What Does It Mean When Your Lawn Mower Won’t Stay Running?

To preserve the beauty of your yard, you have to keep your lawn well-maintained. For this, you can rely on the lawn mower to get the job done. With its heavy-duty motor, tending to your lawn won’t be a problem.

It can be very annoying when your lawn mower starts sputtering and then die down all of a sudden. There are several possible reasons why your lawn mower won’t stay running, so the first step is to diagnose the exact cause. When you do, you’ll know how to address it proactively and fix the machine.

Causes for Your Lawn Mower Powering Off

There are several reasons why your lawn mower would suddenly shut off a few moments after turning it on. Your first thought might be that it has finally malfunctioned and you would need to spend a lot of money repairing it or getting a new one.

Of course, this thought can be harrowing for everyone. Plus, if you don’t address the issue as soon as you see it, you will have a lawn with overgrown and unkempt grass. Let’s have a look at all the problems that can cause your lawn mower to die out soon after you turn it on.

Common Problems

Before jumping to any conclusions, you should check the lawn mower for some common mistakes or problems that your forgetfulness may have caused.

For instance, you may have forgotten to turn off the choke after turning on the engine, causing it to sputter and turn off almost instantly. Apart from this, there may also be grass buildup in your lawn mower that can hinder the blade from turning.

Once you have checked these issues and the lawn mower still goes off, it may be time to check its spark plug. To do this, you will have to remove the spark plug wire. Make sure you wear gloves before you do so.

Lastly, you should remove the gas cap and turn on the lawn mower. If its engine runs normally, then the vent inside your gas cap is clogged.

Air and Spark Issues

Another common reason why the lawn mower’s engine fails to run continuously is the air filter. If you notice a lot of dirt, or if it is caked with dirt, there may be no air passing through to facilitate combustion. If this happens, you should simply replace the air filter, which is easy to find.

Apart from this, a dirty or oily spark plug may also cause problems. It can hinder the combustion process, causing misfiring inside the engine. To fix this, you can replace the spark plug or use a plug cleaner and a wire brush to remove dirt or carbon deposits from its tip.

Fuel Issues

Once you have ascertained the lawn mower isn’t turning off due to a dirty air filter or spark plug, the next culprit might be its fuel system. One common problem is if your lawn mower has sat idle for a long time or was lying in the shed.

Here, the fuel inside the tank might’ve evaporated over time. When this happens, the fuel leaves behind a greasy deposit, which clogs the inlet and outlet pipes.

When you leave the lawn mower idle in the winters, condensation causes water to penetrate the fuel tank. This water may mix with the fuel inside the tank, making it inefficient for causing combustion and keeping your lawn mower running.

To solve this issue, you will have to drain the fuel tank and pour fresh fuel into it. This should allow the lawn mower to start and keep running again.

Carburetor Problems

Last but not least, the engine of your lawn mower may have a problem with its carburetor. This component is responsible for supplying the engine’s combustion system with the right mixture of air and fuel.

The carburetor connects directly to the fuel tank via the inlet and outlet valves. If the fuel evaporates from the tank or mixes with water, it can also run to the carburetor when you turn on your lawn mower.

To fix this issue, you will need a carburetor cleaner spray. To use it, remove the fuel inlet and outlet lines, and spray the solution into the carburetor through the intake valves. If the lawn mower has sat idle for too long and you can’t clean the carburetor anymore, replace it instead.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are more than a few possible reasons why your lawn mower isn’t running continuously. Fortunately, you can prevent most of these from happening by practicing regular lawn mower maintenance. You can either do this yourself or seek the help of a qualified technician.

By keeping your lawn mower in its best shape at all times, you will be able to keep your yard healthy and well-maintained at the same time.