Lawn Mower Acting Up? 5 Troubleshooting Tips

When it’s time to mow the lawn, you want your lawn mower to start up and do its job quickly and efficiently, but when it won’t start up, you might rightly become frustrated. A simple job just became annoying.

Never fear; there are easy ways to troubleshoot your lawn mower.

• Check the fuel. If your lawn mower won’t start, first check to make sure that there’s fuel in the mower. If there is, but you haven’t mowed since last summer, it could be that the gas is simply too old. In that case, drain it and fill up with fresh gasoline.
  
  
• The mower still won’t start? Check to make sure that the throttle is set on either “run” or “start”.
  
  
• It could be that the spark plug is loose. Check it and tighten if it’s loose. Is the spark plug dirty? Take if off and clean it, then screw it back in.
  
  
• Is the battery dead? Use a tester to see if the battery is still healthy and going strong. If not, replace it. If the battery seems OK, check the cables to make sure they are cleaned and that they are connected correctly and securely. Tighten if necessary. If the cables are corroded, pour baking soda and water over the battery to remove the corrosion. Then remove the cables and sandpaper them clean before replacing them.
  
  
• It could be that the fuel isn’t getting to the engine. In that case, tap the side of the carburetor a few times; you’re trying to unstick the float. If that doesn’t get the fuel to the engine, try replacing the fuel filter.

If you do all of these things and your mower is still sitting idle and quiet, you might need to take it in for a repair. It could be that your mower simply “died” and it's time to replace it. But have it checked out first.

Freshway Service & Repairs | 1300-567-002 Ext 2 |