hi there i just bought a john deere hydro 185 lawn tractor a couple months back and today is the first time i used it since i got it. anyway i am the second owner it has been well maintained the only problem is when mowing short grass it's great but when mowing longer grass it mows fine for a while then dies out. i noticed when it died out the first time the fuel filter was empty it had no gas in it and after letting it sit for about 2 min it refilled again and started up no problem so i started mowing again and same thing it died out and the fuel filter was empty. im guessling it could be the fuel pump under heavy load it's using more gas but not enough is getting to the carb soit dies out and under light load it's using less so the gas has more time to get there. what do u guys think?
John deere hydro 185 -- Fuel Problem?
- Thread starter Camaro_87
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AKfish
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Welcome to TBN. What does the fuel filter look like? Got gunk..?
I had a few 5 gallon containers of gas that I left in my shed for 1-2 YEARS... yah, I know! But, I filled my push lawnmower with some of the old gas - and it had varnish, shallack (sp?) in it which was clear, or nearly; and you couldn't see the stuff but it would plug off the fuel line and stall the mower. I had to take off the tank (2-3 times) and blow out the line, change the fuel filter, etc. before I finally figured out the problem. Aggravation!!
You could have a weak fuel pump or gunk in the tank.. OR even bad coils that crap out when the engine gets hot (warm) -- But, I think I'd follow your hunch first; for a fuel starvation issue.
Good luck.
AKfish
I had a few 5 gallon containers of gas that I left in my shed for 1-2 YEARS... yah, I know! But, I filled my push lawnmower with some of the old gas - and it had varnish, shallack (sp?) in it which was clear, or nearly; and you couldn't see the stuff but it would plug off the fuel line and stall the mower. I had to take off the tank (2-3 times) and blow out the line, change the fuel filter, etc. before I finally figured out the problem. Aggravation!!
You could have a weak fuel pump or gunk in the tank.. OR even bad coils that crap out when the engine gets hot (warm) -- But, I think I'd follow your hunch first; for a fuel starvation issue.
Good luck.
AKfish
well i pulled of the fuel line coming out of the pump and disconected the spark plug wire and cranked it over a few times it seems the fuel pump is working fine it's pumping out a good amount of fuel. so im gonna check the lines and tank next.
I would check the vent in the gas cap. If the tank vent is plugged you will create a vacuum over the fuel as you mow the it will increase until it eventually stops the engine. Indicators would be a hissing sound (air getting back in the tank when you remove the cap or the filter. Easy way to check is to run with the cap loose or off. If the engine doesn't shut down in the amount of time typically you have found your problem.
