Cub Cadet 682 no light, no spark, no anything

I've since re-rebuilt the carb, replaced the points and condenser, installed a new instrument panel so i had the gauges out.
Put it all back together and now when I turn the key on I get no starter, no spark, no lights, no gauges, no anything. I cleaned the battery terminals, re-tapped/cleaned the ground threads on the body and installed a brand new clean bolt.
I can jump the selonoid and get the engine to turn over where I then check for a spark with the key in the on position. No spark.
I removed and tested the 2 safety switches which are fine and being engaged.
Seems to me that the problem might just be the ignition switch since all of the other components come after the ignition switch. I just find it a strange coinsidence that the switch would just all of a sudden go whereby all power is cut. How about the relay near the brake pedal?
Although, with the choke being on all the time, it was making it very hard to start so until I found the problem I was turning over alot and who knows how many times it was being turned over with this problem and without over the last 20+ years of it's life. Not to mention what "Murphy's Law" states.

I didn't disturb any wiring except for the gauges I removed and replaced, the coil wires, condenser/points.

thanks for your time.

Dave

COULD be the swtich, but I don't go for coincidence much. It's likely something that happened when you took it apart.

One thing you can do is jump all the safety switches and check for start/spark again.

Also, let's be sure the coil is hooked up right. The + side of the coil has the ingition switch lead on it. The - side has the points lead and the condenser on it. Get those wrong, you'll get no spark or erratic performance.

Anyhow, diagram on the way.

I did have a situation with no start/no spark once on a 129 that drove me nuts. Intermittant. Turned out to be one lug on the back of the ignition switch was rusted through, just barely hanging onto the switch. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. I couldn't tell a thing until I pulled the wire connector to check for corrosion and the lug came off with it. The machine had been outside for a number of years before I got it.

BTW, the diagram I sent says there's a 10A fuse to the PTO clutch, and there's also a PTO clutch safety switch. Check those yet? Looks to me like either one could cause yer problems, or be part of them. Looks like the hourmeter connects in just before that 10A fuse.

Uh, I also might point out in case you haven't looked at the wiring diagram that the charge indicator is in series between the battery and the ignition switch. Bad connections/bad meter, there ya go! I bought a cheap Dodge truck once cuz it popped and backfired and the guy thought the valves were shot, and it was a bad ammeter!

How could the ammeter go bad? Sometimes, just tightening up the nuts on the posts to reattach a wire can do it, if the post itself moves in the case and disconnects inside. Try jumping the ammeter leads.

Yeah, concidences happen...but I'd rather do things slow and methodical and find the cause than jump all over. The probability is, it happened from something that occurred when you worked on it. Good luck.

As I was checking over the wiring diagram I noticed the position of the 10A fuse for the PTO cluth. I originally only checked the other fuse thinking that the PTO fuse was just for the PTO. But looking at the diagram it in fact comes before everything!

No someone for whatever reason replaced that fuse holder with another that's actually under the hood. Sort-of a Mickey Mouse situation. I openned it up and low and behold a popped fuse! I took the other good fuse which is only for the lights and plugged it in.

I'm glad to say that the engine started effortlessly! yippee!

thanks for the diagram!

dave