Husqvarna YTH150 electrical problem

[am]

I've got a Husqvarna YTH150 Yard Tractor with a problem.

It starts and runs just fine. While sitting on the seat (switch engaged) I disengage the brake and the engine dies. It's definately an electrical death (as opposed to friction.)

I have checked all wires and have tried a new relay. The brake switch is working as the engine will not turn over with out the brake engaged. The seat switch tests out with a multimeter (and I have jumped it as a test.)

With the engine at idle and brake engaged, activating the PTO (to engage blades) also kills the engine. This is interesting to me as I was able to engage the blades once - now pulling the PTO kills the engine.

I have looked for any obvious wiring issues and have found nothing.

As a background to this issue; I was mowing the lawn when the thing just quit. I assumed I had run out of fuel - wrong. I was able to start the engine (with blades off and brake on) but can do NOTHING with this machine at this point.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Even with choke on engine dies? Engine may be running way too lean for some reason? If it's electrical problem, something is shorting to ground killing the ignition. Tony

[am]

Thanks for the reply!

Yes, it's not an engine thing and is definately an electrical thing. The engine runs great - until I disengage the brake or engage the PTO.

It does seem that something is grounding out the ignition when I let the brake go. I can not figure out what this could be though. I have checked the seat safety switch which I thought was the most obvious. What other switch is in the way of simply running the tractor?

[Doug Miller]

The brake mechanism itself is grounded. Perhaps when you release the brake, the mechanism contacts a wire with damaged insulation, thus grounding it?

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

[am]

Thanks! It's certainly possible - though digging behind the console is not the most fun! I guess that's what it comes down to though.

[Eric Tonks]

When checking the safety switches, some may be normally open, others may be normally closed and open when operated so that they don't short the ignition to ground to kill the engine.

[am]

I'll have to rip into the console to test the brake switch - the seat switch operates as designed.

So - it seems that it is either:

1. the brake switch NOT fully disengaging and shorting the ingnition
2. the ignition switch shorted inside
3. the PTO switch shorted inside
4. cracked/broken insulation on a wire - SOMEWHERE - causing an ignition ground condition

I won't have time to dive into these properly for a few days.

Thanks every> When checking the safety switches, some may be normally open, others may be

[alan]

GOT IT!

All the switches checked out fine with a DMM.

There was a wire that is part of the ignition switch bundle that was apparently shorting the ignition when the brake was released. I rewired the whole of the ignition bundle and have been operating the machine just fine!

Thank you all!

[rio]

I was wondering if you found a solution to your problem. I have a GTH2548 model and it just did the same thing. It was parked and when we tried to put it in motion (forward or reverse), it simply dies. The same when attempting the mower deck. Any info would be helpful before I have to haul it in for service.

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[Tractordan]

Did you have lights at the time when this was going on I'm having the same issue and rather then buy a bunch of parts I'm gonna try to figure out what wire is bad

[Dean Hoffman]

My first thought would be the wiring leading to the seat safety switch. Can you trace it to its source? Maybe it's bad. Try looking on YouTube. It's surprising how many people take the time to make a trouble shooting video. Trouble shooting help line:

A detailed description of your actual problem would help. The original poster's issue was 16 years ago. What's different, if anything, between your problem and his?

[Mik E.]

This ain't rocket surgery.  Grab the schematic, a test light or volt meter and get to it.

[Tractordan]

Nothing was different I did the research and it said that the harness was bad well I bought a new harness and now it won't even start

[Tractordan]

I did a main test on the most common parts to fail and all check out the only part that doesn't is the pto switch

[Dean Hoffman]

Maybe getting a set of the little jumper wires with the clips on them would help. Something like these:

OR

You can bypass various things one or two at a time to narrow the problem down.