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I was cutting my grass. It was very wet but had to be cut due to all the rain. The mower now quits when I engage the deck. It runs until I engage and then it dies. I also get the battery indicator light when I engage.
I bypassed the safety switch under the seat. I cleaned the deck and it's still doing the same thing. As soon as I engage the mower deck it kills the engine and I don't get my battery or oil light until i wiggle around the wires at the ignition and it sounds as if a relay kicks in and I get my lights again. The procedure is the same over and over. It seems to be in the switch area. It's never been replaced in 25 years. Is there PTO wires I could also check? Thanks much.Carefully jack the front of your tractor up and check to see if the under side of your deck is packed with grass clippings. This would really be the case if you mulch.
I would have to guess that you have so much grass under there from it being wet that its stopping your blades from turning.
If thats not the case, try to turn each of the blades when its in the air. Could be a bad bearing.
Scotty, you're spot on. It was the ignition. Not so much the switch, but I pulled the plugs off and cleaned them and it now works fine. I sure am appreciatlve for all the imput. It was all good and I have now made notes of the answers you provided. I have also made this site a favorite, as it truly is.I've had to replace my Ignition switch several times, over the years, but I've used After-Market that can be had for under $20-! Might be worth a 'gamble'! ~S
http://search.aol.com/aol/search?query=John+Deere+318+ignition+switch&s_it=keyword_rollover