Anyone familiar with this switch???/

maninthestreet

My lawnmower suddenly failed completey whilst I was mowing my lawn in the middle of the week. It was completely dead, as if there was no power to it, but the fuse in the plug was fine.
There is an electro-mechanical switch actuated by pulling the lever attached to handle of the lawnmower. I think this switch has failed, and I managed to source a replacement on the web.
However, I cannot see any way of either releasing the wires from the original switch, nor how the wires could be secured into the new switch. I've tried poking a very small screwdriver into all of the visible holes to see if that will open some shuttering mechanism, but to no avail.
So has anyone any experience of using this switch - please see
the pictures below. Note on one side there are two sets of openings. In the old switch the incoming power wires connect to the lower left and right of these openings.

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0111_zps9f2e7963.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0110_zpsedfeca2e.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0109_zpsc52450e1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0108_zps14f9179c.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0107_zpsbe23563e.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0106_zps9f7cf828.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0105_zps4b9834d2.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0104_zpsc85dbddb.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0103_zps9da70821.jpg.html?sort=3&o=8

Myser

Standard push and lock switch you tend to find on a lot of power tools such as Black & Decker etc. The wires just pull out or push fit. The incoming mains wires may have screw terminals on the switch.

They don't usually fail abruptly and I would check everything else first.

Do you have a basic multimeter to test the switch?

maninthestreet

Doh! - you're right - a continuity test with a multimeter shows the old switch is still functioning. The only other thing it could be are the flexes - they've been badly crushed in places:

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0113_zpse578e2dc.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0112_zpsd2937917.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

Replacing the cabling will still leave me with the problem of the wires in the switch - there are no screws visible. Which side do the wires just pull out/ push in??

ValHaller

maninthestreet wrote: »

Replacing the cabling will still leave me with the problem of the wires in the switch - there are no screws visible. Which side do the wires just pull out/ push in??

Look at this picture http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/maninthestreet01/media/IMAG0107_zpsbe23563e.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

Below each holes the wires go in is another hole with a spring contact. I would push some thing down there and expect the wire to come free.

Myser

They are screwless connectors. You just pull the wire out with a little force. When reconnecting, just push the wire back in.

I came across a B&D Jigsaw that was intermittent/not working. Thought it was the switch but after testing with a multimeter, also found it was OK! The problem was a loose spade connector on the motor.

Check continuity on all wires. Have you measured the resistance of the motor? It may have failed.

When removing wires, be sure to mark where they went - it's easy to mix them up!

maninthestreet

Thanks everyone for your advice.
I took the top cover off the mower, and the motor connections are all in place and not loose. With the cover off, I tested continuity from the motor connections to the switch - this was fine for both live and neutral. I then tested continuity from the connections on the live side of the switch to the plug - live was fine, but neutral had no continuity.
So time to buy some 2 core flex and fight with that switch.....