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Hi.
I have a John Deere L120. Two weeks ago it started right up for the first time of the season but had almost no gas and ran out after about 10 minutes.
Now I can get it started by putting starter fluid in the air intake but it will only run for a few seconds and then dies. I had put the last bit of gas in it I had and decided it might not be good so
I drained it and put a new fuel filter on and filled it with new gas with stabilizer in it. It starts with starter fluid but won't stay running. Please help!!

Do you have good fuel flow from fuel pump to carb?

Hi.
I took the fuel line off past the fuel pump and plenty of gas comes out so I was thinking it's not the pump?

If that is good then do you hear a click from the fuel solenoid when you turn the key on? If that is good then carb needs cleaning, float valve needle may be stuck.

When I try to start it all I hear is the engine trying to start. Do I just need to turn the key to the on position to hear the clicking?

That's right turn the key off then on(lights). You will hear a light click if it's working.

Yes, there is a loud click. I always thought that was the headlights coming on, LOL. Such a girl!!

Yeah some are louder than others. That leaves one thing left, carb cleaning.

sheetmetalbabe said:

Hi.
I have a John Deere L120. Two weeks ago it started right up for the first time of the season but had almost no gas and ran out after about 10 minutes.
Now I can get it started by putting starter fluid in the air intake but it will only run for a few seconds and then dies. I had put the last bit of gas in it I had and decided it might not be good so
I drained it and put a new fuel filter on and filled it with new gas with stabilizer in it. It starts with starter fluid but won't stay running. Please help!!

Click to expand...

I was having a similar problem.
I took a gas tank from a push mower, mounted it on a stick above the carb and let it gravity feed into the fuel pump suction. Showing me it was a fuel supply problem .The mower ran with this auxiliary fuel tank.

I disconnected the gas line before the fuel pump and put it in a bucket. I used my air gun to slightly pressure my gas tank by putting a plastic bag around the air gun and over the gas tank opening, and forced gas through to the bucket. Hooked it back up and I was good to go. Evidently gas was not flowing enough to the fuel pump.

Since it was running before you ran out of gas, I would not immediately decide it was a carb problem. The mostly likely is a fuel supply problem. The solenoid has to be opening of course as was stated. that falls into the same category.

She could just take off the fuel hose going to carb. Putting the hose in a gas jug or other suitable container while keeping fuel line level to the carb(minimize gravity) and cranking. If fuel flow is good then back to carb.
Get it done, babe.:wink:

Ok guys. Thanks, it's too dark now. Will try again in the morning.
Sounds like these things might work. Let you know!

Hey.
I don't have a garage and it has been raining all day so can't give you any updates yet.
I do appreciate you taking the time to give me some input though! Thanks

OK. Sun is shinning, really windy here but here we go. Going to double check the fuel pump. Then can I just take the carb bowl off and squirt carb cleaner into the carb? Will that MAYBE be enough to clean it out?

You could give it a try, it might work or it might not. Try moving the float up & letting it fall back down down while you have the bowl off.

Oh, I'm so glad you are here! Had to come in and get a Band-Aid, LOL. Can I also squirt carb cleaner in where the gas line goes in? I am just afraid I might not get it all back together.
If I do take the carb off chances are I will need new gaskets to put it back together? Of course nothing is open today.

Yes you can squirt it in where the fuel line connect to carb. On gaskets it depends on their condition and if any are damaged when your taking carb off/apart. I knew you didn't want to take it apart when you posted to that other thread.

Ha ha, you are right. My first time, gotta learn some how. Last year I rebuilt the deck, it was easy but way more than I wanted to know about mowers.

Well.... got the bowl off, looks like there might have been some water in the gas that was in the bowl.
Squirted carb cleaner in there and it comes out the bottom. BUT when I took the bowl off there were 2 little things in there. Not sure
what they are called, real little brass things and each has an O ring. According to the JD parts catalog there are 2 jets,
guess that's what they are but don't know where they came from. There is a main jet and a high altitude jet.
I did not take the solenoid off, it is still attached. Guess I will try to put it back together and see what happens.
Cross your fingers!!

Referring to post #17
I know exactly what you mean. I decided to do drywall finishing for the first time, fun at first and now I don't like it at all.:thumbdown:
I would much rather work on outdoor power equipment than that.

This picture doesn't show exactly where the jets go, there is an extension (plastic thing with an O ring) do you think they go on first (closest to the solenoid)?
That would be my guess???

I'm thinking I might need to take the solenoid off first. There is no way they will stay in place putting it on if they didn't stay in place taking it off.

That won't work. Will my mower run right if I only put one jet in?
I really can't figure out where the second one should go?:confused2: