Solved: John Deere GX345 or 425 Won't Start, Has No Spark

If you are the proud owner of a John Deere 425 all wheel steer garden tractor, you have a lot of machine to be proud of, until the day comes that it won't start. 

Check the engine for spark.  No spark?  Don't panic! 

Looking close at that Kawasaki FD engine, it looks fairly complicated.  With its own unique ignition system, I guess you could say it is complicated.  Its easy to get overwhelmed wondering what wires to unhook and which connections to test.  

There are quite a few electronic components that can fail on one of these Kawasaki engines.  Most, however, do not fail suddenly and they will begin acting up and giving you warning signs. 

However, the most common solution to a Deere 425 "no start-no spark" situation is a little stupid module that seems to have been a problem from the first.   When it fails, the tractor will shut down one day and not start up the next. 

The problem is called the time delay module. It is designed to allow the engine to run for a few seconds more after you turn the key off so that it will burn out any residual fuel in the carburetor bore and keep the engine from giving a nasty backfire.

You'll find it screwed onto the side of the engine, on the operator's right hand side.  It will be a square box with one small bolt holding it onto the engine shroud, and a bunch of wires running off of it. 

Take it off and go for a ride to your (hopefully) friendly local Deere dealer.  Tell him you want an AM118859 module and (if it is the right time of year) watch him say, "Oh, you own a Kawasaki powered garden tractor, huh?"  They sell dozens of these a year.  Remember to replace your spark plugs when you replace the module.  Chances are they are fouled from cranking the machine with no fire. 

The replacement module will be round, and it will not bolt onto the shroud.  It should be about $25 odd dollars.  Reconnect the wires.  Wire tie the module onto the harness somewhere so it won't rattle around and beat itself to death.

95% of sudden no spark scenarios are solved by this module.

Then its back to the yard you go to mow!

Ben W.