# J.D./Kawasaki Ignition problem



## Semiretired48 (Oct 11, 2008)

I have a J.D. yard 240 tractor that was given to me that has an ignition problem. long story short, after much testing & research, both in the factory manual and on line, it seems that a little goodie called an igniter module is the most likely cause of the no spark condition on the Kawasaki FC420V-DS00 engine. Since J.D. has what I consider to be a exorbitant price on the part, here's my question. Does anyone know if a Mega Fire ignition module can be used in place of the oem igniter on the Kaw?


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Yes, it can be used. I would consider using the one available through Rotary ( Part # 9334) as it is a closer match to the original igniter. I have installed and used both the Stens Megafire and Rotary ignition modules and have never had any issues with them.

http://www.m-and-d.com/RO-9334.html


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## Semiretired48 (Oct 11, 2008)

Boy,was that close! I was about to give up and just buy the overpriced J.D. igniter this a.m.($61+tax). After reading your reply about the Rotary igniter I made a few phone calls to parts shops around here and now have the Rotary 9334 ordered to arrive next week for $16.50+tax. The place I ordered the 9334 from looked it up and it is listed as an exact replacement for both J.D. and Kawasaki.Many thanks, 30yearTech!


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Glad you found one. I keep a couple of the Rotary modules in my stock, in fact I just installed one on a John Deere riding mower a few weeks ago, and it works great. I also keep the unit from Stens as they are basically the same thing, but the Rotary one is a cleaner install on the Kawasaki engine as the mounting screw grounds the unit. :thumbsup:


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## tband (Jun 12, 2009)

*Kawasaki fv420v no start when hot*

I also have a John Deere 240 Garden tractor with a Kawasaki FC420V that starts good when it is cold and runs great but will not start after it gets hot. Based on the information in your posts I replaced the module with a Rotary module 9334 but it did not help. I checked the choke and tried some starting fluid and I pulled the plug wire and I am getting spark but no luck. It appears I am getting gas and spark but no start.
I am out of ideas and would appreciate any help.

Thanks


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## Semiretired48 (Oct 11, 2008)

*Kawasaki FV420 NO START WHEN HOT*

Since you have fuel & spark but it's not starting when hot, my guess would be that the coil may be breaking down once it gets hot and that the spark you're seeing is just not hot enough to ignite the fuel. If you replace the coil and it still has the problem, then it's entirely possible that the module, though new, may be defective anyway. As a side note, two other forums you might want to join that are a wealth info for small (and not so small) engine repairs are the PER small engine forum and mytractor forum.com. There are many professionals and enthusiasts on both that can help with just about any problem you might encounter on any small engine. Good luck.


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## zachstevens09 (May 3, 2020)

30yearTech said:


> Yes, it can be used. I would consider using the one available through Rotary ( Part # 9334) as it is a closer match to the original igniter. I have installed and used both the Stens Megafire and Rotary ignition modules and have never had any issues with them.
> 
> ROTARY Part 9334 MODULE ELECTRONIC IGNITION


How does it work? I've been trying to get my 240 running and i replaced the igniter and magneto and still no spark.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

Maybe this will help, FC420 service manual ignition excerpt, and I'm assuming you mean 420 as I've never heard of a 240, even in flat-head days:


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