Brand new mower won't start
 

I have a cub cadet LT142 XT1endro with the kohler 18hp engine. it has less than 4 hours on it that won't start. I checked air filter and fuel lines they are good. checked spark plug no spark so I check ignition coil (ohms it) put red led in the spark plug boot and the black lead on the base of coil and meter on the 20k setting it it was reading 19.5 - 19.9 I know it is suppose to be between 3.5 - 5 so what is my issue. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

If it were mine I'd call the dealer. Anything that new I'm not about to play mechanic on it and void the warranty.

If you are intent on working on it, a couple questions. Is the battery turning it over very fast with the plug installed, like the day it was delivered? Is the plug wet with fuel after you spin it over and it fails to crank. I don't have any idea how the safety switches are setup, but were you sitting in the seat, PTO off, and any pedals that need to be pressed all the way down?

Everything is as normal battery is turning it over normall.On the seat. and I am doing everything as I normally do. I was cutting grass just a little while earlier with it (it did idle down a few seconds but did not shut off. I finished the back yard shut it off to take a little break and weed eat the back yard. went to start it back up and it would not start back up. I am hesitant on working on it to much because of the warranty but I don't have a trailer so I am trying to see if it is a simple fix before I go through the hassle of getting someone to haul it for me.

A few more peices of info. I sprayed starting fluid in it. and when I checked the spark plug for a spark I did not see one.

Call the seller and tell him to come and get the damn thing.

Where did you buy it?

See post above....

I would keep the fact that you sprayed ether in it to yourself. I would contact Cub and have it warrantied. Don't use any more ether, if you burn a hole in the piston I doubt they will warranty it.

I purchased it from home depot ordered it online at the store and had it delivered to my home. I only sprayed it a few times and only a little bit at that. And only after the service tech with home depot told me to. But didn't do it then cause I didn't have any on hand.

"Service Tech" at Home Depot...... those are two things that don't belong in the same sentence.

Well, you bought an el-cheapo mower from a box store, so they could care less about how it runs. Your local Cub Cadet dealer didn't sell it to you, so if you call them you will go to the bottom of the "those tractors" list. We get these stories all the time. The most common answer is, sucks to be you, and good luck.

wasn't a service tech at home depot it was one with cub cadet.

:bigthink:

Well, that's definitely not what you said.

Made me think of the day I was running my dozer when the fuel guy showed up. I throttled the machine down and let it idle for a while til he was ready and shut it down. We got to B S in' for a while and when it was time to get back to pushing dirt the damn thing wouldn't start! :bash2: Finally realized I had forgotten to put 'er in neutral before I shut down. :biggrin2:

Anyway, I bet it's something simple and you'll get it figured.:ThumbsUp:

p.s. what Tim said, "no ether"

Ask Cub Cadet where to take it. Quit messing with it, no matter how much of a pain it is to get it there, it will be better than voiding the warranty.

My thinking exactly.. Did you leave the PTO switch engaged?? Not sure how your particular unit is wired but seems to me a switch is being met or not being met keeping you from starting.


I love that a "Home depot service tech" suggested ether!!! LMAO :biggrin2: I can hear it now.. Um yes sir.. I suggest you spray an undefined amount of this in your brand new engine... Did he tell you if it helps the break in period for that model??

Not sure how they do it in Alabama, but the riding mowers sold by TSC and Home Depot (aka, box stores) in Missouri will take your mower and ship it to "who knows where" to be serviced. My local TSC (Kansas City area) sends their warranty work to St. Louis--and you're out of a mower for 3 weeks!

Even if you bought it at Home Depot, take it to a Cub Cadet dealer. You'll be put at the bottom of the list, but you'll probably get it back sooner than Home Depot.

Sorry to hear your tale.

What a shame. The title of the thread says it all. Sorry to hear this OP and also sorry to hear that these units are going for $1500 list. Might want to give it back to them and pick up 5 older cadets for that kind of money. Or upgrade to the XT3 that others are talking about here.

they have a problem with bad starter solenoids on those.