I Ran My Lawn Mower Low On Oil And Now it Won’t Start

Running an engine low on oil can have a small to significant impact on it.

It depends on how low the oil was and for how long it was run low on oil as to what damage has been done to your lawn mowers engine.

If the engine will hardly turn over, you can assume that there is considerable damage. If the engine will not turn over at all and is locked up, then that engine may have been destroyed.

It is not uncommon for someone to buy a new lawn mower and forget to add the engine oil that came with the mower. Then they begin to mow the lawn and either the engine completely locks up or the connecting rod snaps in half. With the heat buildup and lack of lubrication, something has to give.

The first thing you should do if your lawn mower engine will not turn over is to check the oil. Does it even touch the dipstick? If it does, is it black in color? Those are two tell-tale signs that you have run it dangerously low. You can also try to move the flywheel and see if you can get the engine freed up. If you can, add the proper amount of engine oil and then see if it will start. If it does start, warm it up and then change the oil once again.

If the engine is seized up and won’t turn over, it’s time to take your lawn mower to a professional small engine repair shop for analysis. You can find one by visiting our Locations page.

The Pull Cord on My Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Won’t Move

It does happen on occasion when your pull cord doesn’t move and it seems locked up. The pull starter could be bad or the engine carburetor could be leaking fuel down into the cylinder and hydro locking it up.

You can try to remove the spark plug and gently pull on the starter rope to see if it clears the fuel from the cylinder. Make sure to place a rag over the cylinder head to catch any gas that may spill out of it.

Also check to be sure that something is not interfering with the lawn mower blade that would keep it from spinning such as a tree branch or rock.

Check the oil. If it is very low, it is possible that the engine has locked up due to low engine oil and it could be ruined. If you don’t see any oil on the dipstick, that could mean the end of that lawn mower.

Now would be a good time to take your Self-Propelled lawn mower to a lawn mower mechanic to have it professionally checked out. You can find one on our locations page.