of the power equipment. Replace if necessary cable if necessary.

7. Worn Brushes. Remove the starter and remove the end cap. Do this slowly as the brushes will fly out if you are not looking for them. If you have brushes from another starter, simply replace the brushes, or replace the end cap if brushes are not available. You must use brushes from the same starter as the one you are fixing.