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Kohler CV15S problem

14 years ago

Hi everybody....newbie here with a question(s) concerning the Kohler CV15S engineon my John Deere riding lawnmower. Had it 11 years now with no problems, but have had a problem now after this winter here in upstate NY. I keep it stored in my clean & dry attached garage, and the first time I started it this spring, I was letting it warm up to do my annual tune-up of oil, oil filter, spark plug, air cleaner, and fuel filter. After about 10 minutes of medium idle, it stalled out. I tied to re-start it, but it just wouldn't go. Since the oil was warm anyways, i changed the oil, and all the other things I mentioned. So after about an hour, it started up again no problem and I mowed my 1 acre lawn.

But every week when I go out and cut grass, it has been stalling oout after about 5-10 minutes. I have to let it cool down for 5-10 minutes before I can continue cutting grass. Most times I can get through with 2 hrs.of running with it only stalling out after the first 5-10 minutes,but a few times,it will stall out 2-3 times before I can finish cutting grass. It has been progressively getting more frequent. So I explained this to the semi-retired old-timer maintenance mechanic at work who also has his own landscaping business on the side, and he says it sounds like the ignition module is getting tired and when it gets hot, cannot produce enough spark. So he told me remove the flywheel cover to check it out. I did, and removed the ignition module,used some emory to clean the light rust on the magnets, and re-installed to spec(.008 -.010 clearance) with feeler guages (I'm a CNC machinist by trade, so I am nowheres near a hack, I know I put it backright.) Anyways,the problem still persists. So what's everybody's take on this? Cough up the $40 bucks for a new ignition module? Or maybe it may be something else like a condensor or something? I'd hate to start buying $40 parts without it being the correct solution. Any advice? Thanks.

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Comments (2)

rcmoser
14 years ago
I would when it stalls out see if it getting a nice blue spark? (if no spark or a yellow spark it may indeed be the coil) if it has a pretty spark I would squirt some carb cleaner down the carb and see if it will run off the carb cleaner. If so I would say you need to remove the carb. bowl on the carb and clean out the gum or find particles I would also try to clean the passages in the carb. IF that fixes it I would do a total fuel system clean up. Remove the gas tank and clean it out. replace all the fuel hoses and filter and run some gas treatment with a couple of tanks of gas that way you shouldn't have any fuel related problems for a few years. alot of people have reported here having good luck with sea foam.
rickjoan2_q_com
13 years ago
I also have LT 155 withthe Kohler cv15s. Mine starts and runs fine but if you turn it off after being warmed up then it will not restart until it cools. A friend moved a small wire coming out of coil away from frame and solved the problem. I really don't know how to get to the coil. any help for me??
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How do the valves compare in distance from the head?Crank it to see how far they compare as they are closed. I ask as it is more likely that this head dislodged a valve seat and is holding a valve open. Otherwise, if you have a solid feeling pushrod and the valve seat idea didn't come through- my guess it is a cam problem inside. Very rare though. This post was edited by tomplum on Thu, Mar 27, 14 at 21:47
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Click link and save a copy of the service manual to your computer. The manual gives good instructions for troubleshooting ignition problems. Be prepared to trace some wiring and/or find some safety switches on the tractor. All kill wires, whether from the key switch, or one of the safety interlock switches, ultimately feed to a single "kill wire" circuit which connects to the "kill terminal" on the ignition magneto. Disconnecting the kill wire from the kill terminal will determine if something in the tractor wiring is keeping the coil "killed" or if the coil is defective. If the spark returns after you UNPLUG the kill wire from the kill terminal of the coil, the coil is good and your problem lies in the wiring or one of the interlock switches. Note this: Mice have been known to chew wire insulation to the point that a kill wire touches metal and if the kill wire grounds out, the coil is in killed mode. DO NOT attempt to test anything in the kill circuit by applying 12 volts to anything. It will be the death of the coil if you do. The magneto ignition on this Kohler is self energized by the flywheel magnets (hence the name "magneto") and requires no outside input to make a spark. Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler manual
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Your reading of 60-70 PSI on a compression gauge while cranking is only indicative of a properly operating compression release mechanism. The ACR is effective below 700 RPM and cranking speeds are are usually around 400 RPM or so. I think you have been chasing a red herring or a wild goose (regarding the compression). The ACR is why a leak down test is best for determining suspected compression losses. Did your engine seem to be cranking really fast? If compression loss was an issue, the engine would have seemed like it was really spinning fast when cranked, kinda like when you spin an engine with spark plugs removed. Have you tried spraying a 2 second shot of carburetor cleaner or pouring a spoonful of gasoline into the carb throat to see if it wants to start up and run well for a couple of seconds before it dies? Try that, and if the engine acts like it really wants to run well (for a couple of seconds), then you have a fuel delivery problem. Have you tried a new spark plug? Beware, testing plugs when they are removed from the engine can give false results. A bad plug might show a spark if removed and laid against the engine and the engine cranked. But the same plug might not be sparking at all while under the influence of compression in the combustion chamber.
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Your concern about the valves is based on the brief opening of the exhaust valve? What you are seeing there is the action of the compression release (ACR). This is only supposed to occur at cranking speeds (or lower) and when the engine RPM increases, the ACR is disabled. Have you been noticing any black smoke out the exhaust when the engine is under a load? Is the "black carbon like substance" shiny and sticky, or is it dull and powdery looking? Shiny & sticky indicates oil consumption through the combustion chamber. This could be due to a worn engine or it could be due to a leaking head gasket (leak between combustion chamber and pushrod gallery) pressurizing the crankcase, which will force oil into the intake manifold. If shiny and sticky, you need to do a "cylinder leak down test". If not equipped to do a leak down test, you need to pull the valve cover and watch the space down inside the pushrod gallery while the engine is running. Shine a powerful light in there and watch for regular puffs of compression blowing into the gallery from the combustion chamber. If dull and powdery, the engine is getting too much fuel..........or too little air.
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