6 Things To Check If Your Riding Lawn Mower Will Not Start

You turn the key and NOTHING. Great…looks like you are not getting much grass mowed today and now you are going to have to haul the mower to the shop or have someone come and get it!

Well….not so fast. Let’s check these 6 things to see if one of them is a simple fix that will get you mowing today.

  1. Is the PTO lever or switch in the engaged position? If so, move it to the disengaged position.
  2. Is the Clutch Pedal depressed all the way in? If not, push it until it stops.
  3. Is the mower in gear? Some riding lawn mowers will not start if they are in gear. Place it in neutral.
  4. Is the battery weak? Use a test light or voltmeter and test across the battery terminals. The test list should glow brightly and the battery should read at least 12.6 volts. Are the battery terminals tight and clean?
  5. Check the main fuse. It could be located under the hood or under the battery in the rear of the riding lawn mower.
  6. If the riding lawn mower turns over, is there fuel in the tank?

By checking those simple things you could be up and running again. Always check the easy things first and in many cases, you will find out what is causing your riding lawn mower to not start.