I volunteered to do maintenance at a community pool. The pool has a D140 that would be useful to have running for grounds maintenance. I replaced the battery because the old one was bad. The headlights came on when I turned the key to the light position, then I turned to the crank position, heard a brief click, and now all is dead. I brought the new battery home and it appears to load test fine. I checked the one fuse near the starter / electrical block and it is intact. Does anyone have any experience with this machine? I don’t have all my tools at the pool so I have to bring stuff there to figure out what is wrong with it but if anyone has had a similar experience pointers would be appreciated. TIA.
John Deere D140 dead
- Thread starter RAVL
- Start date
Take the spark plug out & see if it spins over, let us know
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
I have had mower batteries load test fine and not start them. Can you jump it?
did you jump the solenoid to see if the engine will spin?
Riders often have the float in the carb go bad and flood the crank case with gas and hydro lock the engine. Pull the plug to see if the cylinder is full of gas.
I cannot get my truck close to jump without a lot of pushing of the mower. The fact that the lights won’t even light at all tells me a break in the circuit somewhere but tell me that is wrong and I will try a different route.
I will pull the plugs and see if I can get it to turn over. Battery is on the charger and will try it again soon.
Thanks all for the suggestions.
I will pull the plugs and see if I can get it to turn over. Battery is on the charger and will try it again soon.
Thanks all for the suggestions.
The new battery could have been on the store shelf for years. Return it or exchange it. Put the new battery on a charger for a couple of hours before trying to start the machine.
Check the battery cables especially the ground.
That mower had cam release problems. Turn engine by hand until it feels free, then try to start. If it turns over enough it will start. Solenoid problems are common.
Brake not applied is another one.
Clean all connections. You can jump from the battery directly to the starter and that would eliminate a lot of areas. You can gently tap the starter with a hammer. After that I would check the various safety switches at the seat, mower engagement and clutch pedal. Misadjusted valve clearances are often mistaken for battery and starter problems. Last resort would be to use a volt meter and see where power is being lost.
Cleaned all the connections and this seemed to do the trick. Turned it over at first without plugs in case the float bowl had jammed, flooding the motor, but it turned over freely. Once the plugs were in it started after a few cranks. Now on to the mess of a mower deck - dull blades and worn belt. Looks pretty straightforward to get the deck off and I will go from there. Thanks all.
Another question: not having a lot of luck finding someone locally who stocks a belt for the machine. I am inclined to get the stock belt but if someone could recommend an aftermarket replacement, it would be appreciated. Don’t want to have other volunteers out and then have the machine go down due to crappy chineseum belt ( but who knows where the original is made nowadays?). Thanks again for the pointers.
Another question: not having a lot of luck finding someone locally who stocks a belt for the machine. I am inclined to get the stock belt but if someone could recommend an aftermarket replacement, it would be appreciated. Don’t want to have other volunteers out and then have the machine go down due to crappy chineseum belt ( but who knows where the original is made nowadays?). Thanks again for the pointers.
On my JD 100 mower the JD deck belts are the only ones that work well and last. They are pricey but they work. Cheap belts like from Tractor Supply would pop off the pulleys randomly on mine with everything adjusted correctly. Swap on a JD belt without touching anything and belt has been flawless for 2 yrs now. Got the mower used and abused BTW. Aftermarket belts must be slightly off in its dimensions but not visibly noticeable.
OEM belts can be had online.
OEM belts can be had online.
On my old F510 I ran a 5/8" main belt and 1/2" for the deck. It spun the blades up faster but wore out the main belt pulley on the jacksleve double pulley. The deck belt lasted a year usually but the main belt lasted a long time. I guess sand and dirt got to it as the edges thin and near razor sharp and the belt would not stay in.
I just went back to OE belts for the first time in 24 years on it. But won't be using it much for mowing, just chopping.
I just went back to OE belts for the first time in 24 years on it. But won't be using it much for mowing, just chopping.
