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Repair information and troubleshooting for Craftsman-brand riding lawnmowers.

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Why is my electric starter struggling to crank over?

Replace battery, checked oil level and fuel. It will crank once the key is turned but quickly struggle. If key is held in start mode, starter will eventually turn over once then quickly struggle again. The starter will make a ticking noise and heat up.

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Richard, this could be because of a bad solenoid or a bad stator inside the starter. You can either disassemble the starter, check the stator for flat spots and short in the winding, or have someone rebuild it for you or replace it all together. It might help if you tell us the model of your mower as well as the engine model. Hope this helps, good luck.

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917.288520 - I'm having the same problem. Experimented by replacing the battery, then replacing the key switch, then replacing the main battery cables.

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I seem to be losing voltage over the side terminals at the solenoid.

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Richard will be eternally grateful.
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