Deere 325 won't start

[wkf4321]

My totally reliable '97 325 with 198 hours won't start. I was mowing in a bit of weeds and it cut off (coincidental?) It didn't seem like it was getting fuel so I replaced the fuel pump and the carb solenoid. Also blew out the lines from the tank to the fuel pump, the pickup in the tank and the cap vent. Don't know if any of that mattered - did all that, it started up and ran for a few minutes then I drove it about 10 feet and it died. Now it cranks, fuel pump works, solenoid "clicks" when I turn the key but it won't catch. Two fuses on the board are also good...

NOW I just noticed that there's no spark at the spark plug...

Anyone seen this before? The "no spark" thing???

 

[shortthrow50]

My totally reliable '97 325 with 198 hours won't start. I was mowing in a bit of weeds and it cut off (coincidental?) It didn't seem like it was getting fuel so I replaced the fuel pump and the carb solenoid. Also blew out the lines from the tank to the fuel pump, the pickup in the tank and the cap vent. Don't know if any of that mattered - did all that, it started up and ran for a few minutes then I drove it about 10 feet and it died. Now it cranks, fuel pump works, solenoid "clicks" when I turn the key but it won't catch. Two fuses on the board are also good...

NOW I just noticed that there's no spark at the spark plug...

Anyone seen this before? The "no spark" thing???

Did you hold the electrode close to a bolt on the tractor while trying to produce a spark? Needs to be grounded

 

[wkf4321]

Did you hold the electrode close to a bolt on the tractor while trying to produce a spark? Needs to be grounded

Cute dogs! I'm so dumb. Held the plug by a bolt (high school autoshop flashback) per your suggestion and there IS spark. So there's gas, there's spark, but there's no starting...

 

[shortthrow50]

hey thanks man. so we have fuel spark and air. Got to be a safety switch or fuse that went bad somewhere. My 325 was a 99 so i dont know what the differences might be. Ill have to think of a couple more possibilities. when i had a similar problem, it turned out to be the board even though the fuses were fine. I had to replace the dam circuit board. i bypassed a few things with a wire and narrowed it down to that. how did it die the second time around? did it sort of sputter or did it die like someone killed the power with the ignition switch? just trying to narrow it down to it being electrical.

 

[wkf4321]

hey thanks man. so we have fuel spark and air. Got to be a safety switch or fuse that went bad somewhere. My 325 was a 99 so i dont know what the differences might be. Ill have to think of a couple more possibilities. when i had a similar problem, it turned out to be the board even though the fuses were fine. I had to replace the dam circuit board. i bypassed a few things with a wire and narrowed it down to that. how did it die the second time around? did it sort of sputter or did it die like someone killed the power with the ignition switch? just trying to narrow it down to it being electrical.

Here's what it does - when cold it'll start and run at full throttle but if I bring the throttle back to 3/4 or less it stalls and then won't restate for a coup,e of hours - this has happened the last 3 times so I think that's an accurate description. Also, i continue if I'm imagining this but the exhaust smells a little odd (or maybe I'm just smelling it too much!)