Two dead QL's - similar issues?

[yeeter]

I haven't spent much time troubleshooting - too cold out for my tastes (all that metal gets cold at zero degrees and below!). But its warming up, and there is still snow to move around (which could arguably be called 'playing in the snow), but that's the point.

The 1450 I believe is a poor electrical connection to the fuse block. I had this issue before and crimping down on the connector seemed to help - for a while - but now its dead again. The tricky part to this one is that its a little tight to just reach down in there and see whats going on. Is there an easy way to gain better access to the wiring?

The 1650 was running great. Then a few intermittent shutdowns, then dead. A new battery doesn't seem to help, and I believe the amp meter is showing negative current draw (took a quick glance just before it quit).

The coil checks out. But it doesn't even click when I hit the switch so either the battery is really dead, or I have a bad connection again.

My questions:

If it wasn't charging and I put in a freshly charged battery, it would run 'for a while' before the battery goes too low and then it quits. Then if the battery is really dead, wouldn't even click when trying to turn it over. Sounds about right??

BUT - I did jump it and still no click. So either a bad connection when jumping - or its something else. I saw a spark when I touched the jumper to it and this suggests its pulling current (maybe too much or too little, but something). So maybe a couple things going on in parallel??

I haven't tested the stator. Where are the wires accessible? And if the stator was bad/shorted, I get that it would pull down the battery at the same time. What should the charge meter read if running with no stator? Pegged, or just a modest draw?

I would guess the voltage regulator doesn't often short (might not regulate, but should it short?). Or maybe if not regulating its the same as having a bad stator - not shorted, but not charging either. Hmm... I know there is a post here on checking this and will try that as well. But again, it should turn over if a charged battery, no?

I will jump directly to the starter and see if this turns. And might also make a jumper directly to the coil - if I do these two, it should at least start and run, confirming these two items are good. Which might point me back to some other wiring connection and/or stator.

Other recommendations? I want to try these in some combination of a) whats easy and b) whats likely the problem. (if its easy to eliminate a cause then why not, even if its unlikely).

Course in the meantime I am going to get that 1450 connection fixed again - is there an easy way to gain better access to the wiring?

(in the meantime I am stuck blowing snow with a regular snow blower, which just seems like a shame.....)