How To Change The Oil In A Lawn Mower – Follow These Steps

By Philip Yiga | February 25, 2016

Lawn mower experts have discovered that stale oil is one of the reasons as to why mowers fail to start or perform below standards and advise that you change the oil in your mower as often as possible. One sign that will show you oil is old is when it becomes too black in color but you don’t have to wait for it to get to this point. Changing the oil in a lawn mower should be of maintenance routine for the machine if you want it to always perform its best. Just thinking about it makes you feel like changing oil in the lawn mower is such a big task but it is actually the opposite, follow the steps below and you will change oil in the lawn mower without any difficulty.

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Have your materials ready: you will need some few materials to go about and keeping them nearby will help you get the whole process done faster. Necessary materials include;

• Filter wrench or pipe wrench
• Socket wrench
• Oil drain pan or basin
• Old piece of cloth or rag
• Motor oil

Plug out the spark plug: a lawn mower starting without your knowledge can be such a tragedy so the very first thing you will have to do is unplug the spark plug. After disconnecting it, you will have peace of mind that you can work on the mower safely.

 

CHECK THE OIL

Before you actually think about changing the oil, you have to check it first to ensure that it really needs to be changed. In this there are two things that you need to look out for, the oil level and secondly the way the oil looks. Please note that it is not a must for you to change or add more oil to the lawn mower whenever you want to use it however constant inspections will help to avoid any glitches in the future.

• Begin by finding the oil fill cap:I cannot give a general location reason different models and brands design their lawn mowers differently, that’s why each lawn mower might have its oil fill cap located differently. But in most cases they give a clue and label the area where you have to change or fill oil from.
• Ensure that area around the oil fill cap is thoroughly clean: removing the cap while the surrounding area is full of rubbish and dirt leaves a great risk of that rubbish falling into the oil fill cap.
• Check shade of the oil: use a clean cloth and most preferably a white cloth because it will help you to see the accurate shade of the oil.

 

CHANGING THE OIL

Now that you know it is necessary for you to change the oil in your lawn mower, take a look at the manufacturer’s manual and be sure that you have the right type of oil for your machine. Be very careful not add any oil you have available, these small details are actually very essential so make sure you get only and only oil directed to you by the manufacturer.

• Drain out all the old oil: to empty out all the stale oil you have to first of all run the engine and as it runs, oil will be drained out with any other particles that would stick in the engine.
• Find the oil drain plug:first stop the engine from running and below the mower’s deck is where you will find the drain plug, place a basin or pan under the drain plug so that old oil is drained into it when you loosen the drain plug.
• Clean area around the drain plug: since it is under the mower’s deck it is most likely that the drain plug will be surrounded with grass, weeds and debris. Start by cleaning all that dirt off with a cloth. Grab a socket wrench and untie the drain plug by twisting it clockwise until all oil is drained out. You can then replace the drain plug with a box wrench but try as much as possible to make it tight.
• Change the filter: if your filter seems clear and free of any blockages then you can just skip this step but if it is all clogged then you will have to change it first. In any case this is also part of maintenance that keeps your mower performing amazingly. Turn the filter wrench clockwise to re-install the filter. Or if the filter is not too tight you can as well use your hands to remove and put it back.
• Add new oil to the mower:through the oil fill plug is where you are supposed to refill oil from and in the manual you will get to know the most ideal oil quantity to add to the mower. Make sure it does not exceed the fill line and thereafter run let the engine operate to look out for any faults. This will help you to notice if the mower has any leaks.

 

HELPFUL TIPS

• Changing oil every once a year is a must because after all this time the oil will have become stale and will surely need to be changed. But this on the other hand doesn’t mean that if you see any signs that show oil has become old you still have to wait for the one time that you usually change it. with all factors constant changing oil once a year will be good enough to keep the mower working well
• If you feel like this will be too much of a task for you then don’t risk it, just take the lawn mower to a repair shop and have a technician change the oil for you without putting yourself or your mower at risk.
• Wear silk or leather gloves before working on old oil as it contains chemicals and make sure to wash your hands with soap after refilling oil into the mower.
• Old mowers will require often change of oil more than new ones o if you have an old mower and are not ready to give it up then service it well and it will continue working just as good as it has been working.