Lawn Mower Will Run For a While and then Die

This problem can be a mystery to you and take some time to reveal what the real issue is. You are mowing along and then the engine will slowly die on you and come to a complete stop. You turn the key or pull the starter rope and it will suddenly start up and run like it normally does. What?

This happens over and over and it is puzzling to say the least. You can’t seem to find any obvious problem and the engine has good spark. So what is causing this problem?

A couple of things that cause this is the gas cap is not venting properly. As you are mowing, the gasoline level goes down and the gas must pull in air to prevent it from vacuum locking. If the vent is plugged, it will not allow air into the gas tank and thus will not let fuel into the engine or fuel injection.

You can unscrew the gas cap and if you hear an inrush of air, then you know that the cap is not venting as it should and will need replaced.

Another problem is that you can have debris that is covering the pickup tube in the gas tank or inside the carburetor float bowl. The fuel sloshing around in the carburetor bowl can cause debris to get stuck to the main jet and stop the fuel flow to the engine. After the engine dies, the debris will sink back to the bottom and when you start the lawn mower, it will run as normally.

Check these items and if you need a professional lawn mower repair shop, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.