Battery or Solenoid, JD 140 Lawn tractor

UP Oliver · Aug 12, 2016

Hello.

I have a JD 140 Lawn tractor that won't start. I have never learned how to tell if the problem is the solenoid or the battery or the starter. I charged the battery, but that process was strange. Usually my charger will say "FUL" when the charging is done. That didn't happen with this battery. It would get close, then go back to 5.2 amps, then get close to 0, then back to 5.0 or so and back to 0. When I unplugged it and plugged it back in it said "FUL." But it should do that without unplugging it. It reads 12.7 volts right now though, so I assume it is OK. I cleaned all connections, and I just get a click, or several clicks in a row. One time the tractor turned over, but mostly clicks. The battery is 9 years old.

I would appreciate any help on how to tell if the problem is with the battery or solenoid. (Or starter)

Thanks.

tractorguy2 · Aug 12, 2016

I'm not familiar with the 140. How ma y safety switches does it have. Switches cause more trouble than starters and solenoid combined.

Have you tried jump starting from another battery?

David G · Aug 12, 2016

I would doubt a 9 year old lawn mower battery is any good, my old battery exploded on me, be careful.

The suggestion to jump it is a good one.

Don-Wi · Aug 12, 2016

I'm still learning about the 140I picked up this spring, but I'd lean towards a bad battery. Try jumping it from a your car or truck. I just replaced the battery in mine.

Forget what size I went with, but it was a hair smaller than the car battery that was in it but still had more cca. I could probably look tomorrow.

Donovan from Wisconsin

blue water massey · Aug 13, 2016

guy next door has a JD mower not sure which model
but his has a relay in the starting circut
his was just clicking too
turned out the relay was clicking but not sending power to the solenoid
none of my or any other GT's I've worked on had this relay
IIRC there's a purple wire runs from the solenoid to the relay
we unplugged it from the relay and touched it to 12 v pos and it started right up
last I seen him he's still starting this way
might check your GT and see if you have that relay as well
his was towards the front of the motor on the right side just forward and above starter
he bought it used so might be that relay was installed by OP before him

Bob · Aug 13, 2016

It's unlikely a nine year old battery is gonna git 'er done, but stranger things have happened!

That being said there are at least 3 versions (by serial number) of the 140's and their wiring.

If you want us to help you, you might as well at least throw us a crumb and post the serial number.

rick1 · Aug 13, 2016

I would start with a new battery and go from there

Northvale - PA · Aug 13, 2016

I have an older JD 185. In order to stat the lawn tractor, the brake pedal must be depressed, which pushes in a safety switch. Over the last few years, it would make a sound but not stat. Turn the key again and it would start. Last week, it stopped making the sound altogether. I had already used a jumper wire to the started to determine that safety switch was getting worn. So, last week, I replaced it. Started right up. My suggestion is use a jumper wire to go directly from battery to starter. If they work, it is probably a switch. Could be the dash key switch, or the seat safety switch or the brake pedal switch.

sammydwm · Aug 13, 2016

If you actually hear clicks at the starter solenoid and if it actually rolled over then you can probably not worry about most of the posts dealing with safety switches.
You could try jumping the thing from a known good battery and see if that changes things. If it rolls over like normal then you need a new battery.
Or you could take the battery to a decent shop and have it load tested.
9 years is a long time, it might be time for a new battery.

Brown Swiss · Aug 13, 2016

Sounds to me you are not getting a good contact on one of the battery post, that would explain the clicking and also the charger if you hooked onto the cable ends instead of the post itself.

Tx Jim · Aug 13, 2016

I'd suggest to take the 9 yr old battery and have battery load tested. A battery can show 12+ volts and still be faulty.

Traditional Farmer · Aug 13, 2016

I've never heard of a lawnmower battery lasting 9 years I'd get a new one and take it from there.

John T · Aug 13, 2016

Battery orrrrrrrrrrrr Solenoid?????????

For as easy and free it is to do, take the battery to an auto parts or battery store and have them load test it. Just because it reads 12 volts don't guarantee its okay under a load.

1) FIRST Id remove, clean and wire brush, and re attach the Battery and Solenoid and Starter motor connections.

2) To see if the Solenoid or Battery is at fault, use good jumper cables to jump from the battery direct to the starter motor
post (or starter side of solenoid). If she cranks good then, battery must be okay so SOLENOID must be at fault

2) See if it will start using your car or truck jumper cables??? If so but NOT using lawn mower battery, the BATTERY is
likely bad. If still no start with a good jump battery and good connections and solenoid clicks, SOLENOID likely bad.

If the battery is old, that's my first suspect, and that's so relatively cheap and easy to fix. Similar the solenoid is inexpensive and EITHER battery or solenoid isn't hard to fix THIS ALL ASSUMES ANY SAFETY OR LOCK OUTS ARE OKAY AND SOLENOID IS ENGAGING AT LEAST but maybe its contacts are burned and carboned.

John T

Hogleg · Aug 13, 2016

IIRC, the only lockout on a 140 is the electric PTO switch. No seat switches or anything else...

If you measure the battery dimensions, one of the smaller standard car batteries fit fine. I think the one I used was popular in Chrysler vehicles. Lots of room in that battery tray. I think I had to swap pos and negative sides but plenty of extra cable to get it done.

John

Geo-TH,In · Aug 13, 2016

If you have easy access to solenoid, use screwdriver and touch the battery terminal to starter terminal.

I think the solenoid is attached to starter on my gt275. I just bought a new starter, instead of replacing solenoid. Complete starter solenoid wasn't that much more.

Usually the symptoms for a weak battery is solenoid may chatter or won't start.

Sometimes people think they have battery or starter problems when their valves need adjusting.

UP Oliver · Aug 13, 2016

Thanks for all the good help. This tractor has been sitting around mostly for a few years, I was actually surprised when it fired up the first time I used it this past spring.

I know it is not a safety switch, and I cleaned every connection real well. I will see what happens when I use a cable from the battery to the starter and if it don't go I will replace the battery. If I had to guess I would think the battery is the problem. Like I said it acted strange when charging. I have had others act like that and work fine though, so then I wonder if my charger is going on me.

Anyway, thanks again.

Leroy · Aug 13, 2016

They take a standard car battery and being 45 years old the did not have all these safty switches. I could start mine standing on the ground bedide it, nid that many a time as I would just want to move it and would walk beside it in doing so. Mine was an H3 version that ment it had all the hydrolicks that could be gotten. Am positive it is battery.

Hogleg · Aug 13, 2016

Single lung kohler on that tractor. no valves to adjust, IIRC.

John

Hogleg · Aug 13, 2016

Mine was also an H3. Bought it used, ran it for 25 years and sold it when I bought my retirement farm needing a larger mowing tractor. Sorry I sold it. As close to a bulletproof lawn tractor that Deere ever produced. They will run forever, with plentiful parts availability.

John

Tx Jim · Aug 13, 2016

(quoted from post at 08:31:01 08/13/16)
IIRC, the only lockout on a 140 is the electric PTO switch. No seat switches or anything else...

John

140 neutral start switch is key 26

John T · Aug 13, 2016

"I will see what happens when I use a cable from the battery to the starter"

GOOD PLAN if it cranks good with a direct jump from battery to starter, but not via the solenoid (assuming its clicking in and engaging) the battery must be okay. If it still don't crank well given a direct to starter jump, battery may be shot which a free load test will tell you. Weak batteries can also cause a solenoid to chatter but never crank the starter over, a jumper cable start from your car or truck can test for that.

John T

Bob · Aug 13, 2016

Hog, they also have a neutral safety switch on the hydro lever.

Hogleg · Aug 15, 2016

Bob,

Your right. Now I remember it. Been a few years since it went down the road.

Thx for keeping me honest.

John

buickanddeere · Aug 15, 2016

Clean or not you can't look at a safety switch and know if it works . This is why we use multi meters instead of guessing.

buickanddeere · Aug 15, 2016

(reply to post at 09:07:01 08/13/16 . This is why we use multi meters instead of guessing. Instead of wasting time and money replacing working parts .

Battery or Solenoid, JD 140 Lawn tractor

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