Ariens Snowblower Issue

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I have an Ariens 824 snow blower.

It starts and runs fine, EXCEPT:

The key switch will not turn it off. Have to pull the plug wire.

The key switch tests fine with an ohm meter.

Any ideas?
 
I would trace the wires coming from the key switch. My bet is that it came unhooked or isn't making a good connection with the ignition system of the engine. What engine is this? Usually the switch connects to the coil next to the flywheel or the shut-off on the throttle. Maybe a mouse chewed your coil wire behind the flywheel cover. I've seen it a few times.
 
Sometimes the little groundy wire breaks off inside the coil. Happened on my husky chainsaw.
 
The switch kills the engine by grounding out the coil.
Either the wire from the coil to switch is bad or the switch is not grounded well.
I restored an old John Deere garden tractor that did this and it ended up being the switch wasn't making a good ground through the new paint. Ground a little paint off and all fixed!
 
The ignition switch tests fine.

The 2 wire harness from the switch test fine.

Grounds are clean.

There is no wire from the coil. Only 2 wires from the ignition switch to a small plate that bolts to the engine.

100% stumped.
 
Is there not a wire from the "plate" that goes to the coil? For a kill switch to work, It MUST have a wire hooked to the coil to ground it.
 
Can you get me the model and serial numbers off the engine? I bet I have a diagram of how they are supposed to be hooked up. I'm assuming this is an 8hp Tecumseh snow engine.
 
Just had the same issue on a Toro 824 Powershift. Engine would run with the switch in either On or Off position. All wires were good and the switch tested out good, or so I thought. Even my father, an electrician, couldn't see how the set up was supposed to work.

On a flyer, I bought a cheap switch from my local OPE shop and the problem was solved. Yours appears to be the same M.O.
 
Was snowblowing the 2-3" we got today. It was almost too little snow to bother with, but we've had a slow/light winter so far.

My 2011 28" Ariens Deluxe 2-stage has a hand-brake-lever that disengages the diff and allows one wheel to free-wheel, making the machine easier to turn.

I believe the diff/axle is supposed to re-lock as soon as that lever is released. However, mine remains in free-wheel mode. This makes using this thing almost impossible on rough pavement and even gentle hills.

How to get this thing's diff/axle to re-lock?
 
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
Was snowblowing the 2-3" we got today. It was almost too little snow to bother with, but we've had a slow/light winter so far.

My 2011 28" Ariens Deluxe 2-stage has a hand-brake-lever that disengages the diff and allows one wheel to free-wheel, making the machine easier to turn.

I believe the diff/axle is supposed to re-lock as soon as that lever is released. However, mine remains in free-wheel mode. This makes using this thing almost impossible on rough pavement and even gentle hills.

How to get this thing's diff/axle to re-lock?


You might want to go to snowblowerforums.com . They live and breath Arien snow blowers like we do oil
grin.gif
. If anybody can help they can.

Whimsey
 
Thanks, I cross-posted this problem on the snowblower forums and they pointed me to this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSrJ4UaMb8M

I was reluctant to put my machine into the service position (on its nose) because I just changed the oil and didn't want to drain it out ... but I did it anyway. No amount of backing up, wiggling the machine laterally or working the actuating lever repeatedly allowed the axle to work, even in a semi-heated garage.

When I got the cover off, I expected to see the cable out of adjustment. It was not. The mechanism appeared to work fine ... it was just a little stuck. Some spray silicone and a little 3-in-1 oil and it works fine. (I had to work with whatever Mom had in her garage).
 
Originally Posted By: Bror Jace


Some spray silicone and a little 3-in-1 oil and it works fine. (I had to work with whatever Mom had in her garage).


Ironically Troy-Bilt says to use 3-in-1 oil for the gear hex shaft every 25 hours or once a season. I wonder if chain saw bar oil applied sparingly would be a better hex shaft lubricant because it's meant to cling? So I'm assuming your blower works ok now.

Whimsey
 
Whimsey, the mechanism is simple enough ... but it requires parts to slide over each other. Therefore, a light oil is needed ... 3-in-1 would work fine, motor oil would too, though it might hang-up in the coldest conditions. I'd also use ATF, MMO and other very-light lubes.

Next time I have the machine in the thank-you-sir-may-I-have-another position, I'll have my old can of Valvoline Synpower spray lube handy and I'll give it another shot ... just to be sure.

Yes, everything seems to work fine now. The unit is almost 4 years old and has seen seldom use. I attribute the problem to long periods of sitting and marginal lubrication from the factory. Annoying when you are in the middle of clearing, but an easy "fix."
 
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