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My 317 with a 18 HP Kohler magnum won't start when its cold out like 30s and below and the kill switch won't work when the engine is warm. Any ideas?
Kohler magnum
Model: M18

Try some lighter weight oil and may be a bad switch for not turning off.

http://www.kohlerengines.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/tp_2289_a.pdf your engine service manual

I agree with reynoldston, also check connections to & from switch by hand.

I have a new switch and no resistance between the kill wire connection on the coil and ground when I flip the switch. It works good till the engine starts to warm up then it seems to diesel. I'm going to drop 5w-30 in it once I get it pushed in the shop and I will see what happens.

Check the flywheel key.

Mwh0428 said:

My 317 with a 18 HP Kohler magnum won't start when its cold out like 30s and below and the kill switch won't work when the engine is warm. Any ideas?
Kohler magnum
Model: M18

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First of all has the engine been changed in this tractor? As I see it should have a 17 HP MODEL KT17 Kohler engine not a 18 HP Magnum? Am I missing some of the story here?

Yes it dose have a different engine than stock.

So we are talking about a Kohler M18 twin cylinder. It has one coil for both cylinders which fires on every revolution of the engine. Very simple coil 2 secondary wires to the plugs and a kill wire. Kill wire go's to ground and the engine loses spark and the engine turns off, very simple. Have these problem's just started? You also said it also is dieseling and wouldn't start when cold. Seeing it not a stock engine who wired it and is it wired right. Does the engine have a good ground? Are the battery cables the right cables and are good?

Yes its an 18 HP Kohler magnum there is a separate kill switch rather than the ignition because the ignition is original with the tractor it worked when I got it but now it doesn't. It runs good when you can get it to start.

I went back and tried it today since it was about 30 out instead of 10-15 with a wind chill and it fired on the third crank. So I parked it in the heated part of my shop and I'm going to get some oil hopefully tomorrow. But why won't it start when its cold and what would cause it to diesel?

There can be several reasons a engine diesels. I will put number one as idle too fast. Timing, overheating, carbon build up, vacuum leak to name a few more.

I don't think its overheating I pulled the engine this summer and blew all the fins out with the air compressor not to say that its not overheating, but i dont think it is, and it idles how it should.

Mwh0428 said:

I don't think its overheating I pulled the engine this summer and blew all the fins out with the air compressor not to say that its not overheating, but i dont think it is, and it idles how it should.

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So that is two things you know its not. Keep looking.

How would I test for a vacuum leak