Starting Husqvarna Riding Mower - Beginners checklist with pics

By: Author John Cunningham. Published: 2018/12/04 at 8:25 pm

Starting is simple, but you must follow a set of procedures. Before you start your mower, it’s always a good idea to check over the machine looking for any loose or broken components. If the tires look low, pump them. Uneven tire pressures will give you an uneven cut. Check the oil level before every use.

How to start a Husqvarna riding mower? Starting Husqvarna riding mower procedure:

Check oil level
Check gas level
Turn gas on
Seated in seat
Foot brake on
Gear shifter in N
Choke On
Turn key

Starting your Husqvarna riding mower is easy, assuming, of course, everything’s in order. If your model has a fuel valve, make sure to turn it on. Starting the engine successfully will mean following these procedures. Procedures are related to (i) the choke system and (ii) the safety system.

1 Oil – Check oil level

2 Gas On – Gas on and Hood closed. Gas valves are not fitted to all mowers. They’re used to stop the flow of gas to the carburetor. Gas taps should be turned off when the mower is in storage. This gas tap is in the “On” position.

3 Seated – You must sit upright in the seat; leaning off to one side will often prevent the engine from starting. Likewise, when the mower is running, leaning to the side will kill the engine.

4 Brake “On” – The brake pedal must be pressed in order to start the motor. Putting the parking brake “On” will also allow you to start the mower.

5 Neutral – Manual mowers should be in (N) to start. Hydro-static (Auto) transmissions won’t start if you press on the forward or reverse pedal and should also be in (N).

6 Blade “Off” – The blade on/off button must be set to off; other Husqvarna mowers will have a lever, and they must also be set to off.

7 Choke “On” – Choke set to full to start a cold engine; after the engine warms up, move the choke to the fast setting. Some later model Husqvarna mowers use a blue snowflake symbol for the choke.

8 Turn-Key – Now turn the key; if your mower doesn’t make any noise at all or cranks but won’t start or just makes a clicking sound, check out the links below.

If, after following this procedure, your mower is making no noise at all when you turn the key, check out “Mower won’t crank – no click.”

If it’s making funny clicking noises when you turn the key, then check out “Mower won’t start just clicks.”

And finally, if your mower is cranking over but just won’t start, check out “Mower cranks but won’t start.”

What’s Gas Stabilizer?

Old gas is a common reason for a no-start, and by old, I mean gas older than three months. Most people forget to drain the Gas before winterizing their mower. This usually causes gumming of the carburetor. Using a Gas stabilizer will protect your carburetor from gumming and will save you $100s in repairs. Check out this short video on gas stabilizer mixing and adding.

If you suspect stale fuel – Check out “Small engine carburetor troubleshooting.”

Gumming – Gumming is a carburetor killer.

Stabilizer – Add to a low tank and run the engine. That’s it; your mowers are protected from gumming and are safe to store for the off-season. You can run the stabilizer all the time if you wish; it won’t hurt.

What is A Choke?

I know most of you already know how to start your mower, but in my experience, lots of customers have never been shown how to start it correctly.

The use of the choke lever is a lost art; people old enough will remember it in their car.

On modern gas vehicles, fuel supply is increased on cold starts by the engine control module (ECU). It does this by increasing the fuel injector duty cycle; this isn’t a choke but has the same effect and is an automatic process.

What’s Choke For?

The point of a choke is to enrich the fuel mixture, so a cold engine starts smoothly. The choke does this by restricting the amount of air entering the carburetor. Gas engines run best when the ratio of air to fuel is 14.7 to 1. Meaning 14.7 parts air to 1 part fuel, also known as the air-fuel ratio (AFR). Using the choke counteracts the lean condition caused by the dense air on a cold start.

Auto Choke

Lawnmower engines generally aren’t very advanced, so the choke is usually manually operated. If you can’t find the choke lever on your mower, then it’s likely you have an auto choke.

Briggs and Stratton’s latest engines are mostly auto choke, and next-generation riding mower engines will be electronic fuel injection – meaning no more choke levers to fiddle around with. Nice!

Manual Choke

If you have a manual choke, it will be obvious. Some mowers will have the throttle lever and choke combined; others will have a separate control knob. Either way, the choke will be clearly marked by the choke symbol. Choke cables will need adjustment from time to time, and if out of adjustment will prevent the mower from starting.

Black Smoke

A black fog from your muffler/exhaust is a sure sign that your mower is running rich. Common causes are dirty air filters and a sticking choke.

Where Are The Safety Sensors?

All mowers will have safety switches built-in; they are designed to prevent the mower engine from starting unless a set procedure is followed. Sensors are fitted to the seat, brakes, cutting blade controls, and grass box (if fitted).

Brake Sensor

The brake pedal has a switch that must be engaged. It’s designed to prevent the mower from moving inadvertently as soon as the engine starts. The switch is built into the brake pedal mechanism, so pressing the brake pedal will allow the engine to start.

Seat Sensor

The seat has a safety sensor; if the operator moves off the seat, the engine will stop. Only if you apply the parking brake, are you permitted to start the mower without sitting in the seat.

Blade Sensor

The blade engages control lever sensor prevents you from starting the mower with the blades engaged. It’s not uncommon for these sensors to cause no-start problems. The wiring can come loose, or a lever/pedal not pressing on a sensor fully will cause intermittent no-starts.

Sensors are either wired in series or fitted with a control module. The sensors themselves tend to be pretty durable. You can troubleshoot sensors in this guide; check out “Mower won’t crank – no click.”

Often customers complain, “The engine dies when I turn on the blades.” This isn’t a fault; it just means the grass box isn’t closed or isn’t hooked on correctly.

Grass Box – If your mower has a grass box, then it will likely have a grass box sensor. The sensor senses if the grass box is open or closed. When the box is open, it prevents the blades from engaging.

Starting Husqvarna Riding Mower – Beginners checklist with pics