Do lawnmower have alternators? Best Read
Nowadays, lawnmowers are manufactured and designed with many features. All well-known companies try to provide the best product and reach every gardening enthusiast who wants to buy a lawnmower.
If you are mowing your small home lawn, it’s not an issue to buy a heavy-duty riding lawn mower. An ordinary lawnmower works fine for the majority to mow their home lawn grass. But, of course, when you are mowing your large property, you need a riding lawn mower.
Riding lawn mowers comprise heavy engines along with other electrical and electronic circuits to provide you ease while mowing your lawn. The feature of a riding lawnmower is similar to the vehicles. Many people are interested to know that;
Do Lawnmowers have an alternator? The answer is YES.
In this article, I explain the use of an alternator in a lawnmower and guide you on how to check and replace the faulty alternator of your lawnmower on your own.
WHAT IS AN ALTERNATOR?
The Alternator is a generator that uses mechanical energy to produce electricity. Alternators are mostly used in vehicles that run the lights and radio when you start your vehicle.
HOW DOES THE ALTERNATOR WORK IN THE LAWNMOWERS?
The alternator generates electric power. When the engine is running, a belt turns the pulley which rotates the rotor and produces a magnetic field around the stator. Through the stator electric power is produced and distributed in the different sections like engine functions, charging of the battery, and powering of electrical/electronic components.
WHERE DOES THE LAWNMOWER ALTERNATOR LOCATE:
The alternator is located in the engine compartment, with the other essential engine parts. There are two possibilities if your lawnmower charging system comprises the stator, then you might need to open some components to remove the stator from the engine compartment.
Belt Driven Alternator: In this type, the alternator is located on the side of the engine and attached to the engine through the pulley.
Stator: The stator is also found in the engine compartment. It is usually present below the flywheel. The stator can be removed and replaced easily by removing a few essential components.
HOW TO CHECK THE ALTERNATOR OF YOUR LAWN MOWER AT HOME?
To check the alternator of your lawnmower there are two simple methods to check your lawnmower engine alternator at home.
FIRST METHOD:
The first method to check the lawnmower engine alternator is to start the mower engine and turn on the mower headlights. Then switch off the engine if the headlights are dim it means your alternator is working well. If it’s very bright or goes off it means you have a problem with your engine alternator, it is not working properly. If this is not the option because your lawnmower has no headlight then you follow the second method at home.
2ND METHOD:
The second method Is to check the voltages in your alternator. For this purpose, you need a Multimeter. A Multimeter is a device that checks various values like voltages, current, and resistance.
First Step:
You need to locate the alternator terminals (positive and negative) and clean the terminals for any corrosion and dirt.
Second Step:
Select the DC Voltages through the rotating knob on the Multimeter.
Third Step:
Now you connect the positive lead of your Multimeter to the positive terminal. Similarly, connecting the negative lead to the negative terminal.
Fourth Step:
The reading of the alternator is about 12.4 to 12.8 Voltages.
Fifth Step:
Now start your mower engine and note down the reading of alternator voltages it does not exceed more than 14.5 Volts.
Sixth Step:
if the voltages exceed 15 Volts it means your battery is probably overcharged and your alternator does not work properly.
Seventh Step:
Turn on the electronic gadgets, and headlights of your lawn mower and note down the reading. If voltages go down it means your alternator is working but be sure that voltages do not go down below 13 Volts.
Eighth Step:
if you found any of the above-mentioned anomalies then it means your alternator might defective. You need to talk with the service guy at your mower company. You also engage a local mechanic in your town, to repair the alternator. Repairing and replacing alternators is not a big issue for any mechanic.
FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS (FAQs)
CONCLUSION
In the end, I hope you find this article useful and this article will impart to you some knowledge about the alternator and how to troubleshoot the alternator at home. Additionally, I always try to give you tips and techniques which are useful for you and to help you in your gardening passion. If you are an employee then this is very important for you to know basic knowledge about the machines, and equipment that are helpful in your profession and you move forward and make your life better.
About Naveed A Hashmi
In my childhood, I used to see my parents while working in the land, for these reasons today I have been serving the same as our own tradition and culture. I thus love to stay in it, because I want to learn something advanced and new so that I may improve my farm’s contour and help others with my experience.
