Official Craftsman rear-engine riding mower parts

Common repair parts for Craftsman rear engine riding mowers

• Blades. Replacement cutting blades for riding mowers are available in different shapes and sizes. Replace mower blades when they're worn or damaged.
• Air filter. The air filter prevents abrasive particles from entering the engine's cylinders, which could cause mechanical wear and oil contamination.
• Spark plug. The spark plug is the device responsible for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine. This current ignites the compressed fuel/air mixture by means of an electric spark, while containing combustion pressure within the engine.
• Seat switch. The seat switch recognizes whether you are sitting on the seat. If the seat switch doesn't detect you in the seat when you release the brake, the switch kills the engine. To prevent tampering, the seat switch also kills the engine when you release the brake if you unplug the seat switch wire harness.
• Drive belts. The ground drive belt connects the engine crankshaft to the transaxle pulley to drive the rear wheels. The blade belt attaches to the engine pulley and spins the cutting blades.

Troubleshooting your Craftsman rear engine riding mower when it won't start

There are numerous explanations for why a riding lawn mower won't start, including everything from bad gas or a bad battery to a failed starter motor or bad ignition coil.

If you find yourself constantly having to charge the battery before starting the engine, a bad battery or failed alternator could be causing the problem. Connect the battery to a charger and if the battery won't charge fully within 8 hours, then you'll likely need to replace the battery. If the battery is okay, then a problem in the engine's charging system is causing the constantly drained battery. The engine uses an alternator to generate current, which constantly charges the battery and powers the mower's electrical system while the engine runs. When the alternator fails, the battery attempts to power the mower on its own and quickly drains without recharging.