John Deere

Engine runs overly rich, fills crankcase with gas, blows black smoke,
carb is clean

How to Identify and Fix Common Gardening Problems ?

We provide a variety of viewpoints on how to identify and fix common gardening problems. Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced gardeners :

Most commonly a result of improper starting, “flooding” results from various causes, including over-priming, closed choke, stuck valve, gummed carburetor, or immediately trying to restart an automatic choke engine. The easiest way to tell if your engine is flooded with gas is to remove the spark plug.
The causes for flooded lawn mower are clogged air filter, and a dirty carburetor which would give the machine a hard time. Moreover, it can also be due to a stale fuel that you have been filling the machine with.
Upon discovering a flooded generator engine and wet spark plug, you should let it dry before attempting to restart it again. Carefully blasting the components with compressed air can help you speed up the drying process. It may also help to replace the spark plug if you have not done so for some time.
Often your nose can make the diagnosis: Flooded engines reek of unburned fuel. Park the mower on level ground, and wait about 15 minutes for the gas to evaporate. Then try starting it again, with the choke off.
A “flooded engine” simply has too much gas in its cylinders, so the spark plugs can`t ignite the fuel-air mix. It can happen for a variety of reasons — most commonly, because you pumped the accelerator pedal too many times when your engine hadn`t been started for a while.
If an engine becomes severely flooded, it may result in fouled spark plugs. A fouled spark plug is when the ends of the spark plug get wet due to an excess amount of fuel in the system. When a spark plug is wet, the electrical energy that tries to fire during starting grounds out instead of firing.
A flooded engine is an internal combustion engine that has been fed an excessively rich air-fuel mixture that cannot be ignited. This is caused by the mixture exceeding the upper explosive limit for the particular fuel. An engine in this condition will not start until the excessively rich mixture has been cleared.
A flooded coil is easy to fix. Unscrew your tank from the battery and position the mouthpiece over some tissue or a sink to catch the drops of e-liquid. Either tap the tank a few times to clear out the excess e-liquid, or blow down the central airflow tube (with the mouthpiece positioned away from you).
A flooded lawn mower sounds like a machine struggling to start. It will often make a loud, gurgling noise as it tries to turn over and will usually emit a strong smell of gas. If the mower is severely flooded, it may not even start at all and the sound of it trying to turn over can be quite loud and unpleasant.
Carburetor flooding happens when there is an excessive amount of gasoline entering the carburetor. This can happen when the float in the carburetor is damaged, the needle and seat are dirty, or there is a problem with the vent tube.
A malfunctioning or sticky choke inside the carburetor may be staying closed rather than opening after the engine starts. The result is a flooded engine that may need a little air. Check the choke linkages, and clean the choke after removing the air filter.
If an engine becomes severely flooded, it may result in fouled spark plugs. A fouled spark plug is when the ends of the spark plug get wet due to an excess amount of fuel in the system. When a spark plug is wet, the electrical energy that tries to fire during starting grounds out instead of firing.
Check for bent or damaged belt idler brackets, a missing, broken, or worn idler tension spring, and service as needed. If these do not resolve the situation, the problem may be with internal components of the transmission.

Discover Relevant Questions and Answers for Your Specific Issue

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

I am another owner of the 24 hp. briggs and stratten ELS that has blew a rod out the side. How can I get help replacing this motor that has been such a terrible problem
ANSWER :

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Engineer starts, and stop – Mtd 22" Yard Machine Push Mower
ANSWER : Clean fuel system
lines
tank
carburetor main jet, float bowl
check cable/linkage adjustments

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Is it the carbeurator if the chainsaw is flooding?
ANSWER : `It could well be the carb flooding, however if you have been cranking the engine for a time without it starting it will keep drawing fuel into the cylinder, you need to remove the spark plug, switch the on/off switch to off, make sure the choke is off, crank the engine until no more fuel comes from the open plug hole, now leave with the plug out to allow it to dry out, refit the plug and try to start with no choke and wide open throttle.

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Engine quits running at full throttle and hot
ANSWER : Sounds like coil but check oil

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The oil pressure light comes on when i idle down the engine and one time it shut down and would not start back i let it sit for several hours and it started back and is running fine but the oil light still comes on when i idle it down
ANSWER : So, tell me have you checked your oil level? that would be the first thing to do then check your oil pressure switch and /connections

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What oil do I put in my 4-stroke Troybuilt weed trimmer?
ANSWER : According to troybuilt, here’s their info.For Briggs & Stratton engines use an SAE30 oil above 40 degrees F (4 C) and below this temperature use 5W-30.For Tecumseh engines use an SAE30 oil above 32 degrees F (0 C) and below this temperature use 5W-30.For Kohler L-Head engines use an SAE30 oil above 32 degrees F (0 C) and below this temperature use 5W-30. For Kohler Overhead Valve engines use a 10W-30 above 0 degree F (-18 C), and below this temperature use a 5W-30.For Honda engines,10W-30 is recommended for general use, and above 55 degrees F (10 C) you can use an SAE 30.For MTD Brand engines, SAE 10W-30 is recommended for general, all-temperature use.K

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My Honda 160cc lawn mower engine cut out when I hit a large clump of grass. Now I cannot get it to start. Has always started with no problems. What to do?
ANSWER : Has probably broken flywheel key ….. putting it out of time

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Engine runs eractic – Tecumseh 5hp Engine Snow King Mtd Blowers Lh195sp67517
ANSWER :

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My name is June Strandberg, and I am a florist and gardener in San Francisco. I have been working in the industry for five years, and I love helping people find the perfect floral arrangement for their special occasions. I am also skilled in troubleshooting and fixing gardening tools, so if you are ever having trouble with your tools, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.