Kohler, no spark

[bubba_t _flubba 0]

This is my first Kohler. Picked up a broadmoor 14 Hydro Sat. Looks like it is going to be a nice tractor. They said it ran, but did not start for us then. I have found that it is not getting any spark. I tested w/new plug and then a spark tester, no spark. This is a Kohler command 14 hp cv14-1433, electronic ign. Any help would be great. I am also trying to figure out it's age also, From what I have seen it is one of the early models. On my fourth Orange, I might be hooked. For I only have a 1/4 acre. Thanks, Greg

[D-17_Dave 12]

If you have electronic ign. then first I'd check to see if you are getting power to the coil. If so then the coil or pickup sensor is bad. My first guese would be the coil as I've not heard of many pickup's being bad. Plus the coil is easier to change. Al Eden could give you more data on what the secondary circut should ohm out at and you would probably need to keep it oem on a replacement coil so the pickup is powered correctly. But as I said, take a test light or volt meter and see if you have and maintain 12 volts on the + side of the coil when switched on and cranking.

[Ronald Hribar 91]

Are we assuming this an older machine with add on electronic ignition? Or is it a newer machine with factory electronic ignition? The older machine needs power to coil, but the newer model like The Magnum 20 will fry the coil if you apply power to it.

[D-17_Dave 12]

Thanks Ron. I should have realised that it might have a mag. on it. See what good drugs can do for your memory.

[Al 6]

Hi, You are going to love this tractor. These engines run and start well. There is only one common starting problem. If the choke doesn't go completly on you can crank and crank and they won't start. First I would open the throttle wide open and then push on the choke rod at the carb. If you can push it any before it hits the stop, there is an adjustment screw on the arm, turn it in until the choke is closed. This has NO effect on your real problem. No spark. First step in any electrical problem is to isolate the problem. Since this is an electronic ignition engine, the kill switch puts a grond on the module to kill the spark. Locate the white wire in the engine plug that the tractor plugs into. If this is a male terminal, the blade will be slotted at the back edge ahead of where the wire is crimped into it. Going to the blade on the interface side of the plug take a needle nose pliers and pinch the edges of the blade where they come out of the socket. There is a little barb on the edge of the blade that springs out and keeps the blade from sliding back out of the socket. Compressing the edges pulls the barb in and lets the terminal slide out of the socket on the wire end. Keep pinching while you pull gently on the wire. If it has a female terminal, they are held in by a little tab that sticks out of the side on the terminal. Take a small wire like a large paper clip and sharpen it like a screwdriver. Then go the the front of the plug and work it along the flat side of the terminal and pull on the wire. When you get the tab bent in so it doesn't catch on the socket the wire and terminal will pull right out of the back of ther socker. You can just rebent either and they will snap back in. One caution. I would advise making a little sketch of how the wires are in the socket. Then if one wire isn't locked in good and it would slip out while you are working on the other, you will know how to rewire the socket. Now you have divided the problem in half. If when you turn the engine over you have spark, it will run, but you won't be able to shut is off with the key. By removing only the white wire, you can plug the plugs together and the starter etc will still work normal. The problem is then in the tractor, probably related to the seat switch / neutral switch circuits, the ignition switch or a wire shorted to ground by being pinched, rubbed bare and touching ground, or having the insulation cut by being pulled around a sharp edge... Then we will need to break that down. Electrical isn't so bad if you break it into bite sized bits. If you try to shotgun the whole system with out a plan it becomes a nightmare. If this unit has a plastic bodied ignition switch I would get rid of it right away. The switches were to be the answer to a prayer. The Indak switches with the steel terminals had problems with galvanic action and The battery terminal would always rust and often the internal contact that was attached this terminal also rusted and ther would be a bad connection between the terminal and the internal contact staked to it. These new switches were plastic and had brass terminals. End of electrolytic problems. As the old saying goes be careful what you pray for because you may get more than you asked for. The new switches had so many strange problems, that service told us if you are having an unusal electrical problem with one of these switches, replace it and see it that fixes the problem before you spend a lot of time troubleshooting and end up back there. There is a replacemnt switch kit which we stock. I don't remember the number, but it will be a 168xxxx number, the 168 designating a service kit. Next if you still have no spark, remove the blower housing from the engine and the white wire should go to the ignition module. Unplug it from the module. Make all is clear of the flywheel and see it you now have spark. Put a paper clip in the plug wire and hold it about 1/4 inch from the block. The spark should be able to jump about a 1/2 inch. If you have spark now, the white wire is pinched or worn bare and shorted between the module and engine plug. No spark now BAD MODULE. These modules rarely fail and often when they do it is because of voltage getting on the kill wire. If it is bad and it has a plastic ignition switch I would replace the switch before put a new module in. Briggs has a service bulletin that tells you to hook a volt meter on the kill wire with it disconnected from the module or engine. Then turn the switch from off to start 25 or more times. If at any time you see a flicker of the meter, replace the ignition switch. (On any application) What can happen is the contacts in the switch wear and the powdered metal collects in the grease tha is inside. Sometimes there is enough metal to short the 12v to the kill wire. It only takes 1 ms. millisecond. 1/1000 th of a second and the module is trashed. This is true with any engine or application. The advice is as good for a Kohler as a Briggs. Good luck, yell for more help if you need it. You will probably need to rest after reading this, sorry it got so long. Al Eden

[bubba_t _flubba 0]

Thanks Guys, Al, I unhooked things like you stated still no spark after disconnecting the kill wire. I tested the module in this manner. I removed the module and hooked the red lead from an ohm meter to the plug wire and made contact with lamination with the other lead. The ohm meter read 0. Am correct in thinking it is the module. Or is there another way of testing this. Thank you all so much. Greg

[Al 6]

Greg, If there is no wire connected to the Kill terminal on the module and you have the air gap set correctly, and you have no spark the module is bad. It is the only possible option. Good luck, Al Eden

[bubba_t _flubba 0]

Using your guidance, I tracked it back to the ignition module. I put a new one on today before work and tested it with my spark tester. Got a huge blue spark. Started it up and sounds great. It is people like you who make this club so great. Thanks again, Greg