Bad ignition coil symptoms for riding lawn mower include: hard to start, the engine only runs when you wiggle the plug wire, and poor performance indicating that your lawn mower’s ignition coil needs to be replaced. Replacing an ignition coil is pretty simple as long as you have some basic tools handy.
Today you are going to learn with us about the bad ignition coil symptoms of lawn mowers. We will discuss when a lawn mower coil goes bad, common symptoms and how to solve these problems.
Let’s dive into this.
Bad Ignition Coil Symptoms Lawn Mower
Let’s have a sneak peek on the most common symptoms and their solutions first.
| Symptoms | Reason Behind the Problem | Solution |
| The lawn mower’s motor overheats after only a few minutes of mowing, causing it to shut down | Bad ignition coil | Ignition coil needs replacement |
| The mower does not shut down until the spark plug is disconnected | A faulty ignition switch | The switch needs to be replaced |
| Lawn mower starts then dies | Carburetor with a filthy or clogged carburetor bowl Rubbish leftover from outdated gasoline. Your reservoir is too full of oil. Overheated lawn mower ignition coil | Use carburetor cleaner Remove the old gasoline and fill with a fresh one Use a siphon to drain some oil Ignition coil needs replacement |
| The lawn mower comes to a halt halfway through the job | Glass gets clogged up in the deck Bad lawn mower ignition coil | Adjust cutting height and change the lawn mower coil |
| Engine cranks but won’t start | Carburetor may not be getting enough fuel Carburetor may be clogged Spark plug or disconnected wires | Fill the tank with fuel Clean the carburetor Replace plug or wires |
Symptom 01: Lawn mower ignition coil overheating and causing immediate shutdown
Well, this is the most common symptom of a bad ignition coil. To ensure this, try the following steps
Symptom 02: The mower not shutting down
The problem can be with the ignition switch. Let’s check.
Symptom 03: Lawn mower starts then dies
Sometimes, a bad ignition coil, along with some other reasons, can cause this issue. So, we have found 3 separate solutions for 3 separate reasons. You will find the solutions below:
Solution for clogged carburetor bowl
Remove the carburetor bowl, give it a good cleaning, and then reassemble it. Clean the screw and hole with a carburetor cleaner as needed.
Don’t over-tighten the screw when reattaching the bowl. These problems, as well as other faults that may be caused by poor maintenance and lack of lubrication (for example, a seizing engine), might cause the threads to become stripped enough to distort the seal.
Solution for outdated gasoline
If you find the mower tank less than half-filled with previously used gas, it’s a good idea to add new gas to lower the contaminants. If the old gas is more than half of a tank, it’s best to suck it out and fill the tank with new gasoline.
Solution for reservoir full of oil
You can simply drain out excess oil if you have too much. If you have a walk-behind mower, you may use a siphon to tip it over and remove the oil from the aperture where you add it.
Solution for overheated lawn mower ignition coil
See our solutions for ignition coil replacement on Symptom 01.
Symptom 04: The lawn mower comes to a halt halfway through the job
Raise or lower the cutting height of your mower as needed. If you try to mow too much grass, the mower may stall and stop working due to clogged glass in the deck.
The ignition module is another option. Your coil for lawn mower may be faulty. You can’t restart your mower if it’s still hot, right? If you have to wait for the mower’s engine to cool before starting it, the ignition coil for lawn mower is most likely broken. Just replace the ignition coil.
Symptom 05: Engine cranks but won’t start
So, when you find the engine cracks but won’t start, at first, make sure the tank is full. If the level is too low, the carburetor may not be receiving adequate fuel.
If the fuel level is correct, however, there’s a good possibility it’s a blockage. At this point, you should take out the carburetor and clean it. We also recommend checking the fuel system for any blockages or leaks.
After that,
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you tell if an ignition coil is bad?
If the lawn mower has an overheating issue, engine misfires, is hard to start, or sudden backfires, then we can tell, the ignition coil is bad. In this case, the ignition coil needs to be replaced. If you can follow our procedure above then you can fix the problem, otherwise, go to your local repairing shop for quick solutions.
What does a coil on a lawn mower do?
The ignition coil is in charge of converting the battery’s voltage into a spark, which ignites the mower’s engine. When you start your lawn mower, the flywheel and its magnets pass through the coil, generating a spark. The flywheel continues to spin, the magnets pass by the coil, and the spark plug fires at a specific time as long as the engine is running.
How do you test a lawn mower coil?
First, remove the ignition coil. Then test the coil with a multimeter or with an Ohm-meter. If the coil is not ok, then replace it with a new coil and test the lawnmower with a new coil.
How do you know if the ignition switch is bad on a riding lawn mower?
If the mower is not shutting down until the spark plug is disconnected or the engine cranks but won’t start, then we can know that the ignition switch is bad on a riding mower.
Conclusion
The bad coil symptoms may be more noticeable or less apparent depending on the type of mower.
Weather conditions and the way you maintain your tractor also affect bad ignition coil symptoms lawn mower.
A bad ignition coil can cause misfires, bad engine performance, and bad gas mileage if it is not replaced.
If you notice bad coil symptoms on a lawn mower, you should take your mower to the repair shop for a bad coil replacement immediately.
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