Motor stops inadvertently

[bertsmobile1]

Got 2 Dixons in the run
one has a low oil switch that will not allow the engine to crank
the other has a low oil switch that also trips a relay that shuts down the engine
I thought this mower had a tilt switch because it would stop when the customer was mowing his fence line which is on a compound slope
Then I would roll it to the flat to work on & it would fire right up
So after ripping it apart I realised it was the oil switch , by disconnecting it .
Trained the customer to mow the fence line in the opposite direction, problem solved.
Some of the older Honda horizontal shaft engine had a low oil shut down
And think the Kohler fitted to a Troy Built sub compact tractor had a low oil shut down but that customer died a while back .

 

[slomo]

No junk in the tank,

That you can see??

Or confirmed blown out and flows freely?

 

[slomo]

new fuel filter shows fuel flow

No it doesn't. FIlters only show there is gas inside them.

 

[slomo]

new fuel pump is pumping

Have you verified this into a glass jar or 5 gallon bucket? Should drain your tank dry if the pump is good.

 

[slomo]

Any and all new parts will require testing. New is not new any more.

Where are you at on this repair?

 

[sgkent]

late to the party but we run into things like this in cars. If there are any electronics that control the ignition or fuel system, and they have a thermal problem it becomes heat related. We have also seen it where over time an ignition switch goes bad. When it does it expands with the electricity going thru it. That heat causes the contacts to fail. It cools and works again. I would think any safety switch, or ignition switch could be suspect. So could any connections where two wires go together and a little corrosion has gotten into it. I don't know your mower electronics, but a couple sets of jumper wires might help figure which switch it is that is causing the problem. Just don't leave them there when you figure out what it is - replace the defective part.

Remember - fuel and air, compression and ignition are the three things needed to make it run. Your first job is to figure which of the three is missing when it dies. I did not see in the month of discussion where the actual cause (which of the three) was determined to be the culprit.

 

[denisp]

I am having a similar problem. Replaced both coils, one with after market and now with Kawasaki coils. New spark plugs. New fuel filter. New battery. Even though the fuel caps vents didn't look clogged, tried running it with the caps loosened. Still runs for a few minutes, runs great and then shuts off. Sometimes when I switch fuel tanks it starts back up but stops again in a few minutes. Like it is running out of gas. Now the mower, Hustler Mini-Z, has over 500 hours on it and I bought it used in 2008, it has never given me a problem. I only use 93 octane gas with StaBil 360 in every load. They only thing that I have not done is replace the fuel lines or fuel pump? Could it be one of these?

 

[slomo]

Could it be one of these?

Yes.

Dump and flush out your tanks. Install new fuel line from tanks to carb. New filter and shutoff would be nice. Verify good flow AT carb into a glass jar or 5 gal bucket.

Or fix up an IV bag or alternate fuel tank and see how she runs.

On a 15 year old mower, I would replace and TEST all wear items like fuel lines, adjust valves, clean cooling fins and de-carbonize the cylinders. Lap the cylinder heads and block faces. Torque and retorque the head bolts.

Inspect/adjust valves yearly. Only takes a few minutes. Ensures a good running engine. Same for cooling fins and block cleanliness, yearly or more often if bagging/scalping.

 

[denisp]

Yes.

Dump and flush out your tanks. Install new fuel line from tanks to carb. New filter and shutoff would be nice. Verify good flow AT carb into a glass jar or 5 gal bucket.

Or fix up an IV bag or alternate fuel tank and see how she runs.

On a 15 year old mower, I would replace and TEST all wear items like fuel lines, adjust valves, clean cooling fins and de-carbonize the cylinders. Lap the cylinder heads and block faces. Torque and retorque the head bolts.

Inspect/adjust valves yearly. Only takes a few minutes. Ensures a good running engine. Same for cooling fins and block cleanliness, yearly or more often if bagging/scalping.

Thank you very much. Weekend project! I will let you know how I make out.

 

[slomo]

Thank you very much. Weekend project! I will let you know how I make out.

Please do. Not many come back and say hey THANKS guys. I fixed it with xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. Will help others if you report a good fix action.