# Lawn Tracor / Snowblower Help



## PreparedRifleman73 (Nov 2, 2012)

*Mods: Please move if this is the wrong location. It is a "Vehicle" but certainly not a BOV. Thanks*








This is my 1987 John Deere 175 Hydro Lawn Tractor. It has a Kawasaki engine, 38" mowing deck, 38" snow blower, snow cab, weights and chains.

I am having mechanical / engine problems. It initially ran terrible and here is what I did when I first bought it:

Changed Oil & Filter (5W30)
Changed Fuel Filter
Changed Air Filter
Changed Spark Plug
Syphoned and put in new gas

After that, it ran GREAT. It was pretty powerful for a machine older than I am! But it was an unreliable start this fall. When I'd turn it over I'd get one click each time I turned it over but nothing. After a few turns it would go just fine. Once it started, it ran great.

Now that the cold weather is upon us, it is stored in an unheated shed, around 0* Fahrenheit in Minnesota. Ultimately, I have to jump start it (the battery is about a year old). Heating it up helps too. I can turn it over a hundred times and get one click. Then, eventually, it cranks and I get "reh, reh reh" for a minute until it fires up. Then, it runs beautifully usually.

Any ideas guys? I don't have any troubleshooting experience. I can do whatever you tell me to do, but I just can't figure out what is wrong.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Have you checked the water level in the battery? Put the battery on a tester before you try to start it?
If the battery shows 12v-14v after a week or two of sitting idle, engage the starter and watch the the tester. If it immediatly draws the voltage down below 12v, replace it. If it holds at or above 12v, move on to the starter.

When you get the click, is it an electrical click or can you hear the starter trying to engage the flywheel?
If it's just an electrical sound, pull the starter and take it to an auto parts store and have it "bench tested." It may just be too weak to turn the engine over every time.
If you can hear it trying to engage the flywheel, it could be the compression release valve (if the engine has one; which many do). To test for this, turn the key to start. When the starter engages the flywheel but doesn't turn the engine over, try to spin it by hand. If you can get the engine to turn over by helping it manually, that valve is no longer working. They are a PITA to replace. Unless you're very mechanically inclined, take it to someone to have it done.

In a nutshell, if the battery is good, have the starter tested under load. If the starter checks out it's probably that valve.

Good luck. I imagine you're really missing that snowblower about now.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

An other thing to check is the starter relay , between the battery and starter, if you only get a click the relay may not be doing it's job (transfering current to the starter) when these relays are weak they may not close the circuit if battery power is a bit low, but will when boosted and make the battery look bad.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

you doing any pre-heat on that engine? .... even with 10W oil it could use a break .... a couple of magnetized heat blocks would do the job ....


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

Tirediron said:


> An other thing to check is the starter relay , between the battery and starter, if you only get a click the relay may not be doing it's job (transfering current to the starter) when these relays are weak they may not close the circuit if battery power is a bit low, but will when boosted and make the battery look bad.


This is my bet. It could also be burned or dirty contacts in the keyed switch itself. Another possibility is loose/corroded connections somewhere in the electrical system.


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