GT275 John Deere 17HP Kawasaki Backfires and trouble running at times

[stargazer1703]

My name is James. I'm original owner and have keep oil and filter maintenance done. purchased from JD in 1997. I only use mower now for small jobs. At times the engine will run good. Sometimes it gives trouble with backfires and goes dead. I'm open for suggestions as to the cause of engine problems.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Sounds like the ignition control module is playing up.

 

[stargazer1703]

Sounds like the ignition control module is playing up.

Thanks for your response.

 

[MowLife]

If you haven’t already...check spark plug before you invest in a coil.

 

[bertsmobile1]

From memory the engine JD used have the external timing module which kawasaki called an igniter for some strange reason.
However we would need full engine & JD model numbers to check that out.
Never had a coil on a JD go bad but have needed to replace the control module on several JD's & Kubota's.
Don't think any one else used the same system.

 

[deckeda]

James if yours has an igniter module ... and being later '90s it may not ... it'll look like the thing in this guy's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UBgFexeg-U

This "igniter" was a commonly used on the 1 cyl Kawasaki's until they later incorporated its function into the coil. (You could replace the coil with the later design but no one really does that since this part is much easier to get to and they last for years.)

On my LX176 and 265's it's not hidden like it is on his 185. But expect it to be on the same side and with a wire coming down out of the engine cover.

1) If yours uses an igniter they can be bought inexpensively enough to keep as a spare if this doesn't fix the issue. A replacement won't be exactly the same shape but that's OK.

2) Cheaper replacements will be shown including a separate wire ... if the wire is for ground, don't buy it. The igniter is normally grounded right on the engine by the screw that secures it, so you shouldn't have to hassle with a replacement that has an electrically inert chassis. Hope that makes sense.