Lawn Mower Overheating Symptoms

There are various reasons why you will find your lawn mower overheating. But the main reason for overheating is that the heat can’t escape from the mower engine block.

If you find your lawn mower overheating, the first thing is leaving it in a cool place until it cools down. A better solution for you is to find the causes of your lawn mower heating and fix the problem.

In the article, we have highlighted the lawn mower overheating symptoms and ways to solve the problems in detail:

Lawn Mower Overheating Symptoms

Summer brings more mowing work for lawn care professionals, and overheating is one of the challenges.

The heat experienced in some regions will make outdoor work more challenging for people, mowers, and even lawn equipment. Air temperature will not cause overheating, but mowing while there is much heat increases the risks.

Here are symptoms of lawn mower overheating:

• Engine shutdown or lock up
• Backfiring under load
• Engine dying while giving it gas
• Black smoke

When working with a lawn mower and experiencing the above symptoms, those could result from lawn mower engine overheating.

That said, there are a number of things unpreventable that could lead to lawn mower overheating. They include:

1. Low Engine Oil

Having low engine oil will cause severe damages to your lawn mower while working. The engine parts will experience un-lubricated friction, making the parts wear and tear.

Ensure you maintain your lawn mower regularly according to the manual. Also, change and check the engine oil level regularly.

Also read: Top Kawasaki Lawn Mower Engine oil

2. Blocked Cooling Fins

Blocked cooling fins could be a major cause of overheating. That’s because while mowing, grass and debris will end up inside these cooling fins.

They will prevent air circulation, thus cooling down the engine.

3. Clogged Air Cleaners, Air Paths, and Inlet Screens

These will prevent the engine cooling system from providing its services effectively. Therefore, leading to overheating of the mower.

4. Low Coolant

Low coolant can also significantly cause lawn mower overheating. It only affects the liquid-cooled lawn mowers, not the air-cooled mowers.

5. Thick and Wet Mowing Grass

They could lead to lawn mower overheating when mowing thick and wet grass. It is recommended you wait for the grass to dry before mowing.

How did they cut grass in the 1700s

6. Clogged Cutting Decks

When the decks are clogged, they overstrain the engine trying to power the jammed-bladed, thus allowing it to overheat.

Also read: Best universal bagger for zero turn mower

Fixing Causes of Lawn Mower Overheating Problems  

1. Cooling fins blocked

A lawn mower has a small combustion engine that produces heat due to internal combustion. It has cooling fins located in the engine block near the spark plug, thus allowing more heat to escape.

Dirt or grass may collect between these fins to create an insulating blanket that traps heat, causing lawn mowers to overheat.

The solution for this problem cause is waiting for the lawn mower to cool down. Brush away the dirt and debris around your cooling fins.

Repeat the process periodically until this problem stops reoccurring.

2. Clogged air Intake Manifold

An engine will require a mixture of gasoline and air to operate effectively. An air intake manifold is usually the tube running air from the air intake to its carburetor.

If the air intake clogs with debris, the lawn mower engine lacks enough air to mix with the fuel. The engine will run inefficiently, producing black smoke.

The solution to this problem is replacing or cleaning the air filter. Ensure the manifold has no debris or dirt.

3. Engine Oil Level

A lawn mower engine with incorrect levels will cause the lawn mower to overheat. It requires oil for lubricating the crankshaft, piston, or other internal components.

When the lawn mower engine is too low, it increases the friction of the components, thus overheating. Moreover, having too much mower engine oil is another problem.

With too much oil in the lawn mower crankcase, the engine has to work harder, thus producing more heat. Therefore, the engine will not handle the heat, thus leading to an overheat of the engine.

You can avoid this problem by maintaining the recommended oil level. Also, use the correct oil with the right “thickness” or viscosity.

4. Engine Operation

The lawn mower should run at full throttle, allowing them to cut grass efficiently. When you run it at less throttle for a long time, it fails to supply enough power for the task.

The engine is under stress, thus overheating. The solution is to run a lawn mower engine under full throttle.

5. Engine is Overwhelmed

Using your lawn mower in thick and wet grass causes a lot of stress. That will make the engine overheat.

Before mowing your lawn, allow the grass to dry to prevent engine overheating.

FAQ: Lawn Mower Overheating Symptoms

If a lawn mower engine overheats, it will give you low output.

When you notice any of the lawn mower overheating symptoms, shut off its engine and check the cause of the problem.

The damages the lawn mower experiences will depend on the engine, such as blown gaskets, melted parts, and in some extreme cases, fire.

As you keep yourself busy mowing during summer, keep your mowers cleaned and well-maintained to prevent overheating that could lead to severe damages to the equipment.