Determining why it won't start

Fuel

• Is there some in the fuel tank? If it is near the bottom, add enough so that there is no doubt about there being enough to reach the outlet pipe regardless of any slant on which the lawn mower is located.

• Make sure any shutoff valve is open.

• Check for a clogged fuel filter, if there is one. There may be a sediment catching screen at the bottom of the tank as well.

• If your engine uses a primer bulb, does it feel like it is doing something? There is a distinctly different feel when it is actually squirting a little gas into the intake pipe. Check that the rubber hasn't deteriorated but if many pushes still doesn't do anything (and you're sure there is gas in the tank and the engine hasn't flooded from TOO MUCH gas), the carburetor and/or fuel line may need cleaning.

• If you are using gas from last season, discard it and start fresh. While old gas will usually work in an engine in good condition, this is not always the case, especially with one that has seen better days. The more volatile fractions evaporate leaving behind higher flash point gas. Why add another unknown factor to the puzzle?

• There may be water in the gas. If the carburetor has a drain plug, operate it to rid it of the bottom layer which would have the water. If there is no drain, repeated pulling on the starter cord should eventually clear any reasonable amount of water.

Once you have exhausted these obvious problems, determine if gas is reaching the cylinder as follows: Perform the normal starting sequence and then, assuming it shows no signs of wanting to start, immediately remove the spark plug. If fuel is reaching the cylinder, the spark plug should be damp with gas and there should be a very distinct odor of gas from the spark plug hole. If there is none, then there could still be a blockage in the fuel line or the carburetor may need cleaning.

A flooded engine, most likely due to extended unsuccessful attempts at starting or a defective carburetor (float valve stuck open or gas-logged float) will result in inability to start as well and a distinct odor of gas. You might find raw gas coming our of various orifices - air filter as well as exhaust. (Note that in severe cases, enough gas gets mixed in with the oil to significantly increase the level in the crankcase and reduce the effectiveness of the oil. This will require an oil change.

Air

To much air results in a mixture that is too lean, burns too quickly, and can result in engine damage over extended periods of operation.

• Check that any choke is not stuck in the open position and not doing its job.

• The carburetor may need adjustment or cleaning.

Too little air results in a mixture that is too rich - there will be loss of power and possibly black smoke from the exhaust. This could be due to several factors:

• Check the air filter. For testing, it can usually be removed to see if the engine will start. However, do not run it for an extended period of time without a properly functioning air filter in place. Some are designed to be washed and reused while others must have their elements replaced.

• Check that any choke is not stuck closed. Though needed to start cold, if the choke remains closed, the engine will not restart and will quickly stop (truly choke!) due to an overly rich mixture.

• A defective carburetor may also cause the mixture to be too rich or too lean.

Spark

WARNING: make sure there is no gas in the vicinity when performing the following test!

Remove the spark plug wire and insert the blade tip of an appropriately sized and well insulated (plastic) screwdriver inside the boot or clip in place of the spark plug. While holding the INSULATED part of the screwdriver, position the metal part of the blade about 1/8th inch from the block or frame.

An alternative technique is to use an old, but good, spark plug whose gap has been increased to about 1/8 inch or one specially made for exactly this purpose. In this case, simply connect the spark plug wire to the test plug and hold its threaded part against the cylinder head or other part of the chassis (away from the gas tank!!).

Note: Just positioning the spark plug wire a short distance from the spark plug terminal is not recommended as the results of this test will then depend on the condition of the spark plug as well since the spark will have to jump two gaps.

Have a buddy crank the engine at normal starting speed so that you will be able to hold the screwdriver or test plug steady and be close enough to see any spark clearly. Shield the gap from the sun or bright light if necessary.

You should see a nice healthy spark jump the gap several times on each pull (actually, once per rotation of the crankshaft/blade on both 2 and 4 stroke engines). Note: 4 stroke engines ignite the air-fuel mixture on every other rotation of the crankshaft. The extra sparks fire harmlessly into the exhaust gasses and are wasted. Can you believe it?!

CAUTION: if you are not well enough insulated, YOU will jump several times per rotation of the crankshaft/blade if the ignition system is functioning properly! Hey, that IS a valid test!

If this test confirms the spark, it is still possible that the spark plug is fouled or bad. See the section: Checking the spark plug.

If there is no spark, then there is a problem with your ignition system.

Lack of spark

However, a number of other problems can result in lack of spark:

Make sure stop switch/stop wire is in appropriate position - confirm with a multimeter, check that flywheel is being spun by starter and that flywheel key is intact to assure proper timing, check condition of points/condenser and setting (if applicable), test magnet (on flywheel) for strength, check the gap between flywheel and magneto core. If these are all fine, test or replace the magneto.

In more detail:

1. Check for a faulty or misadjusted STOP switch. This may be activated by releasing the dead-man bar or by a throttle control lever (STOP, RUN, START). Inspect the cable, linkage, and wiring for damage or for something that may have come loose. Make sure you have the controls set properly to run!

2. Check that your starter is actually spinning the flywheel. If the flywheel is not rotating properly when you pull the cord or turn the electric start key, then there is a problem with the starter, not the ignition system. Or, the flywheel is not tight due to a sheared flywheel key or improperly torqued flywheel nut.

3. Check for a flywheel that is loose and not seating properly on the taper. This could result in no spark if the air gap between the flywheel magnet and magneto core is then incorrect. However, due to the close spacing, you would probably feel and hear serious scraping in this case.

Items (2) and (3) are likely if your just attempted to move a curb with your mower blade (or if someone inadequately tightened the flywheel nut during some previous maintenance).

4. Check for bad connections or defective wiring including faulty or water logged insulation. If you just gave the mower a shower, wait ample time for it to dry out. High humidity may result in more problems if the insulation is not in good condition as well.

5. Check for a weak (or missing) flywheel magnet. Both of these faults are extremely unlikely unless you have been hammering and whacking the crankshaft and flywheel in an effort to remove the flywheel. (This is not recommended - see the section: Flywheel removal.)

6. (a) Electronic ignition - There is likely a single potted module which includes the circuitry and ignition coil. If anything goes wrong with this module, replacement is the only option. Once the wiring and resistance of the secondary has been checked, there are really no addition tests that can be performed on an electronic ignition module without special equipment. A defective ignition module will have to be replaced.

6. (b) Breaker point ignition - Possibilities are bad, dirty, corroded, or loose points or points that are grossly out of adjustment, a bad condenser, or a bad magneto coil. See the section: Maintenance of point-type ignition systems.

See the section: Testing the magneto.

First, check that the dead-man bar is properly disengaging the stop switch when pulled and/or throttle control is properly disengaging the stop switch when in the start or run position.

For anything beyond this, disassembly will be needed to identify and replace any defective parts.

If the no-spark condition happened after the blade hit an obstruction, (1) or (2) are likely. See the section: Lawn mower will not start after the blade hit an obstruction.