From www.justanswer.com/ythi
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I have a John Deere F525 with the PA540A Kawasaki engine.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I checked the fire from my coil to spark plug and it looks weak and won't start engine but if I remove wire from plug and ground it on a jumper wire to engine it will jump over a 1/4 inch gap and the test light gets very bright during spinning engine.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Why would it be weak when plugged to spark plug directly on engine
Curtis B.: Technician: Remove the kill wire from the coil and check the spark, the kill wire may be affecting the spark , it has to ground the coil to kill engine when the key is turned off.
Curtis B.: Technician: You did replace the spark plug?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I have had the ground kill wir unplugged the whole time, and have a new plug in from the start
Curtis B.: Technician: Are you sure you are getting fuel to the cylinder?
Curtis B.: Technician: Is the carburetor solenoid open as soon as the key is turned on?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I cleaned carb and checked fuel solenoid and I am also spraying with carb cleaner in intake.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: It's not even trying
Curtis B.: Technician: When did it last run?
Curtis B.: Technician: Do you have compression?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: But the spark looks weak with tester bulb plugged in spark plug wire
Curtis B.: Technician: If spark jumps from wire and looks good, I doubt it is a spark problem.
Curtis B.: Technician: Tester doesn't really show accurate spark strength, just that it sparks.
Curtis B.: Technician: If you attach spark plug and ground it to the metal of the engine, does the plug fire?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I don't know when it last ran the starter wire was unplugged when i bought it.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: He said solenoid was bad.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Well I fixed that.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I have 160# * comp on it
Curtis B.: Technician: Have you checked the flywheel timing key?
Curtis B.: Technician: You have tried starting fluid or carb cleaner in carb to see if it will fire?
Curtis B.: Technician: I see you already did that!
Curtis B.: Technician: Will it fire if you put a teaspoon of fuel direct into the spark plug hole?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I also put fuel in plug hole before reinstalling plug
Curtis B.: Technician: And nothing?
Curtis B.: Technician: Have you checked the exhaust , it isn't plugged from mice, etc?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Curtis I'm just not getting fire when I lay it against engine.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: But why does my test light flash
Curtis B.: Technician: I wonder if coil is not grounding out.
Curtis B.: Technician: If you let spark plug hang, does it fire?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Spark tester flash
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Does not fire I am believing the coil is very weak
Curtis B.: Technician: This engine uses an igniter, have you considered it?
Curtis B.: Technician: # * in the picture.
Curtis B.: Technician: http:/jdpc.deere.com/pimages/MP21/MP21201________UN12MAY99.gif
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: No because guy said he was using it just had to start with screw driver across solenoid.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: The ignition switch is bad so I've ordered a new one and now I'm just trying to start it direct to starter like all other engines do.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Maybe it has to go through ignition to start.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I've never seen one that did though.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: But I've never had one of these.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Just fc540v's not these PA 540a
Curtis B.: Technician: Engine is basically the same, but it does have to use the igniter with the coil.
Curtis B.: Technician: You do see the igniter and it is plugged in?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: it plugged in
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: How does it get fire to igniter?
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: Does it power come from under flywheel
Curtis B.: Technician: I don't have a wiring diagram for the F525.
Curtis B.: Technician: But igniter would be my thought.
Curtis B.: Technician: Has always been problem, and later engines, Kawasaki dropped it.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: I unplugged igniter and used test light on wire there is no power when engine spins.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: So I'm not gonna spend 50 or 60$ just to see.
JustAnswer Customer from San Antonio, TX: If its electrical it has to have current.