[Budlow]

I have a 425 Deere AWS with a Kawasaki K series V-Twin, approx. 500 hrs.
Recently it started percolating, coughing out and dying after 20-30 min run time. If you let it cool down it will start again and run until it happens again.
Troubleshooting assistance would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[fixer67]

Sounds heat related. First when it dies check for spark. If the coil is over heating it could be losing fire. Also with all the high heat we have been having here lately the carb could be over heating. The gas boils in the bowl and shuts the engine down. When it dies feel the carb bowl and see how hot it is. Alot of them time this can happen if a heat shield has came loose or fail off. Heat of the muffler an cook a carb if the sheild is missing or damaged. Good luck

 

[Mowingman]

My bet is a bad coil. Kawasaki may make a good engine, but their coils are junk. We keep a big box of extra coils in stock for our Kawasaki customers.
you might as well replace both when you are in there, even if only one is bad. It is a sure thing the other will also go bad soon.

 

[Budlow]

Well I changed the plugs, both coils, the fuel filter and a valve cover gasket.
Still quits after 30 min. run time.
Help ! I want to avoid the shop labor rates if possible

 

[Restrorob]

Well I changed the plugs, both coils, the fuel filter and a valve cover gasket.
Still quits after 30 min. run time.
Help ! I want to avoid the shop labor rates if possible

Check your gas cap vent and the carb. bowl vent !
If by chance these are not venting properly fuel will not enter the carb. properly and could cause this problem.

 

[Budlow]

Rob, the gas cap vent appears to be working, I can suck air through it.
Point me to the carb bowl vent, (it is not obvious to me) if you please
thanks

 

[Restrorob]

Rob, the gas cap vent appears to be working, I can suck air through it.
Point me to the carb bowl vent, (it is not obvious to me) if you please
thanks

Post your model and spec. numbers off the engine, Kawasaki has multiple carbs. for some of their engines.

 

[ghuffman3]

my cub cadet was doing the same thing last week, a buddy asked if i had changed the air filter and i told him it looked brand new. he said that it collects condensation, i thought what the heck it was the least expensive to replace, replaced it and the prefilter and have been smooth running since. i don't know if this helps you, but sometimes we overlook the simplest repairs.

 

[Budlow]

Rob, sorry for the late reply on #
FD620D
A502
MFR 2/97
S/N M004253052237
SKA617U1G2RA

since it has cooled off here wife says she ran today no problems, up until then about 50 min was all she could get, around 30 min when temps in 90's
thanks for the help

 

[Restrorob]

I had no idea this was a water cooled engine ! So when you say percolating you are referring to the radiator getting hot and boiling am I right ?
If so there is a temp. switch that is wired to the ignition to shut it down to prevent it from blowing up.
Let me know if thats the case and I'll post things for you to check out.

 

[Budlow]

Rob, ignore "percolating" as it refers to the liquid cooling. This is only to describe the sound it makes as it coughs and chokes itself off. Sometimes there is a backfire. I have not seen an overtemp condition by guage or by boil over, the fluid level is good. If a bad temp sensor could be the culprit, that is a possibilty I guess. Otherwise I'm stumped, thanks for hanging in there.

 

[Restrorob]

Rob, ignore "percolating" as it refers to the liquid cooling. This is only to describe the sound it makes as it coughs and chokes itself off. Sometimes there is a backfire. I have not seen an overtemp condition by guage or by boil over, the fluid level is good. If a bad temp sensor could be the culprit, that is a possibilty I guess. Otherwise I'm stumped, thanks for hanging in there.

Well, We all know the problem with trying to diagnose equipment here is we can't See, Hear or Touch it. I'd be willing to bet if I could hear it acting up I'd know right where to go.
After looking at the carb. I don't believe it's the bowl vent.
When it starts acting up have you tried to pull the choke on to see if it picks back up ?
I just hate having one beat up on me like this so I'm not ready to give up yet, I'm still working on it if I don't blow a gasket first. :laugh:

 

[Budlow]

Thoughts come to mind... haven't had any trouble until the CO-OP refilled my barrell this spring, good chane I got a bad load or a dirty tank, going to try a new barrell filter, alos go down to the local GitNGo and try a new tank of petro. It just feels like i got some bum fuel.

 

[Liquid Cooled]

Have you looked at the fuel pump?

 

[ducky1]

Have you checked the valve clearance? We had a different model do that and found out the valve clearance needed adjusted. good luck

 

[fixer67]

Seeing as this is a water cooled engine what mix are you running in it? Pure water doe not do much good in todays high temp lean burning engines. And Pure anti-freeze/anti-boil coolant will in fact boil quicker than straight water. You need to be running a 50/50 mix. No more than a 70/30 mix. Above 70% constraint you start to go down hill in protection. Just try putting plain water in a new Honda that has a water jacket temperature of 220* and you will boil over within 3 miles if not sooner. Thanks to the EPA everything is running leaner nowdays which means it runs hotter and burns up quicker. Thank You EPA

 

[Budlow]

Like all guys who never ask for directions, I finally broke down and stopped by the local Deere store. The service manager suggested I replace the Time Delay Module (Part # AM128906) a $15.00 fix. Mowed yesterday for over 90 minutes without a problem. This module is intended to prevent backfires when you turn the key off. If it goes bad it will starve fuel or spark. Anyway, hats off to Paul at Reynold's in Shawnee KS for the right diagnosis.