It is already a given fact that batteries tend to die some point in time after using them for quite some. This also applies lead batteries used by many lawn mowers in the market. The majority of dead lawn mower batteries can be started with the help of a standard 12V car batter. However, you need to do some safety precautions before attempting to jumpstart the dead battery. This article will discuss how you can jumpstart your lawnmower battery in just a few easy steps.
How to Know When a Lawn Mower Battery is Dead
Just because a lawn mower fails to start does not mean that its battery is already dead. There are numerous reasons why lawnmower is unable to operate. You can go through the numerous reasons, you can easily narrow down the source of your battery problem. Doing so can help you determine whether there is only an area of the lawnmower’s operation that is not fully functional or the battery is already dead.
First, you need to turn on the lawnmower’s ignition key and observe it there is an audible clicking noise. It is best to conduct your observation in a quiet area as the noise can be loud or soft. If you hear any clicking sound, this means that the lawnmower’s battery does not have enough juice to power the rest of the machine and is likely dead. If there is no audible clicking sound, the lawnmower is not starting up for a different reason.
You also need to check the machine’s oil and fuel level. Open the cap to the gas tank and look inside to check if there is still enough gas to power the lawnmower. If you see that there is little or no gas left, it is likely the reason why your lawnmower is not starting up and has nothing to do with its battery. You can also correct the startup issue by adding oil on the dip stick.
Remove the battery from the machine and bring it to auto parts store in your area or to a professional electrician for load testing. The results of the load test can help you determine the status of your mower’s battery.
Steps on How to Jumpstart a Dead Mower Battery
Before you take any critical steps towards jumpstarting your dead lawn mower battery, you will need to have all the necessary equipment first. Here are some of the things you will need for this activity:
- A fully-charged 12V battery
- Wire brush
- Safety goggles
- 2 jumper cables
- Baking soda
- Leather gloves
Step 1
Prepare all the needed materials beforehand so that everything is within your reach while working on the machine’s battery. One of the things you need to do is put the baking soda close to your safety equipment such as your safety goggles and pair of gloves.
Step 2
Remove any corrosive material found on the battery terminals using baking soda and stiff-bristled brush. Doing so enables you to connect all the cables appropriately.
Step 3
Put the machine’s ignition key to its proper port and turn the lawnmower on. If there is no signs of cranking, open the machine’s compartment and make sure that the battery terminals are secured tightly.
Step 4
Station your car just a few centimeters away from the lawnmower and have it started. Ensure that the engine is turned off. Open the hood of the car and take off the battery’s cover in case you have one. As you do this, you need to ensure that the lawnmower’s ignition is turned off.
Step 5
Next step is to connect the red jumper cable accordingly and ensure that the red cable should be hooked up on the positive terminal. One end of the jumper cable needs to be connected to the lawnmower’s battery while the other end needs to be connected to the car battery.
Step 6
This is the step where you need to be very careful. While most people assume that either ends of a jumpstart cable can be hooked up to the either sides of the two batteries just like the red cable, it is actually not the case. You need to make sure that you need to hook up one of the negative cable to the car battery while the other end needs to be rightfully connected to the lawnmower’s engine block.
Step 7
The next would be to start your car. This step enables the car engine to run the mower’s battery. After this step, switch on the lawnmower and check if it can power on. If it still does not start up, give it a few seconds and try starting it up again.
Step 8
If the mower has already started, you can remove the jumper cables. While you are doing this, ensure that the cables do not touch each other especially is clamp parts. The removal process should be done in reverse. Now, let the lawnmower battery charge for at least half an hour. After that, you can now start using your lawnmower just like before.
[su_youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qad0wYG_iGE” width=”1000″ height=”800″]
