[Opfoto]

I have a Honda #HRR216VYA that I purchased at the end of April of this year....

I use it weekly and have been experiencing increased difficulty starting this mower. I am pulling my arm out trying to get this thing started....
Tonight I must have pulled 25 times before it finally showed some life. I actually had to quit, eat dinner, then try again!!! I finally got it to start and it ran perfectly. No stall, No rough idle. I don't get it....
Not quite the easy start it says on the motor....

Help!

 

[bwdbrn1]

Hmmmm, there must be something out of whack with the auto choke. Have you looked to see that everything down around all of the levers and springs that lead to the carb are moving freely and not bound up by anything?

 

[Opfoto]

I did look....But again I was very frustrated when I did so I could have missed something. Will check that after work.

I usually clean the mower after use but even with that I may have missed something that may have gotten tangled up in the cables.....

Is there an adjustment (cables) that needed to be done after the initial break in period???

Thanks

 

[[email protected]]

Since you still have warranty remaining on your mower, you may wish to have it inspected by a Honda dealer. If the problem with hard starting is related to a defective part or improper assembly, repairs are usually covered under warranty.

Sometimes debris or gunk can get inside the carburetor and cause problems. These kinds of issues are NOT covered under warranty.

The VYA model has the AutoChoke feature, and when starting, the mower should be run for at least 3 minutes to allow the choke to open.

I've read the choke control assembly can be installed wrong; this can keep the choke from opening and result in hard starting. The thermowax device that operates the choke may also be a fault and require replacement.

You can find a Honda dealer at this link:

Find a Honda Dealer

I have a Honda #HRR216VYA that I purchased at the end of April of this year....

I use it weekly and have been experiencing increased difficulty starting this mower. I am pulling my arm out trying to get this thing started....
Tonight I must have pulled 25 times before it finally showed some life. I actually had to quit, eat dinner, then try again!!! I finally got it to start and it ran perfectly. No stall, No rough idle. I don't get it....
Not quite the easy start it says on the motor....

Help!

 

[Opfoto]

OK....I was hoping to avoid a drop off for service, But I may have to do that this weekend....

Robert, thanks for the additional info. Will mention that to the dealer this Saturday.

Marc

 

[Opfoto]

Update.....longish 1/2 rant!

Well, after a few more weeks of increased difficulties with starting my mower I finally dropped it off this morning for service at the dealer where I purchased it from in April. Last night when I tried to start it.....I never even got it to want to start even after multiple pulls and I do mean multiple pulls....If I pulled it 30 times that might be the minimum. Anyway I pulled the plug just because....The plug was black and sooty looking. When I smelled it there was no smell of fuel at all.
The dealer quizzed me about age of the gas and how finicky these mowers were. I told him that I buy the gas 5 gals at a time and I treat it with Stablizer each and every time. He said that todays gas goes stale quickly, I told him that I think that if the gas sat for a month or two I could understand that. But my gas doesn't sit. I use the same 5 gals in my Lawn tractor and weed whacker and chainsaw after adding the required oils without any problems starting, running or otherwise. Then he said I'll need a new spark plug. I said the spark plug like the mower itself is only 6 months old. I mentioned to him about the possibilty of the Autochoke installation issue and he denied seeing or hearing anything about that. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. My wife already wants me to find another dealer for the remainder of the warranty. Fortunately I have a few to pick from.
Will post an update when I get "The Call"!!!

 

[Five Points]

Thanks for the update, and sorry to hear about the hassle.. We'll wait to hear about the outcome. Good Luck.
FP

 

[Opfoto]

2nd Update....and she's home!!!

I decided to run by the dealer today to check on the status of the mower I dropped off a week ago and hadn't heard anything on it, no communication at all.

He seemed to recall an issue with the carburetor but couldn't remember what the technician who did the repair said.----no help there.

Said that there was something causing the choke to stick? and not allowing the mower to start up. Wasn't sure what that was...probably related to above.

Mentioned alot of moisture and that may have contributed to the issue of rust on the drive cable adjustment nut. I told him that I wash it after every use and then put it inside a shed until the next use. Recommended not to clean it after every use....once yearly should be good enough.

Asked about lubricating the linkage and he said that they use a white lith grease and should last awhile..... ok nothing for me to worry about...

He stated that there was no bulletin regarding the autochoke installation issue and he hadn't seen anything like that on my mower.

SO it seems they may have cleaned and lubricated the linkage, cleaned the carb, replaced the plug, We then brought it outside and I pulled 1 time and she fired right up and called my name like she used too!!!!

Damages was $25....could've been much worse.

Thankfully it is taken care of and hopefully I will not have anymore problems, I am going to try to keep the mower dryer and obviously make sure the linkage stays lubricated.

Thanks for the helpful information.

 

[Five Points]

Thanks for the update and glad to here you are back up and running! From my experience its better to use a blower or compressed air to clean the mower off on a regular basis, reason being, although not intentional a lot of water gets blasted into the wrong areas such as bearings, cables, tight areas that it tends not to evaporate, also seen it blow the dust seals off of the throttle and choke linkages on the carb as well. A good wash and wax once in a while is good rust prevention on the main areas such as the deck, handle bars etc.
Once again thanks and we hope you come back and hang around awhile!
:cool

 

[freginold]

If you treat the mower deck, the underside of the deck, and the blade with EcoTech Mower Coat or something similar after cleaning, it will prevent grass and dirt from sticking as much, requiring less cleaning overall.

 

[Five Points]

Is it safe on the paint? The only thing I could find on it is for treating the underside of the deck, blade, pulleys etc.