Craftsman lawn tractor....kohler engine..hooked battery backwards!!

[ronryben]

I put a new battery in my craftsman LT4000 with a kohler 14hp CV14S engine. I put it in backwards (reverse polarity). I'm over the stupid mistake now, but the mower isn't! It won't start. The spark looks weak when I ground the plug to the block. But there is spark! What would I have fried? I don't have my multimeter here with me right now so I can't do any real troubleshooting. I have eliminated the safety switches, actually I bypassed them last summer. I'm thinking that there must be someone who has seen this all before? Any idea what fried? What does the stator do exactly? If the ign mod/magneto was bad could I still have spark or do they go bad and have no spark? There are no points/condensor on this motor. The battery is now very weak (i did the actual mistake last fall and left the batt in all winter), do I really need a fully charged battery to have good spark? I'm jump starting it from my truck, directly to the starter. Help me out guys!

[Artemis]

It produces an electrical current when the the flywheel magnets pass it.

Probably not, but I can't say for certain.

You need more than a "very weak" battery...

Rather than jumping from your truck to the starter, why don't you jump to the battery? I don't know if the ignition needs 12v or not but bypassing the battery and going direct to the starter makes no sense at all.

Troubleshoot it like any other won't start condition. Don't just assume something electrical is fried.

To check the spark get an old plug and set the gap at about 1/8 inch. If the spark will jump that outside the cylinder then the ignition system is likely to be good.

Is it getting fuel? Is the spark plug wet?

Put a teaspoon full of gas down the throat of the carb and try to start it. Be very careful of a possible backfire and flame coming out of the carb. Keep flammable stuff away. If it starts and cuts off you have carb problems. Take it to the shop.

[ronryben]

Thanks for the input. It's runnin! I cleaned the surface rust off the magnet on the flywheel and the face of the coil or magneto or whatever you technically call it. It did start with a dead battery when I jumped it from the truck. Continued to run when I took the jumper cables off. So it will run with even a dead battery. I was jumping to the starter just cause it was easier for me. I was kneeling right there anyways while workin on it. It was getting fuel the entire time. I thought for sure that I had fried something. I wasn't going to approach it that way but thought I may as well ask here and get the quick answer to what would fry if something would Thanks again!.

[ds549]

if it isnt charging the battery now,, you may have fried the voltage regulator...

[Artemis]

The rust is not what was keeping it from starting.

Glad you got it going.

[Mel M Kelly]

No you fries the Diods in the alternator. Wait till you get a price on that!

From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley