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