Riding Lawnmower Question

[LuckyStrike]

My mower is in need of a new battery, but being frugal cheapskate I have just been using jumpercables to start the mower.

All well and good until I jumped it off Friday. I route the wires under the seat so I can sit on it while it cranks, long story short the positive clamp under the mower was being grounded out by a peice of metal that the handle was touching, so I see smoke coming out under my seat so I lift the seat and see that the jumper cable wire is on fire and so is the wire running from the positive terminal to the flux capacitor.

I hurry up and disconnect the cables from my truck battery and grab the fire extinguisher under my seat and thankfully put out the fire (which was right next to the gas tank) and averted disaster. Side note, having a fire extinguisher in my truck has save me 2 times, ironically both have been from electrical fires.

My question is what do you think is wrong with the mower at this point? The wire from the battery to the starter is bare (burnt all the plastic off). Do you think I killed the starter or anything else or can I just get a wire and hook it all back up? I haven't really looked at it since friday b/c it was about dark when it happened and I had to work yesterday.

The gayest part about the situation is my truck sits up to high for me to load the mower and the only trailer I have access to is 16ft and kinda overkill for taking it to a shop if I need to.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[freedom42]

A 23$ battery at wallyworld...and you risk the alternator and wiring harness that might cost you 10 times that? My my, I'm cheap also, but I have extra batteries on hand that have never been filled with the electrolyte for preps.

The starter might be good, but the alternator is probably toast. You won't know till you have it re-wired.

High truck? Looks like the overkill trailer is gonna be the trick as rider mowers are to heave to carry. :ROFL:

PS: If your truck isn't lifted to high you may be able to use 2, 2x12" 's for ramps. But them you will have to get some help pushing it up onto the bed.

[skid]

Christ, be a man and heave it in the back. Pick up the front and set it on the tail gate, and then lift the rear onto the truck. Or be a wimp and drive it up a couple of 2x12's... ;D

As far as fixing it, replace the wire and battery and see what happens. Your starter is probably ok as long as it didn't try to start while the engine was running.