Garden
Experienced gardeners share their insights in answering this question :
Bad safety switch. test them and replace the bad one.
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 :
An object or obstruction (such as an ant hill, clump of matted grass clippings or large tree branch) is jammed underneath the cutting deck or in the cutting deck drive system preventing the moving parts from engaging properly. Inspect for obstructions and carefully remove if necessary.
An improperly routed belt can cause the engine to die when the blades are engaged. To check belt routing, lower the deck to its lowest setting and remove the belt guard by the drive pulley. Next, lift the belt over the pulley and remove the pins that support the deck at the rear.
The spark plugs are worn or damaged
If you find that your lawnmower keeps dying, or keeps stalling while cutting grass, then inspect the spark plugs. Look for signs of damage or wear. Something as simple as a cracked porcelain insulator can mean an electrode has been damaged or burned away.
A full gas tank and oil reservoir are the essential first steps when checking why the lawn mower won`t stay running, but the problem could also be a dirty filter, clogged carburetor, improper fuel mixture, or a dirty spark plug.
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.
A dirty carburetor is the most common cause of a lawn mower that starts and then dies. Other possible causes include: Stale/Dirty Gas. Faulty Choke.
What`s happening? This is a normal function of the seat safety switch. With the blades engaged, weight from the operator allows the seat safety switch to keep the engine running.
If your lawn mower starts, runs briefly, then dies these are the four most common reasons that`s happening: Dirty carburetor / clogged carburetor bowl. Old gasoline that has gone bad. Dirty or defective spark plugs.
Mower Gas Cap
If the tank is sealed, the fuel becomes air locked, and the mower stalls. This typically happens after a short period between ten and thirty minutes and also depends on factors like weather and gas tank fuel level.
An airlock is one of the common causes why your mower won`t start after running out of fuel. An Airlock occurs when air replaces fuel in the fuel lines. As you refill your fuel tank, you could push the air towards your mower`s carburetor, which keeps the new fuel from reaching the engine.
If you hear strange noises coming from your mower deck, it may be a sign that the spindle is damaged. A bad spindle can produce grinding, rattling, or squeaking sounds, which indicate that the bearings are worn out or the spindle is bent.
Discover Relevant Questions and Answers for Your Specific Issue
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
I have a dlt 3000 18.5 hp thats been sitting for two years getting gas to carb but won’t start. took off carb, cleaned everything still nothing. If I pour gas in carb starts right up
ANSWER : You didn’t clean the carb good enough try again. You missed some small orifice somewhere. Good Luck!
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Eats mower drive belts
ANSWER : You say you checked everything. I would remove the deck and belt and physically make sure both blades spin freely. Then I’d install the belt and check again, it sounds as though each component works fine alone but when in conjunction with other parts something is binding. Good luck
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I have had a poulan pro 550 series push mower for almost 1 year at the end of the season last year the mower would start briefly and then stop. i have cleaned out the air filter and that did not help.the mower started, i made one revolution around the yard 3/4th of the way the mower quit. I then primed the mower it started then quit and now it will not start at all. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to do. Thanks
ANSWER : There is a little spring that works the carburetor arm. If that popped off then the mower will not run.
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What causes JD 260 riding mower to start dying when you engage the mower deck? It runs fine when you disengage the mower deck.
ANSWER : It’s the safety system that causes this. There is a switch under the seat that should activate when you are sitting in the seat. The switch can come loose or fail, the mounting can break, or the wires can come loose – any of these would cause the “engine dies when I engage the mower deck” behavior. Lift the seat, examine the switch. Rmove the switch and keep the plunger in with a piece of tape. Fixed? Then it’s just the mounting or adjustment. Not fixed? It’s the switch itself or the wires or connectors to it.
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Mower won’t turn over. It’s not the fuse. Also it was running good when it shut down.
ANSWER : You can jump it with your car to eliminate the battery, if it is not the battery then you might want to pull back on the lever that engages the blades, it start then . Good Luck Tim
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Replaceing mower deck belt on 20 hp 42 mower model no 917275660. Got the belt on. How do I get the cluch spring back on.
ANSWER : Are you refering to the spring attached to the end of the cable that runs up to the lever on the dash to engage the blades? All you needed to disconnect was that cable on top of the idler arm that’s held in place by a ‘hairpin’ and the left pulley cover to put the belt on.
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I have trouble starting a toro walk behind mower
ANSWER : All, I thought my carb was shot, so I replaced it. Still, start but no run (and had to use starting fluid). THEN!!! I noticed the spring to the “rev limiter” (just below and towards rear of carb) was not “tight”. The stupid bracket that holds the end of that spring had been bent down ~1/16″ and that caused all this heartache. CHECK YOUR REV LIMITER!!!
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Lawn mower will start and run for 5 seconds and shut down
ANSWER : Will it stay running with your choke on? if so then clean your carb. if not then look for a blockage from tank to carb. ie fuel shut off, deteriorated fuel line. plugged filter etc
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