The Battery on My Scotts Mower Won't Charge

Battery Life

• Scotts lawn tractors generally use a 12-volt battery for electrical power. All batteries have a life expectancy based on the number of cranks and the specific model. It’s possible that your battery's natural life has run out, preventing it from accepting any more charge from the Kohler engine, so check your battery’s service manual. If you don’t have a battery tester, take your battery for voltage testing to a local auto supply store. Otherwise, a battery can become dead if electrical systems such as the lights are left on overnight

Terminals

• The terminals are the metal poles on your battery. One is positive, indicated by a “plus” sign, and the other is negative and acts as the battery’s ground, as marked with a “minus” sign. These terminals can corrode over time and start caking up with deposits, which will interfere with a charge. Clean the deposits off the terminals with baking soda and a wire brush.

Leads

• The positive lead from your battery to your Scott’s Kohler engine is red, while the negative lead is black. These must be free of any visible damage such as exposed wire or black marks from arcing. If not, the electricity will arc at the damage point and not fully reach the terminal. This can also result in additional electrical damage to your mower.

Regulator-rectifier

• The Kohler engine has a regulator-rectifier that controls how much voltage goes from the engine to the battery via the battery leads. If this regulator-rectifier fails, it can send little or no voltage to the battery.

Flywheel Magnet

• Your Scotts Kohler engine also has a crankcase flywheel with magnets that generate electricity every time they pass the coil, which is connected to the engine’s power system. If the magnets are missing or the timing is off, no electricity is generated for charging.