RM46SPCE electric start wiring

[barneyg]

Hello - I've just signed up as I found this forum via a Youtube video of the Cobra mower I've got to try & figure out. This is probably a long shot but, I thought it was worth a go!

I've inherited an RM46SPCE mower and would like to try and reinstate the electric start. The previous owner has removed the battery (presumably it was dead), but for some reason they have also left all the wires disconnected.

Despite hours of internet searching, I can't find a wiring diagram or photo showing how it all wires up. Right now I have:

- the wires coming up from the engine: these are two chunkier red and black wires, and one thinner black wire, all with spade connectors

- the starter pushbutton switch with two connectors but no wires

- the DC charger socket with three wires (red, black, blue) - these may have been cut as they have no spade connectors on the end

- I have borrowed a battery of correct size/type for testing purposes, and that has the usual positive & negative terminals as expected


As far as I can tell everything at the engine end is still in place, so it *should* work if I can get the battery/pushbutton/charger connections worked out.

If anyone has any info or photos of which wires connect to where they'll be very gratefully received - it'll save me a load of time trying to figure it out myself.

Thanks!

[Mick]

Hi barneyg, and welcome to TGMForum.

The electric start on these has always been a bit of a mare if I'm honest. Although I'm yet to find a wiring diagram for for it, and I don't have a photo of under the panel either atm.

What I can tell you if it will help, is that you machine has the Chinese engine fitted, and under the fuel tank you'll see a very small starter solenoid.

The starter button activates the solenoid.

The charge socket deactivates the starter button when the charger is plugged into it.

The two chunky wires are the battery leads, and the thin wire is the solenoid activator wire.  The reason the wires don't have spade connectors on is because they used twist on wire nuts. 

I've repaired several of these over the years but fear I've deleted any reference photos I might have had. I will try and find one though.

[barneyg]

Hi Mick,

Thank you for the welcome & your quick reply - it was really helpful and just the nudge my old brain needed to make sense of it all!

I hadn't realised on my first look that there were some three way connectors on the chunky wires - they'd been wrapped in insulating tape and I'd wrongly assumed they were just straight-through connections (thinking perhaps due to the wire being damaged at some point).

The blue wire on the charging socket had me stumped until you said about it disabling the starter switch - that made me remember that you can get switched DC sockets.

Anyway, the good news is that I was able to connect it all up today and (amazingly) it worked first time!

I've attached a drawing of the connections in case it's helpful to anybody else - sorry it's not using proper wiring diagram symbols but it's mainly for me in case I ever have to do this again

Thank you again for the help - I'm really glad I found this forum

[Mick]

Nice Job, glad you  figured it out.

The charge sockets used are really cheaply made and usually a cause of failure.  I think they eventually stop switching and stay open on the start circuit.

Thank you for the diagram, you did a great job on that actually.  I'm sure it will be very useful.