3+ Most Common Typical Ariens Zero Turn Mower Problems (Ultimate Guide)

The company Ariens undoubtedly manufactures an excellent line of lawnmowers. While the brand standby by its guarantee for bringing products to the market for users that are great in efficiency and have impressive specs, they too are bound to wear out.

Only time a lawn mower will start to depict problems and fail to fulfill its manufacturing purpose is when you will not maintain it.

Keeping the products maintained is an essential requirement that promises the machine to keep running effectively and without causing any inconveniences or hindrances during the work operation.

However, suppose you keep a regular check on the performance and maintenance of the lawn mower. In that case, there is a chance you might be able to avoid the emergence of these problems or tackle them in their early stages without them costing you a great deal later on. 

But until then, let’s see some of the typical Ariens Zero Turn Mower Problems that you as a user are bound to encounter due to lack of maintenance of the machine. 

Problems with Ariens lawn mower- Causes & Solutions 

Ae humans need to be in a healthy and precise shape to function actively. Similar is the case with your Ariens Zero Turn Mower. Without maintenance and failing to look after the machine, you will face the following Ariens zero-turn mower problems. 

Instead of dividing the issues and solutions into two sections, we have summed them all up in one, so you can easily find the solution to the problem that appears for you. 

Zero-Turn Mower Will Not Start 

Imagine you have just woken up all motivated and set to start the day with the ambition of mowing your entire garden, only to discover that the lawnmower will not start.

Was the whole day ruined? We say you should have kept a check on the maintenance of the lawnmower; nevertheless, it’s not too late. 

The problem with the lawnmower not starting might originate from someplace within the machine and can have many causes.

Either it can be related to the fuel that is in the tank. Start by checking whether there is gas in the tank, and even when there is fuel present when was the last time you can recall adding this fuel into the tank?

If you are confident that the problem is not emerging from the fuel, another technical issue might arise. Maybe the delivery lines for fuel have been clogged due to dust and dirt buildup. 

Significant buildup within the delivery lines causes these delivery lines to choke up, hindering the fuel’s delivery process. When enough fuel or no fuel at all will not reach the engine of your Ariens zero-turn mower, then the lawnmower will be starting at no cost. 

Solution 

First things first! After discovering that your lawnmower is not working, you must immediately rush to your garage and grab the extra bottles of fuel you have stored. Even if there is some remaining fuel in the fuel tank, we advise you to add more. 

Often the zero-turn mower will not start because the current amount of fuel is insufficient, so you add more in such a situation. On the other hand, where the tank is complete, and you can only recall refilling the tank beyond 30 days- drain the fuel.

When the gas has been kept within the tank for a month or more, it gets contaminated and bad to be utilized as fuel to power your machine. 

Regarding cleaning the delivery lines of the zero-turn mower, you would have to take help from experts. This is because the fuel delivery lines are located deep and between many other machine components. Even slightly messing with one part of the turn mower can result in a greater and much costlier problem. 

However, if you think that you have some expertise in the area and you can successfully and without damaging other parts figure a way around cleaning the delivery lines, then make use of compressed air and carb cleaner to cleanse all the buildup out of the fuel lines deeply, and if it seems necessary and the buildup seems impossible to be removed- replace the delivery lines. 

Zero-Turn Mower Starts and Lapses Mid-operation 

Even more source of a nuisance can be when you somehow and after consistent efforts get your zero-turn mower started.

Still, while you are well-focused on mowing the grass, the machine suddenly stops working and refuses to start. 

What has just happened here? This starting and then lapsing of the zero turn mower mid-operation occurred because of a faulty spark plug within the machine. Exactly what went wrong with the zero-turn mower is that the engine overheated and stopped working. 

Maybe the cooling fins are plugged or broken, or the heat shield is not secured in its location, due to which the air is being prevented from circulating the engine block and the cylinder head to keep the lawnmower cool.

Another likely chance of this lapsing of the lawnmower during operation can also be because of the spark plug. As the spark plug has been damaged or is dirty, it is causing the plug to stop transmitting current, causing intermittent problems with continuous running.

Solution

Malfunctioning of the spark plug needs to be taken seriously. For instance, even if you have once again succeeded in getting your zero-turn mower up and running after it lapsed initially, rest assured this will happen again, and not every time you get lucky enough with the machine restarting.

Begin by inspecting the spark plug for any signals indicating damage for being worn out. See whether the porcelain insulator on the plug is cracked or the nearby electrodes have been burnt away or damaged. 

While inspecting your spark plug, check for build-up around the areas on the spark plug, such as the electrodes. When there is massive buildup, instead of investing the time to clean it, just simply replace it because there is no assurity that the malfunctioning of the spark plug will be restored after cleansing. 

Alternatively, use a spark plug tester to confirm your suspicion of a defective spark plug. If there is an absence of a solid and robust spark between the terminals on the tester and the engine, the spark plug is not working due to the buildup.

However, in the absence of a spark between the two, this indicates the spark plug is defective and in dire need of replacement. 

Zero-Turn Mower Releasing Smoke 

Running the lawnmower, the machine is functioning ideally, delivering its optimal outcome, but out of the blue, you notice thick and black smoke radiating from the machine.

Sure, this is a cause of concern for all lawnmower users. 

The primary reason for such smoke to be released from your zero-turn mower lies within the machine’s carburetor. Purpose of the installation of a carburetor within any technical device is for the component to provide internal combustion of the engine with the fuel and air mixture. 

Also, carburetors tend to regulate the airflow via their central bore, which draws air into the fuel mixture through the engine, ensuring to keep up with the combustion. 

When the carburetor receives more fuel than it should, the black smoke from the machine will be emitted. Excessive fuel goes into the carburetor when the float of the part is left open, so the machine ends up getting more fuel than required. 

A vice versa situation where the lawnmower releases smoke can be because of increased oil. Supposedly, you had a recent oil change for your lawnmower, and right after that, you see smoke being released, then without a second thought, you should be able to spot right onto the problem- more than needed oil in the zero-turn mower. 

Solution

There are two solutions to solving the problem of the zero-turn mower releasing smoke out of its engine. First is that you check the amount of oil that is present in the tanker of the machine. Closely evaluate the amount of oil; if you think it’s too much and exceeds the manual guide’s requirement, drain the excess amount. 

But if the amount of oil is moderate and per the instruction guide, proceed to the second troubleshooting option: check the float on your carburetor. You can quickly locate the float on the carburetor, mounted on either side of the component. 

Float will be like a small fuel tank being fed through the main fuel tank. See if the float is closed, and even if it is, then, just in case and to be on the safe side, tighten it even more to reduce any potential chances of further smoke being released. 

Zero-Turn Mower Not Accurately Propelling 

Has it ever happened that you are driving your zero-turn mower in a particular direction but it keeps shifting towards a totally opposite direction? When this happens you end up wasting most of your time trying to get the propelling in the accurate direction. 

The V-belt inside your lawnmower is responsible for regulating the machine’s direction. But this is not the only mechanism you need to drive the lawnmower per your directions.

Drive pulley, connected to the engine’s crankshaft, is also required. When the drive pulley is broken or worn out, the transmission from the crankshaft will be unable to reach and then engage with the wheel assembly. 

So the issue you are currently facing with the lawnmower propelling is because of the broken V-belt or the drive pulley being damaged. 

Solution

In both cases where you have to identify the cause of the inaccurate propelling, you should start by closely inspecting the drive pulley and the V-belt. Where your V-belt has been broken or has worn out due to consistent use of the lawnmower- replace it. 

When the issue is with the drive pulley being defective, you should replace it too. There is no other way around it than a replacement for you when the components essential for correct propelling have worn out or are broken. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Conclusion 

In this write-up, we have discussed the typical Ariens zero-turn mower problems. One common observation is that such problems can be easily avoided if you take measures to maintain the machine.