Bro' I appreciate you and this vid. You just gave me the fix I needed. Just finished the cut. Exact thing happened to me, and was under a time crunch. I'm not overly confident with small engine repair. I did this and it didn't work then pried up on the bottom of the bit with flat head and then it lifted and engaged. Thank you
Thanks for the video. I followed your instructions with the WD 40 and then used a screwdriver to push the gear up to loosen it. It worked. Unfortunately I have to buy a starter but today we used it to cut the grass thanks again!
This was extremely helpful. Thanks! Edit: For anyone wondering... The area around the gear that turns the flywheel was jammed up with grass clipping and a mouse nest. Removing this allowed the gear to initiate the flywheel. No WD-40 needed. The whirring / buzzing sound means the battery, solenoid and starter are all functioning properly, but the gear is likely frozen.
Replying to your edit (for you, and anyone wondering).....before shooting this video, I had already cleaned the grass and mouse nest out of the way and it still wasn't working....hence my suggestion to spray it down with wd-40, which got things moving again and my tractor back on the lawn 😉
You and your thread saved me! I had a mouse make a nest under the dash. I followed your instructions for that buzzing and used the WD-40. Go to go. Thanks buddy!
Followed your process and found something a little different.. When I pulled the top off the compartment underneath was PACKED with leaves. It must have been the leaves that prevented the pinion gear from reaching the flywheel gear. Cleaned everything out, WD-40'd the pinion (for good measure), turned the key and the engine cranked. Reassembled everything and she started right up. Thanks!
Just wanted to thank you for posting this video. It’s exactly what the problem was. I’m just a 70 year old woman who likes to cut her own lawn and try to fix simple issues with the tractor. It would have cost me $60 just to have it picked up and I’m sure a few hundred for them to trouble shoot.
This was the same problem I had with my newer Craftsman 5600 riding lawn mower. The mice get up in the engine compartment and pee and poop all over the place and gummed up the starter gear, keeping it from popping up and engaging the flywheel properly to start the engine. WD 40 penetrated and loosened up the corrosion or gummed up gear after letting it sit for about 10 minutes. Thanks Steve...Job took about 30 minutes start to finish.
My John Deere L110 didn't start after being stored in a shed for the winter. I turned the key and heard only a clicking noise. I replaced the solenoid and tried to start again but now heard a whining noise and saw a little puff of smoke come out of the starter after I held the key in the starting position (hoping it would turn over eventually). I found this video after Googling for the whining noise, took the engine cover off, and discovered a mouse had transported bits of a moving blanket into the engine compartment. Trying to start the engine pulled all of those bits of mouse bedding into the flywheel, jamming it. An hour of cleaning later and the mower is running again. Thanks for your video!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I found your video after changing out the spark plugs and changing the fuel filter which did nothing to fix the problem (but were probably overdue anyway). Took off the cover and just cleaned out a nest with 2 mice. Neighbors were probably wondering where all of the screams were coming from 🙂 Oiled up the gear with WD40 and it finally started up. Very glad not to have to take the mower to the shop and something I'm sure I'll have to do again from time to time.
Ah shoot, too bad you didn't find the video before you did all that other stuff! Ah well, I'm glad you were able to avoid the shop and get your tractor back on the lawn 😉
THANK YOU!!! My S120 is only one year old, worked fine last week, and then this happened. After pulling things apart like you mentioned, there was a mouse nest blocking stuff. Cleaned it out, wd40'd it all, and fired right up! Had to clean up around the starter motor gear where it made contact with the flywheel, and then all was good. Dang mice!!
Thanks for the tip. Dang mice seem to be a thing. On my year old E130 that ran fine a week ago, this was the symptom. There are six screws and you have to remove the fuel pump, but everything else in this video was spot on. You rock!
Hey Bro! Followed your lead and that was exactly the problem on why my 15 year old JD 100 was buzzing. Now humming right along for zero cost and no downtime! Thanks from South Carolina!
You nailed it! Had a mouse nest behind the muffler right next to the starter so whatever gunk goes along with that got the starter stuck and preventing from popping up. Thanks!
THIS was exactly my issue too. After watching about 10 other videos I could tell we were having the same issue. JD D130 here, 6th summer for it coming up. Thanks a million!
So, I found this video, and it seemed like my husband had the same problem. So I asked him to open the engine, I pretended to tinker on a couple of things, put some wd40 in that part….AND IT STARTED!!! He still can’t get over it 🤣🤣
OMG, This saved me so much time and money, I tried everything and gave youtube one last try. I had a nest in my engine and mice droppings everywhere. after cleaning it out and spraying some WD40 it finally started. it took some playing with as the starter would not engage the flywheel. I let the WD40 do its thing for about an hour and manually lifted the Bendix gear while turning the engine with my hand, once the gear stayed up I started the engine and off we go. turned it off and started three more times with no problem. soooo happy!!!
Thanks for taking the time to share this video!! Saved me a lot of headaches!! Same situation as many commentors. Mouse nest under shroud, buzzing starter. WD 40 worked like a charm!
Well it worked! After using my J.D. zero-turn I shut it off and had the loud engine buzzing and would not re-start. Disconnected battery to stop noise, when looking for videos on starter solenoid I saw yours first. Thought before I start taking things apart, try your WD40 suggestion, also hit all around the teeth of flywheel for good measure...worked like a charm, thanks for your video, saved some bucks!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have finals coming up and don’t have time to be fucking around with the mower lol. Luckily, this is all it was and I was able to continue mowing with the machine having only a little down time.
@jordan adams Thanks for the update! Mine was exactly as this video stated. Had a mouse nest, which was preventing the flywheel from spinning. No WD-40 necessary.
Awesome fix. You saved me a lot of time and money by this fix. My John Deere did the same thing..buzzzzz. I followed your perfect directions, and I was shocked it started after being idle almost a year. Thank you again
Thank you for this video. One hour later and the mower is back up and running. Even though I use the mower every week, a mouse decided the engine compartment would make a nice home. Cleaned the nest out, used WD40, and it starts like a champ. Thanks again!
My starter is just spinning. I hear it spinning but the shaft with the gear is not engaging the flywheel. I think your solution might help. I will definitely try this first before ordering a new starter. Thank You for posting your findings.
Thank you Steve, exact same problem on my x310. I’ll check that out tomorrow morning. Viewing from Ireland by the way, shows RU-vid has a global reach 👍
Hey Man, thanks for posting. My cause turned out to be different from yours but same thing, "Starter can't turn". I had almost given up after looking at other videos and was getting ready to load it on the trailer for the trip to the dealer. When I pulled the engine cover off.. mice had built a nest around flywheel and when I tried to start, it pulled the material between the starter gear and the fly wheel ring. Locked it up. Thanks again.
Ahh man, the mice are relentless! In the fall the little bastards are constantly making nests everywhere....I still have a parked snowblower that I need take apart because they built a nest and likely died somewhere in it.
Was thinking starter hope that’s all it takes. Was mowing ,shut down to clean out some grass then wouldn’t start ,same buzzing. I’ll give it a shot thanks
I had the exact same symptom. Could see the gear spinning, but not engaging. I sprayed it, but it still wouldn't start. The temp was about 24 Degrees Fahrenheit so I figured it was frozen. I put a space heater next to the tractor and closed the shed door. Once the temp got above 32 it started right up.
Great video. I hope this works on mine. I will try this in the morning. You at it was a buzzing noise. When I turn the key to start I hear a whining noise. Could be the same buzzing noise. My battery is fully charged. Fingers crossed
Thanks, man! Saved me a lot of time. It didn't work right away, so I just left it, and tried in the morning. Messed with the wheel with a screwdriver to loosen it, and then it worked.
@@MrSteveBithell Your welcome and yea i believe You should see at least 10.6 to 11 amps on the meter i wish the WD4 worked fro me but it did not . when i turn the fly wheel clock wise by hand it does move up and engage the large gea,r but when i try to start the tractor the fly wheel does not move in the up position to make contact with the large gear with the spark plug connected or not .
Are you kidding mines been broken since thanks giving i always thought it was the ignition i really hope this works. There isnt one other video on buzzing noise
Right!? It's too bad I hadn't....however, I had zero intentions of making a video of anything. It was only after I fixed it that I made this so I could possibly help out others that might be in the same situation. Have a wonderful day 🙂
An astute observation Greg! You are correct that the "this guy" that I specifically tapped does not move at all or engage with anything.... the gear/sprocket (whatever it's called) on the starter below what I physically tapped is what moves up and down....you can see it slide up and then back down at 2:12 in the video.
