I bought a HRX217HYA a few years ago. This spring, I brought it to the dealer where I bought it, where they did a "tune-up" - mostly checking things out, but they changed the oil and I think also the air filter.
About 3 1/2 weeks ago, I found I was able to start the mower (and run it for an extended time without the blades engaged), but couldn't really engage the blades. The engine would run with the blades for 30 seconds or so, then shut itself off. I brought it back to the dealer. They had a long backlog, but told me they thought it was probably a clogged fuel filter causing compression problems.
Bear with me if I screw up parts of the explanation - I'm not a techie.
Late last week, they said they discovered I had low oil, caused by a slow leak, which was the cause of the compression problem. The valve cover had apparently caught on something (which the dealer said he had never seen before) and caused the leak. The cylinder(s) had been irreperably damaged by the low oil, causing the lack of engine compression. A new engine was the only realistic solution.
I noticed nothing out of the ordinary until the engine stopped working, though admittedly I don't check the oil very often. No unusual noises, and certainly no smoking as I've observed coming from other engines without sufficient oil.
While it's still under warranty, the dealer called Honda who declined to offer any assistance because they said I should have been checking the engine oil before every use.
The dealer suggested I call Honda directly and might have more success. Does anyone have advice for me?
About 3 1/2 weeks ago, I found I was able to start the mower (and run it for an extended time without the blades engaged), but couldn't really engage the blades. The engine would run with the blades for 30 seconds or so, then shut itself off. I brought it back to the dealer. They had a long backlog, but told me they thought it was probably a clogged fuel filter causing compression problems.
Bear with me if I screw up parts of the explanation - I'm not a techie.
Late last week, they said they discovered I had low oil, caused by a slow leak, which was the cause of the compression problem. The valve cover had apparently caught on something (which the dealer said he had never seen before) and caused the leak. The cylinder(s) had been irreperably damaged by the low oil, causing the lack of engine compression. A new engine was the only realistic solution.
I noticed nothing out of the ordinary until the engine stopped working, though admittedly I don't check the oil very often. No unusual noises, and certainly no smoking as I've observed coming from other engines without sufficient oil.
While it's still under warranty, the dealer called Honda who declined to offer any assistance because they said I should have been checking the engine oil before every use.
The dealer suggested I call Honda directly and might have more success. Does anyone have advice for me?