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I have a John Deere L111. Purchased used about 2 months ago. Started mowing grass today and engine (v twin) sputtered. Disengaged PTO. Engine seemed to stabilize but eventually stopped. When I tried to restart engine it wouldn't turn over, click, nothing. After some thought, I jumped the solenoid (like 1950's Fords) and the engine spun like usual - but would not start. Does the solenoid on a JD mower supply power to the starter AND the ignition system? Does the ignition switch supply power to the starter through the solenoid AND supply power to the ignition system? Might I need to replace the ignition switch, the solenoid, or both the ignition switch and the solenoid? Your input would be very much appreciated.[/Q

I'm not interested in swapping out parts. That's why I'm asking and trying to understand how my mower works. Before my 1st post I checked many of the wire connections mentioned; I checked the 20 amp fuse - appears to be fine; I wondered if there were some safety switches but honestly do not know where they might be or what to check; gas is fresh; oil is clear; gas filter appears clear but not full; have not checked spark plugs yet. I'm puzzled by the fact that nothing happens when I turn the key and yet when I jump the solenoid the engine turns like "normal" but engine will not start, which led me to my initial questions.

Have you tested the coils? Have you checked for spark. Did it quit turning over suddenly like when you blow a fuse?

Starting from the top.
Power for the spark is generated by the coils on the outside of the flywheel.
Power for the battery is generated by the coils inside the flywheel
The 2 systems are more or less independant of each other.

However the engine has a solenoid valve on the carb so if the voltage drops below a certain level, the solenoid closes and you get no gas.
Just to further compicate things some engines have a powered elecronic ignition which also requires battery power to run, not sure about yours as you have not posted the engine numbers.

My very best advice is to go to the John Deere web site John Deere Ag - New Equipment: Technical Publications - Equipment List and select your mower.
Follow the links to the JD book store and spend the $ 45 on the JD technical manual.
These are the best, most comprehensive manuals you will ever find for any mower and better still give you step by step instructions about how to fault find and how to repair your mower.
Virtually fool proof, regardless of your technical or electricial competency .
Not only that but the book shows you where each bit is located on your mower and how it is wired in ( where the plugs are ).

Or you can spend a month here being run round like the proverbial blue ar*e fly as we try to work out what you are saying and what exactly is going on.

Eg;- like a 50's ford.
Do you mean that you bridged the two current wires on the top , or hooked up some jumper leads to the switched side of the solenoid ?

If you purchased it two months ago, doesn't warranty cover it?

Well, it may have been a used model....

Sent from my iPad using LMF

your ignition switch supply's negative to the coil primary side to turn off the mower.

bertsmobile1 said:

Starting from the top.
Power for the spark is generated by the coils on the outside of the flywheel.
Power for the battery is generated by the coils inside the flywheel
The 2 systems are more or less independant of each other.

However the engine has a solenoid valve on the carb so if the voltage drops below a certain level, the solenoid closes and you get no gas.
Just to further compicate things some engines have a powered elecronic ignition which also requires battery power to run, not sure about yours as you have not posted the engine numbers.

My very best advice is to go to the John Deere web site John Deere Ag - New Equipment: Technical Publications - Equipment List and select your mower.
Follow the links to the JD book store and spend the $ 45 on the JD technical manual.
These are the best, most comprehensive manuals you will ever find for any mower and better still give you step by step instructions about how to fault find and how to repair your mower.
Virtually fool proof, regardless of your technical or electricial competency .
Not only that but the book shows you where each bit is located on your mower and how it is wired in ( where the plugs are ).

Or you can spend a month here being run round like the proverbial blue ar*e fly as we try to work out what you are saying and what exactly is going on.

Eg;- like a 50's ford.
Do you mean that you bridged the two current wires on the top , or hooked up some jumper leads to the switched side of the solenoid ?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help/input. The machine sat overnight. This morning I removed the air filter (looks new) and the fine green filter under it (needs to be replaced). The reason it would not turn over is I didn't have the brake on (duh). So, I turned the key and the engine also turned over. I choked it and gave it some gas and it fired right up (with a bit of smoke). I left the filters off then it stalled. It started again but I found that I needed to leave choke at about 1/2 position so I could drive it to garage.
I agree, I need to purchase the JD tech manual. I bridged the 2 current wires on the solenoid and the engine turned but (my guess is) it would not start because I didn't have the brake on (safety loop of some sort?). Again thanks for the input.

chobbs1957 said:

If you purchased it two months ago, doesn't warranty cover it?

Well, it may have been a used model....

Sent from my iPad using LMF

Click to expand...

No, its a used machine and seller would not warrant it. When I called him he gave me the # of a small engine repair fellow.

mannyrs234@gmail.com said:

Thanks for the help/input. The machine sat overnight. This morning I removed the air filter (looks new) and the fine green filter under it (needs to be replaced). The reason it would not turn over is I didn't have the brake on (duh). So, I turned the key and the engine also turned over. I choked it and gave it some gas and it fired right up (with a bit of smoke). I left the filters off then it stalled. It started again but I found that I needed to leave choke at about 1/2 position so I could drive it to garage.
I agree, I need to purchase the JD tech manual. I bridged the 2 current wires on the solenoid and the engine turned but (my guess is) it would not start because I didn't have the brake on (safety loop of some sort?). Again thanks for the input.

Click to expand...

Yep, that explains a lot,
SHORTING or BRIDGING the solenoid bypasses all of the safety switches, including the brake.
Usually the PTO & Brake switches stop the engine cranking
Seat switch & neutral switch stop the engine firing.
Once running the PTO , brake switch, reverse switch & seat switch kill the spark in various combinations.
You can download the operators manual from JD for free if you did not get one with your mower.

Start the mower without the air filter on & in neutral , brake on, PTO off you should be able to get off the machine.
squirt some starting fluid down the air cleaner with the choke fully off.
If you can keepit running by continual short ( use sparingly ) squirts of starter fluid then the motor is not getting enough fuel.
That can be anywhere from an obstruction in the fuel tank outlet all the way through to an obstructuin in the main jet or an air leak between the carb & the engine.
To eliminate the latter use some thing like WD 40 IN A TRIGGER PACK NOT A SPRAY CAN, liberally squirt it around the inlet manifold, a change in speed signals an air leak.

What I get out of this is a curiosity to read the JD manual (s) touted by Bert. When he likes something it must be extraordinary. But I don't know about $45. :laughing:

Yeah, I do tend to be a bit neative,
Comes from initial training in engineering where we get taught to look for any & all possible problems.
Followed by early work in QC where any mistake potentially kills people and you get real anal about finding all of the weak points.
However when some thing is excellent, like nearly all of the JD manuals I am quite happy to sing its praises.
Also when a company goes to this lengths to produce a user friendly manual, they deserve to be rewarded with extra sales in the hope that they will continue to do so.
Manuals cost a lot of money to make which is why there are none for the cheapest possible to make of any items.
Try and find a workshop manual for almost any item of the temporary landfill comming out of China, India or even Indonesia, you won't in fact you are dead lucky if you can find a parts breakdown.

In 2004 when I knew nothing about lawn mowers I stopped by the local JD store. There I was turned off by a smug attitude and never returned. So instead I bought a big box Intek which has been an adventure. I do find the good review and readily available manual cited a contrast to my initial impression of JD. Maybe I had it wrong. Frankly after that first impression I would have expected something like the high end automobile "support" for diy'ers (none). e.g., "you want to fix your BMW or Mercedes, or Porsche?" OK subscribe to our on online software support ($20/mo), buy the sw ($250) , and don't contact us." So if I ever buy another rider I might look again at JD.

motoman said:

In 2004 when I knew nothing about lawn mowers I stopped by the local JD store. There I was turned off by a smug attitude and never returned. So instead I bought a big box Intek which has been an adventure. I do find the good review and readily available manual cited a contrast to my initial impression of JD. Maybe I had it wrong. Frankly after that first impression I would have expected something like the high end automobile "support" for diy'ers (none). e.g., "you want to fix your BMW or Mercedes, or Porsche?" OK subscribe to our on online software support ($20/mo), buy the sw ($250) , and don't contact us." So if I ever buy another rider I might look again at JD.

Click to expand...

Don't confuse the attitude of a company with the attitude of its dealers.
way way back when I had hair & teeth I came off the oil platforms with bucket loads of cash ( which being young & stupid I squandered ).
I wanted a new car & I wanted it to be a good one so I walked into the RR dealers show rooms with a suitcase full of cash. ( to get a better deal)t
The snooty salesman told me " a vehicle like this will cost more per hour to run than the value of the cloths you are wearing" so I showed him what I had in the suitcase and walked out, though I then had to fight him off.
Next door was then Mecedes dealer and 1 hour latter I drove out in my 600D Pulman, drove into he RR showroom, gave the sales man a few toots from the horn then drove away.

Any way back to JD.
The company has its roots in farm machinery.
Most farmers were not particularly mechanically skilled back then so their machines had to be able to be fixed by the "average farmer" thus the excellent manuals.
Like a lot of companies this has become a tradition of the company , a long with a log tailing off of parts availability and prompt parts delivery.
You do pay for this which is why JD machinery is not the cheapest in town and this follows through to the lawn & garden products.

Oddly enough, down here JD mowers are quite cheap compared to other brands but that is because the law & garden division can piggy back on the farm equipment's excellent warehouse & distribution system & is not run through multi level complex exclusive franchising arrangements.

A while back, Torro made an agressive attack on the commercial mower market which JD dominated.
JD refused to play price wars and surrendered much of their market to Torro, but bit by bit the green & gold mowers seem to returing to council workshops.