Kawasaki engine recall on 760R ZTrak

[JESSE1]

I bought a new 760R late in the season last summer. I only have about 10 hours on it. Great mower, runs very well. I got a letter from JD a few days ago that said Kawasaki had informed them that the voltage regulator on certain engines could fail and cause a fire hazard. Naturally my 760R was included in the recall. JD said to stop using it immediately and disconnect the battery. They will come up with a fix for the problem but it may be months before the parts are ready. It really won't be long before I will need to be using it, at least to chop leaves and clean up the yard. I'll be checking with my dealer this week to see if I could trade it for another model or how quickly they can fix this one. The recall also affects TS and TX 4x2 Gators.

 

[beenthere]

Think I would go ahead and use it when needed, but carry a fire extinguisher. When not using it, then disconnect the battery.
Sounds like there is an over-reaction but certainly don't want a fire risk.

 

[Rosher18]

I'd be the guy that would hook up a digital multimeter to the battery while I'm using it and glance at the charging voltage from time to time.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Seems an easy fix. I’d fix it myself. Install a new VR? They are typically a block with two or three wires, and cost $12

 

[JESSE1]

I talked to the service manager yesterday. They'll let me know when to bring it in. It's under warranty so I'm going to let them take care of it.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I would too, unless the timing would impact my life, then I'd spend $13 and keep running. My motorcycle had a problematic cam chain tensioner when it was first released in 2014... The fix took too much time to come, and in fact they had to redesign it several times over years to FIX it. Instead I created a manual cam chain tensioner fix for it and sold HUNDREDS to other owners all over the world, so they could keep using the bike, while Yamaha figured its issues out. Just saying I love warranties, but if I can do it and avoid the negative impact on my life, I would.

 

[nikdfish]

Just got the same letter for our '23 Z930M.

 

[JESSE1]

Still no time frame for a fix. I'm trading it in for a new Z960M. They are crediting me for the amount I've already paid for the 760R.

 

[nikdfish]

My engine's specification number (FS11 R) was not on the fix list, probably due to having a 20 amp alternator. The fix substitution currently published by Kawasaki specifies a 15 amp regulator. An alternative 15 - 20 amp 3 pin regulator is out there, but the connector sequence is different from the original. The current regulator connection layout is AC AC B+, the available 15-20 amp regulator has AC B+ AC. They are spade connectors so an adapter would be easy enough if I decide to go that route.