Push Mower Starts But Stalls Within Few Seconds

EagleGuy

EagleGuy

Well-known member
It will be easier to tell what I haven't done than what I have done. I haven't replaced the governor springs and the exhaust o-ring seal (my descriptions).

Any ideas?
 
 
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A few things to consider. Not getting enough fuel or getting too much fuel. Will it always start and then crash or will it only do it a couple of time and then not start at all? Fuel filter and gunked up carb could also be the problem.

What kind of mower?
 
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irish_buffalo said:
A few things to consider. Not getting enough fuel or getting too much fuel. Will it always start and then crash or will it only do it a couple of time and then not start at all? Fuel filter and gunked up carb could also be the problem.

What kind of mower?
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One simple thing to check is the gas cap.

I had a lawn tractor doing the same thing, and some dirt and grit had collected in the tiny hole on top of the gas cap.

I cleaned that out and it fixed the issue.

An old dirty fuel filter can do it too.
 
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irish_buffalo said:
A few things to consider. Not getting enough fuel or getting too much fuel. Will it always start and then crash or will it only do it a couple of time and then not start at all? Fuel filter and gunked up carb could also be the problem.

What kind of mower?
Click to expand...

This was what caused this exact issue with my trimmer 2 years ago.
 
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irish_buffalo said:
A few things to consider. Not getting enough fuel or getting too much fuel. Will it always start and then crash or will it only do it a couple of time and then not start at all? Fuel filter and gunked up carb could also be the problem.

What kind of mower?
Click to expand...
Bolens 550 (MTD) about ten years old. It will start a few times before stalling, but after that I have to let it rest awhile before starting it again. Flooded, I imagine? A tube (a "gravity pump"?) runs below the carb down into the fuel tank with the filter "boot" at the bottom. The filter looked fine, but I have to adimit I was afraid to pull the tube out of the carb to check it. Plastic. lol I cleaned the carb with carb cleaner though it looked good, too.

Thanks for the suggestions. Sounds like you may be onto something, maybe? Fun stuff. ?
 
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OldSoulon said:
One simple thing to check is the gas cap.

I had a lawn tractor doing the same thing, and some dirt and grit had collected in the tiny hole on top of the gas cap.

I cleaned that out and it fixed the issue.

An old dirty fuel filter can do it too.
Click to expand...
Yes, I had that issue one time before and it amazed me something that simple could be the problem.

I took my handy paper clip and made sure the four holes in the cap and three holes in the inside material (cardboard?) were clear. I'll check again, though.

I wish the fuel filter were outside the gas tank. It would be easy to inspect and replace.
 
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Zunardo said:
Did you drain the tank over the winter? Or did you leave gas in there, and it got "wet"?
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I usually use the mower once each month during the winter to keep the yard neat and free of rogue leaves. Naturally, I did not do it this year. lol

The mower did start with the old gas, but I thought the same as you and emptied the tank, including some small debris, and rinsed it out with new gas.

I get the same result with the new gas. Starts and then stops after the "primer gas" is depleted. Life is interesting. :)
 
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Tesoro said:
How long does it run? Long enough to empty the carb bowl?
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It runs just a few seconds and stops. The carb, which sits below the air filter (clean), appears to be empty.

Edit: This mower does not have a carb bowl. Perhaps, the plastic tube I mentioned subs for it? I'll take another look at it.

I understand I may have a vacuum leak (exhaust?), but that is above my skill level.
 
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irish_buffalo said:
Tesero might be on to something. I love YouTube. Wish they had it when I was younger.

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Yeah, I saw this one last week and for whatever reason did not check for a carb bowl. None on this mower.

I'll have to take another look at the carb. Gasket shows a little wear, so...
 
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OldSoulon said:
I just replaced a 2003 John Deere lawn tractor, and fixed everything that went wrong over the years thanks to YouTube.
Click to expand...
I did not have a ton of money in my youth and I cut grass for money eventually owning a trailer and a couple commercial lawnmowers. I usually could not afford to take them to a shop when they broke down so I spent a lot of time at the local library going through manuals. I am not as mechanically inclined as most but it is amazing what you can accomplish when you are hungry.

Remember these? I swapped out starters, alternators, and a transmission thanks to this book. Now-a-day I just type in my specific problem on YouTube and wha-la...I get to watch someone fix my problem step by step which is great as a visual learner.

1647429573279.png
 
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irish_buffalo said:
I did not have a ton of money in my youth and I cut grass for money eventually owning a trailer and a couple commercial lawnmowers. I usually could not afford to take them to a shop when they broke down so I spent a lot of time at the local library going through manuals. I am not as mechanically inclined as most but it is amazing what you can accomplish when you are hungry.

Remember these? I swapped out starters, alternators, and a transmission thanks to this book. Now-a-day I just type in my specific problem on YouTube and wha-la...I get to watch someone fix my problem step by step which is great as a visual learner.

View attachment 27692
Click to expand...

I knew exactly where that shelf was. It's survival when you own a Pinto. Other than starter, pumps, spark and valve timing, never did anything engine but got a lot of use for the body.
 
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eastisbest said:
USA! USA! USA!
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There have been times when I could use one of these (hay fork, too), but I'm not ambitious enough to use it on the lawn. lol

My brother (Honda Outdoor Equipment QC) believes my issue is with the carb so I will check that again when time allows.

In the meantime, I have borrowed the "trim mower" I bought for my parents a couple of years ago. Gotta move on starting with "pruning" the lirope.
 
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EagleGuy said:
There have been times when I could use one of these (hay fork, too), but I'm not ambitious enough to use it on the lawn. lol

My brother (Honda Outdoor Equipment QC) believes my issue is with the carb so I will check that again when time allows.

In the meantime, I have borrowed the "trim mower" I bought for my parents a couple of years ago. Gotta move on starting with "pruning" the lirope.
Click to expand...

Hope it works out without more frustration. Warmer weather is usually the fix for my mean machine.
 
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