Easy Riding Lawn Mower Fixes
Keeping up with the appearance of your lawn is just a fact of life. A riding lawn mower makes keeping up with lawn maintenance easier than ever. While this item takes a lot of the pressure and work off you, there is nothing worse than going out to mow and finding your mower isn't performing up to standards. Let's take a look at some common, easy riding lawn mower fixes so you can get back to mowing with ease.
Lawnmower Won't Start
One of the most common issues is a lawnmower that simply won't start. This is one of the more common easy riding lawn mower fixes. You should always start with the easiest reason first when troubleshooting why the mower won't start. Does it have enough gas? Is the battery dead? Often, these simple issues are the core problem. The good news is that they are really easy to fix by simply adding more gas or charging up the battery. What if you have gas and a charged battery but the mower still won't start up? The final common culprit is that you have a bad spark plug. Spark plugs are crucial to starting up a riding lawnmower so if it won't start, and you have enough gas and a well-charged battery, the spark plugs are likely the issue.
Lawnmower Loses Power During Use
If your lawnmower starts up just fine but loses power while you are riding it, the first thing to check is the battery and gas. The second is the air filter. A lot of people underestimate the importance of a clean air filter. When the air filter is full of buildup, it makes it harder for the mower to operate the way you expect. Aside from buildup, your air filter may be torn. The good news is that cleaning a dirty filter or replacing a torn one are both easy tasks that anyone can do to get their mower back on track. If the battery, gas, and filters are all in good shape and you still lose power, check the spark plugs.
Lawnmower Loses Speed
If your mower starts up and stays on without losing power but it loses speed, or is just slower than usual overall, there are two things to consider. You should start by checking the drive belt for damages or dislocation. If the drive belt is dislocated, you can put it back in place and see if that fixes the issue. If the drive belt is broken or worn down, promptly replace it and see if that fixes the problem. If the mower loses speed and the drive belt is in working order, check the battery charge. It is possible to start with a powered-up battery and then the battery is drained during the ride which causes a loss of speed. While this as common as the drive belt issue, it is still a factor to consider. If this is the case, your battery is not able to hold the charge so you may need to replace it.
It Starts Smoking
A smoking lawn mower is one of the more dramatic issues and it tends to make people think the engine is going to blow up. While the smoke pouring out can be alarming, the real problem usually isn't as bad as it looks. The most common reason you have smoke coming out of your mower is because the oil chamber is too full so the excess oil is being burned up. It could also be that you have the correct levels of oil, but the cap is loose. Another possibility with smoke is that the oil chamber has a leak. When the chamber is cool, you can check for any signs of holes or damage to the chamber. If the chamber is damaged, replacing the chamber will usually fix the smoking issue. The only time to be extra concerned about smoke is when it is white. Black smoke is usually related to the oil while white smoke coupled with performance issues in the mower signify a bigger problem such as with the engine. If the latter is the case, you may need to visit a mower shop to have a professional troubleshoot it and find the underlying issue.