# Ariens Deliuxe 30 electric start wont engage



## f16bmathis (Mar 15, 2020)

My starter never worked from day 1. I'll push the start button and it'll just spin, or once in a while it'll actually engage. I pulled it apart, and everything appears to be working, not sticking, it just wont engage.


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## f16bmathis (Mar 15, 2020)

My Ariens Deluxe 30, bought from Home Depot 2 years ago has never been able to start with the electric starter. It won't engage. Thankfully, it'll start right away with the pull cord, but I have really cold days and may need the electric starter to engage. I pulled it apart and the parts and spring look fine and are lubed, spins out to engage by hand, and starting it out of the snowblower, it'll pop out as if to engage, but just for a short time. Re-install it, and just spins, occasionally will engage. I even cut two of the loops of the return spring off to try and allow it to fully rotate out and engage, but nothing. Any ideas, or just bad engineering from Ariens?


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Sounds like the gear is not spinning out far enough. I would try to clean it, and put on some light oil.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

have you tried contacting Ariens? i think the machine should have a 3 year warranty that i would assume should cover the electric start if it is defective.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF f16bmathis

It's not bad engineering just because the one on your snowblower isn't working. It is a little hard to understand why you haven't contacted Home Depot or Ariens about the issue since you bought it new and it is or would have been a warranty issue.
The machine is an Ariens but the engine is an LCT. Maybe LCT has a diagnostic tree to follow on their site. https://lctusa.com/

I would think by cutting the spring you might be creating an unwanted problem or amplifying the one you already have.
Have you checked to see if maybe the starter needs to be shimmed out a little from the engine block for the starter drive to engage with the flywheel. I've seen some rare cases where the teeth of the starter can't get past the flywheel to engage the flywheels teeth and it just spins against the face of the flywheel.

Have you looked through any Youtube vids on starters ? Donyboy73 has some great ones on almost anything. Starters - - > https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=donyboy73+starter


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## melson (Feb 9, 2015)

@kissafrog, your statement about shimmering the started jogged my memory of a situation I had with a 79 Malibu. Same deal, fixed it with shims. The only issue with that one was it took a few tries to find the correct amount of shim.
This was also a problem on a Detroit Diesel. So, yes, a bit unusual, but not unique.


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## microcomic (Nov 16, 2017)

Maybe the starter solenoid isn't working properly. Check if you can find the wiring issue on the starter. Maybe you need to rebuild it.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

microcomic said:


> Maybe the starter solenoid isn't working properly. Check if you can find the wiring issue on the starter. Maybe you need to rebuild it.


If it was a riding mower ok, but since he says "push the button" I'm pretty sure it's a 120 volt starter and there is no solenoid involved.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Correct. Button switches, and spiral on the shaft extends the pinion, so since it is turning, very few potential problem areas remain.


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## TooTall999 (Nov 19, 2015)

Is it still under warranty? If so take it to the dealer!


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## bn880 (2 mo ago)

It's definitely bad engineering, my Ariens has the same issue. Had a look at it with another licensed auto tech, nothing can really be done about it, just a bad design of the starter motor and new ones are going to quickly fail as well so not worth the $100+ to replace. Also requires disassembly of MOST of the accessories on the engine to get to the starter on the deluxe. Massive fail.


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

bn880 said:


> Also requires disassembly of MOST of the accessories on the engine to get to the starter on the deluxe. Massive fail.


????

It looks the same as the one on my Deluxe 24, on that one two bolts hold it on, that and the wires are all that need to come off. Unless they radically changed the design. I just took mine off a month ago just to oil & check it, nothing wrong with it, works fine.









Amazon.com : Ariens 921047 Deluxe 30 306CC 2-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower with Heated Handles and Auto-Turn : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Amazon.com : Ariens 921047 Deluxe 30 306CC 2-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower with Heated Handles and Auto-Turn : Patio, Lawn & Garden



www.amazon.com





But agree, this should have been taken to a dealer when the problem was first discovered, clearly a warranty issue.


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## bn880 (2 mo ago)

WVguy said:


> ????
> 
> It looks the same as the one on my Deluxe 24, on that one two bolts hold it on, that and the wires are all that need to come off. Unless they radically changed the design. I just took mine off a month ago just to oil & check it, nothing wrong with it, works fine.
> 
> ...


Actually mine is 921037 I forgot. That one is a PITA. Lots of stuff has to be removed to get to the 2 bolts threaded into the starter.


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## Snowjob2022 (2 mo ago)

bn880 said:


> Actually mine is 921037 I forgot. That one is a PITA. Lots of stuff has to be removed to get to the 2 bolts threaded into the starter.





bn880 said:


> Actually mine is 921037 I forgot. That one is a PITA. Lots of stuff has to be removed to get to the 2 bolts threaded into the starter.


bn880 is exactly correct. I have the Ariens Deluxe 30 #921032. It is a good 5 years old and has the LCT 291 cc motor. To remove the starter, you have take the exhaust cover, shroud for all the switches and the recoil starter off. The bolts for the starter are behind that black cover NOT directly accessible from the side as in all the YT videos.

My problem is the same - the bendix gear seems to work fine. Everything seems to move freely and is slightly lubricated. But it won't stay out or engage properly.

As to your lecture on warranties, mine also did not work properly from the beginning. It failed after the third storm and was replaced under warranty. But now the warranty has expired and it is failing again - same sounds and actions as before.

I came here looking for advice on fixing the starter but I saw this on another thread: "I would replace the whole starter assembly if it is on a LCT motor, they are not worth trying to repair."


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

The original poster hasn’t been back since 3/15/2020.


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## bn880 (2 mo ago)

CO Snow said:


> The original poster hasn’t been back since 3/15/2020.


We don't care, there are others interested.


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