Anyone have access to the electrical diagram for a John Deere LA165?

The operator's and parts manuals are free online: http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/....HomePageServlet_Alt

You could contact Deere (they have online help) and ask about a diagram. Don't see one listed in parts.

[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 08-20-2012).]

No electrical diagram anywhere online that I can find, just spent $80 to order a repair manual, will take almost a week to get here. Just spent the last two weeks waiting for another part, the first part was defective after waiting a week to get it, and a week later still another problem. If there was a cliff nearby, I'd light this POS on fire and push it off of it.

The main harness diagram in the parts manual shows most of it but no pin numbers or color codes:



edit: You could also get the tech manual from Deere for $40 on CD.

[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 08-20-2012).]

Yeah that's definitely the harness, a bit overly complicated for a lawn tractor, isn't it? Hoping the wiring diagram will explain exactly WHY, several switches that should only have two wires going to them (on or off) all seem to have FIVE or so. I thought about ordering the CD, but with my luck, it would get here with a big gouge in it, and I'd have to wait another week for a replacement. I prefer reading the paper ones, anyway.

Ah, the cost of safety in a world filled with lawyers...

Got the manual, and started going through the PTO circuit.

With the key on, PTO engaged, everything checked out in the circuit.

I checked the PTO switch according to the diagram in the manual, checking for continuity between the different terminals with it on and off, it checked out.

Checking the PTO clutch itself, the manual says it should measure 3.7 ohms resistance, mine measured 3.2 ohms. I also checked for resistance between each terminal and the PTO clutch body, no continuity, which is what it calls for.

Check the battery, 2.5 years old, 12.5 volts, pull the caps and check the specific gravity of the battery fluid in each cel, a bit below specs. Replace the battery, and now it's running perfectly.

Out of curiosity...what were the original symptoms? Sounds like this may be similar to what I have been dealing with on the same model.

What happened was, I was mowing the lawn and the tractor suddenly cut out like it had been turned off. I disengaged the blades (since they have to be off to start it), and turned the mower back on, it started and ran just like normal. As soon as I engaged the blades (pressed the PTO switch), the tractor shut off like it had been turned off again. Disengaging the blades before the engine stalled out kept the engine running. So I was able to drive the tractor as normal, but couldn't mow the lawn.

And a new battery fixed it? Odd. Totally unrelated to my issue though.