How to Fix Lawnmower Problems

Lawnmowers are an essential part of taking care of your lawn and making your lawn looking good all summer long. Yet, lawn mowers can be expensive. For this reason, it is advisable to take care of them and try to fix the small problems that arise yourself, before taking to a repairman or before throwing them away and buying new.

If the problem is that the mower won't start and has been put away for a while, without you using it. Did you remember to drain the gas? If you didn't, chances are the gas has went bad. Splash a little bit of new gas into the carburetor or spray a little bit of carburetor cleaner into it and see if it makes a popping noise. If it does, that is your problem.

Drain the gas now. Replace it with new gas. You should add some dry gas to your new gas, too. This will take out any remaining water in your tank and preserve the new gas you just added.

If your lawnmower slowly begins to run funny until it finally stops or it becomes harder to start, the reason could be that the engine isn't getting enough air. Try changing or cleaning the air filter. If you wish to try to clean it, just take the foam like filter out, place it in some hot water add some dish washing detergent. Wipe off any access oil. Wring out the best you can. Add a little motor oil to the filter. Wring out once more. Allow to it to dry and reassemble. You should also check your spark plug to make sure that the dirty air filter did not cause it to foul out.

Another reason your lawnmower may be hard to start or refuses to start is because of a fouled spark plug. As spoken about it in step two, a dirty air filter can be one cause for a spark plug to foul out as can a sticky, maladjusted carburetor or burning oil.

When a spark plug is fouled the engine will not start correctly.

You can either clean or replace a spark plug. If you wish to clean it, you can do so by carefully sanding the bridged area.

You hit something now your lawnmower won't start or jerks really hard when you try to start it. First, check the blades and shaft to make sure they are not bent or broken. Blades can be replaced. You just need to know your manufacturers name and model number.

Try to store your lawnmower in a garage or shed. At very least, try to cover it up with a tarp. You should also never place your gas can directly onto the ground, especially if it is plastic. Place a board between the ground and the can.

Before you buy a new lawnmower, consult a lawnmower technician first. Although, you may not know what is the problem, he/she may be able to fix it easily and inexpensively.