John Deere STX38 Won't Start

Yes me dad has a John Deere STX38 and it won't start, he told me last time he mowed it ran fine. When he went to start mower after it sat for about a week the engine will turn over but not fire. He has not tried nothing so I don't know if it has spark or not. I am going to his house to look at it later this week and would like to know where to start.
1. Check it for spark, if it has spark ok if not what should I check?
2. Check for gas getting to carb. and maybe spray some starting fulid in carb. I would say if it starts and runs till fulid burns out it maybe the carb or gas not getting to carb.

Thanks for any help with this. Steve

 

If you determine that it's a carb or fuel problem, check the fuel first. Old fuel can cause problems that appear to involve the carburator. Mowers that don't see much action can be fueled from a gas can that itself may have been filled 6 months or a year ago. That can cause a problem.

You are on the right track. Squirt some carb cleaner into the carb throat & try to start'er up. If the engine kicks over right away & runs for a few seconds it's a dead give away for a fuel system or carburation problem.

 

i have a john deer an i was cuting the grass an turned off the deck an then turned back on it was like bogging then 20 min lator cuting the grass whent to turn around an it died out so i did a carb cleen an will not start ant ideas????
thanks

 

Also check fuel cap and make sure vent hole is not stopped up. If it fires with gas dribbled into carb make sure it is not OUT of gas,check fuel filter and the fuel pump if it has one. If it doesn't fire with gas in carb I would guess no spark, remove kill wire of coil and see if it fires up then, if no spark after taking off kill wire, replace coil. Good Luck.

 

Just a thought , If you don't have a spark tester pull the plug and rest on a grounded part of the engine with the plug wire attached, beware and don't lay it near the hole from which it came due to the possibility of a spark /fuel vapor flash fire. Then try to start it as you normally would and look for spark at the electrode tip of the plug. That is a quick coil test that could save you from buying a coil . If you have spark -go back to looking at a fuel issue