My mower is starved for fuel and will only run with the choke full on. I installed a new fuel filter and front fuel hose. The filter will not fill with gas and the tank is full. Maybe I have a clogged intake pipe in the tank but I can not see a way to get to it. Had a new feul pump installed 2 years back and mower has been doing great. Anyone have some ideas how to clean the fuel tank intake? Or any other suggestions what the problem may be? Ray I
LX279 Fuel problem. 17 hp water cooled Kawasaki
- Thread starter rayikeo2
- Start date
OK, I know there are some good John Deere People on this forum that can answer these questions. JD LX279 lawn tractor.
1) What can cause the engine to only run with the choke on full?
2) How many safty shutoffs are on a LX279, seat, PTO switch, reverse gear, any more? Where are they?
3) Can a low charged/ needing replaced battery have any effect on running?
4) How hard is it to clean a carb and how to do it? :confused2:
1) What can cause the engine to only run with the choke on full?
2) How many safty shutoffs are on a LX279, seat, PTO switch, reverse gear, any more? Where are they?
3) Can a low charged/ needing replaced battery have any effect on running?
4) How hard is it to clean a carb and how to do it? :confused2:
skid-kid
Member
I don't know what is going on, if you look on the first page of the forum there are several other people with the same problem including myself. I just serviced my GT275 last week (eng oil/filter, tranny oil/filter, fuel filter) and it just started doing the same thing. Everything I was going to do to it I see others have done with no better result. My fuel filter was maybe filling a quarter of the way up but probably a little less and I could see some air bubbles coming in with the fuel. When I moved the filter and line around when it was running it did change the way the engine ran. So I will probably start with the new fuel line and work my way forward from there. I'm not trying to high jack your thread I just wanted to point out that I see multiple people having the same problem. You may want to keep an eye on the other threads for some more info. I will be. It would be nice to have them on one thread.
mjncad
Super Member
Surprisingly the fuel filter on my L-130 doesn't fill with fuel after I replaced it; yet I don't have a fuel starvation problem. The L-130 uses an air-cooled Kohler.
If you're sure its starved for fuel, I'm guessing its the carb especially since you say it only runs with the choke on. How much hassle is it to rebuild is something I don't know. What I do know is that I hate carbs.
If you're sure its starved for fuel, I'm guessing its the carb especially since you say it only runs with the choke on. How much hassle is it to rebuild is something I don't know. What I do know is that I hate carbs.
If your tractor has a fuel pump, don't worry about the fuel filter if it only has a bit of fuel in the bottom, you cannot judge what you engine is doing by what you see in the fuel filter.
Visually check fuel output from the pump to the carb spraying into a coffee can or similar.
There are test procedures and gages that can help you, but once you buy a few gages, JD dealer might be a better answer.
If pump output looks good (your opinion-my tractor uses .9 ounces per minute), move to the carb.
Remove and examine the float bowl, wipe out any dirt from the bowl, blow clean w/air. (you may have to remove carb to get float bowl back on.
While bowl is off, check float (in the bowl chamber), but above where the bowl had been removed.
Make sure the float moves freely as this is the main fuel jet. If you were actually starving for gas, I am not sure the float is the issue unless it is stuck in the closed (all the way up) position.
After all that is done and the engine still doesn't run well, try this~~
Find the low speed screw on the carb (this is the only air screw that is adjustable on 14 HP Kawasaki and turn 1/4 to 1/2 turn counterclockwise.
If that works, you may run the tractor for (maybe_ another 6 months, but I am guessing a carb clean.
Saw on this site or another Seafoam, never used it, but had to go through the above troubleshooting proceedures on my 14 HP with good results.
Visually check fuel output from the pump to the carb spraying into a coffee can or similar.
There are test procedures and gages that can help you, but once you buy a few gages, JD dealer might be a better answer.
If pump output looks good (your opinion-my tractor uses .9 ounces per minute), move to the carb.
Remove and examine the float bowl, wipe out any dirt from the bowl, blow clean w/air. (you may have to remove carb to get float bowl back on.
While bowl is off, check float (in the bowl chamber), but above where the bowl had been removed.
Make sure the float moves freely as this is the main fuel jet. If you were actually starving for gas, I am not sure the float is the issue unless it is stuck in the closed (all the way up) position.
After all that is done and the engine still doesn't run well, try this~~
Find the low speed screw on the carb (this is the only air screw that is adjustable on 14 HP Kawasaki and turn 1/4 to 1/2 turn counterclockwise.
If that works, you may run the tractor for (maybe_ another 6 months, but I am guessing a carb clean.
Saw on this site or another Seafoam, never used it, but had to go through the above troubleshooting proceedures on my 14 HP with good results.
genesii, Thanks for the input. I have resolved the problem and posted the results but I don't see the last post I made, it must have been dropped. I found three things that I corrected. I found some black rubber particles in the carb bowl so I cleaned that out and replaced the fuel line from the filter to the fuel pump. The other thing I found was a loose wire going to the starter area. A stick must have wedged in there while mowing and when the wire made contact the motor would run. If the contact came loose the fuel problem returned. Evidently this circut has to work for gas to flow into the carb. Maybe it controled the cylinoid at the carb that shuts down the fuel when the key is turned off. I don't know for sure what the wires function was but now that I have made those 3 repairs I have not had any more trouble.