On Aug 12, 9:52*pm, Mortimer Schnerd
wrote:
I've got a four year old John Deere L110 lawn tractor with the original
battery still in it. *It's been on a battery tender ever since it was new.

The problem I've got dates back to when I first got the lawn tractor at
Home Depot: *the starter seems to have a "sweet spot". *If I'm in the
sweet spot, the starter cranks rapidly and I get ignition. *If I'm not
in the sweet spot, I just get a grunt from the tractor. *Repeatedly
bumping the starter eventually puts me back in the sweet spot and
suddenly the starter will start spinning rapidly again so the engine
will start.

Here lately it's gotten worst. *The other day I repeatedly had to bump
the ignition a number of times before the starter suddenly started
cranking energetically.

I recognize I've gotten more life out of the battery than I have a right
to expect. *OTOH, it will spin the hell out of the starter if it happens
to be in the sweet spot.

My other candidates are the Bendix or the starter itself. *I'm not sure
what needs to be replaced and I'm not a fan of throwing parts at a
problem. *Anybody have any insight?

Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerd at carolina.rr.com

IIRC the L110 would have a Kohler "one lunger". That engine can have
an automatic compression release. What you may be experiencing is that
the engine comes to rest at a position just before compression.

When you hit the starter and get a click it may just be that the
compression
is not being released at that engine position. Single cylinder engines
can be
a little odd to start.

You need to check the battery cables and put a DVM on the battery at
rest.
If you read less than (approx) 12.7 volts then it is battery time.
Four years is
about right for the OEM batteries in entry level L&G tractors....
battery tender
or not.

Autozone has a nice replacement battery around $40 that has 425CA and
350CCA.
A considerable upgrade from the battery you have now.