Category: Lawn Mower Repair Tips

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Zero Turn Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Backfires After I Turn The Key Off

Most likely the back fire is coming from the exhaust when the key is turned off and it can be pretty violent. A loud bang sure can scare the heck out of you when it happens!

But why does your lawn mower backfire when you turn off the key?

The reason it does is because there is a solenoid on the bottom of the carburetor that shuts off the supply of fuel when the key is turned off. If this valve fails in the open position, it allows raw fuel to be pulled into the carburetor and the combustion chamber and then it ignites from the heat of the exhaust pipe. Pow!

An easy way to tell if your valve is working is to turn the key to the on position and you should hear a small click from the solenoid valve. You can also hold onto the valve while you turn the key and you will feel it move the solenoid to the open position.

You can remove this fuel solenoid but you must shut off the fuel flow or you may end up having a tank full of fuel on the floor or ground. Hose pinch pliers work well for this.

A test to ensure it is getting 12VDC power to it is also something good to do. Sometimes this valve will get stuck because of the fuel gelling up as the ethanol begins to separate from the gasoline. You can clean it up and then retest it for proper operation.

If you need a professional lawn mower repair shop in your area, visit our Locations page for assistance.

 

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

What Gasoline Do I Use in My Lawn Mower

This is the age old question and debate on what type of gasoline to use in your lawn mower and everyone has a different answer.

Some people say to use 93 Octane while some say to use mid-grade and most just pour whatever gasoline they have on hand.

The quality of your gasoline is more important today because of the ethanol that is in it. If you can find gas with no ethanol in it, that is a great place to start.

All small engines are low compression engines which means that you do not need to spend the extra money to use 93 Octane or 91. You can use the lowest octane rating that you can find at the pump which is generally 87. This fuel ignites better and will produce more power for your engine than the other higher octane fuels.

High octane gasoline is designed for engines that produce high internal compression. Without it, the engine will knock and ping when under a load and that is why most high end cars require it.

Save your money and don’t throw it away buying high octane fuels when simple 87 pump gas will serve you well.

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.