Blog

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Moves When in Neutral

A riding lawn mower can move in either forward or reverse direction when in neutral and it can become quite annoying. Creeping is common when the drive linkage is out of adjustment or the transmission has a problem.

The drive linkage on many riding lawn mowers is pretty flimsy in their drive to reduce the cost of the mower. This is the first area to inspect to make an adjustment and check for any debris that may be causing the linkage to bind up.

Sometimes mud will build up in the shifting rod on the transmission, so check for that and a buildup of grass on it as well. Also check to be sure that the linkage is not bound up by rust and will move in its full travel.

Make any adjustments that are necessary and then try to operate the mower normally and see if it still creeps. If it does, it is probably a good time to call in some professional help to get the transmission figured out.

You can find a riding lawn mower transmission repair specialist on our Locations page.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Dies While Going Uphill

Are you mowing a steep hill and the mower starts surging or popping and then it suddenly dies? That is kind of a scary feeling as now you have to freewheel downhill and hope that the brakes work.

So, if you made it down to the bottom of the hill alright, let’s take a look at a few things that will cause this problem.

The first item that is easy to check is the fuel quantity. If you tank is getting low, the fuel pickup tube may be sucking air and causing the carburetor or fuel injectors to not get fuel. Fill your fuel tank and try to mow up that steep hill again and see if this corrects the problem.

You could have an obstruction in the fuel tank, fuel line or fuel filter. These items will need to be taken apart to visually inspect them for dirt, grass clippings or other debris. As you are mowing up a hill, it is harder to pull the fuel up from the tank and through the lines and filter and any obstruction will prevent the fuel from getting to the carburetor or fuel injectors or fuel pump.

The next item that can cause this problem is the fuel pump. A weak fuel pump cannot maintain the vacuum necessary to pull the fuel as it normally does. Check the vacuum line that connects to the fuel pump for any cuts or cracks and ensure that it is connected well.

Fuel flow can also be tested for what is coming out of the fuel pump while cranking the engine.

If you need a lawn mower mechanic to repair this problem, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Push Lawn Mower Engine is Moving on Deck

Occasionally we see this problem on a push mower and over time the engine bolts can loosen up to the point that the engine starts to move. The bolts can actually fall out as well. There are normally 4 bolts that hold the engine secure to the mower deck.

Loose bolts can also cause the engine to torque in the deck and that action can crack the engine sump cover. The sump cover is the lower part of the crankcase and their bolt holes that hold the engine to the deck are located in it. You can also over tighten these engine bolts and crack the sump cover, so be care of how much torque you apply to it.

The problem with finding loose engine bolts is that the deck is covered in grass and you cannot see them. Scrape the deck and find the engine bolts and check them for the proper torque. The lawn mower manufacturer should be able to provide the torque specs for them.

A loose lawn mower engine is a safety issue and needs to be corrected to keep your lawn mower working in a safe manner.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Deck Belt Keeps Breaking

Are you mowing along and your deck belt starts squealing or smoking and then snap! Yeah….you just broke another one.

But why does this keep happening? In a lot of cases, it is the deck pulleys that are freezing up and causing the belt to slip. When they slip, the rubber burns off of them and before you know it, they break. There could also be some misalignment in the pulleys that is causing the problem or the belt could be routed incorrectly.

Remove the deck to check the pulleys for ease of rotation, proper alignment of the belt and proper routing. Do you have the correct belt for the riding lawn mower? Is it a good quality belt such as an OEM and not an aftermarket one? Some aftermarket belts are made from inferior materials and are not the exact same size as the original OEM one. Even a fraction of an inch can make a difference on some models.

If everything looks good, check the PTO pulley and make sure that it looks in good condition. Check the deck belt guides on the frame and near the PTO. They can come loose and cause the belt to rub. Are you installing the belt correctly around these guides?

If everything checks out and you still have a problem, visit our Locations page for a riding lawn mower repair shop near you.

 

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Pulls to One Side

When your riding lawn mower pulls to the left or the right or has trouble making tight turns, the front end is obviously the place to start looking.

The first easy thing to check is the tire pressures. On most riding lawn mowers, there should be 15lbs of air on each side. If one is low, it will pull to that side.

The next thing to check is for any bent suspension parts. The tie rods are a common item that gets bent when you hit something with the tire. These can be adjusted or replaced if they are really badly bent.

Also check the wheel bushings or bearing to be sure that they are not worn out. Most riding lawn mowers use an aluminum or brass bushing in a steel wheel with a steel axle. This bushing will wear out before the axle does. It is cheaper to replace bushings than axles.

Sometimes you will get an issue with “toe in” where both wheels are pointing inward. This will tear up the grass and cause the tight turns to tear up the grass as well. You can adjust this with the tie rod adjusters and correct that problem.

If you are still having problems with your riding lawn mower pulling to one side, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Clogs Grass Easily

Depending on where you live, your lawn mower may clog up or it may not. There are different factors that affect whether your lawn mower clogs up or not.

Are you mowing when there is still dew on the grass?

Are you mowing when the grass is wet after a rain?

Are you mowing when the grass is too high?

Are you mowing thick grass?

Do you regularly clean your mower deck?

All of these things will contribute to your mower clogging up quickly. So determine which one that is causing the problem and create a strategy to eliminate this problem.

You never want to mow when the grass is wet. It will wear out your lawn mower blade quicker and clog the deck as well. Regular cleaning is important to keep your lawn mower deck free of rust as well as that wet grass continues to keep moisture on the deck metal.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Safety Bail Cable Froze Up

If you live in a humid environment, the moisture will attach itself to the cable and work its way down inside of the sheath. Rust begins to develop inside the sheath and then the cable will become stuck.

You can try to put some WD-40 or cable lube into the cable sheath and let it soak for a while. This may loosen up the cable slowly. If it is still stuck, it will need to be replaced.

A good small engine repair shop will lubricate all the cables on your self-propelled lawn mower during your spring tune-up. This important item will save money on maintenance and not having to buy new cables. The safety bail cable is not that expensive, but the drive cable and installation is normally much higher depending on where the cable is located.

As with anything, prevention is the key to making your lawn mower work well each time that you need it. Your lawn mower works in a very dusty, dirty and humid environment each time you use it and taking proper care of it is key to not fighting an ill running machine.

If you need help with replacing your Self-Propelled lawn mower safety bail cable, visit our Locations page for help.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

Push Lawn Mower Will Not Start

It depends on the time of year that this is happening as to whether or not it can be a fuel or mechanical issue.

If it is the first time you try to start the push mower for the season, then it most likely is a fuel problem. If it is during the season, then it could be a fuel problem or a mechanical one.

Always check the fuel first to see if it is good or may have some water in it. If the fuel is good, then check for spark and to see if you are getting fuel into the cylinder. The spark plug will have a slight wet appearance if fuel is getting into the engine.

By narrowing these items down, you are troubleshooting them one by one to find out the cause of the problem. Once you have narrowed it down to the component that is causing the problem, change it out or adjust it and retest to see if it resolved the problem.

If you need help with your push mower not starting, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower is Making Blue Smoke

If you are seeing blue smoke coming out of your riding lawn mowers engine, that means it is actually burning oil. This means that the oil is getting into the combustion chamber. It can enter past the piston rings, valve guide or through the crankcase breather.

The first and most simple thing to do is just check the level of the oil to make sure that it is not overfilled. When the oil is overfilled, it will come out of the crankcase breather and into the carburetor throat and then move into the combustion chamber.   And of course when it is in there it will burn and create the blue smoke. Wah Lah!

The problem must be corrected though as it will foul out the spark plug and the engine will die. It will also carbon up the inside of the cylinder and create more problems down the road.

A riding lawn mower repair shop is what you will need to resolve this problem and correctly troubleshoot the issue. Visit our Locations page for a shop near you.

Your riding lawn mower can be repaired and back to good running condition with the right mechanic.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Uncategorized

Riding Lawn Mower Brakes Not Working

If your riding lawn mower has some years on it, your brakes may be wearing out. Most riding lawn mower brakes are a very small brake disc and a brake pad.

This system can be prone to getting clogged up with dirt and grass debris. Normally cleaning this debris out will fix the brake problem. If it does not, you will need to adjust the brakes.

There is a small gap in the brake pad holder that will allow you to see if the pad is worn out. If it is, find a replacement brake pad and remove the nut that holds the brake arm in place and replace it. Carefully clean out the area that holds the pad with compressed air.

To adjust the brakes, it is normally just turning the nut in and out. Turning it in makes the brakes firmer and will grab quicker. If you are mowing on hills, your brakes will wear out quicker and the pad may need to be replaced more often.

If you need a lawn mower repair shop to help with your riding lawn mower brakes, visit our Locations page.

With a good brake system your riding lawn mower will work better and result in a better maintained yard.