Kohler motor starts then carb loads up with gas

plugged fuel filter or fuel line?

Previous owner had way overfilled crankcase oil. Oil had gotten into carb and clogged air filter. Drained oil to correct level. Ran engine but kept cutting off-see above. Took off carb cover cleaned housing and ran without air filter-ran fine. Unsuccessfully tried to clean air filter with gas-did not work. Apparently, the engine could run just long enough to exhaust the air in the old filter and cut off which is why it would start back up after a few seconds. Bought new air filter-whole thing-about $15 at Carquest. Put in some carb cleaner and installed the new filter and it runs perfectly.

water in thew gas will do that or dirty carb water in bowl

check the solenoid on the bottom of the carb they stick and the safety switches go bad and shut it off

clean out fuel line then make sure the carb is getting gas

Two things:
1 Is fuel coming out of the fuel line. Older mowers have old fuel lines and they tend to get weak and collapse went they warm up with engine heat. Replace the old fuel line.
2 deposits in the carb. take off the air cleaner, start it up and spray a good carb cleaner in the carb until the engine dies. Put some 'seafoam' in the gas and a little in the oil and put the air cleaner back on and start the mower and mow on FULL THROTTLE. this should claen out the carb. Yes the mower will run rough for awhile.

these two cheap fixes will solve 85 % of carb problems. GOOD LUCK

It's not getting gas. Possible wrong mix oil to gas, but not real likely. Possible sat over the last winter with gas in it and varnished. I'm guessing this is the one, more likely than not. take cover and filter off and clean and bag 'em. pour carb cleaner in the carb and soak overnight. Dump out (carb cleaner and old gas)into a sealable jar or can and fill with straight gas and soak an hour and dump into trash gas/carb cleaner. Use a bicycle pump to blow air into carb to dry it. At most use a computer air can. Then start with the right gas/oil mix, prime it, set the trigger and choke and drop start. (It helps to have the spark plug out during the soak. Then clean it and sandpaper the gap and the magneto area on the flywheel).

I had the same mower in my shop with the same prob. Last week, here is what i did to correct the problem, take the fuel line apart at the fuel filter, open the fuel cap and drain the gas from the tank, once it stops i took couple old walmart bags and compressed air to slowly blow air in to the tank to blow the residue and trash out of the fuel tank. Next using compressed air to blow through the fuel line from where the filter was toward the carb. Next unbolt the carb and remove the fuel bowl, take the small pin holding the float out and slowly remove the float pulling strait up as the needle will be attached via a small channel on the float. There is where you will find the seat which the needle you extracted sets in to stop or allow the fuel to flow. Clean these parts and area WELL. i usually take the air screws out and use carb cleaner to clean those areas as well. Reinstall the needle and float, pin assembly and the bowl. Reinstall the carb , and make SURE to install a new fuel filter not exceeding the last filters micron flow, double check all connections, clamps, and hardware, add new FRESH gasoline with no less than 89 octane at any time, engine should fire and run as intended.

Try cleaning the carb with carb and choke cleaner. I spray carb cleaner into the opening behind the air filter and then try starting it. It takes awhile to get started. If that don't work remove the carb and spray it down also. When you get it started play with the choke a little. Move it back and forth till it runs smoothly. Mine sometimes will only run of half choke. Mine is a 4 cycle.

good luck
roundo4

i have the same problem. i took out the air filter and sprayed tb into it and it ran and died. this is the only way to get it to fire up.

i took off the carb, dissasembled it and blasted it out with tb cleaner, took out the jets too, put it all back and it still does the same thing. it is getting fuel but it won't run.

need a profesional answer on this one please.

thanks, tom.