It’s frustrating to be in the middle of mowing your lawn when your EGO mower just shuts off. I put together this guide to help you identify and fix the running problem to get you back mowing again.
An EGO electric battery mower starts and then stops when the battery is dead; the battery or electrical circuits are hot; the wiring is loose, pinched, or damaged; or a safety switch is bad.
The motor may be under extreme load due to a plugged mower deck, dull blades, a fast ground speed, or wet, tall, or thick grass.
Be careful working with your electric mower. Consult your EGO operator’s manual for safety precautions. Always remove the safety key and battery before beginning any repairs.
*Making any modifications or repairs to your EGO mower may void any remaining warranty you may have left. Contact EGO for any warranty repairs.
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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.
This is Why Your EGO Electric Lawn Mower Stops Running
1. Dead Battery
A battery-powered lawn mower runs off the power provided by the battery. Obviously, it won’t run when the battery is dead.
When your EGO mower just stops running, the first thing to do is check the battery. Your EGO may have a LED lighting system showing the battery charge level right on the mower.
If it’s not on the mower, you may have a model where the battery needs to be removed from the mower and placed on the external battery charger to find the level of charge remaining in the battery.
If you fully charged the EGO battery, but haven’t used it in over 30 days, your battery may have automatically discharged to a lower capacity for storage.
The battery’s recoverable capacity will reduce over time reducing the maximum time you’re able to mow with that battery. Batteries can also go bad because they are old, have been exposed to extreme temperatures, or fail mechanically.
How to tell your EGO battery is going bad:
- A fully charged battery is no longer holding a charge like it once did. The battery charge isn’t lasting as long.
- The battery is charging very slowly.
- The battery is getting very hot.
SOLUTION: If the charge on your battery is low, place the battery on the external battery charger until it is fully charged. Reinstall it in the mower.
If you find it is no longer holding a charge, replace a bad EGO battery with a new battery. Recycle the old battery. You can find places to drop off or ship your old battery for recycling at Call2Recycle.
2. Hot Battery or Mower Circuit
When the Ego battery or mower circuit gets excessively hot, the mower will shut down as part of its safety system.
SOLUTION: Let the mower and battery cool before you attempt to restart it. Move the mower out of direct sunlight while allowing it to cool.
3. Battery Not Making Connection
The battery contacts may not be making good contact with the contacts in the battery compartment. This can be due to the battery being installed incorrectly.
Dirt and debris may have gotten into the battery compartment keeping the contacts from making connections.
SOLUTION: Remove the battery from the compartment. Inspect the compartment and brush out any dirt or debris.
Line up the battery with the guides and slide the battery into position. On most EGO mowers, you will hear a click and the battery release button will spring into place.
4. Loose, Pinched, or Damaged Wiring
You will find many electrical wires running through your mower. Some wires may develop a short because they become loose or pinched.
A short can cause the mower to stop running. Common places on EGO mowers to experience a short is where wires are being moved and possibly pinched. An example of this is in or near the handle where it folds for storage.
Wiggling the wires may help identify a short. A multimeter is also a good tool to use to find a short.
You can repair pinched connections using a wire nut. Always remove the safety key and battery before performing repairs.
Be aware that making this repair to the electrical system yourself can void all warranties. Check with EGO if you are still under warranty before making repairs.
5. Faulty Safety Switch
If any of your safety switches fail, your mower may suddenly stop. You can test each switch by temporarily bypassing them with a jumper wire.
Replace any bad switch. For your safety and the safety of others, never operate your mower without all of the safety switches in working order.
Ego Push Mower
- Switch for the foldable handle
- Switch to ensure side rails are fully extended
- Switch for the safety bar. The bar must be pulled into the handle to operate the mower. When the bar is released, the mower will shut off.
Ego Zero Turn Mower
- Parking brake/pedal switch
- Seat switch
- Charging-port switch
Read your owner’s manual for any additional safety switches that may be installed on your Ego lawn mower.
Read my article on the dangers of electric mowers so you understand why you need to take caution when working on your electric mower.
6. Debris Restricting Blade Rotation
The blade may not be able to freely turn because there is significant grass and debris packed under the mower deck.
Not only is it necessary to regularly check and scrape the mower deck to maintain a good cut, but it is also required to prevent damage to the motor from overworking it.
Large amounts of grass in the electric lawn mower deck might be inhibiting your blade’s ability to rotate which can be the root cause of the lawn mower shutting off to protect the motor.
SOLUTION: With the battery and safety key removed, check underneath the deck to ensure there aren’t any trimmings built up that need to be removed. Scrape the deck to remove any buildup.
Inspect the shaft around the mower blade to make sure the blade is freely able to move and no material is wrapped around the shaft.
7. Dull Mower Blade
A dull blade will probably not put enough strain on the motor to cause your mower to shut down. However, combining a dull blade with a deck packed with grass clippings will magnify the problem and overwork the motor.
SOLUTION: Remove the mower blade, sharpen it, and reinstall it. If the blade has gouges, is extremely worn, or cracks have developed, the blade must be replaced with a new one.
8. Mowing Tall, Thick, or Wet Grass
Your Ego mower may also stop mowing because the motor is under extreme load. This can happen when the grass you are cutting is too thick, tall, or wet.
Avoid cutting the grass when it is wet after a rain shower or an early morning dew. This moisture will cause buildup under the deck putting strain on the motor.
SOLUTION:
- Cut dry grass.
- Double or triple-cut tall grass. Do this by adjusting the mowing height to the highest setting for the first cut and then lowering it for the next cut(s).
- Slow ground speed when cutting tall or thick grass.
- Cut narrower sections of grass.
9. Bad Motor or Other Components
Components on your mower including the motor may have failed. The problem must be diagnosed and repaired.
For these items, contact EGO customer service at 1-855-346-5656 for mowers and 1-877-346-9876 for zero-turns to find a repair location.