Re: (ET) blown fuse, replaced, but no power

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

Fusible link is a piece of bare wire crimped to terminals and is on the
backside of the power switch.   There's not much down there under the
control lever that can make smoke and blow the controller fuse except
wiring.  Perhaps chafed insulation wihin one of those harnesses?  Or
further down below under the kick panel?  A loose piece of anything
conductive (a screw?  Screwdriver?)  can fall inside and short terminals
down there.   If the controller fuse is blown the power meter goes to
zero.

Hate it when something goes boom when half a lawn is done.  But is better
than if it went out in winter with half a driveway plowed.  Count your
blessings.
  
Dave
Weymouth MA




On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 15:46:55 -0400 (EDT) Michael S Briggs
<msbriggs alberti unh edu> writes:
> 
> I resolved my other issues (for the most part, will post on those 
> later), 
> and took the E15 out to mow the yard today. I mowed most of the yard 
> with 
> the original blades, then stopped for a brake, and swapped the Gator 
> 
> Blades back on while charging the tractor back up (didn't need it, 
> but I 
> figured I might as well recharge while I was swapping the blades). 
> When 
> mowing our front yard with the Gator Blades, everything was going 
> fine for 
> the first 5-10 minutes, then all of a sudden power cut out 
> completely, and 
> I noticed a wisp of smoke coming up from around the forward/reverse 
> lever 
> on the dash.
>       Hopped off, checked the fuses, and sure enough the 20 amp 
> control 
> fuse was blown. I don't have any handy at the moment (will pick some 
> 
> spares up when I head out to the store shortly), so for the moment I 
> just 
> replaced it with the 20 amp headlight fuse, since they're apparently 
> both 
> 20 amp quick blow fuses.
>       Re-engaged the power disconnect, but still nothing - the 
> fuel 
> gauge meter isn't budging from the far left (empty), so apparently 
> there's 
> still something in the main circuit that's blown.
>       From looking at the diagrams in the Service Manual, the 
> Fusible 
> link seems like it could be a possibility (blown) - but I can't find 
> it 
> anywhere in the tractor. Where the heck is it? According to the 
> schematic, 
> it should be between the upper battery (the one at the most positive 
> end 
> of the chain) and the power disconnect - but that battery is 
> directly 
> connected to the power disconnect (I of course connected everything, 
> but 
> it seemed apparent that that battery should go there, since there 
> were 
> only two battery cables coming into the front battery area, one that 
> goes 
> back to the rear battery area, and this one that goes to the power 
> disconnect).
>       So, where is the fusible link? And does it seem like it 
> could be 
> the problem? Due to the wisp of smoke, it seems like something else 
> other 
> than just that one fuse must have blown, since those fuses are 
> contained 
> (the link inside can blow, but smoke doens't come out of the glass).
>       Any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike
> 
> -- 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Michael S. Briggs
> UNH Physics Department
> (603) 862-2828
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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