When you get a lawnmower, you want power and you want this power instantly. Also, you want your mower to run right and go up to the hill like a beast.
The EFI version is better when you need to deal with thick stuff. However, there are some 37 HP Vanguard EFI problems that you need to be aware of.
I believe, this article will help you get relevant information. Stay with me for a while.
4 Problems With 37 HP Vanguard EFI
When you face those problems like having difficulty getting it crank or not being able to turn on your mower at all, it becomes extremely difficult to figure out the reasons and to find solutions.
You send to any repair shop or dealer, even they will find it hard to find the root cause. After spending several hours on this particular issue, I have found the 3 common issues:
- Fuel Related Problems (Bad Gas)
You ask any dealer and they will tell you that they have a lot of mowers with fuel-related problems.
You feed your mower any crappy fuel, you will most likely face an issue with the Vanguard EFI.
Some people often do this mistake. They burn the old gas that was in the tank for too long. Ask yourself, did you use any old fuel recently?
If so, replacing the old fuel filter with a new one should solve the problem most of the time. Try this before you send it to the dealer or any repair shop.
Not just this particular problem, replacing the fuel filter solves a lot of other problems of your mower as well!
- Too Hard To Get It To Crank
When it got hot, your Vanguard EFI should crank. But you may find a hard time getting it cranks after a while.
Now, you may come up with lots of reasons why it’s getting so hard to get it crank. In fact, it will take several attempts for the professionals to figure it out.
But it mainly happens when the crank position sensor of your Vanguard EFI is not set to close enough. Read some relevant forum threads and you will see it yourself.
You can find lots of cases where the crank position wrongly set around 60,000. That’s why it gets too hard to get it crank. The manual will suggest you set it for 20,000.
If it does not get fixed even you set it around what the book calls for, set it to around 12,000. Hopefully, this should fix it!
- Vanguard EFI Engine Problems
Those problems may reveal in various forms and show different symptoms.
Debris and grass may not sound like a threatening issue but when they accumulate in between the engine parts, you will face several engine problems like overheating, temporary power loss, finding it hard to control engine speed, and so on.
So, inspect the muffler and blower housing area for those grass particles and debris every time you mow your lawn.
Such dirt and debris on the flywheel cutting screen can also diminish the engine’s ability to cool itself. Use a brush to clean the screen.
For removing such dirt, never use compressed air. It will force such debris to get stuck in less accessible parts. Instead, you should always use a brush or knife.
- White/Blue From Engine
It simply indicates burning oil. Blue or white smoke from the engine from burning oil can be caused by several factors like wrong oil grades, overfilling the crankcase with oil, and blown head gasket.
You may face the same problem with your Vanguard EFI due to worn cylinder, crankcase air leak, tilting the engine on its side for an oil change, and so on.
Troubleshooting this particular problem is fairly easy if you can figure out why there is white or blue smoke coming out of the engine.
And before you do anything with the engine, make sure to read the engine manual first!
First of all, you need to check and change the oil as it turns out to solve many engine problems. Make sure to avoid the wrong oil grade. 5w30 and 5w40 are not the same oil grade!
Also, replace parts like blown head gasket, leaked crankcase, worn-out cylinder, and rings, etc.
But the most important thing is to keep in mind not to tilt the engine on its side for oil change or storage purposes.
And if the engine has to be tilted for unavoidable circumstances, make sure to keep the spark plug upward to prevent the oil from escaping from the crankcase.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power makes the Vanguard engine.
With filtration and good oil, you should be able to put 2,000 hours on it.
Yes, they have made a name to deliver commercial-grade engines. The Oil Guard System is very unique and between a single oil change, their engine can go up to 500 hours!
Final Thoughts
When you face any of the 37 HP Vanguard EFI problems, you will feel like your mower gonna fall on its face every time you go up the hill. Of course, you should be worried about it.
However, this problem happens when you forget the basics like putting the right and fresh fuel every time.
So, before you send your mower to the dealer, clean the fuel filter and do some basic maintenance to see whether you can fix it yourself.
About Author
Thinking of purchasing a Bad Boy Rogue. 72″. Vanguard EFI 993 is about $500 more than Kawasaki FX1000. Is the Vanguard worth the extra $500?
Yes the canguard is worth it if cps is off it will still crank just not start run 15w50 and there not picky on fuel they burn enough its always fresh biggest issue is lack of maintenance valves get done at 100 ish then every 250 after at the 100 125 service heads and fasteners get re torqued
My scag mower with a 37 hp vanguard engine will not turn over too start after it gets hot. After cooling off for a couple hours it turns over and starts . It Will start if I cross starter when hot.
biggest issues ive seen with the Briggs 37s, governor failures and seized valve guides if the motor runs lean or has any trash clogging the cooling fins. Ive done by far more governor replacement on the Briggs than any other brands.
Mine will ALWAYS crank over, over and over. It just wont fire up. I always have fresh gas. First thing I do is turn the lever to switch gas tanks. It fires up 90% of the time. But sometimes I have to let it sit for several hours. Very frustrating.