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John Deere SST15 Troubleshooting
The
John Deere SST15 lawn tractor from SST Series was manufactured between 2001 and
2003. The John Deere SST15 tractor is powered by Kohler Command CV15S 4-cycle
single cylinder OHV vertical shaft air-cooled gasoline engine. A 26 cubic inches
(426 cc) engine has a cylinder bore of 3.60" (90 mm), piston stroke of 2.64" (67
mm), and rated power of 15 Hp (11.2 kW).
This model is fitted with a belt-driven hydrostatic transmission with
infinite forward and reverse gears. The John Deere SST15 is equipped
with a hydraulic power steering, disc brakes, 13x5.00-16 front tyres,
and 20x10.00-8 rear tyres. The operating weight is 615 lbs (279 kg). The
tractor is compatible with a 42" mid-mount 2-blade mower deck with a
cutting height of 1.0-4.0" (25-102 mm) and mechanical lift system.
| Engine Troubleshooting |
| Engine hard starting or not starting |
| Empty fuel tank - Add gasoline |
| Wrong fuel grade - Use quality gasoline |
| Dirty fuel system - Check and clean |
| Spark plug wire connection are damaged - Inspect spark plug wiring connection, change or repair |
| Faulty spark plug - Spark plug need to be replaced |
| Clogged fuel filter - Replace fuel filter |
| Brake pedal not pushed down - Push the brake pedal down |
| Problems with carburetor adjustment - Adjust as required |
| Engine has bad compression - Check cylinder block and change wear parts |
| Incorrectly adjusted or damaged throttle cable - Adjust correctly or replace the cable |
| Cooling fins are plugged - Need to clean or wash |
| Ignition system failure - Inspect ignition system and change faulty parts |
| Stuck or defective throttle cable - Replace or clean the cable |
| Air filter is dirty - Replace or clean air filter |
| Dirty or faulty fuel pump - Check fuel pump and change if required |
| Engine starts but stalls immediately |
| Defective spark plug - Spark plug need to be replaced |
| Carburetor is clogged or defective - Service or repair carburetor |
| Ignition coil is not working - Install a new ignition coil |
| Valve springs are loose or broken - Replace valve springs |
| Valves are stuck - Valves need to be cleaned |
| Low engine oil level - Check and refill engine oil |
| Engine is under excessive load - Reduce load |
| Air intake screen is blocked - Wash or clean as required |
| Carburetor is running lean - Make the correct settings |
| Ignition timing is wrong - Adjust ignition timing correctly |
| Wrong valve setting - Adjust valves as required |
| Abnormal engine knocking or noise |
| Stale gasoline - Use correct gasoline |
| Engine overloaded - Reduce load |
| Low engine oil level - Check and refill engine oil |
| Low idle speed setting is not correct - Correct idle settings |
| Fuel pump is faulty or clogged - Test fuel pump and replace if necessary |
| Worn main bearings or crankshaft - Install new parts as as required |
| Valve clearance is incorrect - Adjust to proper valve clearance |
| Worn piston rings or cylinder bore - Change defective parts |
| Carburetor is incorrectly adjusted or clogged - Adjust the carburetor properly or clean it |
| Clogged air filter - Clean or change air filter |
| Dirty or defective fuel pump - Test fuel pump and change if necessary |
| Defective ignition - Inspect ignition system and change faulty parts |
| Blown cylinder head gasket - Replace the head gasket |
| Stuck or burned valves - Change or clean valves |
| Worn or defective push rod - Replace push rod |
| Faulty cylinder block parts - Replace defective parts |
| Engine uses too much fuel |
| Throttle does not open well - Inspect throttle cable and adjust it |
| Carburetor main jet adjustment is incorrect - Adjust main jet as required |
| Spark plug is loose or defective - Tighten or change the spark plug |
| Valves are worn, burned or stuck - Clean or replace valves |
| Worn sleeve, rings, or piston - Replace defective parts as required |
| Valve clearance is not correct - Need to adjust valve clearance |
| Excessive engine oil consumption |
| Damaged gaskets or seals - New components need to be installed |
| Valve guides or stems are damaged - Need to replace the valves |
| Piston rings are stuck or worn - Have piston rings replaced |
| Cylinder liner or piston is worn - Check piston and liner, install new parts as required |
| Clogged breather hose or pipe - Change or service |
| Hydrostatic Transmission Troubleshooting |
| Hydrostatic transmission noises |
| Bent or unadjusted speed control pedal linkage - Repair or adjust linkage |
| Transmission overloaded - Load needs to be reduced |
| Transmission oil is contaminated or oil level is insufficient - Change transmission oil or top up to proper level |
| Worn or defective parts of the hydrostatic transmission - Check internal transmission parts for damage or wear and replace if required |
| Shift linkage is loose or broken - Service or change the linkage |
| Hydrostatic pump is seized or faulty - Repair or replace pump |
| Transmission shift control parts are faulty or unadjusted - Adjust properly or change |
| Low oil level - Fill up the transmission oil |
| Worn or faulty drive pulley - Change pulley |
| Unadjusted or broken shift linkage - Adjust properly or change linkage |
| Speed control pedal linkage is bent or not adjusted - Change or adjust linkage |
| Transmission gaskets or seals are worn - Install new seals or gaskets |
| Final drive shaft is leaking - Replace shaft seals |
| Cracked transmission case - Install a new transmission case |
| Mower Deck Troubleshooting |
| Mower vibration is excessive |
| Drive sheave of mower deck is dirty or worn - Service or replace sheave |
| Drive belt is defective or loose - Adjust belt tension or change the belt |
| Mower blades are unbalanced or bent - Change or balance blades |
| Loose blade bolts tightening - Bolts need to be tightened |
| Discharge chute keeps clogging |
| Mowing speed is too high - Use a slower speed |
| Grass is too high - Adjust mower to lower cutting height |
| Reduced engine rpm - Adjust choke to full opening |
| Cutting level is too low - Use correct cutting height |
| Mower deck drive belt installed incorrectly - Reinstall drive belt properly |
| Grass patches are not cut |
| Cutting deck is clogged - Check cutting deck and clean as necessary |
| Blades are too dull - Sharpen the blades |
| Worn or damaged blades - Change the blades |
| Ground speed is too fast - Use a lower speed |
| Mower cuts too low - Must be set to high cutting height |
| Bagger is full - Empty the bagger |
| Bumpy or unleveled lawn - Lawn leveling required |
| Mower deck set to low cutting - Raise the cutting height |
| Fast ground speed - Use a slower speed |
| Incorrect level of mower deck - Deck should be adjusted correctly |
| Blades are bent or worn - Blades need to be replaced |
| Tire pressure is too low - Inflate tires correctly |
| Tires are not properly inflated - Inflate tires as required |
| Mower deck is not leveled properly - Deck should be adjusted correctly |
| Blades are excessively dull - Sharpen the blades |
| Worn or defective blades - Install new blades |
| Clogged mower deck - Inspect and clean cutting deck |
| Deck shell is broken - Rebuild or change mower deck |
| Loose or defective mower spindle - Install new spindle or repair it |
| Electrical Troubleshooting |
| Battery is not charging |
| Corroded or loose cable connections - Clean or tighten connections |
| Defective battery terminal clamps - Change terminal clamps |
| Defective battery - Battery replacement required |
| Low battery voltage - Low battery charging, charge as required |
| Battery is not holding charge - Battery needs to be serviced or replaced |
| Battery cables are disconnected or terminals are faulty - Connect cables correctly or replace terminals |
| Battery is low or faulty - Recharge or replace battery |
| Disconnected or incorrectly connected wires - Inspect battery wires and connect correctly |
| Low battery voltage - Low battery charging, charge as required |
| Spark plug gapped improperly or faulty - Clean, gap or replace spark plug |
| Starter motor or solenoid is damaged - Repair starter or change solenoid |
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| Lawn and Garden Tractors Technical Specs |
