Have a 2005 Husky riding mower. Has the Vanguard Briggs and straton engine. Nice mower. I think it is a 21 hp.

So my dad had it. He said it stopped working.

It will start right up. Foot on the brake. As soon as you start to let off the brake it dies. That is it. You can lock the brake on or hold down the peddle but as soon as you release the brake she dies. What is going on with it?

Thanks guys.

Clutch.

-Rob

"It dies," is a very vague term. Does the engine bog down like it is being over-stressed, or does the act of increasing throttle under load make it stall? If the first, probably a drive belt (either locomotion or blade) pulley may be seized, the clutch does not disengage, or the transmission is locked up. If the latter, likely the carburetor is varnished up, or maybe there is an air leak in the fuel feed.

Divide and conquer, first determine if it is an engine issue, or something with the mechanical assemblies, then proceed along that route.

Useful information might be: what kind of drive (belt/hydrostatic) does the mower have? By what mechanism does the power get to the wheels and blades? Do you see hesitation when suddenly advancing the throttle when not under load? Can you turn the blades manually when the engine is not running? Does the act of releasing the brake also engage some other working component? Can you run the blades without moving? Can you drive the tractor without engaging the blades?

If the drive engagement and the blade engagement is not controlled together, don't release the brake with the blade drive engaged. A lot of mowers bog down when trying to start the blades while simultaneously starting up from a dead stop.

Is "Husky" the brand name, or is your usage short for Husqvarna? There is also a Huskee brand. Posting a URL pointing to the specific model you have may be useful.

There a good chance the seat safety switch or its wiring is bad.

It starts right up and runs great. It is a husquvarna. Has a hydrostatic transmission. To start it you have to depress the foot peddle on the left. It fires right up. As soon as you start to remove your left foot from the peddle the engine dies.

quote:

Originally posted by Jelly:
seat safety switch

This was my first thought.

If you unplug that switch at the seat should it not be part of the system any longer? therefore not the problem?

Sounds like there is a safety switch on the brake/clutch pedal since it must be fully depressed to start. Something is fouled up with the switch and killing the engine as soon as you let up on the pedal... disconnecting the switch may or may not solve the problem; i.e., it may not start at all if the switch is disconnected.

Bridge the switch. It's either that or the seat switch.

Probably one of several safety switches . Gotta find the right one . A schematic would help but those can be hard to come by .

Id bet seat safety switch. On mine, you get off seat engine dies. If you lock brake engaged and then get off, engine idles away.

Check your choke. I have a similar model and the choke will stick causing it to run rough, bog down, and die under load. I'm too lazy to fix it, so I just reach up and unstick it after starting.

I’m betting the seat switch too.

There should be 2 wires in the connector that plugs into the switch. Pull the connector off the switch, and jumper the wires.
If that heals it, the switch is bad.

quote:

Originally posted by Muddflap:
I’m betting the seat switch too.

There should be 2 wires in the connector that plugs into the switch. Pull the connector off the switch, and jumper the wires.
If that heals it, the switch is bad.

yes there is a spade connector with two spades that plug into a connection under the seat. How specifically jumper the the two female spades together if that is what you are saying? A paper clip?

Just bridge it using wire connectors with the same gauge wire.

I would also take a hard look at the switch at the brake pedal. You may have to do a similar thing there.

When you ask a question, you need to give the model number. You should have the circuit diagram for the mower.
If the seat switch was bad, the mower would not start. The brake switch is bad.

You should never disable these switches.

The switches do different functions. The brake switch allows the engine to start, and that’s all. The seat switch allows the tractor to run as long as there’s weight on the seat.

I can engage the parking brake, get off my tractor and start it with no problem. As soon as I release the brake, it will die if I’m not sitting on it.


ORC, a paper clip would work, but I’d find something insulated, so you don’t short something out if it touches the tractor body. There’s not an amp load on the switch, it just completes the circuit to the ignition.

I agree that these switches should not be disabled permanently, but for troubleshooting purposes, there’s not an easy alternative.