Spring and summer are the seasons of the small engine vehicle. It is during these months that the lawn mowers, landscaping equipment, and golf carts get their heaviest use. It is also during this time of year that they get the most attention. These vehicles can last for many seasons over many years when properly cared for. These engines need proper attention on a regular basis so that their performance can be maintained or fixed quickly before they evolve into bigger and more serious issues. There will be times when issues with the engine cannot be fixed by simple maintenance or small fixes. When this happens, a complete overhaul or replacement of the engine may be necessary.
It is important that the owner of one of these small engine vehicles check all other possibilities before overhauling or replacing the motor all together. Odd sounds in the engine or less than ideal performance can be fixed with oil or other fluid changes, carburetor fixes, or a thorough cleaning.
The following are signs that your engine needs serious help, and may require overhauling or reporting.
Noise
Excessive noise when the mower or cart is running is the first sign that something is wrong. Knocking or banging can be caused by a worn out engine or a piece that has worn out or is about to. Don't jump the gun, however. Noises happen. Investigate the engine through regular maintenance to see if these noises are new, understandable or fixable before going down the replacement or overhaul route. Unusual sounds may be fixed quickly. Persistent noises are signs of repair or replacement.
Mechanical
According to Samuel M. Goldwasser of Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ, broken, damaged, or bent engine parts are a strong indicator that an overhaul is needed. These types of problems may cause your mower or cart to fail to start. If the engine is able to turn over and start, damaged parts may cause vehicle shaking or vibration. Some damaged engine parts may be possible to replace separately. Major pieces, however, may require a complete engine overhaul.
Compression Changes
Low compression is caused by low oil levels or strain on rings, valves or gaskets and will result in the inability to start or keep a vehicle started. Like an automobile, failure to remain started is a clear indicate that there are problems related to the starter system and/or engine cylinders. Low compression, according to Goldwasser, may not require a complete overhaul, however, but may require replacement of the rings or cylinder head.
Overhauling a mower or cart is something that some people are comfortable doing on their own. For those that feel boring holes into cylinders and carburetors is a daunting task, repowering your small engine with a small engine replacement kit may be a better alternative to overhauling your small engine vehicle yourself. These kits are rebuilt, higher powered small engines that come with all the necessary replacement parts and clear instructions for installing it. Either will save you money in comparison with replacing the entire piece of equipment, but one may be easier and more efficient than the other.
~ Ben Anton, 2008
Small Engine Repair How To
Small engine dealerships that carry a large quantity of hardware can experience inventory management nightmares. Many stores hire extra people to begin counting every part on the floor and shelves at the end of the year. Some small engine dealerships hire one or two individual's full time just to keep track of their inventory.
What most outdoor power equipment dealers don't know is that they can save anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 per year, just by implementing an automated system that will do it all for them.
How much does a store owner pay for an inventory control clerk's salary? How much do they pay for two inventory managers? When there is nothing to count or manage, what else are they doing that will bring you more business?
Hire employees that will get you more business. How do they get you more business? It isn't counting parts; it's helping your customers.
Have you ever seen a customer leave because your employees had too much time to help them find the best outdoor power equipment for their home or business; of course not. So put your employees where it matters most so we can keep your business streamlined behind the scenes, while your profits continually increase.
What can we do to automate your business? With over 21 years of hard work and listening to thousands of dealers worldwide, we provide our business owners with the best small engine software system in the outdoor power equipment software business.
Some of the manufacturers we work with are: Briggs & Stratton; Kohler; Tecumseh; Toro; John Deere; Stihl; Echo; Scag; Ariens; MTD; Honda; Murray; Cub Cadet; Kubota; Husqvarna; and that's only the beginning.
What does our small engine software do for our OPE dealers?
Here are just a few features our dealers enjoy every day.
- Point of sale (POS) with detailed customer information including purchase history, items on order, additional contacts/addresses/phone numbers and customer specific pricing.
- Real-time business management reports that customize to your personal needs in order to better analyze the efficiency and profitability of your business.
- The ability to track detailed information about each serialized/whole good item so you can quickly view where the item was purchased, warranty months, notes for each serial number, second engine number and serial number, mileage or meter, floor plan due date, and create customized product fields.
- The ability to view and track floor plan information so you can easily access the financing information on all of the serialized items you have in stock.
- Advanced Customer Relationship Management features that increase sales and improve customer service.
- Automatic purchase order creation based on sales history and seasonal levels.
- ProQuest eConnect interface which allows you to send orders to your supplier via the internet.
- Interfaces to PartSmartTM and ProQuest's PartsManager Pro.
- Enhanced inventory control features that allow you to quickly and easily manage your entire inventory and reduce costs.
- Detailed shop management and work order features that allow you to track detailed information about each work order so you can easily find information such as delivery dates, special requests, tag number, completion date and much more.
- Excellent support staff and training.
The list goes on, but you can see why Ideal Computer Systems not only provides you with an answer to handle your toughest inventory control tasks, but gives you a small engine software program that gives you more time to enjoy what you want most, well-deserved time off.
Both Ben Anton & Jeff Haefner are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ben Anton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Software, Home and Writing. Ben Anton works for Labworks Design, a Northwest website design firm.The Repower Specialist site is dedicated to supplying the most. Ben Anton's top article generates over 1220000 views. Bookmark Ben Anton to your Favourites.
