Took my mower to the dealer to get the drive oil changed. Was recommended to change it at 100 hours and then every 400 hours. After I got the mower back I noticed it was harder to start than it usually was and when I did get it started it puffed some smoke and ran a lot faster at just idle than normal. Have owned the mower for 2 1/2 years so have learned its tendencies and such. When I put the throttle full it sounded much loader and faster and much higher rpms and when I engaged the blades and started mowing it sounded like the motor was "surging". Sounds like it is "bumping" up to the governor and back off . It has a rrR rrR rrR sound but only when the blades are engaged not when they are not. I used to able to mow my yard 2 times give or take every tank but the last 3 times I mowed there is only about 1" of gas left in tank. Went to the dealer and complained about it and they pulled the report and it said the rpms was at 32?? rpms and was supposed to be at 36?? rpms so they set them up to what the factory specs were recommended. Told them about the hard starting and smoke so they told me to bring it back. I did and told the guy at the counter that it used to run and start fantastic and to put it back the way it was and they said they could. Got the mower back and when I started it, it was better but not the same and every now and then it will still puff a little smoke (not as much) but a little and not every time. Called and was connected to the mechanic and told him all of this and he said the rpms was set back to 34?? and I asked him why he didn't set it back to where it was as I was told they would. He said he was never told that. I told him I bring my mower in to replace the hydro oil and they mess with it and screw it up and they sent me a bill for them to try and fix their screw up. It still "sounds" like it is surging, not as prominent as before but it is still there. The mechanic said if I wanted to bring it back and talk directly to him that he can put the meter on it and set it to the 32?? rpms. My question is will it hurt the 691v Kawasaki motor for it to run that way or just run it. It used more gas than normal last mowing but not as much as it did when I first got it back. Looking for insight about what I should do or not do. Thanks.
Ultima ZT2 surging
- Thread starter tbmmbt
- Start date
First of all, check your attitude and have a little patience. We are not at your beck and call. Do you assume the technicians on this site are waiting to serve others and should provide answers within 24 hours, we do have other lives and commitments., especially on the weekends. Service manual does say high speed, no load RPMs should be at 3600. Second, as a technician when we see that things are not up to spec, we set them where the manual recommends. Others complain that it should be done even though we weren’t told to do so. Dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t. More than likely you have a fuel delivery problem that you were unaware of, due to the low speed setting. It manifested itself when the RPMs were set properly. How you want to proceed is up to you, but you are not going to get any sympathy from the techs on this site with your failure to understand what techs have to do to please every customer. Most understand, others RANT. Your can now get mad at me and hit the ignore button.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2020
- Threads
- 91
- Messages
- 11,475
Plus as Rivets some of us work all week at our own shops. Personally my shop is operated 6 days 10 hrs/day every week. Sundays are my day to get my own things done. I only stopping now as I awaiting a couple of my gals to lay. Then I going the grocery store, Auto parts store, HFT a couple items and then when get that done it my housework and yard work plus formatting and updating my business software with new price files.
Now we also need the actual model numbers of mower and the model and spec numbers of the engine for us to see what you in front of you as we are not all seeing.
Now there three base versions of the Kawasaki 691V (FS, FR, and FX). Idle speed is set at a base of 1450 with a governed idle speed of 1550. If not done correctly then governor will act up.
From the service manual these are the idle speeds
Also note that just because the hydro oil was change does not mean something else hasn't happen in the meantime. I just had a mower that was running when the customer picked it but before it got unloaded at the customer's home it started acting up. A piece of metal that another didn't keep track of started causing problems.
Now we also need the actual model numbers of mower and the model and spec numbers of the engine for us to see what you in front of you as we are not all seeing.
Now there three base versions of the Kawasaki 691V (FS, FR, and FX). Idle speed is set at a base of 1450 with a governed idle speed of 1550. If not done correctly then governor will act up.
From the service manual these are the idle speeds
Also note that just because the hydro oil was change does not mean something else hasn't happen in the meantime. I just had a mower that was running when the customer picked it but before it got unloaded at the customer's home it started acting up. A piece of metal that another didn't keep track of started causing problems.
You mean you actually get Sunday off. I spend this morning taking care of a local farmerswhose seed tender wouldn't start and they can't load their planter without. it. Symptom was they had ran it out of gas, refilled it, and then it wouldn't restart. They got is running temporarily but then died and wouldn't restart. Replaced the flooded plug, and then had no spark. Found that the issue is with the wiring on the Meridian seed tender. Will not start with the key switch but did get it were it would start with the remote control.
Must be part of the “I want it now and don’t do it later because I’m helping you out by coming to you” generation. These guys are the ones which since I retired I don’t miss. Got one down the road who never gets his back in less than three days, even though I fixed it the day he brought it in. I don’t know why he keeps coming back. Just got a call while grocery shop, good old fart can’t get his tractor started. Told him I’d be there after I filled the pantry. Said he’d have a cold one ready for me, but it could rain tomorrow, I’ll do it today.
One I don’t have an attitude. Seems the “attitude” is coming from you. Was just wanting info what I can do and if my mower was “surging” during operation would hurt it which you as a “ technician“ never answered any question I had. 2 was not only asking technicians only but anyone including owners of mowers that have noticed the same symptoms of their mowers and what they have done or had done to remedy their problem. Sorry you can’t or won’t understand us non mechanics. Since no one chimed in I was thinking mine was an anomaly.
Guess your reading skills also need improvement. Both Star and I answered your question, plus Star went one step farther and explained how wrong idle speed can cause surging. The anomaly here is that we gave you an answer, but it is not the one you wanted, so we are as bad at being technicians as the one you took your unit to. I hope you are more skilled at your occupation than we are at ours.
Where do you get off belittling people who are looking for information and A) don’t understand what some are saying and B) don’t have the knowledge to input what is said to them. Also never said anything about what Star said. You brought him into this conversation. Only answered your derogatory comments about me and yes was very competent and skilled at what I did for a living for 42 years. Can’t comment about your ability as I don’t know what you can or can’t do. People skills apparently are not your strong point but to each his own. That is why I came here for some help but all you wanted to do is be condescending to me any way you could. In my profession I had to talk to people who I was working for in terms of what they could understand. Some were more open and had the ability to understand and some weren’t so sometimes I had to dumb it down and talk English that they could understand but you haven’t the capability of understanding what some can and can’t understand.
Thanks for the reply. I bought the mower new and for 2 1/2 years the mower performed flawlessly. Started very easy and run like a top at slower throttle as well as full throttle. Always when the blades were engaged the throttle was full and never had the surging sound. It only has the surging sound only after they messed with the rpm’s and the surging is only noticeable at full throttle when the blades are engaged and not when it is full throttle with them not engaged. I am not a mechanic and never has been but thought it odd that now this is happening. You posted that idle speed should be 1450, now I don’t know what that should sound like but after they adjusted the rpm’s the idle seems really higher pitch and fast so didn’t know if there was a correlation between the 2 or not.