Electrical Problems With a Craftsman Tractor

Pop the hood of your Craftsman lawn tractor. Ensure your battery's wires are properly connected. The red positive wire must be connected to one side of the Craftsman's battery and the black negative wire must be connected to the other. Reconnect each if necessary by tightening the wire(s) over the bolts on the battery's side using a socket wrench.

Follow the battery's red positive wire back to the side of the Craftsman lawn tractor's solenoid, where it should be fastened and tightened over one of the solenoid's bolts. If it is disconnected or loose, reconnect and tighten it in place over the solenoid's bolt by turning the socket wrench clockwise over the bolt.

Check the wire harness over the top of the Craftsman lawn tractor's solenoid. This is a "net" of numerous smaller wires that should have contact with the electrical conductors on the solenoid's face. Ensure these wires make that contact.

Release the wire harness if the wires are not making contact with the conductors. The wire harness has a small retainer clip or latch on it. Work a knife under this latch and then gently push upward to release it. Reposition the Craftsman lawn tractor's wire harness so its small wires make contact with the conductors, then reset the retainer latch.

Close the Craftsman lawn tractor's hood.