On Apr 13, 11:23*am, Jeff The Drunk wrote:
On Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:00:02 -0700 (PDT), hibb
wrote:




I promised when I got this fixed I would post the results.


Last fall, I was having trouble with my lawn tractor and posted about
it. The tractor would run for about a half hour and then just stop. It
would have to sit for two or three hours before it would start again.
This machine has a 15 hp Kohler engine in it.


I got through the last few mowings last year without ever getting it
fixed but when I went to mow for the first time this year it didn't
want to start but finally did. It ran for about 20 minutes and quit. I
let it sit all night and tried to start it the next day and it would
not start at all.


But this year when I pulled the cover off of the engine I noticed the
likely problem right away. It was the magneto or what we used to call
the coil. I don't know how I over looked that last year. It has been a
while since I have had to work on an engine. I replaced the spark plug
but completely ignored the thing the spark plug wire ran to.


Oh well, it's fixed now at least.


David


Ok how did you determine the mag was bad?



The ignition on this thing is simple. Key switch, magneto and spark
plug. There are some safety switches in the mix such as on the seat
and the hydrostatic lever has to be in neutral but the thing won't
even turn over if those aren't working.

Since I didn't have any tool with which to test the magneto and I
already had replaced the spark plug, I figured the magneto was the
next logical culprit and took a chance and replaced it and it worked.

David