My lawn mower won’t start…what should I do next?
It hasn't been used in over 2 years...so it needs a little help.
I put in new oil, new gas, a new air filter, and a new spark plug. I tried to siphon out the old gas and oil first, but there wasn't any in there...I don't remember emptying it out after the last use, so maybe it's all congealed somewhere and i need to clean it out.
I'm not real handy - so if you can suggest anything simple to try before I take it to the mower repair place, I'd appreciate it. Thx.
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9 Responses to “My lawn mower won’t start…what should I do next?”-
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When starting a lawn mower you should start it on level ground. Other than that i think you have done everything necessary to make it run.
Sometimes i forget to turn the gas switch on. have you done that? jw because we can be forgetful sometimes. =]
You can buy a can of carburetor cleaner and spray the carburetor thoroughly, sometimes this works but not very often. Most likely some one is going to have to remove the carburetor and clean it thoroughly especially inside. This generally means placing it in a special carburetor cleaner for a couple of hours at least. You can get carburetor rebuild kits for some lawn mowers fairly easily but some are hard to find. Check with your local lawn mower repair or small engine repair shop. You can buy the cleaner at auto parts stores like Autozone for about $20, you have to be very careful with this stuff it can be toxic and cause chemical burns if not handled correctly.
Reality would say that if you do not know how to do this, take the mower to the shop and have them do it.
2yrs is a long time to let set,you might need to take it in.!st see if you have spark,take the plug back out and ground it out on clean metal,pull the rope and see if u got spark.If u do then your lucky.put a little gas into your spark plug hole replace the plug and see if that will start,if no spark then u need to take in for a tune up
there was no oil in it? was there a oil spot on the floor anywhere? when you pull it does it seam fine (or is the engine seized) if all that is fine go get your self a spark tester (even tho you have a new spark plug your magneto mite not be getting connecting to your flywheel. if that is good get a compression tester usually a 4stroke push mower should be in the range of 120-150 if that is below that then you have a gasket leak and you mite as well get a new mower- that's Altot ofworkk to figure out and to fix that problem – hope it helps -
Certifiedd Small Engine Mechanic
Buy an electric lawn mower which can sit for a couple of years and still work, in addition, electric mowers are low maintenance and user friendly.
Remove and replace the air filter. If there is a fuel filter, do the same. Remove the plug and squirt a little gas in there – a tablespoon will do. Reinstall the plug and put the throttle on Start – give it a few pulls, and if doesn't start, pull the throttle back about half-way and give it a few more pulls.
If the above doesn't work:
check for spark
check for fuel in the combustion chamber
check for compression
Once you have all those it should run.
If you have a bunged up carb – take it off and clean it out. Be sure to wear eye protection – I have got carb cleaner in the eye – it hurts!
Reinstall the carb – if you damaged any gaskets you must replace them – very thin cardboard will work for many gaskets – or you can go buy one.
Good Luck – it'll seem like fun once it's running again!
remove the air cleaner pour about a tablespoon of gasoline in the carburetor try to crank it.
Depending on your comfort level in taking things apart and getting your hands dirty – you might want to take it to a repair shop for a tune up. If you think you want to tackle it yourself, just think things through before you start taking anything apart. (One thing I won't tackle is taking apart a carb – I've just never done that and until I have someone guide me through it firsthand, I'm not willing to give myself that headache.) Pretty much anything else, I'll tackle – like replacing pullcords, blades, relatively simple stuff – although the hard part of the pull cord was the spring, and i did my googling research on that before I did anything.
The mower I have is about 20 years old – and this season was particularly hard to start. (I've vowed the mower will be retired after this season.) I went through my usual diagnostics – first making sure I had sprark – I took off the breather and the plastic housing underneath that connects the breather to the carb area. Then I sprayed a little starting fluid into the carb. I pulled the cord and it ran for a couple seconds – I knew I had spark.
Then I made sure I was getting fuel – the little cup underneath the carb was cold to the touch – so I figured fuel was getting thru up to the carb. I verified this by loosening the cup and a little gas dripped out.
Was still having trouble getting it to start and stay running, so I replaced the gasoline that was in it (still a little from last season) along with about half an ounce of carb cleaner. Finally after a few more drills of spraying in starting fluid and adjusting the butterfly in the carb – the old mower cranked up!!!
I've had to do this routine at the start of each season for the past 5 or 6 years – as I said, I'm ready to retire the thing at the end of the season.
I too do alot of things to my snapper mower, I just replaced hub on rear tire. I have replaced clutch, blades, belts, pulleys, seals, tires. But, I have not had any luck on carburators. I do not know how to do it and have never been shown. Just yesterday I took the bowl off and the float and coulod not get the needle valve back. I do not know how to take it off completely to soak it. It is a Briggs and Stratton 11 horse power. Can someone give me a website that has pictures. I am willing to learn and have 4 Snappers to practice on, but need help and instructions besides take the carburator apart-how do you do this-thanks-TBJoyce