40
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.
If you prefer, all of these procedures can be performed
by your local authorized dealer.
WARNING
To avoid serious injury, perform maintenance on
the rider or mower only when the engine is
stopped, the ground speed levers are set to
START/PARK, and the parking brake lever is set to
ENGAGE.
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.
Ignition switch not turned fully to START position. Turn ignition switch fully to START position.
Ground speed levers not set to START/PARK.
Set to START/PARK.
Mower blade switch in ON position.
Place in OFF position.
Parking brake lever in DISENGAGE position.
Set to ENGAGE position.
Battery terminals require cleaning.
Clean the battery terminals
Battery discharged or dead.
Recharge or replace.
Wiring loose or broken; connector separated.
Visually check wiring & replace broken or frayed
wires. Tighten loose connections.
Safety interlock switch faulty.
Replace. Contact your local authorized dealer.
Solenoid or starter motor faulty.
Replace. Contact your local authorized dealer.
Engine will
turnover but
will not start.
Engine is cold; choke not in CLOSED position.
Move choke to CLOSED position.
Engine is warm; choke not in OPEN position.
Move choke to OPEN position.
Engine flooded.
Set choke to OPEN position when cranking engine.
Out of fuel.
Allow engine to cool, then refill the fuel tank.
Fuel is old or stale, or water in fuel.
Drain fuel & replace with fresh fuel. Contact your
local authorized dealer.
Spark plug(s) faulty, fouled or incorrectly gapped. Clean and gap or replace.
Safety interlock switch faulty.
Replace. Contact your local authorized dealer.
Engine starts
hard or runs
poorly.
Air filter plugged
Service pre-cleaner and/or replace air filter
element.
Choke not set to CLOSED position when
cranking the engine, OR choke not set to OPEN
after engine starts.
Set choke to CLOSED when cranking. Set choke
to OPEN when engine is running. A warm engine
may not require choking.
Spark plug faulty, fouled, or incorrectly gapped.
Clean and gap or replace.
Engine
knocks.
Low oil level.
Check/add oil as required.
Using wrong grade oil.
See "Change Engine Oil" in the Maintenance
Section.
Excessive oil
consumption.
Engine running too hot.
Clean engine cooling fins, blower screen and air
cleaner.
Using wrong weight oil.
See "Change Engine Oil" in the Maintenance
Section.
Too much oil in crankcase.
Drain excess oil.
Engine
exhaust is
black.
Dirty air filter or pre-cleaner, or both.
Service or replace as required. See Maintenance
Section.
Choke set to CLOSED when engine is running.
Set choke to OPEN as soon as engine starts.
Not
for
Reproduction
