Lawn Mower Starting Problems

[Vik]

I have a three year old Toro push mower that started acting up on me yesterday. I filled it with gas... pushed the primer button 3 times, just like I've been doing all along, ... but it wouldn't start. I then leaned it over to its side to check for obstructions around the blade but found nothing. I set it upright, tried restarting it and this time it started but for a few seconds only. Leaning it over may have had something to do with this... I am don't know.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Vik

[Robert Chambers]

sounds like the carburettor is gummed up and having issues delivering fuel to the engine on a continual basis. Unfortunately unless you are lucky it will require the removal and cleaning of the carb to get it going in good order again. It is good to run the mower out of fuel after the last cut of the year. Empty the fuel tank by running it dry if you can't drain it and spray a fog of WD-40 in there. Clean out any accumulated grass under the deck and spray that down too to prevent rust.

Good luck.

Vik wrote:

[Frank Logullo]

I had similar problems with Lawnboy discussed here last month. Someone advised carburetor cleaner added to the gas and this made considerable improvement. I think Toro and Lawnboy are same company now but do not know if they both share crappy carburetors that homeowner cannot adjust. Frank

[Ed]

It's possible that the mower got flooded with the three primer shots. You can try again without priming and the throttle fully open - then wait a bit [15 30 min] to allow the carb to dry out. Try again with all settings at normal position, but a little less priming.

Ed

Vik wrote:

[Ed]

[Tom Randy]

I had a small engine repair guy tell me never to run it dry, add dry gas to your gas and that's all there is to it.

I have a 12 year old Craftman rear bagger that I have NEVER ran dry at seasons end and never changed the oil. I've added some oil when needed, replaced the spark plug every year, the blade every 2 years and that's about it.

Tom

[Robert Chambers]

[Robert Chambers]

Opinions are like, well you know what they're like... I did the run dry, fog and cover on my last lawnmower and it was a briggs stratton and ran for 14 years with heavy use. In the end it was the handles and deck that wore out/rusted through, the engine worked to the last day.

Dry gas doesn't protect against deposits caused by the evaporation of the gasoline while the gum stays behind, he may have meant to use the Sta-bil product which supposedly preserves gasoline for storage.

Robert

Tom Randy wrote:

[Betsy]

It's not getting enough gas. Turning it over gave it more gas, but something is preventing the gas from flowing freely. Mine just had this exact same problem. Not being able to find the manual, I wheeled it around the corner to the local fix-it guy who simply did a basic tune up, found the air filter filthy, and it works fine.

[Tom Randy]

Yup, that's what I meant. thanks.