My Lawn Mower Slowly Loses Power and Then Dies

You are just mowing along as usual and your lawn mower will slowly lose power and then it will just shut off. This is not an instant shut down, it happens over a minute or so.

In many cases this is a simple fix and to test what the problem is, loosen the gas cap a little and if you hear air rushing in as you do, it probably means that your gas cap is not venting properly. A gas cap is supposed to let air into the gas tank but not let it escape.

Now start your lawn mower and see if it runs for a long time. If it does, you have a bad gas cap. If you still have the same problem, you need to check your fuel filter and down the line to the carburetor. Check the fuel filter by pinching off the fuel line and removing it from the carburetor. Then release the pinched hose and let it drain into a clear glass container. If the fuel doesn’t come out of the hose with any quantity, you most likely found the problem. If the flow is good, move onto the carburetor. It will need to be taken apart and cleaned of any debris or ethanol intrusion.

Still need help with your lawn mower? Visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

My Lawn Mower Runs for a While and Then Quits

This is a fairly common problem on push, self-propelled and riding lawn mowers. It can also be one that is hard to troubleshoot because there are several different things that can cause this problem in the first place.

You can check some easy things like the fuel cap for proper venting. If you take the cap off after the mower quits and you hear a whooshing of air, the cap is not venting as it should. Replace it with a new one or try to clean out the vent hole and see if that solves the problem.

The electrical portion is also another part that can cause your lawn mower to quit. The ignition coil, spark plug or associated wiring are all potential culprits.

It could also be the quantity of oil in a riding lawn mower. If the oil level is too low, if it is equipped with a low oil switch, it can shut down the engine to prevent any damage.

If you need professional help diagnosing your lawn mowers problem, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.