I managed to get the mower to start properly yesterday afternoon. I have no idea what happened.
Tracey and I had spent time Sunday removing the starter solenoid and putting on a new one from an auto parts store in Pekin. It was a Ford solenoid. It didn’t work so I thought it was the wrong one. I spent a couple hours yesterday calling different Cub Cadet stores, driving to Fart and Fleem, etc. trying to find the right one. No luck.
Nobody has anything in stock (or in the case of the dealer in Morton they tried to say I could only get the whole starter assembly for way too much money) and I finally found one at Fliginger’s that was for a John Deere but we thought it might work.
So I spent over an hour climbing inside the mower, removing the Ford solenoid that didn’t work and installing the John Deere one, that didn’t work. I kicked the tires, said unpleasant things, and went in the house to take a nap.
After (or perhaps during) the nap I decided to put the original solenoid back on, take back the two I tried that hadn’t worked, and just have the dealer haul the thing into the shop and fix it. I took the John Deere solenoid off and put the original back on taking slightly less time to do it because by then I was getting pretty good at it and had all the tools discovered.
I was just about to go in the house and call it a day when I decided to try starting it. It started. If I had to make a bet I would say the original solenoid had been stuck open and was rattled loose by taking it off and putting it back on.
I have no illusions that it is fixed for good, simply that I do not really know what is wrong with it. I suspect I would have had better luck and spent a great deal less time had I simply smacked it with a hammer.
Another disappointment yesterday —— I took the Ford solenoid back to the auto store and got my money back, then stopped at Bob Evan’s to get some chili for lunch. No chili. Bob Evan’s has decided that chili is “seasonal” so I won’t be going there for the summer I guess. Their chili was the best thing on the menu in my opinion.
MjL 14 Jun 2011, 6:05 a.m.
Well...when all else fails...HIT IT! Glad it’s running. Sorry, but I have to agree that chili is seasonal - at least to my mouth. I eat soup, soup, soup in the cold months and then salads, salads, salads in the warm months. It just tastes better that way!
Tammy 14 Jun 2011, 7:14 a.m.
Hi Tammy, I have no quarrel with personal taste or preference. I can understand not wanting to choose certain foods according to the weather, holiday, or season —— I just don’t like being dictated to because of their determined profit margin. It is similar to not being able to buy a bathing suit in December. It wouldn’t cost them so much to keep it stocked. Just another of my personal peeves I am sure.
MjL 14 Jun 2011, 7:24 a.m.
Well now,the removel of the chili makes sense in this crazy world,take an item on the menu that cutomers enjoy all year,adds to the profit,never mind what the customers want,so we will discontinue it,I fail to see the logic in that,but then there is so much I dont understand any more,why get a head ache trying to figure it out?
JEL 14 Jun 2011, 9:29 a.m.
You are so right Jean....It’s not worth the headache! Michael should send a FRIENDLY email to Bob Evans requesting chili all year round. Maybe there are others wanting chili and they’d put it back on the menu due to “popular demand”. In my opinion, if they sell soup all year, then chili could be there too.
Tammy 14 Jun 2011, 1:30 p.m.
Tammy I agree,since a hot climate like Mexico,or even Texas has chili year around,you would think Bob Evans would have the smarts enough to know what the customers want,especially when they continue to ask for it,just another question,what the heck is going on?
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Glad it’s running. 