# L130 backfires



## 727 (Sep 20, 2003)

First post so here goes. After cutting grass for maybe an hour, I go to idle and let it sit for maybe a minute and then shut down. Maybe 1 out of 3 or 4 times it will backfire. I had the dealer try to fix this after 5 hrs. on the hobbs and it still does it. I would think that letting it cool down would help this but I guess not. Also I am using synthetic oil since the 25 hr change. Is this ok?


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

Mine does the same thing if I let it idle when I shut it down. I throttle it up just a little bit and then shut it down and this seems to help. The owners manual says to lower it to a idle then turn off the key. Will the backfire hurt????


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## tisenberg (Sep 20, 2003)

Some say that the back firing will go away and that the idle down should make it less likely to happen. Yours sounds a little severe IMHO. 

As for, is it bad. I guess it could be bad if it happens a lot. I think a backfire in the carb area or in the muffler area are different. A backfire in the carb area may be a fuel mixture problem and the backfire in there can gum things up or maybe cause a fire.

I guess monitor it, try different throttle positions and see if it gets any better or worse.


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## jim (Sep 15, 2003)

My wheel horse has backfired for 10 years after shutting it down. Always through the exhaust. I kinda lets us know when our son is done mowing! I always idle down and the longer I let it idle the lower the chance of the gunshot. (sounds like my .32 auto).
I've never been able to find any a=damage, other than neighbors running for cover, and my son plugging his fingers in his ears!
JimD


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## vrocco1 (Sep 16, 2003)

*Backfire*

I know it seems weird, but with the Kohler engines, you need to put it at half throttle (or maybe just a bit more) wait 15 seconds, then shut it down. I do this with my L130, and now I never have a problem.


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## DeereBob (Sep 16, 2003)

The best solution to JD backfires is fuel injection. I had a carbureted 425 for 7 years with a Kawasaki engine and it would start to backfire several months after a tune up but not all the time. The only thing I could figure is both the air cleaner and/or spark plugs got dirtier over time which may be what was causing it. The reason I suspected the air cleaner might be the culprit is if the foam pre-filter go really dirty, too much gasoline would be sucked into the cylinders and squirt out the exhaust when starting. If there were too much, the tractor wouldn't start and I would have to remove the plugs and turn the engine over to squirt the gasoline out of the cylinders. If a dirty air fliter could create this much backpressure to flood the cylinders, it might be enough to cause backfires but that is only a guess. My JD X485 which is fuel injected has yet to backfire.


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## 727 (Sep 20, 2003)

I have not ran the tractor since I posted this but I will try the half throttle thing and see if that helps. Maybe the idle position is loading up the carb with gas.


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## tisenberg (Sep 20, 2003)

I stop my L130 at full throttle most of the time and it NEVER back fires. I stop it periodically at middle throttle again, no backfire. I had maybe 5 backfires during the first 5 hours, but not one since.


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## powerplay (Sep 16, 2003)

I have an L130 and if I shut it off at idle, it wil backfire. Half thottle, and it does not.


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## JohnDeereLVR9 (Jul 21, 2004)

I have a john deere GT 235 tractor and i have had it for 2 years and i have never had that happen i thing its a carb problem adjust the carb see if that works.


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## JohnDeereLVR9 (Jul 21, 2004)

I think if u don't fix this it could turn into a big problem. so i think you need to fix it fast


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## JohnDeereLVR9 (Jul 21, 2004)

*tires*

I have a GT 235 tractor and i was wanting to no what is the biggest size tires u could put on it


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

My old JD 180 with a 17 hp Kaw backfired when shut down fro the day I bought it new in 1987 or so up until last year when I sold it. I was told of numerous things that were probably out of adjustment that needed to be fixed and it would cure it, but nothing worked. I did find however that if I ran it at idle for about a minute then take it up to abaout 1/2 throttle before shutting down it did not backfire.Hell I don;t have time to set there for a minute and a half to keep it fro backfiring everytime I used it, so I can say it backfired its entire life just fine! Never caused a problem. I also never ever got used to it either nor did the wife......


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## Michael (Sep 16, 2003)

I think what you are saying that it backfires thru the muffler, which is common on the 23 horsepowered Kohler twin cylinder. The technical term for this is afterfire. The suggestions to shut down at half throttle seem to work the best on these tractors. I own a L-120 and once in a while it also has a afterfire event, but only when I do not go all the way to idle. 


WELCOME TO THIS WONDERFUL FORUM   :furious:


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

727...

I have a Sears GT5000 with 25hp Kohler twin. It backfired from
day one. Let it idle down for 15 sec. then turn off the key and
go to 1/2 throttle. Very rarely backfires if I do that.


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## Dakota Farm (Aug 20, 2004)

The JD L130 is almost the bare minimum of what JD offers in a rider, but that doesn't make it a bad unit. If JD company sees enough warranty claims about this backfire situation, they will fix the problem. Make sure you take the unit back to your dealer for repair so warranty claims get filed, if you don't, every single L130 will come out of the factory with the same problem.


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