Lawn mower from moving. 9 Reasons a Riding Mower Won’t Move Forward or Reverse (Forward or Backward)

How To Troubleshoot a Riding Lawn Mower That Won’t Move in Gear

Have you ever experienced a situation where you are mowing, and suddenly your lawn tractor stopped moving in gear? If yes, you might have wondered whether it is possible to troubleshoot such issues and if possible, how to troubleshoot a lawn tractor that won’t move in gear?

Firstly, gather up all the necessary tools and materials. Then, thoroughly inspect the drive cable, cable connection, drive belt, drive wheels, and transmission. Repair or replace the faulty elements.

Read the article till the end and learn the ways to troubleshoot a lawn tractor won’t move in gear.

What Causes the Problem?

If your lawn mower fails to shift or move in gears, there must be a motion drive failure issue that prevents the gear system from working smoothly.

That’s the most common reason most mowers experience such failure.

Your lawn mower might also fail to move in forward or reverse gears due to a blocked fuel filter and damaged or clogged air filters. They mainly cause the engine to overheat. As a result, the mower fails to move in any gears accordingly.

But you cannot verify the actual problem without a thorough investigation.

Steps To Troubleshoot A Lawn Tractor That Won’t Move In Gear:

Nothing can be more annoying than encountering such circumstances, and in such a situation, all you need is a useful yet quick-fixing DIY method.

However, several DIY ideas are available on several online consumer forums, blogs, and YouTube vlogs. But all are not dependable and cost-effective.

That’s why I have decided to present an easy-to-do DIY method of troubleshooting your lawn mower when it refuses or fails to move in gears:

Things you will need:

Have a glance at the checklist of the required tools or materials for this troubleshooting task:

Tools	Materials
Nut Driver Set	Drive cable
Slot Screwdriver	Front deck tray
Needle Nose Pliers	Drive belt
Plastic Sandwich Bag	Wheels
Socket Wrench Set	Transmission
Bungee Code
Safety Goggles Gloves

Step 1- Check Drive Cables:

As soon as you see that your lawn tractor is not shifting or moving in gears, you should check the current state of the drive cables.

Remember, a broken, loose, or disconnected drive cable will fail to pivot the transmission.

Inspect whether there’s a slack drive control lever. If you have a faulty drive cable, it will freeze up inside its sheath, and you won’t be able to pull up the lever. As a result, the drive cable won’t pivot the transmission forward to engage the drive belt.

If the drive cable looks broken, replace the Drive Cable.

Note: Work on a well-ventilated area that is free from open flame or sparks.

Step 2- Check the Drive Cable connection:

Now, if the drive cable looks perfectly intact and not frozen up, you should check whether the connection between the drive cable connection and the transmission has any loose or disconnection trouble.

To check that connection, carefully disconnect the spark plug wire first.

Then, remove the fuel tank cap and place a plastic sandwich bag over the fuel tank opening.

Next, reinstall the fuel tank cap to avoid gasoline leaking.

After that, tilt your tractor back to lift the front wheels.

Also, secure the tractor handle to keep the tractor steady.

Now, use a screwdriver to remove the bottom mounting screws and release the tractor handle.

Then, lower your tractor to the upright position to remove the top mounting screws of the drive cover.

Next, release the height adjuster lever to pull the drive cover off.

Check whether the drive cable is disconnected from the anchor post or not, and if it’s disconnected, connect the drive cable properly.

In case the anchor post looks broken or damaged, replace the Front Deck Tray.

Step 3- Inspect the Drive Belt and Drive Wheels:

A worn or broken drive belt fails to engage the engine pulley and fails to spin the transmission pulley.

Thus, the next thing to check and service is the drive belt which rarely fails. If the drive belt is broken or worn out, replace the Drive Belt.

Next, you need to inspect the condition of the drive wheels.

First, pry off the hubcaps and use the wrench to remove the wheel nuts.

Then, pull both wheels off the front axle, and you will see that build-up debris inside those drive wheels.

To prevent further damage, thoroughly clean the wheel gears and remove the build-up debris.

But if the wheels look severely damaged or worn out, you should replace the Drive Wheels.

Step 4- Replace the Transmission if needed:

After that, you need to check the current condition of the transmission.

Start by pulling the belt keeper off and disconnecting the drive belt from the transmission assembly.

Then, thrust the transmission lever forward to engage the internal gears. At the same time, use your hand to rotate the transmission pulley.

If you see that the transmission pulley is not turning, it means the transmission is locked up.

If you notice that the pulley is turning while you thrust the transmission lever, but the transmission is not rotating the front axle, it means your transmission is the main culprit causing such troubles.

In both cases, you need to replace the Transmission.

Undertaking such repair or maintenance to the lawn tractor can be hazardous. Therefore, always read the instructions manual of your lawn tractor first before operating, servicing, or troubleshooting it. Make sure you have the standard mechanical expertise to handle this type of troubleshooting task.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes a lawn tractor to stop moving forward or reverse?

A lawn tractor might stop moving into forward or reverse gears if the transmission bypass lever is engaged or because of a loose, worn, or broken pump belt and tensioner pulley.

What causes the lawn tractor to lock up?

This can arise due to seized piston of the lawn tractor. In general, the piston can seize when you keep your lawn tractor standing for a long time in wet conditions or if the crankcase does not have enough oil in it.

Why my lawn tractor only shifts in reverse?

Often users complain that sometimes their lawn tractors only go in reverse, which mostly happens due to the drive belts slipping.

Lawn tractors are equipped with drive belts. These drive belts are responsible for connecting the engine-generated energy to the axle of the drive wheels. But when the drive belt turns old, excessively worn, or broken, it tends to slip and causes such issues.

Final Verdict

Now that I have explained all the steps to troubleshoot a lawn tractor that won’t move in gear, you can easily get your lawn tractor running again in no time.

Besides, the earlier mentioned reasons, such commotion can occur due to some other faulty areas.

Reasons a Riding Mower Won’t Move Forward or Reverse (Forward or Backward)

It can be discouraging when your lawn mower stops moving and you don’t know what to do. The most likely cause of a moving problem on a riding mower is the hydrostatic drive system.

A hydrostatic riding lawn mower won’t move forward or reverse due to a bad drive belt; bad tensioner pulley; broken tensioner spring; old, low, or hot hydraulic fluid; air in the hydraulic system; or the drive release lever in the bypass position.

I’ll share with you items to check in your hydraulic system along with some non-hydraulic system-related items that may affect the engine causing the mower to die and stop moving.

Remove the spark plug wires and ignition key before starting repairs. Follow all safety precautions found in your operator’s manual.

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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.

articles that may help with your riding mower driving problem:

Reasons a Hydrostatic Riding Mower Won’t Move Forward or Reverse

Drive Release Handle Not in Operating Position

Hydrostatic riding mowers have a drive release so the mower can free-roll. This is especially helpful when your mower has stopped working and you need to push the zero turn onto a trailer.

In order to be able to move the mower forward or reverse, you must have these drive release handles in the “operating” position.

The drive release can be in the form of a lever, push/pull button, or knob. Refer to your owner’s manual for the type of handle you have on your mower and where to locate it.

Missing Key in Axle

If you have recently changed your tire on a riding lawn mower, you may have missed a small key that fell out of the axle. This key appears to be a small narrow bar and must be installed in order for the wheel to move.

Not every mower has a key in the axle, but if yours does and it isn’t replaced, the mower won’t move.

Mower Drive Belt is Worn, Loose, or Broken

Check your mower drive belt to make sure it hasn’t fallen off and is positioned correctly on the pulleys. If the belt appears worn, cracked, or broken, you must replace the drive belt.

Bad Tensioner Pulley

Tensioner Pulleys are often made from hard plastic with a bearing in the center. The pulley can break or the bearing can fail. Check your pulley and replace it if necessary.

Keep the tensioner arm greased so it has some movement and does not seize up. Without proper tension on the belt, the mower won’t go forward or reverse.

Missing Idler Arm Spring

The idler spring places tension on the drive belt. Replace the spring if it is broken or has fallen out of your mower and is now missing.

Low Hydraulic Fluid Level

A consistent hydraulic oil change at the intervals recommended by your manufacturer must be completed to keep your lawn mower transmission system running at its best.

Your mower won’t move forward or backward when running the transmission with old hydraulic oil or low hydraulic oil. If it does move, it may seem very weak while moving.

Again, change your hydraulic oil and filter(s) at the recommended intervals. Don’t forget many manufacturers have a “break-in” period when you are changing your hydro oil a little sooner for the initial oil change.

When your hydraulic oil is low, add more hydro oil until the fluid level reaches the full level when your hydraulic oil is cool. It’s also a good idea to check for hydraulic fluid leaks.

Note: some entry-level zero turns will have “non-serviceable” transmissions which means the hydraulic systems are sealed and you are not able to change your hydraulic fluid. If you are having hydraulic issues, bring your mower into your servicing mower dealership for assistance.

Bad or Hot Hydraulic Fluid

When you operate your lawn mower with bad hydraulic fluid or low fluid, the oil is not able to efficiently lubricate the hydraulic system causing increased friction and overheating of the hydraulic fluid.

Hot hydraulic fluid can also result in more extensive damage.

I highly recommend taking your lawn mower into your local repair dealership if you experience leaking from your hydraulic pump or your mower runs fine when it is cold, but stops running when it gets hot.

Air in the Hydraulic System

After changing hydraulic fluid, you must bleed all of the air out of the system. Air in the system can prevent your mower from moving.

Air can be removed from the system in most lawn mowers by raising the rear drive tires off of the ground and allowing them to spin forward and in reverse until you don’t hear excessive noise while the wheels move at normal speeds.

It is important to refer to your operator’s manual for correct procedures to remove air from your model lawn mower’s hydraulic system.

Riding mower won’t move, fix it for 1???

Procedures not only can change from manufacturer to manufacturer but also from model to model.

Non-Hydraulic Related Items that Can Keep Your Mower from Moving Forward or Reverse

If you don’t find the fault of your moving problems in your hydraulic system, you can check other items that can prevent the fuel and air required to run your engine.

Definitely check out these items if your engine starts to sputter or shuts off so you are no longer able to drive.

Battery and Charging System
Clogged Fuel Filter and Fuel Lines
Clogged Air Filter
Dirty Carburetor

To read more about items that can result in your mower stopping while mowing and how to fix them read my article “Reason Your Mower Stopped While Mowing”.

Still Having Problems with Your Lawn Mower?

Lawn mower ownership doesn’t come without its frustrations. Own a mower long enough, you are bound to run into many lawn mower problems including starting, smoking, leaking, cutting, and overheating.

For mower troubleshooting, check out my guide Common Lawn Mower Problems: Solved.

FAQ

A riding mower won’t move forward due to a worn drive belt, worn tensioner spring, bad pulley, air in the transmission system, or hot, old, or low hydraulic oil.

A riding mower won’t drive when the transmission bypass lever is not in the drive position, the brake is engaged, the axle key is missing, air is trapped in the hydraulic system, or the hydraulic oil is low, hot, or old.

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Benefits of a Walk-Behind Mower

Choosing the right lawnmower is one of the best ways to keep your lawn healthy, green, and beautiful. For many homeowners, the classic walk-behind lawnmower is the perfect tool for the job.

These time-tested machines can handle anything a small-to-medium-sized lawn can throw at them. Here are some benefits of walk-behind mowers that might make them the right choice for your yard.

Versatile

Walk-behind mowers come in many varieties. Engine horsepower, ground speed, and other functions can vary dramatically from model to model. That makes them useful for a wide range of lawns, from small residential yards to large commercial properties (if you’re up for a walk, that is).

Maneuverable

Walk-behind lawn mowers easily maneuver around obstacles, reaching areas of lawn that might be difficult or impossible to mow on a larger machine. Their smaller size makes them a great fit for lawns with water features, gardens, and trees that you’ll need to weave around when mowing.

Affordable

Due to the size of their engines and simpler features, walk-behind mowers tend to be much cheaper than riding and stand-on mowers. They also incur much lower yearly maintenance costs. Many homeowners go with a walk-behind mower for this reason alone.

Easy to Maintain

Walk-behind lawn mowers are generally low maintenance, with few moving parts that need to be serviced or replaced. If you change the oil, sharpen or replace the blades, and clear out grass clippings wedged underneath the machine, you can keep your mower running for years.

For blades and other walk-behind mower accessories, check out our parts store here.

Easy to Use

Walk-behind lawn mowers are easy to handle and require almost no practice to use, making them a great choice for homeowners who want to maintain their lawns themselves. Just point where you want to go and squeeze the throttle handle.

Environmentally Friendly

Gas-powered walk-behind mowers have smaller engines that burn less fuel than larger mowers making them the more environmentally friendly choice for a smaller yard.

Gets You Moving

Yes, mowing the lawn can be a chore – but it can also be great for your health! Pushing a walk-behind lawn mower can be a great source of exercise, especially for those with larger lawns. If you’re seeking a productive way to get those steps in, look no further.

Quieter

The larger, more powerful engines in stand-on and riding lawnmowers often create a lot more noise than walk-behind mowers that have smaller engine sizes.

Safety

Walk-behind mowers don’t pose the same risk that a riding or stand-on mower possibly could.

These machines are perfect for maneuvering around obstacles or easily being able to move anything that might be in your way while trying to get that perfect mow without having to repeatedly get off and on your mower every time your kids leave a toy in the yard that you told them to pick up multiple times.

Customizable

Walk-behind lawn mowers can be customized with various features and accessories, such as baggers and mulching blades to suit your specific lawn maintenance needs. This adds even more versatility to walk-behind machines.

They can be exactly what you need to get the job done.

Honda Lawn Mower Self Propelled Slow.Solved!

There’s nothing more frustrating than a slow internet connection, but having to push a slow self-drive mower is a close second – it DRIVES ME CRAZY. So it ends today, we’re going to fix it, and it will pull as good as the day you bought it.

So what’s the problem with a Honda lawn mower that moves slowly? A slow-moving Honda mower is commonly caused by a slack drive cable. Adjusting the tension will fix it.

Other possible causes include:

Don’t concern yourself with these other possible causes just yet. They are less likely. We’ll get to the most likely cause, adjusting the drive cable tension.

Self Drive Types

The Honda self-propel system is good, but like all mechanical equipment, it needs maintenance. Diagnosing a drive system incorrectly is an expensive mistake. A new Honda transaxle will cost several hundred dollars, so we’ll avoid jumping the gun.

Tests are not difficult, but you’ll need to execute them correctly to avoid burning time or replacing parts needlessly.

Whichever type you have, the cable will be adjustable.

If you need video help, check out “Self drive common faults video.” It walks you through the diagnosing process step by step – Adjusting the drive system, replacing drive belts, wheels, drive pins, and axle drive gears.

Adjusting The Drive Cable

I love working on Honda mowers. The designers are a thoughtful bunch. It’s rare that an engineer ever thinks about the guy fixing them. Anyway, before adjusting the drive cable, we’ll first need to locate it. Honda uses a few different types of setups. The HRX uses a bail lever as stop/start control and a speed adjustment lever beside the throttle lever.

The Honda Smart Drive uses a single control on the handlebar; this type of self-drive is a little less difficult to adjust. I have included pictures of each type set up, together with the adjusting procedure.

Disable Mower – For safety, let’s remove the plug wire and turn off the gas. Turn the mower over with the carburetor side facing up; stops gas from leaking on the floor.

Adjusting The Honda Smart Drive

The problem is, as you know, likely to be a stretched cable. In other words, the cable is too long. The whole procedure is made simple by the nice people in Japan, and adjusting won’t take more than five minutes.

Drive cables are made up of an outer cable and an inner braided cable. The inner braided cable does all the work and stretches over time. The solution is simple, remove the access cable. Honda’s solution – fit an adjusting screw in the middle of the cable.

The adjuster works by splitting the cable into two, and by adjusting the screw anticlockwise, it pushes the two halves of the drive cable away from each other, taking up the slack on the inner braided cable.

Smart Drive – The Smart Drive self-propel system has an adjuster built into the cable, and it’s located halfway down the left-hand handlebar.

Adjusting – First, open the lock nut. You’ll need two open-ended 10mm or 3/8s or adjustable wrenches. Screw the long adjusting nut anticlockwise – this takes the slack out of the cable and gives you more drive power.

If you over-adjust it, you’ll find pulling the mower backward difficult. So just back it off until you find the sweet spot. Tighten up the lock nut when you’re done with the adjusting. This keeps it dialed in.

Adjusting The Hrx

The HRX has a self-drive cable adjusting screw mounted on the speed control panel. As you have turned off the gas and pulled the plug wire, it’s safe to turn your mower to the side.

Before adjusting, set the speed to high. The adjusting screw has a lock nut that must be loosened and backed off to allow for the cable slack take-up. When adjusting, pull the cable until the cable slack is gone, run in the lock nut, and tighten.

As with all self-drive mowers, if you over-adjust the cable, it will make reversing the mower difficult. The wheels bind. To fix this, back off the adjuster a touch until the mower is free to reverse.

Adjust – Set speed to high, loosen the lock nut, and pull the cable.

Loosen – You’ll need two 10mm or 3/8 wrenches or adjustable wrenches.

Tighten lock nut – pull out the slack and tighten. Test reverse and readjusts if necessary.

Drive Belt May Be Loose

Lawnmower drive belts have a difficult job, and they work in a hostile location. But they’re pretty tough. It’s not unusual for a drive belt to last years and years. But they do eventually wear, they stretch, and the walls get thinner, which makes them even longer.

A belt that’s too long will slip, and a slipping belt won’t transfer the engine power to the wheels. This is especially noticeable going up hills or in heavy grass. If you have a blade engage control on your Honda, you’ll really notice it as you apply the blade.

A worn belt will often be noisy and can cause vibration. To check the belt, we’ll need to turn the mower over, but before we do, let’s make it safe to work on.

Remove the plug wire and turn the gas off.

Now turn the mower on its side with the air filter cover facing the sky. If you turn it up the other way, gas will leak from the carburetor, and you’ll need to replace the air filter.

Loose – The belt should deflect by no more than 1/2 inch. will cause the belt to slip and result in a slow drive.

Mower wont move forward or backwards what did I do

The belt may be difficult to see, a cover will likely need to be removed, and old dry grass will cover the transmission and belt, so we’ll need to clear it first. I use shop air to blast it, but a small clean paintbrush works too.

Now that you can see the belt check it for wear. You’ll need an inspection light. Since you have removed the plug wire, it’s safe to turn the blade.

This also turns the belt which allows you to inspect all the way around it. If your model has a blade engage lever, put it on and have a helper hold it or use a clamp. This allows you to turn the belt by turning the blade.

If the belt is in good shape, check the deflection. About 1/2 inch is good. But you don’t need to get caught up in measurements. Just use old-fashioned common sense. If it looks really loose when you squeeze both sides of the belt together without much effort, then it’s loose.

Drive Axle May Be Worn

The drive axle on a mower is simple, really. It should be referred to as a trans-axle, though. By trans-axle, we mean axle and transmission combined. I wrote a more detailed explanation of trans-axles here for those that are interested (internal link).

The axle is connected to and driven by the transmission. These are all one unit, and parts aren’t available, so when they fail, which is pretty rare, you just swap out the whole unit. Check out the Amazon link below for drive system parts delivered to your door.

Trans-axle – Honda transmission and axle combo are known as trans-axle.

Drive Pins – Wear out on older mowers and cause the drive to slip. Drive pins are crucial to the whole trans-axle assembly.

An axle drive pin, as its name suggests, is a pin that transfers power from the axle to the wheel. It’s spring-loaded and, combined with the drive gear, allows the mower wheels to move backways with little resistance when reversing the mower.

The axle pin is under extreme stress as it carries all the torque from the transmission to the wheels. These little guys wear out all the time.

The rear wheels are made from plastic and employ metal gears on the inside. The gear is driven by the axle drive metal gear. They wear out as the mower ages. Check out replacing wheels video here.

And if you need new wheels, check out the Amazon link below.

Transmission May Be Worn

Honda transmissions are tough; yes in my workshop, I have replaced a few, but to be fair to Honda, the mowers were old and driven like a hire car. When you’re fixing mowers for as long as I am, you can spot an unloved mower from across the valley.

The transmission, as you know, are solid-state units; no parts are available. If it fails, the whole unit gets changed out.

Replacing the tranny isn’t very complex, but it will require a selection of wrenches, some C clip pliers, and some patience.

Tranny – Honda transmissions are pretty good, and they need to be.