Troubleshooting, Adjustments, & Service
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 MOWER
PROBLEM | CAUSE | REMEDY | ||
Engine will not turnover or start. | 1. | PTO (electric clutch) switch | 1. Place in OFF position. | |
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| in ON position. |
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| 2. | Out of fuel. | 2. If engine is hot, allow it to cool, then refill | |
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| the fuel tank. |
| 3. | Engine flooded. | 3. Move throttle control out of CHOKE position. | |
| 4. | Wiring loose or broken. | 4. Visually check wiring & replace broken or | |
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| frayed wires. Tighten loose connections. |
| 5. | Safety interlock switch | 5. Replace as needed. See authorized | |
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| faulty. |
| service dealer. |
| 6. | Spark plug(s) faulty, fouled | 6. Clean and gap or replace. | |
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| or incorrectly gapped. |
| See engine manual. |
| 7. | Water in fuel. | 7. Drain fuel & refill with fresh fuel. | |
| 8. | Gas is old or stale. | 8. Drain fuel & replace with fresh fuel. | |
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Engine starts hard or runs poorly. | 1. | Fuel mixture too rich. | 1. Clean air filter. Check choke adjustment | |
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| (throttle control). |
| 2. | Spark plug faulty, fouled, or | 2. | Clean and gap or replace. |
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| incorrectly gapped. |
| (See engine manual.) |
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Engine knocks. | 1. | Low oil level. | 1. | Check/add oil as required. |
| 2. | Using wrong grade oil. | 2. | See engine manual. |
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Excessive oil consumption. | 1. | Engine running too hot. | 1. | Clean engine fins, blower screen and |
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| air cleaner. |
| 2. | Using wrong weight oil. | 2. | See engine manual. |
| 3. | Too much oil in crankcase. | 3. | Drain excess oil. |
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Engine exhaust is black. | 1. | Dirty air filter. | 1. | Replace air filter. See engine manual. |
| 2. | Engine choke control | 2. | Open choke control. |
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| is in closed position. |
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Engine runs, but mower will | 1. | Hydraulic release valve rod | 1. | Return release rod to DRIVE position. |
not drive. |
| in “open” position. |
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| 2. | Belt is broken. | 2. | See Drive Belt Replacement. |
| 3. | Drive belt slips. | 3. | See problem and cause below. |
| 4. | Brake is not fully released. | 4. | See authorized service dealer |
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Brake will not hold. | 1. | Brake is incorrectly adjusted. | 1. | See authorized service dealer. |
Mower drives or handles poorly. | 1. | Loose control linkages. | 1. | Check and tighten any loose connections. |
| 2. | Improper tire inflation. | 2. | See Regular Maintenance Section. |
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