2004 John Deere HPX 4x4 Gator Will Not Start

JohnDeereF1145Guy · May 14, 2015

Hello, I have taken on the task of fixing a HPX gator 4x4 for a family friend. I believe it is a 2004 model and it has the 20hp carbed liquid cooled Kawasaki FD620D V-twin. It has 500 hours on it. It has not ran since last summer and has been sitting outside all year long. I just started working on it. The battery was dead and I charged it. It also had water in the gas so I siphoned out the entire tank and replaced it with fresh 93 octane. The electric fuel pump was not pumping so I installed a working used one. I have fuel at the carb. I also checked for spark and I get a spark from both plugs. Here is the problem, it will not fire when cranking. I could sit there and crank all day long and it acts like it has no spark and wets the plugs. I played with it for 2 hours today and I cannot get it to run. I need some help here.

Kyle_in_Tex · May 15, 2015

JohnDeereF1145Guy said:
Hello, I have taken on the task of fixing a HPX gator 4x4 for a family friend. I believe it is a 2004 model and it has the 20hp carbed liquid cooled Kawasaki FD620D V-twin. It has 500 hours on it. It has not ran since last summer and has been sitting outside all year long. I just started working on it. The battery was dead and I charged it. It also had water in the gas so I siphoned out the entire tank and replaced it with fresh 93 octane. The electric fuel pump was not pumping so I installed a working used one. I have fuel at the carb. I also checked for spark and I get a spark from both plugs. Here is the problem, it will not fire when cranking. I could sit there and crank all day long and it acts like it has no spark and wets the plugs. I played with it for 2 hours today and I cannot get it to run. I need some help here.

You can put a sniff of starter fluid in the intake to check for spark. These things are notorious for too lean of an idle circuit and they get clogged. You'll probably have to remove carb and clean. There is no snake oil that will clean it. Take a fine wire and poke it through the very small hole in the intake runner right where the butterfly valve closes at the small aperture.

Kyle_in_Tex · May 15, 2015

Also clean the bowl and the jets.

M5farms · May 15, 2015

I find a torch tip cleaning kit works very well on cleaning out these tiny holes

Kyle_in_Tex · Jun 6, 2015

Did you ever get it running?

Kyle_in_Tex · Oct 12, 2015

Kyle_in_Tex said:
Did you ever get it running?

Reading some other posts online, the ignition igniter box $305 is often the culprit. Now our gator is out with similar symptoms, just hate having to pay so much for some spark.

I will post back if and when I buy one, and if it fixes it....

Helitech · Oct 12, 2015

Mine did the same thing to the previous owner. It was indeed the ignition module. I replaced it for him and it fired right up. Do make sure the clear vent line that comes off the top of the carb is not stopped up!

Helitech · Oct 12, 2015

Mine did the same thing to the previous owner. It was indeed the ignition module. I replaced it for him and it fired right up. Do make sure the clear vent line that comes off the top of the carb is not stopped up!

Kyle_in_Tex · Apr 17, 2016

Well.after 6 months, we finally got a new ignition for it, and it fired right up. Now we need new tires. Here is a pic of the box it came in. A.Kawasaki part with a Deere label over the kawi label.