Category: Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Repair

Riding Lawn Mower Blade Stopped Turning

If one blade has suddenly stopped turning, the pulley will stop turning and it will burn up or shred a belt. You might hear a squealing sounds or smell some burning rubber but not always.

A few things can cause the lawn mower blade to stop. The first is a blade strike. A blade strike is when you hit something such as a root or rock. It can bend the blade or push it into the deck.

Another thing that will stop the blade quickly is a stick getting caught in the blade or something gets wound around it such as heavy wire, a dog run cable etc,.

The other problem is the bearings will seize up over time and especially if they need grease and they do not receive it during your routine maintenance.

Sticks can also land on top of the deck and get caught in the belt or the pulley, so be sure to check that area too.

All of these problems are fairly easy to fix and may require that the deck be removed. If this is something that you are not comfortable doing, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

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The Rear Wheels on My Riding Lawn Mower Don’t Turn

There could be many reasons for this happening, but the first question is “what has changed?”

Did you do anything to the lawn mower such as change the rear tires? Did you pull out the tow rod to move the mower and forgot to push it back in?

Those are a couple of the common problems that we normally see in the shop and they are easy to sort out. When the back tires are changed, some riding lawn mowers such as John Deere what have wheel keys that fall out when you pull the wheel off. You don’t notice until you put the wheel back on and the transmission shaft just spins but the wheels do nothing.

The other thing that happens is the drive belt becomes so loose or it will break. There may be one of two belts depending on the make and model of riding lawn mower. Check those to see what condition they are in.

A linkage could also have broken but this is not very common.

Lastly, the transmission could be low on fluid or it could be broken and needs replaced. The newer plastic transmissions have a lever that can get stuck when a twig or rock gets behind it, so check that as well.

If you need professional riding lawn mower repair service, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower shop near you.

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The Battery Terminals on My Riding Lawn Mower are Corroded

As a battery ages, the lead on the terminals will corrode on the positive side more often than the negative. The negative terminal normally stays corrosion free. It will still need to be cleaned just like the positive terminal. Corrosion on the terminals is due to hydrogen gas being released from the acid in the battery.

When the battery terminals need maintenance, the first thing you want to do is to use some battery terminal cleaner. This will neutralize the battery acid. Then you can clean the battery terminals and apply battery terminal protector.

At this time it would be good to look at the battery date code. Most riding lawn mower batteries only last for about 3 years before they become so sulfated that the battery is no longer usable.

If the battery is getting close to 3 years old, replace it. When you do, be sure to clean the battery terminals with a wire brush to remove any corrosion. Then reinstall the battery and test it to be sure that everything is working as it should. Make sure to put some battery terminal protector on the terminals and you should be good to go.

If you would like a riding lawn mower service shop in your area, check our Locations page for assistance.

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My Riding Lawn Mower Shuts off After I Let The Clutch Out

This is an irritating problem because you just want to mow your lawn and get onto the next task in your life. But you cannot mow the lawn when your can’t even get the lawn mower to move.

The first step in troubleshooting this problem is to shut off the PTO switch or disengage the PTO lever. Now start the mower and see if you can let out the clutch and drive the mower. If it performs as it should, then the most likely problem is a safety switch and the seat switch is the most likely of the numerous safety switches.

You can remove the switch and test it for continuity across the contacts. If the continuity test fails, you most likely have found the problem. Replace the seat switch and then test your mower again.

If this does not resolve the problem, check the other safety switches in the system. The PTO switch can also cause the lawn mower to die when you let the clutch out.

If you still need help with your lawn mower dying when you let the clutch out, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

 

Riding Lawn Mower Repair

My Lawn Mower is Grinding When I let the Clutch Out

A riding lawn mower is usually the type of mower that has this sort of problem. You are ready to drive the mower and let the clutch out like you normally do and then it starts to squeal or grind when you do. You could also experience this when you press down the go pedal on the right side of the lawn mower.

Each of these pedals is moving the springs and drive belt and pulleys. As the pulleys engage the drive belt, they start to spin up and control the direction of the belt. So logically when these bearings in the pulleys are starting to spin, if they are going bad they will make the grinding or squealing sounds.

If your mower has some years on it, the pulleys could be bad and the belt as well. Good practice is to change the belts and pulleys. Some riding lawn mowers have 2 drive belts. One connects the engine to the variable speed pulley and the other from the variable speed pulley to the transmission.

If you need assistance with repairing your riding lawn mower, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

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Lawn Mower has Blue Smoke Coming From Exhaust

The infamous blue smoke coming from the exhaust is a sign of burning oil. You can also verify this by removing the spark plug. You will see a shiny black or gooey appearance on the electrode side.

Now you may have simply overfilled the engine with oil so that is the first place to start. Remove the dipstick, wipe it off and then re-insert. Pull it out and then check the level. On Asian brand engines, you do not need to screw the dipstick into the case, simply dip it in and put it back out.

If the oil level is fine, then something internal may be causing the problem. You could have a blown head gasket, a bad breather valve, your piston rings are worn or the oil seal for your intake valve is bad.

These are items that would be best diagnosed by a lawn mower engine mechanic as they have the proper tools and information to do these tests. You can find a lawn mower shop near you by visiting our Locations page. Let them know the symptoms of your lawn mower engine problems and give them as much information as you can to assist with the proper diagnosis.

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My Lawn Mower Dies and Will Not Restart

This is a fairly common problem and it seems to get worse when it gets hot outside. After a while the lawn mower will restart and then you can mow for a while and then the same thing happens over again.

The most likely culprit here is that the ignition system is heating up and then breaking down inside. When it breaks down, it will cause the ignition coil to stop producing spark and thus the engine dies.

When your engine does die, test for spark by installing an inline spark tester and then cranking the engine. If you do not see any spark, you can assume that your ignition system is at fault. Further testing will need to be performed to narrow down the issue. You will need to know if it is the engine or the machine kill system. You can isolate this by disconnecting the kill system and then checking for spark.

If you need technical assistance with your lawn mower that dies, visit our Locations page to find a shop near you. Professional lawn mower repair companies are available to help.

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My Lawn Mower Leaks Oil Out of the Exhaust

If your lawn mower suddenly developed a problem with oil leaking out of the exhaust, it could be a simple fix or a more complex one.

The simple fix could be that you simply overfilled it with oil. Check the oil level and see if that is the case. If the oil level is too full, drain some oil and check it again.

If the oil level is fine, then a component has failed in the engine. A series of tests will need to be completed to determine what the problem is. Many people do not have the tools to accomplish these invasive tests so it would be recommended that a lawn mower engine repair specialist perform them.

You can check our Locations page to see if there is a lawn mower shop near you.

If your lawn mower leaks oil out of the exhaust, it would be recommended that you do not use it until the problem has been corrected. Raw gasoline could be leaking out of the exhaust as well and it could potentially catch fire. This fire could total your lawn mower and catch other things on fire as well.

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My Lawn Mower Deck Belt Won’t Engage

There are 2 types of engagement methods on a riding lawn mower. One is a manual lever and the other is a PTO or Power Take Off.

Depending on which one you have, they are completely different methods to engage your lawn mower blades.

The manual lever uses mechanical action to move a cable that is connected to a lever on the deck. This cable can break, bind or freeze up if it becomes rusted. The lever on the deck can also become stuck and not allow the deck belt to move to its taught position.

The PTO is an electrically activated device. You pull the knob and it provides power to the PTO assembly that is located at the bottom of the crankshaft. All of the safety devices must be in their proper positions for it to operate. For example, the operator must be seated, the mower must be in neutral or a forward gear. When the conditions are correct, the PTO engages a large magnet and then the belt will begin to spin the deck belt.

If either of these two systems are not working properly, contact a lawn mower repair technician in your area on our Locations page.

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My Lawn Mower Won’t Pull up a Hill

A lawn mower drive problem can put a damper on cutting and maintaining your grass. Hills are where you quickly find out that your mower will no longer pull and you may notice a slowing down or slipping wheels.

If you have a drive problem, it can be in the transmission or the belts and the linkages. Most likely it is a worn drive belt if the mower has a good amount of hours on it. If it is a newer mower, a stick or other debris may have become lodged in the linkage or the transmission.

Remove your deck and inspect the drive belts, pulleys and transmission for obvious signs of wear or things missing such as springs and linkages that may have come undone. Look at the belts and if they are sitting deep in the pulley grooves, then they are worn out and your pulleys may be worn as well.

If there is a way to access the transmission fluid, check the levels of it to be sure that it has the proper amount. Check your owner’s manual to see what the manufacturer recommends.

If you need help with your lawn mower not pulling up a hill, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.