JD X300 won't fire

[redka]

It will crank over, but not fire.
I think I killed the battery riding grand daughter around the yard at low speed for 15 minutes.
Hooked the jumper cables to it....it will crank, but not fire. Is there some simple elec problem that I can fix without hauling in to dealer? Thanks.

 

[mullins87]

Even at idle, the engine will put out enough charge to maintain the battery, unless you were running some aftermarket lights or other acc. that pulls a fair amount of electricity. However, the no start problem has nothing to do with a dead battery if you can jump it. Are you sure you are getting air, fuel and spark? Did the engine make any noises prior to it quitting? Did you do ANYTHING to it also? Make certain it isn't out of gas........don't get offended, I've done that!

 

[redka]

mullins87, no I didn't do anything to it...no other accessories on it. Has gas. It won't crank without the jumper, and then won't fire.

 

[SeniorCitizen]

It will crank over, but not fire.
I think I killed the battery riding grand daughter around the yard at low speed for 15 minutes.
Hooked the jumper cables to it....it will crank, but not fire. Is there some simple elec problem that I can fix without hauling in to dealer? Thanks.

On the engine, locate and disconnect the magneto ground wire that kills the engine . Remove a spark plug and ground ( touch ) the threads to the head and crank to check it for spark . If the plug fires or does not fire you'll have a better understanding of which way to trouble shoot . i.e. safety switches or the engine magneto system or kill wire you disconnected itself . Isolate systems in large groups .

 

[Rivets]

As mullins said, make sure you have spark and fuel. The starting system and ignition system are separate systems and don't work together unless you would have an old battery ignition system, which I doubt. I suspect that either you have a short in your ignition system or bad coil.

 

[mullins87]

Being an X300, I'm assuming it's not very old, less than 10 years. I don't know when JD introduced the X300's. All of the safety switches are working correctly as it shouldn't even turn over, I am also assuming here that you connected the jumper battery to the tractor battery rather than to the starter solenoid. I agree with the suggestion of disconnecting the kill wire on the magneto. If it does start, all you have to do is touch the bare end of that wire to anything metal to stop the engine, just be mindful of the spinning flywheel that will be in view and easy to get your fingers into. Just because it has gas doesn't mean it is getting fuel. It could be your fuel shutoff solenoid has crapped out, your fuel filter could be plugged, or the vent cap on the gas tank could be plugged creating a vacuum in the tank as fuel is removed while the engine is running. If there is a vacuum in the tank, the fuel pump would not be able to pull the fuel out of the tank.

Start simple and look at the most obvious items first, then move on to the more complex systems as you work your way through the tractor.

Oh, I forgot to mention that when you disconnect the kill wire on the magneto, you are literally separating the engine from the rest of the tractor. All of the safety switches will no longer be functional. Make sure the blades are off and the parking brake is locked.

 

[Buckshot 1]

:smile: Engine in that tractor should be a, Kawasaki FH149V. check the iginiter.

 

[mullins87]

That thing has an igniter?!?!?!?! Aww jeez, the Kawasaki FE290 that was in my golf cart had one of them daggummed things. That could very well be the problem. Those things will go bad all at once, and unless you know it's there, you'll never think to look for it. The ignition coil looks just like a magnetron, but it will not fire without that igniter. It's silvery/metallic, and about the size of a postage stamp....and just about worth their weight in gold, even at todays prices.

 

[redka]

It's in the JD shop now.

 

[jwmustang]

It's in the JD shop now.

So what was the fix?