Husqvarna Automower 450X Wheel Motor Fault

[@johnanderson6731]

This is a great video! My 450x has 5,283 hrs on it and previously no issues so I've been pretty lucky. Earlier this week, I noticed that my automower was taking a long time getting back to the charging station at the end of the mowing day. When I went out, I discovered the right wheel was turning and the left wheel was locked; no fault message on mower (not sure if that's because it was in searching mode instead of mowing). I ordered a wheel motor and because this part ships from the Safford in Alabama and is going to take about a week (I am in Wiscosnin), I decided to take the planetary gearbox apart and see if I could temporarily get the mower back up and running until the replacement part arrived. Upon inspection, there were no issues on the plastic gears other dirty so I cleaned them up but the seizing was coming from the metal gears under the metal washer. I filled the metal gears with carb cleaner and I got a lot of dirt and debris out (a lot). I repeated this carb cleaner process (fill and empty in the gear box) and on the third time, I got out what appeared to be wet spongy insulation about the size of a dime. Of course this was the dried lubricatant softened up by the carb cleaner. I repeated the carb cleaner process one more time as the gears were still not rotating freely and the remaining clump of lubricant came out (about the size of a distorted penny) and the gear box starting rotating freely. I added some automotive lubricant (white lithium grease) to the gears and put the unit back together. It's been running again for 8 hours without issue. My automower season is up in less than one month when leaves really start to fall and the automower just pushes leaves all over the yard so, at that time when I winterize, I will repeat this process on the right wheel motor and keep the replacement wheel motor for when one of the motors actually fails.

[@morrigan1794]

thanks so much, i have nearly 4000 hours on my 330 x and this is happening mine now maybe the cooler wetter climate of Ireland helps these last a bit longer . gonna strip it apart and have a look . again really appreciate the video :)

[@ttrm007]

Excellent video! I checked my 450x today with almost exactly 1000 hours and the grease was dry and hard with just a little lubrication left. I think I got it in time. My other automower has 800 and I'll be doing it soon.

[@seanballington]

Thanks - just what my 450xh had as an issue!

[@annepan001]

Thanks so much for your helpful video! My rear right wheel seized up so I stripped it back and cleaned it up, re-greased it, and think it will work ok now - got snow on the ground so can't test it on grass yet! However, I thought I should do the same for the left rear wheel and ran into a problem with those small screws that you removed at around 3 minutes into your video - only 1 will move, and the others are now slightly stripped, so I have a choice of leaving it be and crossing my fingers til it breaks, or drilling out the screws and replacing them with new ones. Do you have any idea how I'd get replacement screws to fit though? Not sure what they're called / size etc. Maybe Husqvarna can help - but it's out of warranty now by 7 months.

[@Skul-Ski]

I would try to use a power drill or impact just as I used to remove them BUT!!! Make sure to get yourself a Phillips head tip that fits very perfectly into the screw head. Use your fingertips to see that there is almost no wiggle at all with the bit when you mate it with the head of a non-stripped screw. Then. lean in a push down with all your weight before you pull the trigger to unscrew. You will see that is just what I did at 4:08 to get one of the screws out. Definitely replace them with new ones once you get them out if the heads are in bad shape. Sorry, don't know the exact size off-hand.

[@annepan001]

@@Skul-Ski Thank you! I'll try measuring one and look for something online :)

[@B5204T5]

Hi, and thanks for good tips, I have opened more than ten motors trying to fix them, I gave up... gearbox is one thing, yes you can grease it up and hope for good result. Motor itself is sealed unit, but I did open them up just to see what's exactly going on. And yes they were warranty motors and when I opened them up they were full with black sticky stuff, dead motors...

[@PeterJurasek]

same problem on my Gardena Sileno, the motor-gearbox assembly looks identical, those plastic gears are done. Replacement part - you have to buy complete set motor-gearbox for 160 Euro :(

[@sirkildalot8409]

Thanks for this. Just spotted my 450x was struggling today and guessed it was a gear issue. I’m thinking that it might be a good idea to open the gearbox and lube it up with something decent from Day 1. That might give it a bit longer life. It seems that the quality of the grease is very poor..

[@johnodonnell4593]

Great video. What kind of lube? Will gear oil work or does it have to be grease? Also, should I also put grease on the motor side under the little cover where all the hardened burnt grease is?

[@Skul-Ski]

I just used automotive axle grease. Gear oil is not an option. Too thin. It will run out and potentially leak back into the motor windings.

[@gtfitzpatrick]

Cannot get the nut off to take off the wheel, any ideas?

[@Skul-Ski]

Impact wrench maybe? If you don't have one just swing by a tire shop.

[@regnardin]

Why do not you use the two year warranty?

[@Skul-Ski]

I did. Got a replacement motor under warranty in the box waiting. Almost through another season with that "band aid fix" and still going. To be hinest it actually has almost completely quieted down and not a single fault. I have been mowing exusively at night.

[@woody3307]

@@Skul-Ski HOW did you get them to honor Automower warranty after you cracked case? What number did you call? Or did you go through local dealer? How did you convince them to order part? My local dealer told me they don't work on robot mowers so I sent email to Husqvarna, but an "Expert" replied and said he was going to forward to corporate, but I haven't heard anything? My 315 is in pieces in need of two motors actually. One grinding, and the other stiff compared to my other one that has been operating about same amount of time.

[@Skul-Ski]

@@woody3307 been so long I don't know the number I called, but I explained the problem. They said to bring it to a dealer but I told them the nearest dealer was almost 200 miles away and that was not an option. (there is one in town now). I just explained to them the part I needed. I went into great detail and my prious experience with robotic mowers so that likely played a role in them just sending the part. Figure it saved them warranty labor as well.

[@Skul-Ski]

Actually, I did. I received a free replacement motor because of this and I still have it on the shelf waiting for when I really need it.

[@jevgenie7094]

HI I have husqvarna automower 320.My battery is stay old. i took it from mower. here 18650 1600mah vtc3 cells. i bought cells 18650 vtc6 3000mah and did same 5p2s. old bat has bms board (bq77908A). i re soldered and output of bms 7 volts. i am thinking bms is not working with new cells. how to restart/startup this bms with new cells? my be your know something ? thank you

[@Skul-Ski]

Sorry, I have not done any work with the electronic. Have not had to.

[@B5204T5]

As much as I have figured out BMS has to be compatible with entire circuit. You need Husqvarna genuine batteries unfortunately.

[@jevgenie7094]

@@B5204T5 i did own battery and all is ok) i have 6000 mah but mmower was not used 6000 mah.

[@sirkildalot8409]

The wheel motor assembly is either appalling design or a cynical way of making money on spares.

[@nisouck6514]

Does somebody know the reference of the gearbox?

[@Skul-Ski]

Do you mean manufacturer information in order to get a replacement for just the gearbox? I tried that route for gearboxes for my Lawnbott a few years ago. After mjch research I found the exact manufacturer and part number and contacted them but they would not sell me one. They knew exactly what I wanted it for without even telling them because it had a shaft length used only for the Lawnbott. I have not bothered with Husqvarna because their replacement motors are about 1/4 the price of the Lawbott.

[@nisouck6514]

@@Skul-Ski Yes gearbox reference.

[@Truthbomb918]

I have a 430x for 4 years and have had to do this once to each of the motors, tube of grease was €5, 2 wheel motors about €500

[@fredrikdahlgren659]

Did you get an updated motor for the RH side? Build date of your 450X?

[@Skul-Ski]

I do have the motors with the two extra protrusions at the bottom of the black plastic mounting bell which I understand indicate some sort of a newer version. That is the case with both the new and the old motors. I did not see any obvious difference between the look and design both externally or internally of the new vs the old motors components. I received a replacement for the right motor directly from Husqvarna's repair facility shelf because the replacements were back ordered. I opened up the gearbox of this brand new motor and was shocked at how little grease there was in there so I added a couple pinches more. Bought the mower in April of 2017. I intend to inspect and clean the planetary gear gases on a schedule for now on for sure. I will start inspecting every 250 hours and then move that out further if I feel it is okay to do so. easy enough to do without even opening the case as long as the electric portion does not get "slugged up" again.

[@fredrikdahlgren659]

I guess you live in a really hot place.Wonder if its only a low temp grease used. What kind of grease are you using?Mine is S/N 171017272 with build date 2017-03-15 with today 920 hrs. No problem yet and I haven´t heard much of similar problem in europe.Summer this year in Sweden was record hot, dry and long so the automower stayed most of the time in its garage.Now temperature is dropping rapidly, so soon season is over.I will ask my dealer next time if he has any info.

[@Skul-Ski]

@@fredrikdahlgren659 Yes, I live in north Alabama and my grass is Bermuda, so it is quite thick and grows fast so the mower gets a lot of hours, but so did my Lawnbott and those planetary gears lasted 7 years on the same property. It was the motor brushes that were the wear item on the Lawnbott. These Husqvarna motors lasted less than 2 seasons!!! I added a pinch of regular automotive wheel bearing grease. I am hoping that will add significant life. Grease that was in the motor was almost like vaseline and such a light coating that you could barely notice it's presence.

[@martysellers4648]

I also live in Huntsville, had a 450X motor replaced the second season. Thinking I should probably grease the other one now.

[@mbrewer918ify]

What kind of grease did you use?

[@Skul-Ski]

I just used some automotive bearing grease.

[@mbrewer918ify]

@@Skul-Ski I took the wheel bearings totally apart on both sides and sure enough they were gunked up. I cleaned them up with brake cleaner and lubed them with marine grease and replaced the battery. I have 2000 hours. The thing is running like it is day one. Thanks for the video.

[@rosco465]

Great video, you know what your talking about, but you sure could of used a air hose to clean up your mower first.

[@Skul-Ski]

Good point.

[@Skul-Ski]

Agreed