Lawn tractors?

[M.alex]

Anybody have any experience with lawn tractors? I'm trying to get mine to work (JD 275GT) - if I turn the key and press the clutch, it just keeps choking and choking and choking - refuses to start.

The previous houses' owner started it up just fine always - I remember he turned the key while pumping the clutch, but that didn't help.

Any ideas on why I can't get it to start? Maybe I have to change the sparkplugs? Clean the carb???

Can't check the owner's manual since I don't have 1 :(

[Supa Dexta]

do you have the throttle all the way open? A lot of lawn tractors have the choke engage at wide open throttle, you push it all the way to start, then pull it back slightly to release the choke and have it run normally..

[M.alex]

Originally posted by Supa Dexta
do you have the throttle all the way open? A lot of lawn tractors have the choke engage at wide open throttle, you push it all the way to start, then pull it back slightly to release the choke and have it run normally..

i don't know :(

what would a choke look like?

[Supa Dexta]

ha.. it won't really look like anything.. If you look at the throttle linkages, you can see them working under the hood usually (tractor off) by pushing it fore and aft, you may see it normally increase, as in rev up/open the throttle, but then at the end of the throttle range it will push in a lever or something, thats the choke being engaged.. I don't know about this specific tractor, just older ones I've worked on...

if there is stickers stil on the tractor you may see this:

http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/ICL/ICL131/OBI_006.jpg

thats the symbol for choke, you can try starting it in that position, but as soon as it catches you have to go back into the reg throttle postion

[M.alex]

there's this lever that can go up or down (or mid-way through, etc...). At the top of it there's a bunny, at the bottom there's a turtle.....I guess that has something to do witht he throttle :confused:

[Supa Dexta]

yes, bunny = vtec...

ha, but yeah, open that up some, if there is that symbol above the bunny, thats the choke position for starting, if not search around for a choke, it may be a lever off on its own you manually pull or push....

[M.alex]

there was like a circle above the bunny........tried all sorts of positions, it just didn't want to start. Oh well, I'll probably go the JD dealer tomorrow and see if they don't have a manual for it.

[M.alex]

Turns out the GT275 has an automatic choke (incorporated into the throttle lever)..........but that didn't help me at all, lol.

I'm ready to throw this tractor out into the garbage at this point. Me and my dad put another 1/2hr into it yesterday trying to get it to start......nothing....other than we made it backfire a few times and ended up killing the battery.

*sigh*

Probably have to replace the battery, plugs, god knows what else. Anybody have a hook-up on John Deere parts? :D

[Arthur Dent]

does it have a fuel filter?

Maybe try pulling the throttle open by the cable (at the carb)

[Supa Dexta]

Is it old gas, maybe it won't fire on that...

it'll be single cylinder, so they'll only be one plug, you can pull that and see if tis firing, by holding it against metal and see if it sparks when it turns over... / inspect the plug anyways

[M.alex]

Originally posted by Arthur Dent
does it have a fuel filter?

Maybe try pulling the throttle open by the cable (at the carb)

yes, may have to clean the filter when i get around to it - i've tried adjusting the throttle/choke cable, btu that didn't do anything.



Originally posted by Supa Dexta
Is it old gas, maybe it won't fire on that...

it'll be single cylinder, so they'll only be one plug, you can pull that and see if tis firing, by holding it against metal and see if it sparks when it turns over... / inspect the plug anyways

Gas should be fine - the previous owner demonstrated it in action to me 5weeks ago, so my guess is it's something do with the cold air now. I'm planning on changing the plugs when I do the battery, so I guess we'll see :D