Question about the starter on a 2012 X540 John Deere garden tractor.

MowDawg

Forum Newbie
I hope someone can bail me out here....For some unknown reason, the starter on this mower burned itself up while mowing? Really?? Can that actually happen? Anyways, it's toast. The John Deere part number is MIA12264. John Deere has informed me that they do not have them in stock, and if they did, it costs $694.00. I have been actively searching for one of these, but have run into all sorts of issues with the OEM part number. The starter is a Denso mfg. The number on the blue line on the starter itself is 21163-2154. Does anyone have accurate info on a aftermarket starter that will cross to John Deere's part number? DB Electrical is out of stock and no word on when they would be re-stocked. The mower is a 2012 X540 with a Kawasaki engine CODE FD731V-HS02 Engine # FD731V076039 Hopefully someone with first hand knowledge of these starters can point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance!!
 
Why use the JD starter when it is a Kawasaki and all JD is doing is buying the Kawasaki starter and charging you for the Green and Gold paint.

And I verified the the Kawasaki 21163-2154 starter is the correct for your engine.

 
Why use the JD starter when it is a Kawasaki and all JD is doing is buying the Kawasaki starter and charging you for the Green and Gold paint.

And I verified the the Kawasaki 21163-2154 starter is the correct for your engine.

Thanks for the reply, but DB doesn't have them. As I already mentioned, they are out of stock.
 
Starter burned itself up ?
want to expand on that because if you have an electrical fault that will blow another $ 500.
Drop the JD part number into Prime Lines web catelogue and see if they have an aftermarket one .
Then you will have to use the "find a dealer " to see where you can buy one from.
Prime line seem to carry the best range & cheapest starter motors.
After that do the same with Stens & Rotary .
You might also have luck with Jacks Small Engines as some times they also carry aftermarket starters .
 
All the above have been searched with the same results. Now the Rotary website is currently down so I have to reference the Rotary 2024 catalog and the starter is not even listed in it.

It looking like there is only one factory in China that produces this starter as all crosses are coming back unavailable.
1722956323643.png

Now this eBay vendor is claiming the aftermarket MIA12264 is available.


Going by the PN present on that site Stens 435-050 is the cross.
 
Why use the JD starter when it is a Kawasaki and all JD is doing is buying the Kawasaki starter and charging you for the Green and Gold paint.

And I verified the the Kawasaki 21163-2154 starter is the correct for your engine.

Right: Just because it has the eye popping green and yeller paint does not make better.

and all JD is doing is buying the Kawasaki starter and charging you for the Green and Gold paint.
 
AND I've seen the starter solenoids contacts stick and the starter keeps running when the engine is running and the operator not aware of such until they turn the key off to kill the engine and the starter is still running and buzzing trying to crank the engine.
Do a good electrical test BEFORE installing a new starter.
or make sure you do not use the old starter solenoid with the new starter.
Your replacement starter will probably come with a new solenoid as an assembly. Rust inside a ignition switch can also cause such)
 
All the above have been searched with the same results. Now the Rotary website is currently down so I have to reference the Rotary 2024 catalog and the starter is not even listed in it.

It looking like there is only one factory in China that produces this starter as all crosses are coming back unavailable.
View attachment 69424

Now this eBay vendor is claiming the aftermarket MIA12264 is available.


Going by the PN present on that site Stens 435-050 is the cross.
Stens doesn't show a cross for the MIA12264 And the 435-050 crosses to the MIA11272 or Kaw 21163-2152 not the 21163-2154 that the OP engine uses. Don't know if the two are compatible but they don't cross to each other.
 
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Stens doesn't show a cross for the MIA12264 And the 435-050 crosses to the MIA12272 or Kaw 21163-2152 not the 21163-2154 that the OP engine uses. Don't know if the two are compatible but they don't cross to each other.
From JD PARTS MIA12272 is a Briggs engine and Stens 435-050 does not cross to it but to a MIA11272. Typo on your part IL I think.
1722964578564.png

1722966058230.png

Here is the MIA12264 info from JD PARTS
1722964745621.png
Which listed for the
1722965116827.png

1722965059994.png
For Reference lookup the X540 and look under the starter motor.

Now the FD731V-AS07 is the engine the MIA11272 is used on.
 
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From JD PARTS MIA12272 is a Briggs engine and Stens 435-050 does not cross to it but to a MIA11272. Typo on your part IL I think.
View attachment 69425

View attachment 69429

Here is the MIA12264 info from JD PARTS
View attachment 69426
Which listed for the
View attachment 69428

View attachment 69427
For Reference lookup the X540 and look under the starter motor.

Now the FD731V-AS07 is the engine the MIA11272 is used on.
When back and fixed my typo.. Thanks. Too many numbers that looks similar.
 
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