Not for
Reproduction
33

Troubleshooting

While normal care and regular maintenance will
extend the life of your equipment, prolonged or
constant use may eventually require that service be
performed to allow it to continue operating properly.
The troubleshooting guide below lists the most
common problems, their causes and remedies.
See the information on the following pages for
instructions on how to perform most of these minor
adjustments and service repairs yourself. If you
prefer, all of these procedures can be performed for
you by your local authorized dealer.
WARNING
To avoid serious injury, perform maintenance
on the tractor or mower only when the engine
is stopped and the parking brake engaged.
Always remove the ignition key, disconnect
the spark plug wire and fasten it away from
the plug before beginning the maintenance, to
prevent accidental starting of the engine.

TROUBLESHOOTING THE RIDER

PROBLEM CAUSE REMEDY
Engine will not turnover or start. 1. Parking brake not engaged. 1. Engage parking brake.
2. PTO (electric clutch) switch 2. Place in OFF position.
in ON position.
3. Out of fuel. 3. If engine is hot, allow it to cool, then refill
the fuel tank.
4. Engine flooded. 4. Carburated Models: Move throttle
control out of CHOKE position. DFI
Models: See authorized dealer.
5. Fuse blown. 5. Replace fuse.
6. Battery terminals require 6. Clean the battery terminals
cleaning.
7. Battery discharged or dead. 7. Recharge or replace.
8. Wiring loose or broken. 8. Visually check wiring & replace broken or
frayed wires. Tighten loose connections.
9. Solenoid or starter motor faulty. 9. Repair or replace. See authorized dealer
10. Safety interlock switch 10. Replace as needed. See authorized
faulty. service dealer.
11. Spark plug(s) faulty, fouled 11. Clean and gap or replace.
or incorrectly gapped. See engine manual.
12. Water in fuel. 12. Drain fuel & refill with fresh fuel.
13. Gas is old or stale. 13. Drain fuel & replace with fresh fuel.
14. Malfunction in DFI system 14. See authorized service dealer
Engine starts hard or runs poorly. 1. Fuel mixture too rich. 1. Clean air filter.
Carburated Models: Check choke
adjustment.
DFI Models: See authorized service
dealer.
2. Spark plug faulty, fouled, or 2. Clean and gap or replace.
incorrectly gapped. (See engine manual.)
Engine knocks. 1. Low oil level. 1. Check/add oil as required.
2. Using wrong grade oil. 2. See engine manual.
Excessive oil consumption. 1. Engine running too hot. 1. Clean engine fins, blower screen and
air cleaner.
2. Using wrong weight oil. 2. See engine manual.
3. Too much oil in crankcase. 3. Drain excess oil.
Engine exhaust is black. 1. Dirty air filter. 1. Replace air filter. See engine manual.
2. Engine choke control 2. Open choke control.
is in closed position.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp 1. Problem with the DFI system. 1. See your authorized service dealer.
is flashing (DFI Models)
Troubleshooting, Adjustment & Service