Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): start problem, electric clutch, safety switches

Question
HELLO. I AM WORKING ON A SCOTTS FOR A FRIEND. HAVE WORKED ON ALOT OF SMALL ENGINES BUT THIS ONE IS BLOWING MY MIND. MY PROBLEM IS THE KEY SWITCH DOESN'T WORK. HE SAYS HE HAS BEEN CROSSING THE SOLENOID TO CRANK FOR 1 YEAR. HE SAYS THAT THE CHARGING SYSTEM AIN'T WORKING. HE TOLD ME HE WAS USING THE MOWER JUST PUT IN NEW REGULATOR AND HE PULLED PTO SWITCH AND IT WORKED. THEN HE TURNED OFF LOOKED AT MOWER AND 2 WIRES WERE OFF PTO PUSH PULL KNOB. HE HOOKED BACK BUT NOW IT WILL NOT TURN CRANK. I TESTED STARTER WITH JUMPER IT TURNS OVER. I TESTED SMALL TERMINAL AT SOLENOID IT TURNS OVER. I TESTED BATTERY TERMINAL AT KEY SWITCH NOTHING. I TESTED VOLTS AT SMALL TERMINAL AT SOLENOID IT HAS NOTHING. BY THE WAY IT HAS TWO SMALL TERMINALS. I TESTED SPARK IT IS GOOD. CHECKED CARB BY POURING FUEL INTO SPARK PLUG HOLE IT DID NOTHING. DO YOU THINK THIS COULD BE A PTO SWITCH PROBLEM. I TESTED OHMS AT ELECTRIC CLUTCH IT HAS 3 UP TO 6 OHMS. CAN YOU BYPASS THESE PUSH PULL PTO TO CHECK THAT SWITCH. IT HAS IT HAS ABOUT 8 TERMINALS AT SWITCH ONE ON CONNECTOR DOESN'T HOOK TO ANYTHING. AND IT HAS DIFFERENT COLORED WIRES. I HAVE BYPASSED SEAT SWITCH NOTHING AND I HAVE BYPASSED BRAKE CLUTCH NOTHING. OH YEAH THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IT IS A SCOTTS S2348 WITH A KOHLER CV23S. WHEN YOU CROSS SOLENOID LIKE THIS DOES IT BYPASS SAFETY SWITCHES. THE ONLY WAY IT USED TO CRANK IS CROSSING SOLENOID. FRIEND DOESN'T WANT TO SPEND ANY MONEY IF I COULD JUST GET IT STARTED WITHOUT KEY SWITCH. ANY HELP WOULD JUST MAKE MY DAY A WHOLE LOT BETTER. THIS SCOTTS WAS MADE BY JOHN DEERE

Answer
Andy,


   Unfortunatly Your friend is crossing the solenoid which in turn is slowly frying the wiring harness of this Mower eventually it all will go dead and nothing anyone tries will work.
Since he wants to go the cheap way  there is nothing i could suggest to you to make this work But if you were to go to a Mower shop and ask them for an old Key switch they may give one to you free.
Install that and the 2 wires that were not hooked up were part of an Option that was removed from this Model so unhook those from the PTO.