How to Start a Riding Lawn Mower with a Bad Starter? Solutions to Every Problem: It’s frustrating when the Lawn Mower doesn’t start due to a bad starter. What’s more annoying is when you don’t understand what’s wrong with the mower. There can be various reasons behind this problem. In this article, we’ll explain all the possible reasons and how to start a riding Lawn Mower with a bad starter.
A Lawn Mower is an excellent machine to groom your yard or lawn and give it a beautiful look. Due to lack of proper maintenance, it often refuses to start. Read the full article to fix the bad starter of a riding Lawn Mower.
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How to Start a Riding Lawn Mower with a Bad Starter?
For different reasons, you’ll have to follow different procedures. So, it’s essential to identify the problem first. Therefore, we’ll explain the possible reasons for the bad starter. Then immediately, we’ll also provide the solution to start a Lawn Mower with a bad starter.
[Tip: Before starting, read the user manual to get familiar with the different parts of your Lawn Mower. It will help you to understand the explanation better.]
The following is the process of starting a riding Lawn Mower for different starter problems:
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Starter Motor
Problem: A faulty starter motor will prevent the mower from starting. But how do you know if it’s the motor that is faulty? Well, it’s pretty easy to find out.
First, locate the start motor. Usually, Lawn Mowers include the starter motor under the front hood. So, open the hood, and you should find the motor. Now, connect the positive end of the starter motor with the positive end of the battery using a jumper. Attach the negative end to a screwdriver. If the engine starts, then it’s fine. Or else, it’s damaged.
Solution: There isn’t any perfect way to fix a faulty starter motor. So, in this situation, the best solution is to replace the motor with a new one.
Some mechanics may tell you that they can fix the motor; stay away from them. That’s because even if they do fix it, it won’t last long. Hence, we recommend you invest in a new starter motor.
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Battery
Problem: There can be two problems with the battery. It may have leakage, or the battery is faulty.
To check if the battery has a leakage, charge it with the charger cable. If you see the battery is getting wet, that means there’s a leakage. On the other hand, a multimeter can check the battery’s efficiency. First, attach the positive end of the multimeter to the positive terminal of the battery. Repeat the same process for the negative end—power on the machine. Check the reading now; if it’s 12 volts, then the battery is fine. In contrast, you see higher or lower readings; there is something wrong with the battery.
Solution: For both cases, the best solution is to replace the battery. There are a lot of Lawn Mower batteries available in the market. Find the one required for your model. However, if you don’t want to replace a leaky battery, you also can seal the leak. It will back you up for quite some time.
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Ignition Switch
Problem: Due to frequent usage, the ignition switch can also turn faulty. As a result, it will cause the Lawn Mower not to start.
You can easily check the ignition by checking the back of it. Get it out using a screwdriver. If you find any faulty wires, that means there’s something wrong.
Solution: To solve the problem of a defective ignition switch, try attaching the wires to the switch. Iron is the best assistance for this work. However, if it doesn’t work or seems impossible to attach the wires, replace the ignition switch. Buy a new one from the market. Then replace it, in the same way, you unattached the previous one.
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Solenoid
Problem: If everything seems fine, the problem is maybe with the solenoid. Finding the solenoid can be quite a tough job. That’s why we asked you to read the manual in the beginning. It will help you to locate the solenoid. Read more about Lawn Mower voltage regulators?Usually, you’ll find it either under the front hood or the wheel. You also can follow the red wire of the battery. Once you’ve located it, check both the terminal and the screws. You can check the terminal with the multimeter. Besides, see if the screws are loose.
Solution: For loose screws, the solution is easy as you have to tighten them. On the other hand, for a faulty solenoid, you’ll have to consider replacing it.
Conclusion: How to Start a Riding Lawn Mower with a Bad Starter?
Now you know how to start a riding Lawn Mower with a bad starter. So, you can fix your riding Lawn Mower on your own. However, if you find a problem while checking one part, don’t ignore the others. Often there are multiple problems behind a bad starter. So, go through checking all the issues explained above. Still, if you have any queries, feel free to reach us. You can also learn How to Wash a Riding Lawn Mower?
Frequently Answered Questions
Can I Bypass my Ignition Switch?
Bypassing a broken or faulty ignition switch isn’t much tricky with proper knowledge. You should know how to do wiring work.
Learn more about How does a Riding Lawn Mower Work?
Why Does my Lawn Mower clicks but won’t start?
The most common reason why a lawn mower clicks but doesn’t start is a faulty solenoid. You can check it with a multimeter.
What does a Bad starter relay Sound like?
If your Lawn Mower got a bad starter relay, then it won’t even be able to transmit the power. Therefore, it’s unlikely that you’ll hear anything. Sometimes you may hear a clicking sound.