Murray riding mower dies when clutch/brake released?

In response to rogerB299 answer it seems that your belittling people about there questions would have more effect if you yourself had any idea what you were talking about.

Thanks Greg
June 2017

I see this is a very old post. What really gets me in these forums is the number of people who do not actually read the It's the switch under the deck that is killing the engine when you take your foot off the brake/clutch. NOT the similar switch under the seat that shuts the mower off if the operator gets off the seat with the mower running. If you are sitting on the seat and the mower starts but only shuts off when you let your foot off the brake/clutch pedal - it ISN'T the seat safety switch. Take a look at the wiring schematic and you will see there is a second safety switch for the break/clutch pedal. Both of these switches will fail as the mower ages but think about what is happening and replace the one that is really causing the problem! Even better, since they will both probably fail near the same age - replace them both at the same time (way too easy) so you don't have to do two repairs at different times in the middle of cutting your lawn. That's called preventative maintenance.

RogerB299
May 2015

I have the murray 42 inch 17hp and it struggles to drive now, mainly when it's warmed up and in long grass.. What are the most common faults here, and are they easy/cheap to fix?

Rob
September 2013

I have the exact same Murray Mower 46102x6B with the same problem, engine quits when clutch is released or when the PTO is engaged. I have completely reviewed the eletrical system and I have located the problem. It is with a bad connector attached to the seat sendor switch. The connector is shorted, so when the clutch or when the PTO is enaged the circuit is simply grounded. Thus stalling the engine. Within the connector there is a tension spring to maintain connectivity. However, over time the same spring use to enhance preformance causes that failure thus creating a very difficult issue to troubleshoot without completely pulling the mower into many pieces. This is simply a manufacturer defect, they should have fully tested their components used within their systems. Hope this posting is helpful, it should take less than $5.00 to fix the connector. Good Luck.

Steve Spokane WA
September 2010

i have found real useful to pour gasoline on mower and light fire!!! time for new one i guess??? also diesel works well!!!

unknown
July 2010

I have the same exact problem on a poulan lawnmower. I dont care for the safety seat because i am taking off the governors and reversing the drive pulleys to make it go 35mph. Any suggestions? when i release the clutch my engine stalls out even in neutral. please email me at Pschumejda(a)optonline.net

peter
May 2010

I have a Craftman 15.5 hp riding mower and it has the problem of clutch/braking; step off the pedal and it dies; I get tired of looking for safety switches and am getting close to shooting it and displaying on the outside of my house; as a worthless piece of Sears Shit; I have had mower professionals get baffled by this puzzle; walk away talking to themselves. I need to know the locations of these stupid psyco-dramas
that Sears insisted on putting on their stupid mowers.l

Dave
May 2009

On a Murray 42 inch cut I worked on there is a switch under the right footrest, attached to the frame. This is for the purpose of the clutch being depressed for the mower to start. You may be able to peck on or clean it up and make it work, or it may need replacing. These are bad to become dirty and not work properly.

southky
April 2008

Has similar problem today. Appears to be clutch/brake safety switch located under the solenoid and runs through the deck.

Think I shorted mine out when I reversed the polarity on a battery charger.

My mower is a Sears 18.5HP...

John Mays
September 2007

pto switch showing deck engauged. or seat switch is bad. if seat switch has been disconnected for some reason pull plug off of seat switch and look at four pins in black plug to see that they are not bent, not touching each other, and that all four stay seperated and go in proper hole as they are pushed into seat switch. to test leave plug disconnected NO PINS TOUCHING each other start engine, release clutch, if is still kills engine then problem will be at pto\deck switch, make sure switch is pushed in when lever is in off, switch is between your feet at frame level under dash. plastic switch can break or move out of place.

terry
March 2007

One of the other safety interlock switches is not engaged/connected. In addition to the switch operated by the brake/clutch pedal, there are switches under the seat, on the blade engage clutch and on the gear lever. First thing to do is locate all the switches and ensure they are connected and working. (Easiest way to test is to bypass them).

Stokes Mower Services
March 2007