John Deere Sabre electrical problem...I hate John Deere!

[dart451]

Hello all,

I have a John Deere Sabre yard tractor, 15.542 Hydra, GXSABAY010292 that I got in and I am pulling my hair out! I have it running, but every time I release the brake/clutch, the engine dies. I have the seat switch disabled and the two wires spliced together. The engine would also shut off because the return spring on the mowing engagement switch wasn't strong enough to pull the mow bar all the way back but that's fixed. So, the only way I can get the mower to move is by taping the clutch switch in so the motor will continue to run when engaging in gear. I have looked under this mower and cannot find any other switches anywhere! Anyone have a clue what might be happening here except that I have a John Deere tractor?? lol

[NO0C]

Do you have a wiring road map to share?

[bgsengine]

That is because you spliced the seat switch wires together. Un-splice them and leave them separate and might solve the immediate issue but the correct fix is to fix the seat switch so it works right.

By the way - That is not a John Deere - That is an AYP/Husqvarna/Crapsman/AKA Boat Anchor.

[Mr Mower Man]

My first thought is to make sure splicing the two seat switch wires together isn't causing your problem. If the seat switch is a normally closed switch, then it opens when the operator is in the seat. If that's the configuration, splicing the wires together makes the mower "think" no one is in the seat, which is fine when the parking brake is applied, but would be problem whenever you take it off.

But if you want to test all the switches on the mower, I would guess there's a total of 4. Seat switch, brake/clutch switch, blade engagement lever switch, and mowing in reverse switch. I would check that the buttons on these switches are actually being pushed in and/or let out. Once I verified all the switches were being correctly activated, I would use an ohmmeter to make sure the switches are open in one position, and a half ohm or less in the closed position. I have an inkling that you may find the seat switch isn't working right.

The problem could lie in the wiring, but I'd check these things first.

[dart451]

That is because you spliced the seat switch wires together. Un-splice them and leave them separate and might solve the immediate issue but the correct fix is to fix the seat switch so it works right.

By the way - That is not a John Deere - That is an AYP/Husqvarna/Crapsman/AKA Boat Anchor.

Thanks bgsengine! I thought by splicing them together it would be like sitting in the seat...guess I got that backwards...yes, I will fix it! Thanks again...

[KE4AVB]

The AM119943 switch is a normally open switch so tying the two wires together will be the same as sitting on the switch which makes it to close.

[38racing]

And just pulling plug off may not work as it will close inside the switch so plug an unconnected tab into each side.

[KE4AVB]

By the way - That is not a John Deere - That is an AYP/Husqvarna/Crapsman/AKA Boat Anchor.

Sabre was a economy line of lawn equipment produced by Deere & Company from 1995 until 2002. Many of the same equipment was also sold under the Scotts brand name. The tractors were sold in large retailers including Home Depot and Sears. In 2003, the Sabre line was discontinued and replaced with the Deere-branded L100 series.

And just pulling plug off may not work as it will close inside the switch so plug an unconnected tab into each side.

I may be mistaken but I think the system is one of those that runs 12v thru the seat switch to operate a kill relay much like the Toro Timer Cutters and Dixie Choppers so having a connector with the shorting strip wouldn't work as with it disconnected the mower seat safety system would be defeated.

[bgsengine]

By the way - That is not a John Deere - That is an AYP/Husqvarna/Crapsman/AKA Boat Anchor.

Sabre was a economy line of lawn equipment produced by Deere & Company from 1995 until 2002. Many of the same equipment was also sold under the Scotts brand name.

Ah - thats it.. Brain fart - mixed up Sabre with Scotts, must be - I could swear I have seen , in person, a Scotts mower built on an AYP platform - but then again it may not have been the same Scotts as the ones Deere made, now that I think of it - much like Ryobi - there's the ones made by MTD, then there's the same ones made by TTI

In any case, I still say that the Sabre (and the Scotts) are not really a Deere - they're just cheap mass market junk hiding behind Deere badges... just like the L and LA series - they are no better than your average MTD or AYP machine..

[Arkie]

Do you have a wiring diagram you can post?

Sometimes a owners manual will give you a clue, such as the mower deck cannot be en-gauged when going into reverse or the engine will die or engine will die if operator leaves the seat. (if more than two wires on a safety switch it is usually doing more than one safety function and each function is isolated from the other one.

Technical SERVICE manual might be available on-line for about $25 and most SERVICE manuals have a troubleshooting ladder diagram section to walk you thru a logical troubleshooting electrical process.
Saftey warning: Don't let the shiny green/Yellow paint hurt your eyes. (may have to use sunglasses if bright light reflecting off the paint)
Have you checked to see if a service manual is available for your Oh Deere Me machine?