2166 battery drain
 

Hello. I have a 2166 cub cadet mower. Something is draining the battery. There are three red wires connected to the positive terminal. The thick red wire goes to starter. Then there are two thin red wires. One I suspect goes to the key switch. The other I am not sure where it goes to but when I connected to the positive terminal I heard a clicking noise like a solenoid. This is with the key out. I suspect this is what is draining the battery. I tried starting the engine without this third wire connected and it started and even ran for a little bit. I tried a little while later without the red wire connected and the engine would not start unless the red wire was connected. The electrical schematic does not show three wires going to the positive terminal.am thinking this might be the fuel solenoid but looking for any advice there might be.

Thanks for all the responses. The red wire with the yellow crimp is definitely a factory job. It’s routed through the cable sleeves etc. Yellow crimp is mine. I broke the original factory round clip taking out the battery. Ohming out the red wire it is the same red wire connected to the key switch the hour meter etc.

I would think the fuel sol wire needs to be routed through the ignition switch, or as you have found out, it is a constant drain on the battery.
That said find the proper routing from the schematic as it has to be powered in run as well as start position.
i'm too lazy to look up the schematic for you and there might be a relay in the circuit also, but you are on the right track.:bigthink:

First, welcome to OCC............ :Welcome2:

Here is a pictorial of the 2166 Battery Circuit. Yes, big cable going to starter Solenoid. Second wire to the B terminal on Ignition Switch. Third wire....NO CLUE. Probably added by PO for some added or optional feature.

Update...

The Red Wire with the Yellow Crimp Terminal is NOT Factory.

Correllkp, Roland is correct, the red wire with the yellow crimp connector is NOT factory.
I also think ol'George is on the right track about the fuel solenoid.
Look at your carburetor, bottom of the float bowl. That is where the fuel solenoid is.
See if that is where the other end of the red wire goes. If it is connected to your fuel solenoid, then that is your drain.
Normally the key switch provides power to the fuel solenoid ONLY in run and start positions. Nothing when key is off.
You may have a faulty or incorrect key switch and a previous owner tried to modify things.
If that's the case, you can either troubleshoot a wiring issue or cut the plunger off the fuel solenoid and leave the red wire disconnected at the battery.

There should be 2 diodes supplying power to the solenoid, one from the start circuit and the other from the run circuit.

2166 wiring diagram