Honda Self-propelled Lawn Mower Transmission Problems

Honda self-propelled lawn mower is equipped with dual drive capabilities. You can either drive the mower using the engine power hence the term self-propelled or you can drive them manually. The mower speed is variable and controlled using smart controller. Like other mowers, transmission plays an important role in mower operation. The Honda self-propelled lawn mower has a transaxle instead of the conventional transmission system. The transmission, differential and axle are all housed in one unit. Throughout this article, transmission will mean the transaxle. Faulty transmission system result in problems with Honda self-propelled lawn mowers. Transmission system is responsible for transfer of engine power to wheels. It consists of meshing gears and a sliding mechanism. These mechanical components are prone to failure as discussed later in this article resulting in transmission problems in Honda self-propelled lawn mower.

Table of Contents

No Transmission

Loss of transmission problem in Honda self-propelled lawn mowers is mainly due to faulty engine unit or transmission components.

Faulty engine

The engine supplies power to the transmission via the shaft spline which connects directly with transmission axle. If the transmission input shaft is not rotating the problem is usually the engine. It is recommended to source services of a competent person to repair the engine.

Faulty spline shaft

The spline shaft is one of the most common causes of transmission failure problem in Honda self-propelled lawn mowers. The spline shaft has beveled gears that connects to the transaxle input gear. These gears get worn out with time and require replacement. Excessively worn out gears run as free spin gears as they cannot mesh correctly with input gears. A good sign to show that spline shaft or meshing gears are worn out is the shaft rotating while the axle is stationary. If that is the case it is recommended to replace all worn out gears. Unfortunately for some spline shafts one end has spur gears that form part of the shaft and replacement implies replacement of the whole unit.

Mower Not Engaging in Reverse or Forward

This occurs when mower cannot reverse after engaging the reverse position. This problem in Honda self-propelled lawn mower is caused by faulty sliding mechanism which replaces the conventional clutching system in other motor vehicles.

Faulty Sliding Mechanism

The sliding mechanism is a unit that meshes with two adjacent gears within the transmission housing. It has three switching positions, neutral where power is disconnected from engine, forward and reverse positions for those respective directions. It is attached to the steering mechanism using a cable.

The sliding mechanism after some time experiences wear and as a result it will not mesh properly with forward and reverse gears resulting in Honda self-propelled lawn mower facing problems with engaging reverse and forward directions. This problem requires replacement of the worn out sliding mechanism which should normally solve this problem.

Additionally, if the cable becomes excessively slack, it will not be able to switch the slider from one position to another to change direction of motion. It is recommended to follow user manual in adjusting these cable tensions.

Worn Out Spline Gears

The two gears are important to engage the lawn mower in forward or reverse direction. As with other metallic components, they wear with time and lose their teeth which helps them mesh with driver gear teeth. This result in problem of direction changing with Honda self-propelled lawn mowers. Also inspect all gear groves and ensure they are free from any metal pieces as these may cause the gears to slip at that point and thus losing the direction. The recommendation for worn out gears is replacement. Also ensure that the gears are firm and properly aligned within the housing to avoid this problem.

Transmission Noise

There are a lot of causes of transmission noise problem in Honda self-propelled lawn mowers. It is important to follow procedure manual prior to operation of the lawn mower so that efficiencies are achieved minimizing premature component failures.

Lubrication Insufficient

Lubrication plays an important role in lawn mower transmission. This is due to transaxle design where both components are housed in one unit and mesh together to transfer power. Normally the transaxle is filled with grease of correct viscosity. The purpose of the grease is to provide lubrication between rotating metallic components and take away heat from the system. Without the grease, parts rub against each other particularly gears and spline shafts. This result in noise problem from the Honda self-propelled lawn mower transmission system. To solve this problem it is recommended to always ensure that the transaxle is filled with the correct type of grease. Always refer to supplier recommendation for grease top up.

Incorrect backlash

All meshing gears have some free turn allowed to avoid binding of gears and reduce excessive wear at contact points. Backlash also helps provide driving unit with free spin to avoid overload when the gears are already locked together. However, if backlash becomes excessive, it results in excessive transmission noise. Backlash can be corrected by replacing worn out gears and proper gear alignment to avoid Honda self-propelled lawn mower transmission noise problem.

Worn or Broken Gears

Gears transfer power from one component to another. This is achieved by contact between two gears. This action of gears engaging and disengaging results in wear and tear. Worn out or damaged gears are also a cause of noise problem in Honda self-propelled lawn mowers. Gear wear is expected and regarded as normal so long it serves its design life prescribed by supplier. Proper lubrication is key in ensuring gear life is extended and to avoid transmission noise. Worn out gears should be replaced.

Damaged or Worn Out Bearings.

Bearings plays an important role in minimizing friction between rotating components. Bearings require lubrication to work properly with a good life. If bearings are deprived of lubrication they metal components rub against each other resulting in excessive wear. A lot of noise is produced from the friction resulting in this problem in Honda self-propelled lawn mowers.