Hustler 2014 zero turn kohler engine 54" not starting

K

Kieraloo21

Forum Newbie
Day 3 of this fustration
What happened: husband cut grass 1 week prior, left it out uncovered and almost empty- i filled it, drove it to my gate for pasture maintenance, started to sputter so i turned it off (i thought it was enough fuel, apparently not.
Husband came home with more gas, filled it, wont start. Battery is good, it turns over, but wont complete cycle. Belts good, pto not engaged.
What i have done:
1. Checked plugs- changed them
2. New air filter
3. Replaced inline fuel filter
4. Oil is good
5. Battery is good
6. Checked master fuse- thats good
7. Checked elect. Connections to carb. They are clean, not compromised.
8. Adjusted safety lever switches under seat both sides
9. Siphoned fuel from tank line to filter and primed the fuel pump (even though it is self-priming, thought maybe air).
10. Sitting on the tractor posting this mayday.

Short of pulling out the fuel pump and the carb. Not sure what else to do, not sure if combustion is the overall issue.

It does make a high pitch whistle at the end of the ignition cycle when it refuses to turn over the engine.

Tx all
 
Some more simple checks ~
1-Check safety switch on seat/ and even bypass it to see if it works
2- make sure the PTO is Off or has not failed?

Hope that helps?


Kieraloo21 said:
Day 3 of this fustration
What happened: husband cut grass 1 week prior, left it out uncovered and almost empty- i filled it, drove it to my gate for pasture maintenance, started to sputter so i turned it off (i thought it was enough fuel, apparently not.
Husband came home with more gas, filled it, wont start. Battery is good, it turns over, but wont complete cycle. Belts good, pto not engaged.
What i have done:
1. Checked plugs- changed them
2. New air filter
3. Replaced inline fuel filter
4. Oil is good
5. Battery is good
6. Checked master fuse- thats good
7. Checked elect. Connections to carb. They are clean, not compromised.
8. Adjusted safety lever switches under seat both sides
9. Siphoned fuel from tank line to filter and primed the fuel pump (even though it is self-priming, thought maybe air).
10. Sitting on the tractor posting this mayday.

Short of pulling out the fuel pump and the carb. Not sure what else to do, not sure if combustion is the overall issue.

It does make a high pitch whistle at the end of the ignition cycle when it refuses to turn over the engine.

Tx all
Click to expand...
 
Squirt some fuel down the carb throat, if it fires, gas is not getting through the carb.
And you said it doesn't "complete the cycle" does that mean it spins then stops while you are still holding the key?
 
Usually when it stops mid turn, it's sometimes a valve(s) clearances out of spec.
Battery is strong? sometimes a battery may be the correct voltage but drop down below 10 volts when starting... then its a bad battery.
 
Last edited:
Starting to sputter... engines need three things: compression, fuel and spark. Let's assume the compression is OK. Hard for that to go out in a hurry. The sputter, could be gas and it was left out in the rain, so water in the gas can be a thing. But it could also be spark. Have you checked for spark? You can either hold the spark plug wire while grounded to the engine during cranking, which is painful, or you can buy an inexpensive ($10???) spark checker that fits inline between the wire and the spark plug. You might need to shade yourself as it can be hard to see a spark in the sun unless it's really bold. If you have spark, then it's probably gas. Pull the carb bowl(s) and check. If you suspect you have water in the gas, then it will be heavy and will drain out first. Pour in a bit of rubbing alcohol to take care of any residual. It's one of the few things that is miscible in water and gas, allowing it to be burned as you go.
 
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