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Problems with John Deere STX 38 riding mower

R

randallinMo

Member
Runs good for about 30 minutes then will die all the time whenever mowing up a grade. I was told that they have an automatic cut-off on them if the oil level goes too low. I had a "supposed" lawn mower mechanic look at it...he rebuilt the carburetor, cleaned the fuel tank and fuel lines......couldn't find anything else that might be the problem. It only dies when mowing up-hill. The oil level is fine. Last spring I changed the oil, but did not change the oil filter as I didn't have one on hand. Could that old oil filter be the problem?
 
Could be anything from a gas flow problem to an electric connection that "opens" when the motor and frame shift around to a short.

It's been a long time since I've worked on one and don't remember if it has a low oil shutdown, but you state that it does. Simply temporarily disconnect the wire from the sensor and tape it up and see if that has any effect on the stalling.
 
Sounds very much like the low oil shutdown is killing it. As you go up the hill, the oil remains level in relation to the EARTH. Engine is tipped in relation to the EARTH. If the sensor is on the uphill side of the engine, it will see low oil and shut it down - even though you have the correct amount of oil in the engine.
 
Cant help on your specific problem, but I will say my Dads STX38 did NOT have a low oil shutdown on it, except when the oil leaked out and it locked up! It had a Briggs on it, and would have been in the mid 90s when Dad bought that pile of junk, so my step mama cut with it. He hated every minute of owning that mower. Had me put a new engine on it, and last I saw it, my step sister was still using it about a year ago.
 
Had a friend that bought a new John Deere mower and it would cut off in the same place in her yard.She got mad and called the JD place to come and take it back,they came out and adjusted her seat and problem solved.She was sitting on the front of the seat,when she hit a bump the serat switch would turn the motor off

jimmy
 
IIRC my STX 30 had a low oil shutdown switch on the Kawasaki engine. If yours has it, prolly a bad switch.
 
Try going up the grade backwards. It might give you a clue if it is the oil sencor. Or the hill has nothing to do with it.
 
Randall there are no "low" oil shut down switch/sensor on any of the STX 38 mowers. Does the mower start right back up??? Do you have to be on flat ground to get it to start???

I would jump around the seat safety switch and see if you can mow longer and up hill. I have seen them open up when you lean back just a little on the seat.

IF not that I would suspect the coil. Pulling up the hill loads the engine and makes the coil work harder.

Also which STX 38 do you have??? Yellow deck or black deck??? The yellow deck one is a better mower.
 
THe mower does start right back up whenever I let it roll back down the grade. It usually is on relatively flat ground then. I'm not talking a steep grade like a road bank. 'Just the rise in ground level from my walk-out basement up to the front yard.
The mower does have the yellow deck.
Whenever the mower starts to act up, it doesn't take much grade for it to die on me again. 'Makes me want to take a sledge hammer to it!
 
The mower usually runs fine for about 15 minutes....all that while mowing relatively flat areas. Then I start in on the area where there is grade. Does it take a while for the coil to heat up and start acting up? If so, this leads me to also think it could be the coil.
 

Change the plugs and add fresh fuel. Mine did the same thing and only under a load. I would bet that it struggles in heavy grass also.
 
One time I was going up a steep incline, gas in farmall tank all ran to the other end of tank. Tractor died.

I'm leaning towards a fuel issue.
Again try going up backwards.

Could be a fuel level in carb is upset going up a steep incline. Opposite should happen going down the hill.

What happens if you go sideways on incline?
 
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