You seem to be observant and should be able to get this figured out. Assuming that the carb solenoid had been enabled and the tractor ran- I'd leave it unhooked. The plunger can be nipped off and it will run fine or you can pay real money to Kohler for a new one. AN inline valve is a good idea for this carb. BTW the solenoid doesn't prevent flooding, it merely blocks the tube in the carb as an anti- backfire measure. Most of these had a rubber cap that made the seal actually. This rider will start and run w/o the operator on the seat provided that A) the park brake is set and B) the deck is disengaged. Headlight wires seem to be an item that pops the fuse often enough too. Post the 917# from below the seat if you need further assistance. Good luck.

***"I have bypassed the seat safety switch"*** Most likely cause of problem is a defective or out of adjustment seat switch. If you have simply disconnected the seat switch wiring from the seat switch believing you are "bypassing the switch", that is erroneous. The seat switch connector in this tractor has a built in shorting shunt that acts exactly like an empty seat when it is not connected to the switch. The park brake switch permits the engine to run when the seat is not occupied (if park brake is set). So, when you let out on the clutch/brake pedal, the safety interlock configuration believes the seat is NOT OCCUPIED, and so kills the engine.

Raven, yes you covered just about everything. I have been using a three wheeled handicapped scooter for nearly 20 years. I try very hard to use courtesy while out and about, but there are times that I don't get the same consideration from the public. The truth is that the person on a scooter is out of the standing upright person's line of vision. They just don't see us in time. I have learned to anticipate sudden movement from those who often step into my path not knowing I am there. I would dearly love to go to one of those large craft happenings that are common at this time of year in my area, but haven't done so in many years. Trying to get to the booths to see anything becomes impossible as rude people have no regard for the fact that I cannot see over them and give me no space to do so. I don't have an aggressive bone in my body, so don't "push" my way around. I just hope that someone will give me a break, but wind up being disappointed. My DH on the other hand is not so polite (on my behalf) and winds up embarrassing me so I stay home. I guess in the end it is 'my fault' that I can't enjoy this type of outing. On another note, last week I spent 2 hours at the mall. In particular I was looking to see what is available in bras. In the 5 stores I was in, trying to navigate the much to tight aisles, not one sales assistant even acknowledged me, let alone offered to help me. In one store, I left the area for several minutes twice and then came back just to test the young sales assistant. At no time did she acknowledge me. Yes, I could have asked for help, but when I worked retail, as soon as any customer, handicapped or able bodied, entered my area a greeting and an offer to help was immediate. I am shopping mostly from catalogs these days because the aisles in department stores, especially clothing, are often impossible to navigate and many no longer have an assistant in the department, let alone one who will offer help. I will say that other customers are more likely to ask if help is needed, and it is greatly appreciated, especially in the grocery store.

Saw on the news that a baby squirrel was rescued from the Houston flood waters. I think the plan was to relocate it to the sanctuary city of Austin where they are protected? Hopefuly I heard them wrong. Also saw where the fire ants make a raft to float in the water taking the queen and eggs with them. When they find a dry spot they have a ready made colony. This is the time to exterminate the colony while they are all together and helpless. EDIT: This is an interesting link and worth the read https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/30/the-terrifying-science-behind-floating-fire-ant-colonies-and-how-to-destroy-them/ They suggest using soap to kill the fire ants but the soap will also kill beneficial insects too. I would give a propane or welding torch a try, the problem is you have to get close with either method.