Lawnmower won't start

KrazeeKirsten

My yard is starting to grow like crazy and I can't get my lawnmower started. A couple of other guys in the neighborhood have been super nice and offered to cut my grass but I don't want to keep imposing on them.

The last time it ran was last summer but my ex used to cut the grass so someone suggested I put fresh gas in it but that didn't work. The guy across the street was nice enough take a look at it and said that the spark plug might be corroded. He actually went to the hardware store and got me a new one but it still won't work.

Am I going to have to take it a repair shop? I have a really small car and I don't think it will fit in the trunk.

It is a Honda lawnmower and it is only three years old.

does anyone else have any suggestions?

Thanks yall!!!!

josall

Try a new air filter.

mustangmike3789

these problem are occurring more often with the 10% ethanol in gas. your carburetor is probably full of trash after sitting for a year. try to start it by shooting starting fluid into the carb. if it starts and continues to run with short blast of starting fluid, this will narrow it down to your carb.

Jkslate

So you have a new spark plug, do you have spark? Take out the spark plug and plug it in, then ground the head to the motor and have someone pull the cord, see if you can see the plug arch. If you have spark it could be a gas/carb problem. If you DON'T have spark, it could be your ignition coil.

As mike said though, since it's been sitting a year, there is a good chance there's just a buncha junk in your carb. Ignition coil is easier to replace though, I'd check to make sure you actually have spark, first thing I always do when I have starting problems.

KrazeeKirsten

I got the model number from the back so I can look it up on the internet.

it is a Honda HRR216VKA

KrazeeKirsten

oh. the carb is behind the air filter ? correct?

mustangmike3789

you are correct

mustangmike3789

check the oil level also. most honda motor have a sensor that will shut the down when yhe oil level is too low. this normally does'nt prevent them from starting unless it is really low.

KrazeeKirsten

that is easy to do!! I'll try it first!!

loneframer

I have several machines that have sat for longer than they should have.

My guess would be stale fuel.

I was fortunate. After draining the fuel tanks, as well as the float bowls and filled them with fresh fuel with stabilizer added, I was able to get them fired up.

I removed the air filter and added a small amount of fuel to the air intake, reinstalled the filter and cover and pulled it a few times. One machine in particular required this several times before it continued to run.

All are running perfectly now.

Kirsten, you should only buy fuel in small quantities for lawn equipment. Having it sit around in cans is a bad idea, especially the newer fuels with Ethanol added.

__________________
It's not that it took him an hour to make 100 bucks, it's that it didn't take you 10 hours to save 100 bucks.

KrazeeKirsten

with prices these days i always buy in small small quatities even for my car!!

KrazeeKirsten

maybe I should inspect the NACE coating as well?

mustangmike3789

good one. it can be fun when the bridges are higher than 85'. boring on the low ones watching paint dry.

loneframer

That's no BS.

I filled up Laverne and Shirley last week. I'll spare you the dirty talk.

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__________________
It's not that it took him an hour to make 100 bucks, it's that it didn't take you 10 hours to save 100 bucks.

Marty1Mc

try a couple of things. Get some starting fluid (ether). Take the air filter off and spray a small amount in the carb where the air enters. Make sure the choke is not on when you do this.
Then, put the choke on and see if it fires over. If it does, it's probably your fuel. My Honda has a small nut on the bottom of the carburetor bowl (looks like a bowl at the bottom of the carb). If you have the same thing, then loosen the nut and gas should leak out all over the place. If it doesn't smell right, then you have bad gas. If nothing comes out, then you may have a clog in your fuel line or internal to the carb.

If the mower doesn't fire over, try it again. If it still doesn't, then pull your spark plug. Plug your spark plug back into the plug wire but leave it out of the motor. Find a way to ground the spark plug to the body to the engine (wrap a wire around the threads of the plug and attach it to the engine). Then pull the cord and see if spark jumps across the plug. That will tell you if you have a bad plug or a bad ignition coil.