Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Husqvarna Hydro-Drive transmission problem  (Read 2267 times)

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Husqvarna Hydro-Drive transmission problem
« on: August 21, 2020, 08:19:21 am »
Worth sharing this experience. We have a 2003 CTH210XP ride-on mower which mows slopes which don't exceed the 14 degree maximum- in excess of that seems to cause all the reported problems. Despite that there has been a gradual loss of slower forward speeds until it was going too fast to mow really and then the drive began to cut out and in on its own. The result was a mower that would only work in reverse!


Thinking that the hydro-drive unit was just worn out and discovering that replacements are no longer available and so we were just looking at 265Kg of scrap metal, I decided to chance replacing the transmission oil anyway. No drain plug, so the unit has to be removed and tipped upside down! The oil level was correct at 3/4" from the top but what came out could only be described as 'very thick'. The oil for this unit is 20W50 and the unit was filled, refitted, purged and topped up. Initially there was no change, but when it finally kicked-in I ran it around for a few minutes. The result was nothing short of miraculous- worked perfectly with a precise neutral and the ability to crawl very slowly. Furthermore the machine now goes up and down slopes with no change in speed, so no need to adjust the speed or brake anymore.


Turns out that this transmission oil should be changed after the first 70 hours and then very 400 hours thereafter. The machine has probably done 1000 hours and because of the difficulty doing that job without a sump/drain plug I think it highly unlikely the oil has ever been changed.


So if anyone has a mower which develops transmission problems, rather than buying a replacement drive unit or even writing the machine off, try an oil change first- €12 well spent for us.

 

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