23
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 instruc-
tions on how to perform most of these minor adjust-
ments 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
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. Move throttle control out of CHOKE position.
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 service 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.
Engine starts hard or runs poorly. 1. Fuel mixture too rich. 1. Clean air filter. Check choke adjustment
(throttle control).
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.