Diagnosing a Lawnmower that Won't Start

Step by Step!
In today's video, we'll be looking at a Poulan lawn mower, with a Briggs and Stratton engine.
This mower was brought in by a customer, with a complaint that it wouldn't start.
I'll show you the steps you should take to diagnose why an engine won't start.
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[@chrisssmallengines7163]

Prime for a Good Time , I love it . The quickest diagnostic method that we have . I have a 3.5 classic for my mower and every spring I suck out the old fuel and refill with fresh fuel ready for the summer . I leave fuel in the tank over the winter to prevent rust in the tank .I LOVE my mower .

[@darilekron4590]

You do a great job describing the steps to go through in diagnosing problems.

[@victorquesada7530]

Thanks for that walkthrough. I left my lawnmower in the shed with old gas and now it won't start, I'll try these steps before I take it somewhere.

[@therandomytchannel4318]

The company I work for has a few Briggs and Stratton Quattro mowers, we got them second hand, serviced them new oil, blade and carbs, they run great, one pull starts every time and we run premium gas thru them, perfect mowers for a days mowing thruout my city 🙂

[@scotthampton7724]

Watching from Australia. Thanks...

[@waynestefinashen239]

Great video that just proves that spraying carb cleaner into the engine through the air filter area does not always allow the engine to fire even thought the compression and spark are ok. Just makes you wonder how many mowers have been thrown out or taken to the dump or scrap yard that were perfectly fine mowers that just needed fresh fuel and a possible carb clean. Keep up the good work you are the prime small engine repair channel on KZbin.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@fitter70]

Excellent video you explained a lot. I have been having a similar problem with my lawn mower and I think I can fix it after watching your video thanks again and take care.

[@WOTNeedForSpeed]

Hey man. Just wanted to say thank you for the video. High quality. You are underrated as a KZbinr! Keep up the posting and I would love to see you grow. Take care.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@brucel.6078]

Nice!! I had it pinned on a sheared flywheel key! Nice fix.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@christianchee2857]

I just picked up a free push mower and it’s doing the same thing I should put some of that spray to

[@yoeboyhigh1268]

Hello! My AL-KO HIGHLINE 51.5SP-A won’t start and I don’t know why. I have cleaned the carb and cleaned the valves and still it doesn’t start😥 Could you please help me?

[@michaelmaruska1178]

Thanks for the video..hope everyone has a pleasant day

[@baddad5781]

I was guessing flywheel key, or valves. Yet another informative video bravo.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Just had a mower come into the shop this morning with bad fuel, looked like we didn't have spark until we checked. Sure enough, drain and change the fuel and it fired right up. Thanks for watching!

[@sarathratna7200]

Thanks for a very good explanation. Our Lawnmower is hard to start even with Small Engine Starter fluid. Once it starts, then runs well and can restart easily. I think it needs a Carbulater clean-up. Thanks again.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Or the valves need to be adjusted!

[@sarathratna7200]

@@EliminatorPerformance Thanks very much for the quick response.

[@waynestefinashen239]

Additionally, excellent tip on checking the air intake for cracks or it being loose which creates that air leakage thus loss of suction.

[@robertbarr8001]

That was beautifully methodical and well explained. Congratulations on such a well produced video - a pleasure to watch. Good luck with your channel. I have liked and subscribed.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thank you for the kinds words Robert, and thanks for watching!

[@donvoll2580]

Good day Interesting video. Yesterday I tried to start chain saw. Wouldn't start , put old plug, but not in, spray on plug , light up,went got new plug fired up, Thanks

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@DeadManInBlack]

I always put redex in my Jerry tank and try and empty the mower petrol tank on the last mow for the most part.

[@D4RKD4YZ]

Ty great video. Clear explanation.👨‍🎓

[@Emanresuwww]

Great video. Thanks for being clear and explaining everything so well. I subscribed to your channel!

[@stevevoyer827]

great video as always

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mike-ig2zq]

Great work Jake. I've got A Troy bilt snowblower here someone dropped off for me to look at that won't fire. The carb is an absolute pain to get off and can't get at the intake to spray carb clean to bypass carb. What about carb spray in the sparkplug hole?

[@EliminatorPerformance]

That will work too, thanks for watching!

[@Mike-ig2zq]

@@EliminatorPerformance Much appreciated Jake.

[@vickimcgowan6755]

I have a self-propelled lawn mower that we took to the shop the guy required an 85.00 small engine repair deposit that bolt makes the engine start in self-propelled in gear is it going

[@raygagne3514]

I was wondering if the intake line is crap has a slit in it without that cause it for not to start

[@oinkooink]

This could be my issue. Briggs & Stratton 550ex...won't start. Starter fluid in the carb wont work, cleaned the carb except for the 3 jet/ pipe component in the middle of the carb, new spark plug, compression seems ok...no start at all. So I'll give this a go tomorrow...new fuel and full carb clean.

[@Emanresuwww]

My rider won’t start after I went through a pile of old clippings that was in some tall grass. I checked to make sure the blade wasn’t bound up underneath. But I still can’t get it to fire. Tried starter fluid, and it was running fine so I know it has good fuel. It’s really strange. It’s a snapper rider (forest gump model) 10 hp (28B707-1153-E1)

[@vickimcgowan6755]

Does the lawn mower have to be running in order to do a diagnostic

[@noahmc1547]

Where’d you get the cart the mower is sitting on? I need one.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Canadian Tire, then google Pender lift Bruce's Shop on how to modify it

[@noahmc1547]

@@EliminatorPerformance thanks!

[@carolinewells4355]

can starting fluid be used instead of carb cleaner?

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Yes, just don't go crazy with it. You only need a small amount. Remove the air filter and spray it into the hole. If the lawnmower starts and dies, it likely needs a carb clean, as the main jet is likely clogged from old degraded fuel that gummed up the jet.

[@carolinewells4355]

@@EliminatorPerformance I put that preventative service stuff in the gas tank before storing it for winter I thought that would keep it from gumming up. guess not thanks for the reply

[@EliminatorPerformance]

@@carolinewells4355 check out my latest video on how to summerize a snowblower, same type of canned gas in the lawn mower in fall before you put it away and it'll start 1st pull in the spring time, guaranteed!

[@carolinewells4355]

@@EliminatorPerformance thank you

[@87GP400]

Thanks for the info !

[@neoamadeuzbigum1149]

can you show us the link to the spark tester?

[@raygagne3514]

If Intake hose is cracked on top of that cause problems to

[@Pete4875]

Great Video! What do you undercoat the deck with? Also is the carb cleaner as volatile as gasoline? Would it be better to squirt some gas in? Thank You

[@EliminatorPerformance]

We now use rust cure formula 3000 for undercoating the deck, and the carb cleaner works good as it's less combustible than ether which can damage an engine. Thanks for watching!

[@travisnichols5680]

New subscriber here...I would like to know how you charge for push mower jobs especially when you sold it used and now it was back in your shop? People in my community always ask me to work on there stuff but I don’t know what to charge for labor on a used push mower when they can go buy brand new. Please help me with this matter...thank you

[@EliminatorPerformance]

I sold this like 2 or 3yrs ago and it worked fine up until this spring, old fuel was the cause of it not starting. This job cost $130 and I fully serviced it, air filter, spark plug, fuel, oil, cleaned the deck and sharpened the blade. Those prices are in Canadian as well. My customer was extremely happy as the mower was ready the very next morning and started 1st pull every time!

[@danieljones6805]

I just put a little fuel or carb cleaner into the cylinder from the spark plug hole.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

That's what I tried, but the old fuel diluted the carb spray. Makes you think the engine doesn't have spark. So once the carb was removed, it fired up on carb spray.

[@gregorysattler7021]

I just had the same situation.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@abuseofpower5817]

What I usually do is remove the filter cover & remove filter pull crank rope & it starts right away.😮

[@gradyhernandez4699]

Where the link that shows how to clean those types of carbs?

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Just Google how to clean a Plastic carburetor eliminator and it'll come up

[@MediaMarktMoscow]

Thanks a lot!

[@stan1027]

The FIRST thing a mechanic should do with a lawn mower is look underneath at the blade, because you never know if someone might have hit something hard enough to shear the flywheel key. If the blade is damaged, DON'T try to start it before you look at the flywheel key, because if the key is partially sheared, it can throw the timing off just enough to cause the mower to jerk the rope out of your hands, and that hurts! I speak from experience.

[@igorsdubrovskis3912]

I have done all of that, changed the membrane and stilk it will not start. I don't even know what to do next...

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍

[@rodneyslinger6316]

Ok

[@EliminatorPerformance]

Thanks for watching!

[@Linda-ww1uu]

Bad gas

[@jerrymulchi3429]

You cant crank a mower with carb cleaner you got to use statrtung fluid not carb cleaner thats your first mistake

[@jerrymulchi3429]

I been doing small engine over 20 years

[@dannyrodriguez4162]

THE ADDS SUCK BIG TIME ON KZbin

[@EliminatorPerformance]

if you get KZbin premium (it's like $11.99/month) KZbin will become ad free! Other than that, it's a small inconvenience for free educational content.

[@jayr5063]

Thank you !