Will not start Gator Turf

[icedecoy]

Need some help figuring out why my 97 Gator Turf will not start, dove it in the morning and now this afternoon engine will not start, hit the key and all it does is click the relay under the passengers seat, good battery - clean connection, emergency brake is off. Not sure what to check to get it running again, any help would be appreciated.

[apple]

Have you load tested the battery? Sounds like maybe a bad cell in battery. Have you tried jumper cables?

[icedecoy]

Thanks Apple for the suggestion to test the battery, it checks out good today

Here is the odd thing, :hdscrh: the gator is always parked in my heated shop, I ran it in the morning and left it parked outside, in the afternoon (18 degrees outside) it would not start, I pushed it back in the heated garage overnight and now this morning it starts and runs great.
Now I am scratching my head.

May have to just pamper my Gator till warmer weather comes back. :party

[Regulator]

I'm gonna bet and say that the starter solenoid is a bit dirty with grease inside somehow, and when it sits outside, it hardens up because of the cold...then when you take it inside with the heat, it loosens up enough to start...

Or, did you try jumping the starter (taking a screwdriver or whatever and jump over the posts) when it was outside???...that would eliminate whether or not the solenoid has shit the bed...

Either way, there is something that is affected by sitting in the cold that only works when warm...I'm gonna bet it it the starter solenoid that's giving you fits...If you do figure it out or try something that works or doesn't work, post it up here so we can try to think of something else...there's alot of good folks on here that are alot smarter than me with this stuff...I've worked on Tractor Trailers for the past 35 years, so my experience with this stuff is strictly generic to an "engine"...not just a JD engine or components...

Good luck with the fix....

Larry in MD :Jestr:

[icedecoy]

Thanks for the tip Larry, I will have to wait till it gets cold again to see if the it freezes up, which post do I cross
A1 A2 or F2 ? don't want to cross the wrong ones, also do you know if the solenoid is inside the starter generator or is it external ?

This is my first gator and we really enjoy it.
Have not made many modifications to it yet, the one comfort item I did purchase for it was a curtis cab, steel doors and a glass windshield, makes it real comfortable ride in the winter here in Ohio.

[Regulator]

You'll have to excuse me for maybe giving you some wrong advice....I am used to working on Tractor Trailer big rigs, and was thinking of how those starters are set-up...there probably isn't a solenoid on top of the starter on your machine...I haven't even looked at mine on my new 825i yet to be honest so I don't even know what it looks like!!!...

To cross over the posts, (again, I was thinking of a big rig starter) first find the positive terminal...sho0uld be the bigger one...then take a screwdriver and touch it and one of the other terminals until you get some sparks and see if you hear the starter trying to engage...that's how I've always done it on the big starters, and if the starter does engage, it means that the solenoid (or relay) is bad and not "telling" the starter to crank over...this might not work in your case, so I kinda hate telling you to do this in a way simply because I don't know how these starters are on these Gators...

If someone else knows more than me, or if you know my advice is wrong, PLEASE chime in...I'm just trying to help, but I surely don't want to give someone bad advice that will make something break or burn up in a flaming fireball...hahaha...

Good luck on the fix...I am still interested if the problem is because of the cold though...I can't wait to hear what the problem and fix turns out to be...

Larry in MD :Jestr: