My 2012 developed starting issues in 2023. Cleaned the solenoid and it runs like a champ. The plunger was gummed up and sticking.

4 years on and still a great and valuable video. Thanks for putting it up. I had exactly this problem and you saved me from removing and cleaning the carb. The solenoid valve was stuck solid from sitting unused a few months.

This guy is a life saver. I left gas in my machine for about a year without starting (had small property and had service mowing lawn). Went to start it up and no fuel would flow. Had someone try an fix, no luck. Search a bit and replaced fuel pump, no luck. Cleaned solenoid and now machine yours like a, you know what. Saved $400 and pride that I fixed it. Thanks THEMOWERMEDIC1.😁

Thanks for the help - i have a 2009 x324 all wheel steer 22hp. Never have had ussue with the solenoid plunger anti back fir gizmo - until this week. i bought new plugs, oil and filter, air filter with foam cover to keep dust out. Also new fuel filter. I akways treat the ethanol fuel with additive and use stabil to keep fuel fresh. Mower has 725 hours and i mow about a 2 1/2 acre yard. This mower us awesome. I will try to clean the solenoid plunger. The valves have been afmdjusted seveal times iver its life to keep it starting easy. Recently after 2hrs mowing i shut it off during brief rain shower, would not start again. Pushed it into garage to look at you tube. Thanks to your video i believe i found the issue. A carb kit and new solenoid are fairly cheap and i am handy enough to tackle it. I will buy a thin wall 1/2 " ignition wrench to slip into tightly soaced gap between solenoid and carb. Or could grind down an old one. I enjoy mowing yard with quality rider. Drink a few beers and listen to radio on ear protection head phones. Very relaxing. Takes mind off of daily grind. Yard looks amazing afterwards.

Thanks to your video, i fixed the same issue on a X304 after being in storage for 18 months. Turns out the FUEL SOLENOID was the issue, after replacing fuel pump and filter to no avail. Thanks for your excellent tutorial.

So far our JD X300 with the Kawasaki engine has been a very reliable mower each year. We bought ours new in June of 2007 and have not had any major issues with it other than a few battle scar scraps here and there. Those mostly my son getting a little to close to trees. The John Deere salesman told us it's about a 15 year plus mower compared to the John Deere mowers you see at Home Depot or Lowes sells. He said they are on average of 7 year mowers. I'm getting ready to change out the drive belt for the first time this spring. Yep the original drive belt has been working fine, but looks to be getting a little worn after 12 years of service and I'm afraid it may break this mowing season. I believe our X300 has around 360-370 hours on the meter now. Hope it continues to give us good service, but if it poops out for any major reason I'd buy another new one. May even get one that's a tad bigger.

Just watched this because the solenoid was frozen on my John Deere D140. 30 seconds of spraying carb cleaner and working it back and forth and it feels as good as new. Thanks for sharing this info! Great video!

My X304 had similar symptoms so I found the solenoid, removed it and found that it operated properly. Finally, after much investigation and troubleshooting I found that one or more of the spark plugs were bad. I replace the plugs annually, which are part of the maintenance kit so I did not suspect them as the problem. The tractor would not start and smelled of gasoline when trying to start. What was happening was that the cylinders were being filled with fuel but not enough spark to get it going, hence the flooding. Fortunately, I had not thrown away my old plugs from the last maintenance and after putting them back, the mower starts perfectly. Wild goose chase but I learned a lot in the process of troubleshooting. I bought a spark tester and was getting spark to the plug, but not out of the plug. I am just happy that I didn't have to have it trucked to the shop and wait two weeks for repair, only to find out it was something this simple.

Had the same problem tried the carburetor cleaner and finally took the solenoid off and filled with gunk cleaned it then tested as you instructed and it’s running after two weeks and borrowing friends mowers thank you!

Thank you for posting this video. It showed exactly what i needed to get my x300 working. You have made my wife very happy......for a few minutes at least.

Those Kawasaki twins are great engines. But that was one of the dirtiest 17 hour machines I’ve ever seen! Must have been sitting someplace that gets a lot of dust. And long enough that the fuel varnished in that solenoid,

Thanks for the tip. Worked on my 𝑿 380 with Starting fluid. Only sat for 3 months. 42HRs on it

Very good thanks. Helped me fix my x300. Saved me money made me feel like a mechanic for the day :)

Oh my goodness, this was so amazingly helpful!!!! Thank you for sharing you knowledge. If I could give you 5 stars I would give you 7.

Watched this video after mine started acting up. I drained the gas tank, drained all gas lines, replaced the fuel filter, and took the bowl off the carb. Bowl was 1/3 full of water and tank had a couple quarts of water in it. Got bad gas somewhere. Thanks for posting!

Great video and explanation. This was my issue (same mower & motor), and I'm now up and running. Thank you, sir.

Great information my lawnmower started when we sprayed break cleaner in the air cleaner hose. Thanks much

Just rescued a 2008 x300, it's been sitting for 4 years with gas in it due to a bad starter solenoid, drained the tank replaced the starter solenoid fuel filter and fuel pump valve and was still getting no start but I also noticed the fuel filter was not really filling, I believe the Valve is stuck just like you showed that's why it's not pulling fuel as soon as it decides to stop raining here for a day I'll dig into it thank you for the info!

Thank you for the great video, helped my husband to get the mower going.

Great job. I have a Zero turn Bad Boy . mine was shutting down after about 15 min of run time. fixing it Saturday. Nick

Thank you.....Thank you.......Thank you! Was the exact problem and fix for my JD 100 series rider. Very helpful.

Thank you for this. I'm an Ag teacher in Florida. These videos are very helpful.

Good tip jeremy I hate it since they started putting those electric solenoids on the carbs

Thanks very much for sharing. Hoping this is also my problem after replacing the fuel pump with no luck.

good video, I know how much work it is to make these videos thank you for taking your time to make it. God Bless

Thank you for the video. I have an X304 with 35 hrs and it has decided not to fire after sitting for the winter in a heated garage. Battery and gas are both good however not a hint of firing. Im going to check the swiches under the seat and check for spark at the plug for starters.

Thanks for sharing. I have two sets of wrenches, none of them are skinny enough to get to it. That is my luck.

My neighbor’s X320 started doing this exact same thing this summer. He has a bad habit of leaving his gas can in the back of his truck with NO cap on the spout to keep water out and it sits out in the rain all the time. He don’t care. My 2015 S240 started doing this about two months ago, I cleaned the carburetor and noticed tiny black stuff in the fuel bowl, didn’t take long to confirm the fuel supply and return lines are rotting. 12 ft. braided automotive grade hose $37.

I have an X500 runs great for 45 minutes. Quits. I've replaced fuel cylinoid, both coils, fuel pump, spark plugs, fuel lines, I'm at my wits end with this thing. When it gets hot and quits there is very little fuel in the fuel filter but fuel pump is working correctly.

Thanks again. I have a person bring me a similar JD mower and he cut off the tip of the solenoid. Kept flooding the crankcase with gas. I Installed a new solenoid and no more issues. Thanks for the great video's.

thank you,, im repairing a john deere x300 with same issue,, your video very helpfull

Thanks for the video. I’m pretty sure that’s what’s wrong with my x350.

Spray the engine and mower down (cold) once or twice a month with Simple Green or other cleaner and wash it off, keep your mower looking like new. My neighbor has a 320 that is doing the exact same thing.

Nicely done. I just subscribed and hit the bell Keith

Nice job showing how to salvage the fuel solenoid. Those darn things are expensive as heck. Thanks for the great video’s, hang in there.

We had a John Deere riding mower that worked fine but every now then the engine would just die. Turned out there were some large flies or small bees in the gas tank that would occasionally cover the fuel outlet in the tank. Flushed the tank and the problem was solved. Please don't leave your gas tank cap open.

Great job cleaning rather than replacing. Guessing the dealership would have said "bad solenoid, with parts and labor that will be $397".

I have LTR185 w/ Kawasaki 17 hp. Won't run unless you choke it and only when you out your finger Iver the hole. This one has RTO switch disconnected, as well as the seat switch disconnected. So it's no surprise the unit will not start by Jey but has to be jumped at solenoid. My guess was the anti after fire solenoid being bad, but also want to check the fuel pickup in the tank. When I crank the engine with fuel line removed at the carb it is getting gas pumped out in short spurts, so I believe the pick tube us ok. However, I don't know if a pressure test can be run on the fuel line. I am being asked to not change the safety switches by owner. I'm having to jump it to do testing. Kinda hard to do that, but owners wishes will be respected, and I can do a remote start switch.

Learned so much watching your videos, Great job!

May thanks!!! That was my problem!

I have an x320 John Deere with a Kawasaki engine. It is about 5 years old, maintained well. Just recently it started backfiring all of the sudden. Earlier this summer I replaced the air filter and changed oil. What would be the first thing to check? I have never touched the carb or changed fuel filter. thanks!

First, thanks for taking the time to make this video. I have a JD X324 that is surging. Tried some Seafoam in the gas tank just to see if that would be an easy fix but it only helped a little bit. I guess I'll have to check the carb jet for any issue there. Do you have any insight on this? Also have to get a new anti scalping wheel along with the L-shaped shaft (if that's what it's called). I guess I'll have to drive to Taylor from Austin since their phone is ALWAYS busy.

Have a tractor with same engine - had same issues with solenoid exactly...

I looked at the X330 and the X350 today. One Briggs and the other Kaw. Any recommendations? Usually this is like asking do you like the red or the yellow power tools.

Thanks brother, I am dealing with an x320 that is having the same issues

John Deere seems to have stopped access to Parts Manuals and schematics of their lawn equipment as of 2020. They are screwing farmers as well in regards to repair of their own equipment. I am looking for definitive instructions on how to increase Reverse speed on my X320 Kawi rider. Some You Tubers videos offer some help. Anyone have this solved? Adjustments to pedal linkage bolts/slots? Broken bushings (A-26) can affect it in the X540. Not sure mine is the same and it is too cold to look at the moment.

Thanks, Jeremy! My X300 is often hard to start when hot. I do yard work for 20 mins or so, shut the engine off to dump the cart, and it needs to crank over for 10 seconds or so before it starts again. Works well and starts well when cold. Would the fuel shutoff solenoid be the cause? Thanks again!

Does using NON-Ethanol gas make much difference..? I have switched to this in ALL my small engine needs. Mowers, chainsaw, tractor. Heard it is better for carb's. Cleaner, less sticking problems like you show here..

Thanks man! I’m going to try this on my GX325. It has a Kawasaki engine So it might be a little different. & I used to live close to the love field, hearing those planes all day and night lol

Good video, there are two types of brake cleaner.... so which are you using in the carb? The flammable stuff?

Great Video. Our church was just donated a x 300 with a mulching deck. It needs a new belt or belts. How do i find the right belt or belts.

I fix more than one of them. It's pretty simple... a pair of side cutters

ya entendí .con baygon también arranca. la bobina electromagnética si no funcionará le sacas el ejesito ese la punta. y entonces vuelves a enroscar la bobina para k no derrame combustible y el motor arrancará normal.lo uniko k entonces no parará con la llave.mientras se consigue la bobina electromagnética nueva.Saludos desde Panamá.

What would cause fuel to spit out of the exhaust (x350 with Kawasaki V twin)? I changed spark plugs, first pulled them and turned over the engine to check for compression and to see fuel came out. Left and right had compression, fuel came out left, but not right. After sitting for a few days, the engine will start but will choke out and then it won't start and fuel spews from the exhaust. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

john deere x304, same engine, same symptoms. fuel solenoid works when tested, reinstalled, no change

Thank you, sir. Outstanding video.

I have a similar issue! Mine shuts off randomly! After a few minutes it will fire again!sometimes it take longer !then it will run for hours it’s so random any suggestions! Thank you!

Is there an auxiliary pigtail to the harness under the seat above the fuel tank or does it need to be plugged into something. But i think i have the same solenoid issue. Thx for this video!!

I have a JOhn Deere X300. It runs fine as it is warming up and once warmed up it starts missing. I bought and put on a electrical module, new carburator, and new fuel pump. It still runs and then starts back firing and missing. I didn't know how to adjust the new carburetor. Was I supposed to adjust it once I put it on? Please advise what I could try next, thank you.

Typically in the John Deere X 300s. I’ve noticed a distinct sound. Only with the X 300s. And the Kawasaki motors why does it make the high-pitched noise when the motor is running

I have a 175 hydro that has the Kawasaki engine in it. Found that the solenoid was not working. The pintle is free and moves in and out when you push on it. I don't think it's salvageable, what do you think? For now I just soldered the pintle in the open position. I took the carb off and cleaned it five times before I realized it was the solenoid. I should have known better though because I have an old John Deere 2020 full size tractor that had the same thing happen to it 20 years ago.

Awesome. Going to try this when I get home.. wish me luck.

My X300R has been getting hard to start lately. It backfires also. 470 hours. Been a great engine... Pulled the plugs and they were black. Cleaned them. Choke sticks a little, been fighting that with choke cleaner.. Any thoughts..?

You the man!! Keep up the great work and keep posting the aswesome content. Stay Safe. Stay Healthy!!!

Great video...I have a Z425 JOHN DEERE how do I remove the fuel solenoid from the carb?? not much room for a wrench?

Should I install a fuel cut off valve? If so before or after the fuel pump?

Thanks for good video. I have a jd 245gt on I followed all you steps. It now sidles smoothly. The minute I throttle up shee misses like he'll and plenty of black smoke. What do I do? Thanks.

What could be the problem with x300 surging and cutting off? Should I try spraying carburetor with carb cleaner?

thanks...I'll try this. My x300 is 10 years old and has been racing this summer (hunting) especially at low throttle. Runs OK at full. I've checked the lash and everything else I can think of. Seems the only thing left is the carb. Do I need to take it out and clean it?

I have a john deere x710 I doing the same thing I tried to get the fuel selenoid to work like you and it's still not working what van I do

Hi, brilliant video and greetings from the UK! 🇬🇧 My x300r runs a little poorly and seems to be struggling a bit with the mower deck on. I’ve cleaned all the deck and blades (and fan that shoots grass into box) but activating the deck makes the engine run badly. It sometimes backfired after I turn it off too. Any ideas please?? Thanks in advance ☺️

Well, my X300R was popping, backfiring. One video and my mechanic friend said COIL. purchased new coils. Replaced both. Now it just runs for a minute and dies. Saw your video here. Have pulled out the carb shutoff. Looks good, cleaned it. Have to make a thin wrench out of a angle head grinder spanner wrench. Put it together, starts and dies. Just before it dies the governor surges then its done.... ???? Sprayed carb cleaner in the air cleaner tube like you did, runs and dies. I did put a new gas filter on, never was done in 10 years since new. Not that!...???

I have problem, when I engage to cut grass it starts to back fire and pop. I've tried card cleaner and still does it. Can you help?

I recently came upon one, customer wanted off his property that I cut now hood was cracked at brackets. Replaced it did whole tune up, cleaned tank put fresh gas, fresh oil oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, fuel pump,fuel hoses, coils, new battery. Itll run but then dies when I start driving. Any ideas? Would be very thankful.

This riding mower cannot discharge the grass properly because its outlet is too small and the fan is not efficient. One solution is to mow your lawn every 3 days (2 days in the spring) in order to mow a very small amount of grass. If you wait one week, the grass outlet will be blocked all the time. Conclusion: this machine is made to mow when you have no grass, a machine to mow in the desert!

I have a john deere x370, i seem to be having a fuel problem. I changed the pump, fuel filter, air filter, etc. My problem is after the mower warms up it shuts down, i can disengage the mower and idle down and nurse it with the choke, the after a bit It'll run wide open again but stalls out again shrtly after. Can the solenoid be an issue if it starts up good when cold?

October 25, 2018 100% Disabled Veteran needs help with a John Deere LA145 please. For some unknown reason at the end of last summer (2017), I had to start turning the headlights on before the blades would engage. I had the same problem this summer except that both headlight bulbs would blow out after mowing for about 45 minutes. I bought several new (1156) replacement bulbs to replace them when they burned out so I could try to get the yard finished. This summer, it started immediately blowing out both new bulbs as soon as I tried to engage the blades several times until it would finally work. I guess maybe"something" needed to cool down some before it would work again. I live on an extremely tight budget & don't have the money to take it to a shop to get it fixed or anyway to get it to a repair shop. So a couple of weeks ago, I was just about finished with the yard & the headlights blew out causing the blades to stop. I waited about 20 minutes for it to cool down some & replaced the blown out bulbs with the last 2 new bulbs I had & they immediately blew out when I pulled the switch to engage the blades. Frustrated that it was about to get dark & I only had a little bit of the yard left to finish & had no more new replacement bulbs, I stupidly decided to wire the positive & negative headlight wires together hoping it would complete the circuit so I could finish mowing & drive the mower back into the garage because it's almost impossible for me to push it. As soon as I engaged the blades something else blew & the motor died immediately & now it won't start, click or do anything. The 20 amp fuse was NOT blown, but I replaced it anyway & I can't find anymore fuses to check. I've unplugged & reconnected all of the wires & plugs & even wiggled all of the wires hoping something was just loose. I'd tried doing that even before the "fatal hotwire" event, but nothing has worked. It only has 30-40 hours on it & was in excellent working condition before this problem. It was bought new before I was disabled back in 2008, but is well out of its warranty period because of its age, even though it is like brand new. I've spent hours searching the internet, but can't find anything that addresses this specific issue. Can someone please help me determine what has burnt or shorted out, what parts I need to order & how to get it fixed without it costing me an arm & leg that I can't afford to lose more of? I know that it'd be too expensive for me to get it fixed by a dealer & don't want to get ripped off for unnecessary things because I don't have any experience with this matter-not to say that anyone would necessarily rip me off, but you never know. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of wiring in the electrical system & I'm hoping it can be fixed with a couple of simple inexpensive parts I can order online or if someone knows of a simple quick-fix, trick or bypass that'd work until I can afford to fix or get it fixed properly. Thanks. I can be reached at str8navyboy@hotmail.com or silverwood1994@gmail.com because I'm not sure if leaving this comment & request gives people my contact information or how to find or get back to this comment after its posted.

I have a JD X304 mower with a Kawi FS541V engine. It runs ok for about 2 minutes mowing at full throttle and then it starts to loose power and runs rough. Shut off the pto switch and it clears up. Could it be in the fuel solenoid- the coil breaking up under a load? Any ideas? Thanks-Bill

Not a motor question, but a question about deck leveling on this mower. I am having a hard time with the front hangar adjustment. Any help would be grateful. Thanks, Sir.

Hey mower medic I have a John Deere x304 with the Kawasaki engine, for some reason it will run fine for a little while with no smoke, then all of a sudden it will start smoking real bad and blow oil out of the carb and cover the air filter in oil, and also I noticed gas will get in the oil, it will clear up and run fine for a little bit then it will do it again, do you have any idea what it could be?

will that carb solenoid cause mower to shut off after the mower gets hot and that cause mower not to start in a hot building x500 john

Great video! If the solenoid does not move when I turn the key does that mean it's bad? I have the same exact symptoms as this mower otherwise. Or could that possibly mean the ignition control module is bad? Thanks

My john Deere 400gt starts runs when cold, when its hot if you shut it off it won't start till it coo!s down. I don't know what causes that?

X310 here, ran out of gas, while filling the tank the circle filling chamber filled (but didn't drain into the tank) ... doesn't seem obstructed by simple looking around with a flashlight, shook it a bit a few bubbles came drained some, but the circular chamber is 3/4 full still and won't drain into the tank.... any suggestions?

My x300 turns over, starts, and runs for a little but then dies. Any thoughts?

How do you take the both gaskets off the head and off the bottom?

Question, I have an x500, after it gets hot it quits, do these solenoids fail a lot with heat? It will start after it cools down. I have not checked for spark or tried to see why it is not running. I also heard about a timer relay that may fail too? Problem is I’m not there when it happens so I cannot check it at the time it happens. Thanks

thanks mate great video helped me cheers

Where does this guy use this tractor? In the desert!

My X300 has 364 hours on it and it’s way cleaner than that one what are they mowing ? I mow our 5 acre pasture with mine 

I have a X300 and it’s running rough and pushing out black smoke and eventually fouling out the plugs......any suggestions?

Are u still answering questions about John Deere X300

pretty rough mower for 17hrs work,does he mow the desert or something....... fix under warranty?

I have a question for you a friend of mine has a log splitter that will idle but he says when you engage it it won't rev up any ideas I haven't seen it yet!

I HAVE A J.D.X360 AND I NEED TO REMOVE THE FUEL TANK, DO YOU HAVE A VIDEO I COULD WATCH?

just bought old j 110 it was fine when landed at hone did not run... battery fina gas is coming engine rotates but donot catch up f,,,it try to start and backfire sound,,,,

I own an X300 JD, hoping to know how I can disable the seat safety switch so I can dismount the tractor with the engine running.

I got one that will start up and run about 30min and cut off while cutting what thank going on ?

Straight up legend

My neighbor has a x300 that has been to the dealer 3 times for same issue which is that mower shuts down while at different intervals while mowing and then sometimes runs with no problem at all. JD dealer has cleaned fuel tank and supposedly ran it for about an hour with no issue. Sometimes it starts right back up and sometimes it takes a few minutes, any ideas?