If you’re using a battery charger, select a spot near an electrical outlet. For instance, it’s usually best to use a charger inside your garage.
Wear the protective gear at all times when working with batteries. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and closed-toe shoes as well for additional protection.
If you’re unsure where the battery is or can’t figure out how to open the battery compartment, check your owner’s manual. Lawn mowers all open a little differently from one another, so use the manual for more specific instructions. If you own a push mower, you won’t have to look too hard. It is either in a box near the handles, under the cover on the engine compartment, or next to it in a separate slot.
The ignition has to be off in order to prevent electrical shock or battery damage. It’s easy to forget that the ignition was left on and then end up with your mower suddenly roaring to life at the wrong time.
If you don’t see any corrosion, you won’t have to clean the battery. However, check it for corrosion at least twice per year, particularly when the battery hasn’t been used in a while or after it has lost its charge. If the battery is highly corroded or has acid leaking out of it, you’re better off replacing it. Old batteries are more prone to corrosion, so it could be a sign that your battery is no longer a great choice for your mower anyway. Corrosion can cause a battery to no longer work. After clearing away corrosion, test your mower again to see if it starts. If it doesn’t, try charging it.
Lawn mowers made before 1980 could use a 6V. Use a 6V battery charger to power these batteries. Voltage is a power measurement that tells you how much power is needed to operate the mower’s engine. You should always use a charger with the same voltage rating as the battery. Jumpstart it with another battery only if they both have the same voltage.
Engage the parking brake so the car has no chance of rolling away while you’re using it. Note that jump-starting only works on 12V batteries. Most mowers, including push mowers, use 12V batteries. Jump starting a riding lawnmower is easy, but you may have trouble doing this for some push mowers due to the placement of the battery. The terminals can be hard to reach. Instead, remove the battery and connect it to a charger.
If you’re unsure how to open the hood, check the owner’s manual. It varies from car to car. For instance, some have push buttons, while others have levers you have to pull. Make sure the engine is cold before opening the hood. If you just turned it on to park it, it will be fine. However, if you drove it recently, give it 30 minutes to cool down.
If you have an electric vehicle, make sure its charger isn’t plugged into the wall before you attempt to clamp any cables to the battery. Once you connect the first clamp to the battery, make sure the clamps don’t touch any other metal. It could cause permanent damage to the battery.
While connecting both ends of the black jumper cable to the batteries still works, it increases the risk of an explosion. It’s one of the most common mistakes people make when jump-starting a battery.
The electric current could potentially ignite gasses around the battery, so it’s very important that you attach the clamps with caution. If you take your time, you can avoid any risk of an explosion.
Double-check that the mower is off so that you don’t overload its battery upon starting your car.
Expect to see a few sparks when you first start the engines. It’s normal and won’t damage the batteries. However, if you see a ton of sparks and they don’t stop right away, shut off both vehicles. If the mower doesn’t start, turn off both vehicles and look for other problems. Make sure the jumper cables are connected, for instance, and that the mower has plenty of gas.
You don’t have to shut off either vehicle before removing the cables. It’s best to at least leave the lawn mower running so its battery continues to charge. Keep in mind that the clamps can still cause a short while they are connected to a battery. Once they have all been disconnected, they can safely touch metal surfaces again. The mower’s battery will charge while you’re using it. Consider hooking it up to a battery charger afterward to ensure it finishes charging.
Amps are a way to measure the strength of an electrical current. A strong current can overload your battery, destroying it. If you’re able to, get a charger with an automatic shut-off feature. It will help protect your battery in case you forget to disconnect it right when it finishes working.
Leave the battery charger unplugged while attaching the charger cables. To protect your battery and reduce the risk of electrical shock, double-check that the charger cable is attached to the correct terminal before continuing.
Battery chargers tend to have an auto-start feature, meaning that they won’t work until you have finished securing the clamps properly. You won’t end up with sparks or a possible short if they happen to come into contact with a metal object.
If you’re using a low-amp setting, you might have to charge the battery for longer than 1 hour. Check the charger’s display for a light or a meter monitoring the battery’s charge. Some chargers have an automatic shut-off feature. The charger will stop when the battery is full, and this will be indicated by a light on the charger’s screen.
To prevent overcharging the battery, remove the charger as soon as the battery finishes charging. Otherwise, the charger could cause damage to the battery. After disconnecting the charger, store it in a safe, moisture-free spot until you need it again. The clamps can touch without causing damage to the charger. If you suspect your mower has more problems beyond a dead battery, consider bringing it to a repair shop for an in-depth inspection.
