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How to Fix a Craftsman Riding Mower That Cranks Slowly & Will Not Start
How to Fix a Craftsman Riding Mower That Cranks Slowly & Will Not Start. Attempting to start a Craftsman riding mower that cranks slowly and will not start can be a frustrating experience for conscientious home owners who like a trim lawn. A Craftsman riding mower that is slow to crank and fails to start can often be a sign of an old battery or one...
Attempting to start a Craftsman riding mower that cranks slowly and will not start can be a frustrating experience for conscientious home owners who like a trim lawn. A Craftsman riding mower that is slow to crank and fails to start can often be a sign of an old battery or one that has lost its charge. An old, worn or damaged battery should be replaced so that the Craftsman riding mower can be easily started for mowing.
Things You'll Need
Gloves
Safety glasses
Adjustable wrench
Replacement battery
Park the Craftsman riding lawn mower on a level surface and set the parking brake securely to prevent the mower from rolling. Remove the key from the ignition to prevent accidental starting.
Put on gloves for hand protection and safety glasses to protect eyes. Raise the hood of the Craftsman mower and locate the battery.
Remove the retaining strap by loosening the nut and bolt on the side with an adjustable wrench. Pull the strap from across the battery and place it to the side.
Loosen the nut and bolt holding the cable to the negative terminal of the battery. Identify the negative cable by the black plastic coating and the negative terminal marked with a minus (-). Pull the cable from the terminal and place it to the side.
Remove the positive cable from the positive terminal on the battery. Identify the positive cable by the red plastic coating and the positive battery terminal marked with a plus (+). Loosen the nut and bolt holding the cable to the terminal with an adjustable wrench. Pull the cable from the terminal.
Lift the battery from the Craftsman riding mower engine compartment. Obtain a compatible replacement battery for your Craftsman model and place it in the compartment.
Attach the positive (red) battery cable to the positive (+) battery terminal first. Attach the negative (black) battery cable to the negative (-) battery terminal last. Tighten the bolts holding the cables to the terminals securely with an adjustable wrench.
