The grass is starting to grow so I need our riding mower. After a winter of non-use and a battery charge I managed to get it started. Briefly. Not unusual, frequently dies if I don't get the choke/throttle set properly after it starts. The battery was shot, just put in a new one.
The main problem I have with starting it after not using it is that the engine cranks erratically. By that I mean that it will turn a couple of times, stop for a couple of seconds, stop again, etc. (all the while holding the key on). I then stop for a minute or two to let stuff cool down, then try again.
In the past - this is not a new problem - after three or four crank/rest cycles - it would start and run well; sometimes it started on an one of the "erratic" cranks, sometimes the starter would crank it continuously.
Once started and run for a while it would still crank erratically but less so and the engine catches much more easily (as expected).
Any one have any idea about the cause of the "erratic" cranking?