Garden

Experienced gardeners share their insights in answering this question :
Depends on what is wrong with it. Most often, it is best to have it repaired at a small engine repair shop.

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 :

If the ignition coil is defective, the engine may not start. Before replacing the ignition coil, ensure that the spark plug is working properly. If you have confirmed that the spark plug is working properly, test the ignition coil with an ignition coil tester. If the ignition coil is defective, replace it.
The carburetor might be clogged. A clogged carburetor is most commonly caused by leaving fuel in the engine for a long period of time. Over time, some of the ingredients in the fuel may evaporate, leaving behind a thicker, stickier substance. This sticky fuel can clog up the carburetor and cause the engine to stall.
A Dirty Carburetor Can Cause a Lawnmower To Start Then Die

By far, the most common issue that causes a stalled motor is a dirty carburetor. The carburetor on your engine is the thing that draws in air and mixes it with the fuel. Contrary to what the movies might make you think, gasoline itself is not very flammable.

If your vehicle won`t start, it`s usually caused by a dying or dead battery, loose or corroded connection cables, a bad alternator or an issue with the starter.
Lack of lubrication: The most common cause of engine failure is dirty or low oil, which can be the result of an oil leak, faulty oil pump, the oil burning too fast, or driving too long in between oil changes.
If the damage is minimal, and a few parts can be replaced, the problem can be fixed. However, if the damage is great and impossible to repair, you may need a complete engine replacement.
To raise the pressure settings, turn the adjusting screw counter-clockwise. To lower the pressure settings, turn the adjusting screw clockwise. Note: Be careful not to over adjust. Each 1/4 turn of the adjusting screw raises or lowers the pressure setting approximately 4 psi.
Use Carburetor Cleaner

Fortunately, you can generally do this without even taking the carburetor out of the engine. Start by purchasing some commercial lawnmower carburetor cleanerOpens a new window, which comes in a simple spray can and will make it easy to clean the inside and outside of the carb.

Loose, Dirty or Disconnected Spark Plug in Your Lawn Mower: Check it out, clean off debris, re-connect and tighten. Dirty Air Filter: Clean or replace. Fuel Not Reaching the Engine: Tap the side of the carburetor to help the flow of gas. If this doesn`t work, you might need a new fuel filter.
Usually, auto electric shops can rebuild or repair a starter with a bad armature, shorted field windings, bad brushes, a bad commutator, or even a bad solenoid if there is no alternative. Be prepared to wait a few days or more.
What should you do if your engine fails? If your engine fails and you lose power, it may be smart to shift into neutral, put on your emergency flashers, find a safe area to pull over at, and then pull off the road where it is safe to do so.
Traveling too long without getting the oil changed can cause overheating, damage to various gaskets and seals in the engine and more. You can also sustain major damage if the oil level in your car is too low, whether from an unchecked oil leak or due to an engine that`s burning oil.
A dead battery is the most common reason why engines fail to start up. A common reason for batteries to fail is drain. Your car`s battery typically expends a small portion of its storage to start your car up, and then recharges from your alternator as you move.
Why won`t my car start but I have power? If you attempt to start up your car but the engine won`t turn over and the dashboard lights up, then you most likely have an issue with your battery. You could have a damaged or corroded battery terminal, which is stopping the engine from starting up when you fully turn the key.
It could either be caused by a bad spark plug, bad ignition coil or ignition cable. The wirings could also point to the ignition coil or to no signal from the crankshaft sensor, so you should always diagnose the crankshaft sensor first.

Discover Relevant Questions and Answers for Your Specific Issue

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Have a 20 HP twin cylinder KOHLER engine on CRAFTSMAN mower.
ANSWER : Did you check your gas? Generally a loud popping sound indicates water in the fuel. If there is one carb hitting and one not, the one not hitting may be full of water. Drain the carb bowls. Drain the tank. Clean the spark plugs and try it.

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Kohler engine 15.5 turns over but will not start
ANSWER : Hi hoho641…

Make sure you are getting spark at the spark plug, to do this:Remove your spark plug and check to be sure you are getting fire at the spark plug.You do this by grounding the plug on the head of the engine and pulling the crank rope, if you are getting spark then:
Sounds like you have dirt/debris in your caburetor jets,fuel passages or a diaphgram that is becoming non-flexible. Check/Clean/Replace your Air Filter, a dirty air filter can make your engine run to rich with fuel.
Note: ALWAYS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO CLEAN YOUR JETS AND PASSAGES, VERY IMPORTANT.
Note:Before you disassemble the carburetor:Mark each piece with a awl, or some kind of instrument that will make an alignment scratch before you disassemble the carburetor into separate pieces.That way you will know which way it goes back together when you reassemble it.
Sometimes you can get by with priming the carburetor or by using starting fluid and letting it run a few times like that, and it will flush the gunk out of the jets,but most of the time you will need to rebuild the carburetor.Be sure to check your fuel tank for water and dirt/debris, if there is water/debris then you need to clean your tank.Check you fuel line condition after a while they will degrade and need replacment.
Check/Clean/Replace your fuel filter if you have one.Make sure you are using fresh fuel.If the moweris over a couple of years old, then I recommend that you buy and install a new carburetor repair kit,because the diaphragm will get hard and that will cause it to be hard to crank.The diaphgram may look good and flexible, but it can be deceiving and not act as a fuel pump as it should because it has become too hard and will cause hard starting,start and run and shut off, etc.
When you clean your carburetor, I recommend that you use a laquer thinner type cleaner to clean and dissolve the laquer build-up in the float and needle jet passages.Be sure to remove all plastic and rubber parts before using the laquer thinner because it can dissolve the plastic parts and render them unuseable.Be sure to use COMPRESSED AIR to blow out all the fuel and air passages.The higher air pressure is needed to blow some of the trash/debris from the fuel or air passages.Be careful when blowing out the passages, because there are sometimes small rubber type seats in the bottom of some of the passages.Keep in mind that the float (if you have one) for the carburetor must be level when you go to reassemble the carburetor or follow the instructions you get with the carburetor kit, or you could also ask the parts man that you get your kit from.When you clean your carburetor and remove the jet screws, you will first need to lightly seat the jet screws.But before you lightly seat the jet screws count the number of turns it takes to seat the jet screws from their original position.Be sure to mark the turns down on a piece of paper.That way when you put the jets back in, you know to lightly seat them first and then turn them back out to their original position before you started.
After you have the carburetor rebuilt that should solve you starting problem.
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Crack in the Kohler engine block for a 2006 LT1042 Cub Cadet riding lawn mower. Any thoughts on a repair for the block? The crack is at the top of the block near the recoil and travels down about 3″ toward the ground.
ANSWER : If you find a good machinist and he/she maybe able to braze it

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Valve adjustment intake/exhaust – Craftsman Kohler Courage 26 hp 54" Garden Tractor (CA) ()
ANSWER : I’ll bite, what’s your question Mike? If you are looking for a how to, you can probably find it at the manufacturer’s website, without going into too much detail however I can offer you a general approach.- Remove the front hood of the mower and the shroud if it has one.- Disconnect the carb, and exhaust and move it aside.- Remove the Spark plug- Carefully remove the valve cover in the front of the engine.- Look up the proper valve adjustment settings for your model.- Get the engine at top dead center.- Take measurements and adjust the valves accordingly.- Clean the valve cover itself, and where it’s going to be seated.- Apply a thin coat of gasket sealant, put the cover back on.- Wait for the sealant to bond (depends on manufacturer specs_- Fire it up.Keep in mind, this is a general guide, see your manufacturer’s manuals and technical diagrams for more details.

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No spark at plugs after replacing coils it has spark advance what do I look for next
ANSWER : Check for the switching pulse at the coil input terminal. It should be less than the battery voltage but not zero, or pulsing in sync with the engine (if you know the spark dwell angle, you can calculate the voltage by multiplying it by the number of cylinders, dividing by 360 degrees, then multiplying by the battery voltage). If you don’t get any indication that the coil is being switched to ground to generate the spark, your distributor contact (for mechanical ignition switches) , magneto or electronic ignition module could be the problem. Before changing whatever one of these you have, double-check the wiring to the coil – a misplaced, broken or loose wire will have the same effect.

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Why would my mower just cut off when it gets hot? my model is a 23-46. Thanks for your help. r shreve
ANSWER : THER IS A FUEL SHUT OFF ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR. IT NEEDS 12 VOLTS TO IT WHEN RUNNING, IT MAY BE BAD, OR THE COIL, CHECK FOR SPARK WHEN THE MOTOR GETS HOT AND QUITE. HAVE A SPARE SPARK PLUG HANDY! FOR THE TEST. . BEST GAS TO RUN IN SMALL EQUIPMENT IS MARINE GAS, IT HAS NO ALCOHOL .. I HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE ..DO TO FUEL. ALSO YOU MAY WANT TO CLEAN THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM.. BEST OF LUCK HOPE I WAS OF HELP ? IF’N I WAS HIT THE YES BUTTON… JAY… YOUR LOCAL POOL PUMP MOTOR REPAIR GUY IN LONGWOOD FLORIDA

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27 hp kohler v-twin ohv backfires, and @ times blows white or black smoke
ANSWER : SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS BAD GAS AND THE VALVES NEED RE SET YOU MAY WANT TO FLUSH YOUR FULE AND CLEAN OUT THE CARB LET ME KNOW IF THIS HELPS

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Won't run after prime – Kohler Engines NEW 20 HP KOHLER ENGINE CH640-3019 REPLACE KAWASAKI BRIGGS ZERO TURN M
ANSWER : What wont run ???

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