One fine day, you are excited about mowing the lawn and giving it a new look to the lawn. However, you can’t step on the gas to accelerate, everything is going heavy and uncomfortable. How to troubleshoot a lawn mower gas pedal not working?
Great! You are here and with us learn about why the lawn mower accelerator pedal is not working. Is it because the switch is broken, the transmission line is broken or the drive belt is damaged?
Meanwhile, other relevant departments also need to be carefully considered and find a solution. Don’t worry, we will explain each cause in detail in the article below.
Lawn Mower Gas Pedal Not Working – What Is The Cause?
There are many different reasons why the gas pedal does not work, causing the lawn mower to move slowly and heavily. Therefore, the performance will also be seriously reduced, and especially, you will feel extremely uncomfortable and tired when mowing.
One of the top causes that you can think of is a problem with the drive belts. If your lawn mower has been in service for a long time and hasn’t been serviced, the old drive belts will prevent the pulley from pulling and turning to engage the drive gears when you press the accelerator.
In addition, this problem may be related to a corroded rod bushing, and a damaged safety switch on the accelerator pedal leading to incorrect alignment adjustment.
So, if you know the top causes of your lawn mower’s gas pedal not working, you can find a simpler and more effective solution.
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How To Troubleshoot A Lawn Mower Gas Pedal Not Working?
To solve the problem of the gas pedal not working in a lawn mower, you also need to check some other related parts. Let’s learn about the solutions below.
Check All Electrical Lines
As you know, the steering system of the lawn mower is very susceptible to wear during use. Debris and dirt can penetrate and corrode the lines in the lawn mower.
In particular, you need to check the paths in the gas pedal and make sure that they are all free of corrosion and in good working order. Also, if you find any worn out, check its operation or replace it with a new one.
Check The Pedals For Blockage
Gas pedals are very susceptible to rust and hardening making it difficult for you to pedal them if they are not cleaned and maintained regularly. So you need to check if there is any hard object stuck in the gas pedal causing it to not work.
Consider The Drive Belt
Your lawn mower will probably be hard to move or move heavily even when you’re trying to get the gas pedaled. This is because the drive belts are corroded and stretched. Therefore, it prevents the pulley from moving and contacting the transmission gears.
Belts on both sides are the leading culprit for this phenomenon to happen. You should check the belts on both sides and make sure they are not corroded. The belt can become loose and slip off the pulley when corroded.
How to fix the transmission belt?
- Fixing the belt
- Check engine temperature to avoid burns or breakdowns
- Start removing the wire, battery, and spark plug trim deck
- Use the 7/16 socket to loosen the large nut and hold the pulley to the head shaft
- Remove the top drive belt and belt guide
- Continue to remove the belt from the pulley
- Using a 1/2 inch wrench, remove the belt retainer around the engine pulley. Also, remove the nut to secure the crankshaft pulley
- Remove the lawn mower bottom drive belt by pulling it towards the engine
- Install the lower drive belt instead by pulling it towards the engine, then the upper drive belt
Check Safety Switch
You can find a small pin on the gas pedal of the lawn mower. When you press the pedal, the latch is also pressed in. To test this safety switch, turn off the engine and remove the key before testing.
You can remove the safety switch with a screwdriver, then disconnect the switch from the wiring and unplug it from the lawn mower. Check if the safety switch works independently when outside. After you plug it back in, replace the seat’s safety switch.
Check Gas Line
As you know, the throttle wire regulates the speed of the engine in the lawn mower. If your engine stalls or stops working, check the throttle cable immediately. If you find a damaged gas line, you can replace it with a new one to get the lawn mower’s gas pedal working again.
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Epilogue
A lawn mower gas pedal that isn’t working can be related to an old drive belt problem, a broken switch, worn wiring, or a gas pedal clogged with dirt or debris.
To overcome this situation, you need to consider the overall components involved such as the power line, transmission belt, safety switch, or gas line. In addition, you also need regular cleaning and maintenance after each crop because long winter storage times can cause many problems with your lawn mower.