Why isn’t my petrol lawnmower starting?
There are many reasons why petrol lawnmowers won’t start, but there are a few which are more common than others and for which the problem can be solved with relative ease.
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Clogged Air Filter
First, you may find that your air filter maybe clogged. The carburettor needs air for the engine to run as smoothly as possible. Therefore, if the air filter is dirty, it’s highly likely that limited or no air at all is entering the carburettor. Additionally, your air filter may also be torn as debris, such as grass clippings, could have entered the carburettor or engine and is preventing your lawnmower from starting up. To solve this, the simplest of actions would be to clean the air filter so that any air can easily pass through. Or you can just purchase a new air filter if the first step isn’t viable.
Dirty/Faulty Spark Plug
Another common reason why your petrol lawnmower may not be starting up is that the spark plug is either dirty or faulty. This may be down to it becoming unplugged when performing maintenance on the machine or manoeuvring the machine around when using it. Again, like the clogged air filter, the easiest solutions would be to clean the spark plug or purchase a new one, while also reconnecting it is also a potential solution.
Faulty Starter Solenoid
Another reason could be that your starter solenoid maybe faulty. The best way to check to see if this is the cause of it not starting up is to turn the key in the ignition of your machine and if you hear an unusual clicking sound, there is most likely to be something wrong with the starter solenoid. The best way to solve this issue would be to install a completely new solenoid, rather than trying to fix the one inside it currently.
Fuel Not Getting to the Engine
Another reason could be that the fuel is not actually getting to the engine of the lawmower. This can be down to reasons such as a clogged air/fuel filter, which has already been discussed previously or there may be something wrong with the carburettor. To solve this issue, just tap on the side of the carburettor to let the fuel flow through to the engine. Also, make sure to check whether the filter is clogged or needs replacing.
Old Fuel/Stale Gasoline Inside the Lawnmower
This is one of the most prominent reasons why most petrol lawnmowers won’t start initially. Most people forget that gasoline only has an ‘ideal’ shelf life of about 30 days. This is down to the ethanol that it contains. If left inside the lawnmower for longer than this period, then it can cause corrosion inside the machine and even clog the carburettor.
To solve this problem, remember to replace the petrol inside the lawnmower every 30 days or so. You can even add some sort of fuel cleaning system to your machine. This will help it run smoother also. By using a fuel additive/fuel stabilizer straight into fresh petrol when you buy it you can help to prevent this problem. Fuel additives can keep petrol fresh for up to 3 years. They cannot however revive stale fuel.