Cub Cadet 128 - Electrical issues I can't resolve

[Michael Seeley]

I'm completely baffled and frustrated. My philosophy has been "if I can't fix it, I can tear it up so nobody else can either". I'm almost to the point of putting a 9mm slug in it to put us both out of our misery.

The problem is my Cub Cadet 128 decided it didn't like to engage the starter/generator, and only gave a single "click" at the solenoid. My initial reaction was to start by throwing money at replacement parts including and new battery, solenoid, and ignition switch (which needed replacement anyway). This didn't help so I bought a new starter/generator rebuild kit that I didn't use, because I discovered the internal wiring in the starter/generator was fried to a crisp. (Why?) Bought a new starter generator and installed it. Same result - "click". Note - I had previously replaced the entire wiring harness, coil, etc. I have inspected for any shorts/grounds or loose connections and found none. Reconnected the wires to the voltage regulator according to the wiring harness, and when I connected the battery the gray wire started to smoke/overheat at the regulator. (Why?) Replaced the voltage regulator and when I connected it, and again the wire started to smoke. Reversing the blue and gray wires at the regulator (contrary to what is indicated on the wiring diagram) resulted in the same "click".

Please provide any suggestions about what I should do next to fix this problem once and for all. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[mgonitzke]

Make sure you have the correct wires going to the correct terminals. They will not necessarily be in the same physical locations as the original one. For example, on most new regulators, the GEN terminal is on the back, and the regulator grounds through the mounting tabs instead of through one of the terminals. Based on your description of the issue, you almost certainly have the regulator hooked up wrong.

 

[jack casey]

I'm completely baffled and frustrated. My philosophy has been "if I can't fix it, I can tear it up so nobody else can either". I'm almost to the point of putting a 9mm slug in it to put us both out of our misery.

The problem is my Cub Cadet 128 decided it didn't like to engage the starter/generator, and only gave a single "click" at the solenoid. My initial reaction was to start by throwing money at replacement parts including and new battery, solenoid, and ignition switch (which needed replacement anyway). This didn't help so I bought a new starter/generator rebuild kit that I didn't use, because I discovered the internal wiring in the starter/generator was fried to a crisp. (Why?) Bought a new starter generator and installed it. Same result - "click". Note - I had previously replaced the entire wiring harness, coil, etc. I have inspected for any shorts/grounds or loose connections and found none. Reconnected the wires to the voltage regulator according to the wiring harness, and when I connected the battery the gray wire started to smoke/overheat at the regulator. (Why?) Replaced the voltage regulator and when I connected it, and again the wire started to smoke. Reversing the blue and gray wires at the regulator (contrary to what is indicated on the wiring diagram) resulted in the same "click".

Please provide any suggestions about what I should do next to fix this problem once and for all. Thanks in advance for your help.

Only problem I ever had with my CC102 was a bad solenoid....it gave a single click. Just for a giggle, I removed the two upper lug wires on the solenoid and joined them.... the engine roared to life.
Pay attention to Gonitzke suggestions. You can find a wiring diagram on these pages.
Good luck, Jack