You are here:
- Home
- Home/Garden
- Home Appliances
- Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.)
- Riding lawnmower will not start
Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.)/Riding lawnmower will not start
Advertisement
Question
I have an 18HP twin cylinder B&S engine on the mower. The engine barely turns over and will not start but there is no unusual load on the engine; it still turns just as easy by hand as it always has. It almost seems like it isn't getting juice but the battery and solenoid are fine. I tried my car battery (but my car was running so I guess you could say I tried my car alternator). I have even bypassed the solenoid with a direct connection to my car battery to the starter and it seemed to act the same way. I took the starter apart and inspected/cleaned the brushes etc. so they are fine but this didn't help. What else can go bad in the starter? Is the starter most likely the problem or could it be something else. For some time the mower would be hard to start but a little turn by hand before another try usually got it going.
It could be a battery battery cable, connection or ground connection. I have fixed 99% of all starting problems by removeing and cleaning the battery connetcions; cable ends, ground connections and battery terminals.
The starter armature could be bad. You can use a DC shunt and measure the current draw and starter RPM or you can use a growler to check the windings. Most people do not have these tools but I rarely use them to troubleshoot and fix starting problems.
Man, taking that starter apart is a real pain. Have you done a specific gravity test on the battery cells or had it load tested?
Will the starter spin the engine rapidly with the spark plugs removed?
Let me know.
Eric
- Add to this Answer
- Ask a Question
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 8 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Since it wouldn't allow me to ask I will respond here and hopefully you will see it. I have cleaned all of the connections on the starter, solenoid, and battery. I haven't done any load test or specific gravity test on the battery because it can start my car with no problems (and I have completely isolated the car battery from the lawnmower battery while doing this). I didn't take the spark plugs out because I am assuming the compression is ok as it is just as easy to spin by hand as it ever was. It is probably the armature or windings like you said but I don't have the tools to check so I will probably just try to replace the armature assembly. Do armatures usually go bad? Thanks again for your help Eric. Oh, P.S. the starter wasn't all that bad to take apart but putting it back together was a huge pain that required some trickery. See I was unable to find a good way to take the flywheel off because there was too much torque and no way to equilibrate it so I took the starter apart and reassembled it while it was still attached to the block - that was tough. | ||
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Eric A. Jones
Expertise
Lawnmower Repair . Certified Master Service Technician from B&S. Have 13 years experience on B&S, Lawn Chief, Weed Eater, Echo, Peerless, Wheel Horse, Snapper, Atlas, MTD, McCulloch, Homelite and many other numerous brands. Specialize in electrical repair.
Experience
Born and raised in the midwest. Started tinkering with engines when I was about 14 on my Suzuki RM-80. I began lawn mower repair at a small hardware store. I knew absolutely nothing. I read lots of repair manuals and met an older fellow who taught me many lessons. I continued working on small engines through high school and paid my way through college working on mowers at the same hardware store. Decided to get away from the midwest and mower repair so I joined the Air Force. I repaired air traffic control electronic equipment and ended up in Hawaii where I got a part time job at Small Engine Clinic. I gained a lot of experience from the Small Engine Clinic and had a blast repairing small engines. I then took the Briggs and Stratton Master Service Technician test and earned my MST. I then traveled to Wisconsin where I attended the factory update training seminar and received formal training. I received a scholarship from the Air Force and am currently pursuing another degree.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.