# John Deere electrical problem



## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

I just picked up a John Deere 265 lawn tractor. It has a 17 hp Kawasaki in it. 

The problem is that it keeps burning up one of the little red wires going to the starter/solenoid. There are two small red wires and the big positive cable that are connected together at the terminal on the solenoid. The starter and solenoid are one unit. The wire burns up and melts at the starter, but only gets warm at the ignition key switch. My buddy is thinking the solenoid is bad. The motor will crank if you jump the solenoid itself, but does nothing when you turn the key. Any advice? Thanks.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

Bad ignition switch, selinoid, little red wire. A long shot but, bad ground starter to battery


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## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

Here are some pics to show what I'm working with. Thanks plowmeister! I love your new plow by the way 

Here's a look at the starter and all it's wires. The green wire on the left is what keeps burning up, I replaced the burnt red one with the green. It's supposed to connect to where the positive cable is hooked to in this pic.









Touch this terminal with the positive battery cable and it makes a loud click, but doesn't crank.









Overview of starter.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

I thinkl I see your problem! In the first picture the thick red wire from the battery is not bolted to the starter terminal. It's resting on the terminal!! you need to clean and securely bolted it to that terminal. It's a big wire because it caries about 200 AMPS. Clean the i-lit on the wire cote it with grease and bolt it with the bolt holding the dirty red wire. clean all the connections. 

Wen you touch the big red wire to "this terminal" its activating the solenoid (clicking)... but without the big red wire on the proper terminal the starter isnt getting the power from the battery.

OK the solenoid is used for 2 things 
1 it pushes the starter gear to mesh with the flywheel
2 it is also a switch for the starter. the starter draws about 200 amps your ignition switch can supply 5~10 amps. the click is the switch turning on or connecting the big red wire to the starter motor (that braided wire going from the back of the solenoid into the top of the starter). That braided wire need a supple of 200 amps. That is what runs the starter.
what is happening is since the big red wire is not connected good enough the starter is trying to run on the Little red wire and since the starter draws about 200 amps the little wire is melting.


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