Tag: riding lawn mower wont stay running

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

When I Let The Clutch Out My Riding Lawn Mower Dies

You start up your riding lawn mower and everything is running fine. You let the clutch out and then it quickly dies! You try fiddling with the different knobs and it does the same thing.

Let’s check a few things to see if we can quickly troubleshoot this problem.

First, make sure that the PTO switch or Lever is in the OFF position. Next, put the riding lawn mower in neutral and disengage any other features of the mower.

Now start the engine and let the clutch out. If it dies again, check to make sure the seat switch is connected that is under the seat. If it is disconnected, re-connect it and try again.

Most likely this problem is the seat switch. The mower is not sensing someone seated and will kill the engine if an operator is not present. It is creating a scenario where the mower is tipped over and wants to shut down the engine to stop the blades from turning and injuring the rider if the mower rolled over onto them.

You can replace the seat switch fairly easily and a common one is this //ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=lawnmowerre02-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B004HSFDT4&asins=B004HSFDT4&linkId=ed9f0add22f818e9db12f4675f36bae3&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff“>switch.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Outdoor Power Equipment Reviews, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Zero Turn Lawn Mower Repair

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.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Riding Lawn Mower Repair

My Riding Lawn Mower Won’t Stay Running

If your riding lawn mower won’t stay running, that does mean that it will run so we can take a lot from that. If it does run that means the starter is working, it is getting fuel and spark and air into the engine.

Now that we know what it is doing, why won’t it stay running?

Let’s say that you mow for a while and then it slowly loses power and then dies. This would be an indication of a fuel problem and the engine is running out of fuel. It could be your fuel cap is not venting correctly or some debris is in the fuel filter or other reasons why it is running out of fuel.

If the lawn mower just suddenly dies, it most likely is an ignition problem. An ignition coil becomes hot and then it breaks down and quits working. Other ignition components can break down and quit working as well.

The best thing to do is to start looking for clues. Is the engine getting fuel? Is the engine getting spark? Does it restart after sitting for a while?

Troubleshooting is a process of elimination. If you need help with your riding lawn mower, visit our locations page today.