Ignition Question - Just Making Sure
 

New battery fully charged. The starting motor does not crank using the key. However, with key in run position, I can jump the posts on the solenoid and the starting motor will crank and the engine fires up. Am I correct in believing I need to clean all cables and the solenoid ground wire? Is there anything else I need to be prepared for? Thank you for your time and consideration.

Aaron

I would do some testing with a test light to see if the key switch is sending power to the solenoid in the start position and if it is I'd test the solenoid to see if its sending power to the starter when you turn the key to the start position. Sounds like a bad solenoid to me.

Brake/neutral interlock?

interlock, bad wire/terminal from ignition switch to solenoid, bad/worn ignition switch. test light and multimeter are your friend.

It would be most helpful if we knew what model of Cub Cadet you are working. :Huh:

The unit is a '80 782 with series 2 engine update

Sounds weird. But try starting ut sitting on the seat brake pedal pushed down a highly the pto switch... see if it does anything....just about all 82 series I have picked up needed the original pto switch to be juggled

Since there are two different wiring configurations for the 782, how about a Chassis Serial Number...???

Roland, the serial number on the machine is 682435. The original tag on the wiring harness is IH-144659-C2.

Interestingly enough, I bought a pair of rear fender lights along with a flasher as I plan on adding for safety. The left rear light (1st in wiring harness series) is more dim than the right rear light. So, I will replace the bulbs in both and see if they even out. Likewise, when I installed the flasher, it doesn't work, although the fender lights work. So, we will get another and see if that resolves the problem. This has been fun and I have a bald spot on my head that has been scratched a bit...LOL. Thank you all for your help.

The lights are wired in a parallel, not a series. If it is dim, it's the ground. The reason the flasher doesn't work is because the rear fender lights do not have enough amp draw to make it flash.

The starter solenoid grounds through the base, it has no ground wire. Or coarse when you short across it it starts...... you just by-passed it. (Assuming that you are shorting the two big terminals.) Check the safety switches.