Table of Contents
Your Mower Won’t Start: Loose, Dirty or Disconnected Spark Plug in Your Lawn Mower: Check it out, clean off debris, re-connect and tighten. Dirty Air Filter: Clean or replace. Fuel Not Reaching the Engine: Tap the side of the carburetor to help the flow of gas. If this doesn’t work, you might need a new fuel filter.
What causes a lawn mower to stop working?
The most common cause of a mower failing to keep running is a clogged air filter. Take the cover off the air filter compartment and remove the filter to see if it is dirty, or clogged with oil and dust. If it is a dirty paper filter, buy a new one; these cannot be cleaned.
Can a dirty air filter cause a lawn mower not to start?
Your lawn mower’s air filter guards the carburetor and engine from debris like grass clippings and dirt. When the air filter becomes clogged or too dirty, it can prevent the engine from starting.
How do you start a lawn mower when its cold?
How to Start a Cold Lawn Mower Brush the tip of the spark plug with the wire brush to remove any carbon and oil debris. Spray the tip with starter fluid. Press the primer button near the air filter cover three times with you thumb. Take your thumb off and allow the primer button to raise back out. Start your lawn mower.
How do I know if my lawn mower spark plug is bad?
A few symptoms provide clues that it’s time to change a spark plug. Hard Start. The most common problem associated with a bad spark plug in a lawnmower is that the mower is more difficult than normal to start. Poor Engine Performance. Excessive Fuel Consumption. Physical Appearance.
Why does my lawn mower run for a few minutes then stops?
If your lawn mower starts, runs for a while, then dies, check the ignition coil, gas cap, and spark plug. If your lawnmower starts up but then dies in the middle of mowing your lawn, you could have a bad spark plug. The spark plug works with the ignition coil to create a timed spark in the cylinder, causing combustion.
How do you start a choke lawn mower?
Open the choke all the way if you notice that it has been closed. If it has been open, the carburetor may be flooded. Close the choke, and pull the starting cord a few times. When you get the engine to sputter, open the choke, and try starting the mower.
Can a bad spark plug cause a mower to stall?
A bad spark plug often causes an engine cylinder to misfire or sound like it’s struggling. The engine might even stall out completely while you are mowing. You may also notice that it becomes increasingly more difficult to restart the mower each time that it dies.
How do I know if my lawn mower carburetor is bad?
Dirty Carburetor Symptoms The lawn mower engine has trouble starting. The engine starts but stalls while you’re cutting the lawn. The engine runs rough during mowing. Black smoke is seen coming out of the muffler. There is a noticeable increase in fuel consumption during normal lawn mower use.
Where is the choke on a lawn mower?
There’s a variety of lawn mowers, but for an internal combustion engine, the choke valve is usually located on the body of the engine or a lever on the handle. Most choke valves are butterfly valves mounted in the manifold up from the carburetor jet.
Where do you spray starter fluid in a lawn mower?
Spray a light dose of starter fluid directly into the carburetor chamber of your mower. Set the engine speed to the midpoint, if the idle is adjustable, by hand. Set the engine choke to full choke, if equipped.
Can a lawn mower get flooded?
Flooding a lawnmower is easy to do. Priming it too many times by pushing the primer bulb can also cause flooding. The most common cause of flooding, however, is too many attempts to start the engine by not pulling the starter cord firmly or quickly enough to spark the mower into engagement.
How often do lawn mower spark plugs need to be changed?
For standard lawn mower and small engine maintenance, you should check and/or replace spark plugs: once a season. every 25 hours of use. if your lawn mower our outdoor power equipment won’t start.
Can I wash my lawn mower air filter?
Wash the foam filter in a wash sink or bin or with a garden hose to thoroughly clean out the dirt. Use dish detergent to cut the grease and help remove dirt. Rinse the foam of soap thoroughly, and squeeze out excess water with paper towels, cloths, or your hands.
Why won’t my mower start when its cold?
Keeping your mower clean will also go a long way toward helping your mower start in cold weather. Clean the spark plug with a brush to remove any carbon or oil debris. If your lawn mower won’t start and the gas inside is from last fall, try changing the gas. Finally, another handy tip is to warm up the carburetor.
How do you check spark plugs without removing them?
Test the spark plug ignition by disconnecting the spark plug wire from the spark plug. Hold the end of the spark plug wire close to a metal surface. If the spark plug is good, you will see a spark or you’ll hear a crackling noise. This means that voltage is getting through the wire to the spark plug.
Why does my lawn mower only run for a few seconds then dies?
If your lawn mower starts, runs briefly, then dies these are the four most common reasons that’s happening: Dirty carburetor / clogged carburetor bowl. Old gasoline that has gone bad. Dirty or defective spark plugs.
Why does my lawn mower start and then shut off?
The carburetor might be clogged. A clogged carburetor is most commonly caused by leaving fuel in the lawn mower for a long period of time. This stops the flow of fuel to the carburetor causing the engine to stall. To determine if the fuel cap vent is clogged, try slightly loosening the cap and then starting the engine.
