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Lawn precaution can be tedious , but come spring , cut down becomes a fact of liveliness for many folks . When you undertake that first cut of the season , however , there are few sounds as dishearten as that of a lawn lawn mower railway locomotive that turns over but does n’t start . You ’re plausibly wondering why your lawn lawn mower wo n’t come out after wintertime .
Before you drop behind the mower in for haunt or invest in costly replacing parts , look for a few potential problems that you’re able to probably fix fairly well . “ The most coarse reasons for a lawn mower not starting are often mechanical , particularly if the mower has been sitting for a while , ” says Ryan Farley , CEO ofLawnStarter , an on-line serving that connects homeowners with local lawn care providers .
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Any one of the concerns below could be the perpetrator ; check out this list and follow out the right fix to your problem .
1. Clean and refill the lawn mower fuel tank.
An obvious — and often overlooked — ground your lawn mower is not starting is that the tank is empty or hold back gaseous state that is either old or contaminated with supererogatory wet and dirt . “ Are you using fresh fuel that ’s less than 30 twenty-four hour period old ? ” postulate Shawn Carothers , Senior Marketing Manager atToro , who says this is a mutual issue householder encounter .
If your gas is more than a month sometime , use an inexpensiveoil siphon pumpto cautiously debilitate it from the tank into a gas can . Be sure todispose of erstwhile gascorrectly .
2. Clear the mower deck of debris.
The mower ’s deck preventsgrass clippingsfrom shower into the melodic phrase like confetti , but it also creates a spot for them to hoard . smoke clipping can choke off the lawn mower deck , particularly while mowing a wet lawn , preventing the blade from turning . “ Spray the deck , remove andclean the blades , and if necessary , scrape off grass clump and organic issue that wo n’t untie with water , ” says Carothers . “ Wipe the lawn mower down to insure it is dry . ”
If the starter rope seems stuck or is difficult to pull , then it ’s in all probability due to a clogged deck . With the lawn mower safely work off , tip off it over onto its side and examine the underbody . If there are large thud of cut grass caught between the blade and deck of cards , use a trowel to scrape these clippings free . When the deck is clean again , set the mower back on its animal foot and start it up .
3. Change the lawn mower air filter.
Your lawn mower ’s air filter guards the carburetor and engine from detritus like Gunter Wilhelm Grass clippings and dirt . When the air filter becomes clogged or too dirty , enounce Carothers , it can mean the lawn lawn mower wo n’t crank . To keep this from happening , replace paper filter — or fair or replace foam filter — after every 25 time of day of locomotive use .
The summons for get rid of the filter depends on whether you are operating a horseback riding or walk - behind lawn mower . If a bait lawn mower is part of yourlawn care function , turn off the engine and engage the parking brake ; for a base on balls - behind mower , pull the discharge plug wire from the plug . Then , annul the filter from its housing .
The only pick for paper filter is replacement . If you ’re clean a foam filter , wash it in a root of raging pee and detergent to loosen grime . leave it to dry out completely , and then wipe refreshed motor oil color over the filter , replace it in its lodging , and power up the lawn mower — this time to the pleasant whirr of an railway locomotive in tip - top condition .
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Tried-and-True Advice
“ When I was struggling with my lawn mower not starting , I realized that even little debris could constipate the carburetor . I used an old soup-strainer to mildly scrub the areas around the carburettor . This made a Brobdingnagian difference in ensuring it ran smoothly afterward . I ’d urge doing this during steady sustentation to prevent future offspring . ”
— Paul Rankin , Contributing Writer
4. Check the spark plug.
Is your lawn mower still being stubborn and you ’re still wonder “ Why wo n’t my lawn mower start ? ” The perpetrator may be the spark plug , which is responsible for creating the Muriel Spark that ignites the fuel in the engine . If it ’s loosened , garbled , or cake in water or carbon residue , the arc stopple may be the campaign of your automobile ’s malfunction .
5. Make sure the fuel filter is clear.
A clotted fuel filter is another potential reason a lawn lawn mower wo n’t restart . When the filter is clogged , the engine ca n’t reach the flatulence that make the system go . If your mower has a fuel filter ( not all do ) , curb to make certain it ’s start the right way .
apply afuel stabilizerto continue the animation of the gas and keep future buildup .
6. Clear the vent in the lawn mower fuel cap.
The lawn mower started just exquisitely , you ’ve made the first few passing , then all of a sudden the lawn mower drop by the wayside . You draw the cord a few prison term , but the railway locomotive just sputters and die . What ’s happening ? It could have something to do with the fuel cap .
Mostmowershave a vented fuel crownwork . This vent is intended to liberate pressure , allowing fuel to flow from the tank car to the carburettor . Without the vent , the gas fumes inside the armoured combat vehicle begin to build up up , creating a void that eventually becomes so hard that it stop the stream of fuel .
To find out if this is the problem , remove the natural gas detonator to break the vacuum , then reattach it . The mower should start right up . But if the lawnmower wo n’t remain runningand cuts off again after 10 minutes or so , you ’ll take to get a new gun chapiter .
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
7. Inspect the safety release mechanism cable.
Your lawn lawn mower ’s reluctance to start may have nothing to do with the engine at all but rather with one of the mower ’s safety features : the dead man ’s control . This colorfully named safety bar must be hold in place by the hustler for the engine to start or lean . When the bar is eject , the engine stop over . While this mechanism cuts down on the likelihood of horrendous lawn lawn mower accident , it also can be the reason the lawn mower wo n’t start .
The safety bar of a dead military man ’s control is attach to a metal cable that connects to the engine ’s ignition coil . “ If this cable is damaged , stuck , or improperly adjust , it can prevent the safety interlock from withdraw when the handles are squeezed , not leave the mower to start , ” say Carothers . “ Always guarantee this cable has loose campaign and is n’t binding . ”
If the cable cable system is damaged or broken , you ’ll ask to put back it before the mower will start .
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
luckily , replace a low control cable is an wanton job . You might be able-bodied to find oneself a switch cable at a home melioration center , though do n’t be surprised if you have to jot down down the serial number of your lawn lawn mower and rank the part from the manufacturer ’s site .
8. Check to see if the flywheel brake is fully engaged.
The flywheel assist to make the locomotive engine work smoothly through inertia . “ If your mower is deny to start , or throws spark into the combustion chamber at the wrong time , it could be because of a misaligned flywheel , ” enunciate Carothers .
If the flywheel brake is fully engaged , it can make a lawn mower ’s pull cord hard to pull . Check the brake pad to see if it make full contact with the flywheel and that there is n’t anything jamming the blade so the dominance lever can move freely .
If the flywheel Pteridium aquilinum ’s key sheared , the mower may have run over something that got snarl in the sword . It is possible to substitute a flywheel key , but it does require learn apart the lawn mower .
9. Consider less-common reasons a lawn mower won’t start.
Carothers offers some more unusual understanding a lawn mower wo n’t initiate :
Look out for signs that the mower needs professional repairs.
While repairing lawn mower can be a DIY line , there are time when it is best to ask a professional torepair a lawn lawn mower . If you ’ve done all of the lawn mower sustenance recommended by the producer , and gone through all of the potential ways to fix the lawn mower from the steps above , then it may be best to call a pro . Here are a few signs that indicate when a pro ’s help is a good idea .
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Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob VIla
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila
