TB-30R (w/ videos) Starter with a low weak crank sound when starting, is it the battery?

[pclinuxmac]

Hello!

I have a TroyBilt 30 inch riding lawn mower. Everything seemed to be going great, it's only a little over 1 year old. The starter cranks but the engine wont start, and all I hear is a low, weak stutter like sound for as long as I hold to crank.

Here are the videos with sound.
https://youtube.com/shorts/NHV8YWhieNs?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/bNUP4bb9TGA?feature=share

 

[bertsmobile1]

The starter is not cranking
The sound you hear is the starter solenoid engaging & dissengaging
Usually this will be a bad battery, flat battery corrosion at a battery terminals ( remember there are two of them and both have 2 ends )
Some times it will be because the engine is hydrolocked from fuel leaking into the engine.
Check for this by removing the spark plug and rotating the engine BY HAND 4 full revolutions
Beware that fuel could gush out of the plug hole quite some distance and that can catch fire.
As you probably have done on maintenance on the engine as it is 1 year old it could also be that the valve lash has opened up and is defeating the decompression mechanism added to the battery is now weak .

 

[pclinuxmac]

Thank you! Do you think it’s worth attempting to jump start with a portable charger?

I set up an appointment with a local small engine repair shop, your information will be useful to corroborate their diagnostics! I appreciate it.

 

[7394]

Test the battery, If you don't have a tester, local auto parts can do this for FREE, if you bring in the battery, & then have it Load tested.