149 electrical question
 

I was charging up my battery on my 149 tonight because it has been sitting for a while in a non-heated garage. At first, when I touched the connectors to the terminals I got the usually light sparks. I tried to start it some time later and it didn't fire up. Then, I went back to check my connections to the terminals and despite my many hook-ups and re-hood-ups, there was no sparks when I touched the connectors to the terminals. Any idea what this might be? :bigthink: Thanks in advance for entertaining my question!!

With much appreciation,

Cub Cadet 123

You shouldn't have any sparks in the first place when you are reconnecting the battery. If you do, something is wrong.

Matt,

It isn't the battery that gives a spark, it's the terminals of the battery charger. I left the battery installed in the cub and connected the battery charger to the correct terminals and when I place them on there I get a little spark, or at least I did at first but now I no longer do.

Cub Cadet 123

Does the needle on the gauge (on the charger) jump or move when you hook it up?

Have you checked the voltage of the battery?

Just the first couple of things I would check...

Cub Cadet 123
Did the charger quit? :bigthink:

No, the charger works fine. It charged up my 73 battery before and after this happened. The charger reads full charge when hooked up to my 149. Would a dead cell give a false reading like this on my charger?

Cub Cadet 123

Do you have a battery tester or a volt meter to make sure it is the battery and not somthing else like a fuse?

Well, I know that it isn't the battery. I took it out and if fired the 73 up and I even put the 73's battery in it and it did the exact same thing. I guess I was unaware that the 149 had fuses. The headlights work fine, so it isn't the fuse for them. Where are the other fuses at on the 149? Thanks!!

Cub Cadet 123

The reason I mention a fuse is because my dads 129 quite running after the hot wire running to the headlights shorted out on the frame. If your headlights are working then I would test the starter using your battery charger. WARNING! Make sure the brake is set and the transmission is in neutral! If it turns over, then then you know to look at wiring or the ignition switch.

The only fuse in a 149 is for the headlights.

That's what I thought Matt, but I wasn't for sure since it is a wideframe....and my only one at that. I just got it this last summer, so my fingerprints are all over it yet.

John, I reconditioned my starter this past summer but it never hurts to double check everything. My headlight wiring looks to be in the worst shape and a little rough, so it might be something as easy as putting another wire together. I quickly scanned the harness and didnt' see any thing that alerted my attention at first. I will have to wait until this weekend to look into this matter further since I work from 7 AM to about 9 or 10PM straight the rest of the week. Thanks so much for the advice guys and coming to my aid when I called!! I'll stay in touch with what I find.

Cub Cadet 123

Well, here's what I found out today. The major part of my problem is my battery charger is dead---who would have thought (bittersweet, a cost but at least its not my cub!!!). It is (was) a Schumacher with a 75A quick charge, a little better than average and only about 5 or 6 years old. I purchased a new one today. It kept cranking over but did not fire. The plug is new, so now I believe that I have a carburation problem, which I will look at later this week. Before I parked it on December 28th, the carburation was questionable and when I opened up the air cleaner assembly, some gasoline leaked out. I will pull the plug, give it a visual inspection when I look at the adjustment for the carb. If I remember correctly, isn't the idler screw turned about 1 1/4 turns and the fuel screw 2 1/2????? Haven't done that for a while, so if I am incorrect then please correct me.


"Thanks!" to everyone for their time, expertise and responses to assist me.

Cub Cadet 123