Spartan Zero Turn Won’t Start or Crank: 7 Reasons
You try to start your lawnmower, but it won’t spin. Insufficient power to the starting motor results in the engine not being turned over.
A dead battery, loose or corroded wiring and electrical components, defective ignition switch, broken safety switch, blown fuse, faulty starter solenoid, or faulty starter motor are all potential causes of a non-starting Spartan zero-turn.
When dealing with electricity, it is imperative that all necessary safety measures be taken to avoid harm or death. Before making any modifications to the electrical system, the black negative wire must always be disconnected from the battery.
Table of Contents
The Problem with Your Spartan Zero-Turn Mower and How to Fix It
Battery Problems with Your Spartan Zero-Turn
You won’t be able to start your Spartan mower with a dead or dying battery. It’s vital that you charge the battery regularly.
Because batteries might freeze if they aren’t completely charged, cold weather storage is a must.
Follow the guidelines in “5 Things That Are Draining the Life of Your Lawn Mower Battery” to check the health of your battery.
Charging a Battery: The 12-volt battery must be charged using a battery charger. Put on goggles and rubber gloves to protect your eyes and skin from potential electrical current before proceeding. To charge the battery on your lawn mower, do the following:
- Get to the battery and the connectors. A screwdriver may be required to access the battery. Don’t take the battery out of its case.
- Assemble the charging cords with the positive cable in place first. The plus sign cable, or the red cable, is this one. Connect the cord to the terminal labeled “+” on the battery.
- Link the battery’s negative terminal to the negative end of the wire. This is the negative-sign cable, sometimes known as the black cable.
- To avoid electrocution, avoid touching anything that isn’t covered with rubber.
- Alter the charger’s settings to suit your needs in terms of voltage and current. Lawn mower batteries typically have a voltage of 12 volts. More amperage means a quicker battery charge. First, set up two camps with little more than 10 amps each. It’s better to charge slowly.
A new battery should be installed if the old one is unable to maintain its charge. A replacement battery may be purchased from any automotive shop, hardware store, or lawn and garden center in Sparta.
Don’t forget to bring your dead batteries. If you don’t bring in your old battery, most stores will charge you a core fee.
Wires and connections in your Spartan Zero Turn that are loose or corroded
The continual motion of the mower might cause the cables and parts to get dislodged and unable to attach securely.
Make sure there is no break in continuity by inspecting the wiring and components of your Spartan zero-turn. Look for corrosion, which may disrupt electrical continuity, in every component of the system.
First disconnect the battery, and then remove the corroded wire, component, or connection.
You may attempt corrosion removal with a wire brush and a baking soda solution (2 cups water to 3 heaping teaspoons of baking soda). If the corrosion is too severe to clean, new terminals will need to be installed.
Spartan Zero-Turn Fuse Blown
Your Spartan electrical system now has a fuse for further safety. Make sure a power surge or short hasn’t blown the fuse on your mower.
whether you’re not sure whether the fuse has blown, you may test it by touching the probes of a multimeter to each of the prongs.
Your fuse is OK if the resistance measurement is close to 0. A blown fuse is indicated by a reading of infinite resistance.
If a fuse blows, use another fuse of the same amperage to replace it. If you keep having problems with blown fuses, you should take your Spartan to a repair shop or dealer for further investigation.
Your Spartan Zero Turn Has a Faulty Ignition Switch.
If the ignition key switch is faulty, turning the key has no effect. The mower you bought in Sparta won’t even turn over.
whether you suspect the ignition switch is broken, you may test it with a multimeter to see whether there is any continuity. To accomplish this, locate the B for Battery and S for Starter Solenoid markings on the prongs.
Put the key in and turn it to “on.” Connect one probe to the B prong and the second probe to the S prong of the multimeter when the multimeter is in the resistance measurement mode.
The resistance of a high-quality key switch for the ignition should be close to zero. If the resistance reading on your ignition key switch is infinite, you need to replace it.
Your Spartan Zero Turn’s Faulty Safety Switch
In order to ensure your safety, your Spartan is equipped with an operator presence control system. Your Spartan may not start because of a faulty safety switch.
Apply the multimeter test to your switch. The safety switch may be temporarily disabled during troubleshooting to help pinpoint a faulty unit.
Always use the safety switch before starting the mower. Never use a lawn mower with the safety switch removed. You never know when you may need a safety switch, but having one is always a good idea.
Spartan Zero-Turn Problems Caused by a Faulty Starter Solenoid
To get your Spartan engine revving, you need a starting solenoid, an electromagnetic device that, when activated, sends a signal to the starter motor.
When the spring weakens or the copper plate corrodes, the starting solenoid might fail. The solenoid might fail for a variety of reasons, including a weak starting, faulty battery, or poor ground.
A fully charged battery is required prior to testing the starting solenoid. Keep putting it through its paces by following the procedures outlined in “How to Tell Your Lawn Mower Solenoid is Bad” for determining whether the solenoid is malfunctioning as the starter.
Your Spartan Zero Turn’s Weak Starter Motor
Your Spartan won’t start? Check the starter after you’ve eliminated the battery, cables, wiring, ground, and starting solenoid as possible causes. The starter may be taken out and examined in detail.
Instead of merely buying a new starting for your Spartan mower, I would have it tested and maybe rebuilt by a local repair company that specializes in starter and alternator repairs.
Is Your Spartan Zero Turn Mower Still Giving You Trouble?
It would be great to have a mower that never breaks down. But there is no such thing as that. Problems are inevitable if you keep a Spartan mower for any length of time.
Some of the most frequent issues are failure to start, smoke, die, vibrate, or cut.
Diagnostics and repairs should be left to the professionals if you lack confidence in your ability to do so safely.
You’ll save yourself from harm and the mower from further destruction by doing this. If you’re having trouble with your lawn mower, go on over to the Spartan dealership or repair shop in your area.
