Honda walk behind electric starter

[RalphVa]

Been having issues with our Honda HRR216's electric starter. Starter would spin and not engage the flywheel. Wife could not start with rope starter. I could with a single pull.

Got another starter (3rd one now; had same issue before and new 2nd starter fixed it). Started once, and then would not engage the flywheel.

Starter would engage when finished mowing. Checked battery: 12.58 volts. Sat there overnight in garage. Still same voltage next morning. Took to battery place. They said it was fine.

Would only spin the starter.

Found something from Honda online where they say the battery has to be at least 12.7-12.9 volts to work the starter and get it to engage the flywheel. Say if 12.4 volts, replace. Apparently 12.5-12.6 is that way, too.

Replaced battery.

Even old starter would engage the flywheel. Mowed some and had to restart several times. Always engaged the flywheel.

Gonna try returning the 3rd starter: $91.

Ralph

 

[crazyal]

I assume other Honda equipment is the same but all the Honda ATVs and UTVs I've owned never liked weak batteries. It started with a 86' Honda 250 3 wheeler. That think hated the electric starter. One kick and it always fired up. Eventually I replaced the motorcycle battery with a larger riding mower battery and from then on it worked just fine. I currently have a Honda Big Red side by side and after replacing the starter (after the dealer replaced the starter when I bought it (dealer demo)) I put a full sized car battery under the hood and now it jumps to life.

 

[RalphVa]

Va Tractor would not take the starter back. So, I've a spare starter now.

Not sure a bigger battery would do it. Gotta be that 12.7-12.9 volts. New battery I got was only 12.3 volts. Put it on a battery tender while picking berries. Took it up to about 13.3 volts. Worked fine.

Ralph

 

[ultrarunner]

Any difference when you jump from a charge car battery or if the car is running to raise voltage?

 

[Code54]

I had a similar situation with our old Honda Elec start walk behind. The battery never seemed to last that long for some reason. Finally just quit messing with it and pull started it. The wife wanted the electric start and found she could pull it once she got the hang of grabbing the handle and pushing the mower away as she sort of pulled. LOVE Honda walk behinds but the battery system didn't seem the greatest.

 

[ultrarunner]

20 years ago I bought Mom a professional Honda walk behind... she dreaded all the restarts mowing her large grass area...

The Honda was one of the few where the blade disengaged and the motor kept running.

20 years and only one part replaced... a spring inside a drive wheel.

Had originally planned to buy the model with the battery start but the dealer talked me out of it... said he sells very few and if I got one I should plan on annual battery replacement...

Also, no worries about rust out with the all aluminum deck!