How to Tell If Riding Lawn Mower Engine Is Seized? (Easy Checklist)
In this article, we will tell you how to tell if a riding lawn mower engine is seized? How to fix it? How to take good care of your engine and, all about seizing of your engine.
The seizing of the engine in your cars is quite common. It usually happens when your car starves for the engine oil. It is a mechanical failure issue.
It is a common process when you do not check the oil regularly, and it has an insufficient amount of oil to circulate. It ends up rubbing your internal metal parts together, creating friction and thus combustion inside the engine.
However, in a lawnmower’s engine, it seizes due to your carelessness, when you let it be on its own in wet conditions or circumstances. It also happens when you do not keep a check on your oil use.
How to know about the seizure?
If you see your mower misbehaving and not working as it should. The symptoms will be that it will make grinding noises, and it will switch off early.
Surprisingly, you won’t be able to move its blades in that condition. The engine is something that makes your lawnmower move and works.
Seizing it will not make it start or move an inch which means no engine’s performance, no lawnmower advantage. So, make sure to pay attention to the following things before it gets seized:
- It will make it harder for the engine to switch on.
- Its blades will be stuck to the point.
- It will make a rough sound.
- There will be no movement in the piston and the cylinders.
- Deficiency of oil amount.
- Declining of your fuel quality.
Do not worry about it; we will tell you the steps in an easier way to help you know about the engine seizure.
Sound Checking
Usually, lawnmowers are loud when being in use. If you have the time where your engine already has or about to be seized, will make it unable to start in the first place. If you somehow manage to start it, it will not stay like that for a long time.
A little amount of time, and then it will switch off again. Meanwhile, when it is switched on, it will make quite loud grinding noises because of the knocking. These are the initial sounds that you will hear and know that your engine is out of order.
Switching Engine On
A seized engine will make you see between the two possible scenarios. As discussed above, it will not start at all, or it will luckily start but make loud noises and then switch off again.
It will mean that your engine is dead now and the cord will be felt tightened. No matter how much you pull it, it will not make it work.
Blades
By the word “stuck blades,” we meant there would be continuous jamming which will make the blades harder to move. You cannot even make it work by moving it with your hand or any other tool.
This condition of blades will get in opposition to the starting of the engine.
Piston Cylinders
Usually, when an engine gets seized, it makes the parts jamming, and the pistons get stuck in the cylinders. If not oil shortage, excessive moisture or water can also seize your engine.
The contaminated seals will start to leak, and the oil starts to be wasting through the seals.
When you are checking the piston cylinders, take off the plug, so there will not be earth in the plus. It will be for your own safety.
Then, you take the seat away and take off the cover of the engine. Now the engine assembly will be in front of you.
Just check the pistons, try not to be a technician, and leave the work for the professionals. Do not interfere with your machine.
Fuel Quality
The seized engines also affect the fuel that you use. It will contaminate and cause low fuel quality in the chamber. It is not because of this. There are many other possible reasons for that, but this is also an indication that your engine is seized.
The chamber oil starts clogging and makes the combustion improper, and thus affects your fuel.
Oil Checking
This is the foremost issue behind the seizure. If your lawn mower’s engine is not having a sufficient and appropriate amount of oil in its chamber, it will not be liable to lubricate the pistons, and that lack of lubrication will make them stuck to the cylinders. Therefore, always check whether you have put the oil in the chamber or not.
Concerns
These are all easy steps, but there are also some things that you should keep in mind when checking:
- Make sure you have the gloves on, and you are avoiding getting debris or dirt or grass on your hands.
- The blades are sharp, so do not rush and be very careful with the lawnmower parts.
How to tell if the lawnmower engine is blown?
The blown engines are the final impact of the piston problems. It could be either the piston or the piston rings. These rings keep the oil in the chamber and do not let it out easily.
Blown engines will get you the following symptoms:
- Blue smoke is coming out.
- The engine will start making knocking or rattling sounds.
- Inability to start the engine.
- Crack in the engine.
- Rod will be blown.
Apart from that, it could be the exhaust of white color or having the coolant in your engine’s oil, etc.
You can visit or call a professional to fix your blown engine.
Final Verdict
In the end, these are all indications of your engine seizure. It is not some extraordinary knowledge.
We are glad that you know the details in brief now. If you maintain your engine from time to time, it will not make the maintenance harder for you, and it will be in good condition most of the time.
Take good care of your lawnmower, and it will keep your lawnmower in working condition.
