Tag: lawn mower dying

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

Lawn Mower Keeps Dying Right After it Starts

This is a frustrating experience when you are ready to cut your lawn and have made the time to do it. All you want to do is pull the cord or turn the key and get that job over with.

In most cases what you are dealing with is a fuel problem. The carburetor is not allowing fuel to pass through one of the jets and it normally is the idle jet. The main jet could also be partially plugged up or is sucking some debris into it from the carburetor float bowl.

A lack of fuel is causing starvation and the engine is dying because of it so you must get to the root of this problem to find out why. This will often require the carburetor to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned inside and out. The ethanol in the fuel today will leave a powder like residue when it dries up and this will clog those ports. Dipping the carburetor with the plastic removed in Chemdip is one such way to clean them very well.

After you have cleaned up your carburetor, reinstall it and test your engine to see if it cures the problem with it dying right after it starts. If it does not, you may have to replace the carburetor but also check your air filter to ensure that it is not plugged with dirt and debris.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Lawn Mower Just Died in the Yard

Two questions come to mind.

  1. Did it die like you just flipped a switch?
  2. Did it chug, cough and then die?

If it is the first question, then most likely you have an electrical issue and most likely an ignition system problem. Most likely just putting in a new spark plug will not resolve the problem but it is an inexpensive first step to resolve the problem.

If the lawn mower chugged, coughed and then died, you have a fuel system problem or an internal component problem. This requires more in-depth troubleshooting to determine what the problem is. But check the air filter to see if it is clogged and if so, replace it and test the mower. You could also start it without the air filter to see if that was the problem. Just try to not let any debris such as grass clippings get into the carburetor.

If these simple fixes don’t solve the problem with your lawn mower dying in your yard, professional help is in order and you can find a lawn mower repair professional in your area by visiting our Locations page for assistance.