Honda lawn mower problem? Help!

[GNBRETT]

My Honda lawn mower will start up no problem but after running for like a minute or so it starts to pop and then eventually shuts off?

I drained all the gas and replaced it. It was low on oil but I filled it up today. Still having the same problem. The mower is (3) years old and a (4) cycle. It says to use Honda oil but I didn't use theirs I just used one a got at Home cheapo. 30 weight I believe. Any ideas? Thanx...

 

[turboc87gn]

Try the coil and or the ignition module they will do that when they are old on any mower when they get hot..My first job was a repair guy at a lawnmower shop and i got a small lawn service now too...Put a new plug in it too while you are at it...

 

[GNBRETT]

What would have caused that? My oil was low and I was told that it will shut off if the oil is low. I honestly didn't know that. Do u think the coil went bad as a result of having low oil and therefore shutting off?

That sounds about right cause when I shut if off and wait a minute or so it starts right back up but when it gets hot it starts acting up again.

 

[turboc87gn]

I doubt that it had to do with the oil they just go bad... i know on a briggs the flywheels will rust slightly when they sit over the winter and that will cause the module to go bad over the years.. they have a magnet built in and work like a crank trigger, on the hondas im not sure but its prolly a similar setup.. You should prolly sharpen the blade too while you are at it... go to a mower shop you can prolly buy the module locally and take some sandpaper to the flywheel if it needs cleaning

 

[GNBRETT]

k, thanx

 

[turboc87gn]

Blow everything out too when you are done and buy an air filter and you should be good for the rest of the summer as far as maintainence is concerned..Youl be glad when years later its still runnin and you dont gotta spend $300 on a new one..No problem anytime...

 

[jpwalt1987]

The needle/float could be sticking in the carb. I had hell with my old honda mower with trash in the carb and the needle sticking in the seat. If it runs for a minute then dies, it could be not letting enough gas into the bowl fast enough. Then when it kills the gas is still flowing into the bowl so it has enough when you try to start it again. Hope this helps.

 

[jpwahler]

Honda Mower

I had the same issue with my Honda mower this year, approximately the same age. It would spit and choke but would still run but sound like it was on the verge of dying. I pulled the plug out and the gap was way too small. I changed the plug and haven't had any problems since.

 

[jpratt]

I have never seen a low oil shut down on a lawn mower. Mowers tend to rock around when turning and going up and down slops. Generators, pressure washers, and pump are the ones with a low oil alert.

A little rust on a coil will NOT keep it from firing. We set the gap on a coil at almost 1/8 inch and it ran just fine. Rust will not affect the magnetic field the flywheel induces into the coil to get it to fire.

I would for sure replace the plug if you have not done so in a year. Also get rid of the 30 weight oil and use 10w30. At my shop we use 10w30 in EVERY air cooled motor and 15w40 in the diesels. Honda engines are very susceptible to water damage in the carb. If you live somewhere like Missouri where ALL gas contains ethanol then there might be water in there. Water in a Honda carb will very quickly cause corrosion and screw up the little thing. There is just about always a fuel shut off valve between the fuel tank and carb on a Honda engine, use it. After mowing turn the valve off and restart mower till it dies. Then next time you need to mow turn valve on and wait a few seconds for the bowl to refill.

If you remove your carb to check it over make note of where the gasket go and in what direction they are facing. Those gasket cause lots of headaches for my new mechanics who replace them in whatever order they want.
Good luck, if you need any parts or anything let me know and I will get you the nice BUICK guy discount.

Jeff

 

[GNBRETT]

Wow, great responses. I really appreciate it. I would think for sure I can narrow down the problem now.

 

[Bad Buick]

I hope you're not running that mower without ZDDP Just Kidding.Couldn't resist:biggrin: Dave

 

[Evans Ward]

When the problem happens, have you verified you still have spark? It sounds ignition or ign coil related to me too. If you can't figure it out, there is a walk behind lawnmower section at the My Tractor Forum. Those guys are sharp! I had a Honda Harmony SP mower and it had to be a factory lemon! I gave it away when I found my 2001 Lawn Boy 10550 6.5 HP 2 stroke mower! Half the weight and twice the power of the Honda! They stopped making them in 2004 due to EPA emissions due to the 2 cycle design of the engine. Good luck with the problem though...

 

[Rubicon 327]

A little rust on a coil will NOT keep it from firing. We set the gap on a coil at almost 1/8 inch and it ran just fine. Rust will not affect the magnetic field the flywheel induces into the coil to get it to fire.

Jeff[/QUOTE]


Are you sure about that????

I just picked up a Honda HT3813 lawn tractor with no spark to either of the two plugs, checked it all over and figured the coil must be bad. I pulled it apart to get the coil off and figured I would clean (wire wheel) the coil and the fly wheel 1st seeing a new coil was $95.00 or so.The owner used to leave it outside so it was a bit rusty.

I cleaned it up put the battery to it and had the plugs against metal, hit the key and walla spark! Put the plugs in it before putting it back together just to make sure it would run and it fired right up.And I checked all the wires and wiggled things to make sure there was no loose connections before I even did all this cause I could see it was going to be a pain to get to that coil. So far it has been used 3 times and still working good.

Just my 2 cents and not trying to start a pissing match.I am by far no mechanic just a dangerous idiot with some hand tools and minimal knowledge of mechanics :smile:

 

[jpratt]

A little rust on a coil will NOT keep it from firing. We set the gap on a coil at almost 1/8 inch and it ran just fine. Rust will not affect the magnetic field the flywheel induces into the coil to get it to fire.

Jeff

Are you sure about that????

I just picked up a Honda HT3813 lawn tractor with no spark to either of the two plugs, checked it all over and figured the coil must be bad. I pulled it apart to get the coil off and figured I would clean (wire wheel) the coil and the fly wheel 1st seeing a new coil was $95.00 or so.The owner used to leave it outside so it was a bit rusty.

I cleaned it up put the battery to it and had the plugs against metal, hit the key and walla spark! Put the plugs in it before putting it back together just to make sure it would run and it fired right up.And I checked all the wires and wiggled things to make sure there was no loose connections before I even did all this cause I could see it was going to be a pain to get to that coil. So far it has been used 3 times and still working good.

Just my 2 cents and not trying to start a pissing match.I am by far no mechanic just a dangerous idiot with some hand tools and minimal knowledge of mechanics :smile:

If the coil is rusted up there might also be water/moisture inside it. Surface rust on the magnet on the flywheel or surface rust on te face of the coil will not affect the magnetic field. You are supposed to gap the coil like .030 from the flywheel magnet but you can run it slightly further and have no ill effect. I have seen plenty of coils fail from various reasons, and many that looked horrible but ran just fine.

 

[3.8 turbo]

lawn mower

Try to remove the carb and check the needle and seat make sure it's clean blow it out with carb clean. If that don't work bring it to kash's garage in the trunk of your t-type they can fix it for you and put a turbo on your car at the same time while you wait. hope this helps.

 

[GNBRETT]

Try to remove the carb and check the needle and seat make sure it's clean blow it out with carb clean. If that don't work bring it to kash's garage in the trunk of your t-type they can fix it for you and put a turbo on your car at the same time while you wait. hope this helps.

Kash is the man. Took the lawn mower apart and fixed the problem. Runs like new now. U rock...

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents worth

I could not resist this thread.....

The simplest solution to the problem, is to pave more driveway for your cars!

Shoveling snow or cutting the lawn you read too many news articles of guys keeling over from a heart attack....

I do minor trimming with a $150 Murray mower I bought 3 years ago. Every year I get it serviced for like a $100 usually starts on the first pull which in itself is a blessing. Sits outside behind my building covered up. Only probably I had during the growing season is a wheel fell off.....

Most of what I stated here is meant in fun....

ZDDPlus™ never looked at the mower industry, the boat industry is a different story.....

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Allergies sometimes kicks in cutting the lawn....