It’s never a good feeling to bring home a new lawn mower only to find out it won’t start. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, and you are certainly not alone. If you have followed the instructions and assembled your new mower and it fails to start, you may be wondering if there’s anything else you need to do to fire up the engine. Well, there are several things you can try before you box up the mower and return it to the store. So, before you start to disassemble the lawn mower, let’s have a look at what you can try first.
Why Your Brand New Mower Won’t Start (The Short Answer)
There is a small chance that your new lawn mower has an actual technical problem that can’t be fixed. But usually, there is a simple solution to get the engine running that could be as simple as turning on the gas or connecting the spark plug. Additionally, not all mowers work the same, so you may not be aware of the starting procedure for your lawn mower, which can include items such as chokes and bail levers.
Check These 9 Things Before You Return Your New Mower
As you can see, there are several reasons why your brand new lawn mower won’t start. So, let’s take a closer look at the nine most common causes and what you can do to diagnose your troublesome mower.
Engine Oil Level
It’s common for a brand new lawn mower to be either shipped to the store or directly to your home without any fluids installed. This prevents the chance of any liquid leaking during shipping. After all, nobody wants to open up their brand new lawn mower and find it covered in oil or that the oil has found its way into places it shouldn’t.
So, locate the dipstick and check if there is oil in the engine. You will want to make sure the lawn mower has oil and that it is at the correct level. Lack of or too much oil will cause problems with the engine and can prevent it from starting.
Gas in the Tank
The majority of people would think that having gas in the fuel tank is quite obvious, but not everybody is as experienced with lawn mowers as others. So, like checking the oil, you’ll need to check the fuel tank.
I have never heard of a new lawn mower having gas in its tank unless it has been pre-assembled and tested in-store. So, if you had your new mower shipped directly to your home or even if you picked it up in-store, it is very unlikely to have gas in the tank. So, pop off the cap on the fuel tank and take a look inside.
Gas Cut-Off Valve
Another item related to the gas and the tank is the cut-off valve. Most lawn mowers have a cut-off valve that stops the fuel flowing from the tank and into the fuel system. Take a look around the bottom of the fuel tank or along the fuel lines and check for a cut-off valve. These valves are usually labeled, so you should be able to spot it pretty easily.
Engine Choke
Depending on what you are used to or if you are new to lawn mowers, some mowers have manual chokes, and some have automatic chokes.
If your new mower has an automatic choke, then the mower will take care of choking the carburetor for you. But if yours is manual, you’ll need to operate it yourself to get the engine started.
If the choke isn’t used, then cold starting can sometimes be nearly impossible and will usually result in the engine becoming flooded. Once the engine is flooded, it’s never going to start. So, take a look at the carburetor and see if your new lawn mower has a choke.
Bail Lever Off
Bail levers are safety devices that will cut the engine once it is released. Again, not all lawn mowers have these, so you may not be familiar with them.
Located on the handlebars, you’ll find one or two levers. Push mowers usually have one lever on the handlebars: the bail lever. On the other hand, self-propelled lawn mowers have two levers, one is for engaging the drive, and the other is the bail lever.
So, you’ll want to check your lawn mower’s layout and see if it has a bail lever. The engine will never start if you don’t activate the bail lever.
Ignition Cable Disconnected
The ignition cable is the cable that connects to the spark plug. This cable brings the ignition coil’s power to energize the spark plug. It’s not uncommon for these to be disconnected on new lawn mowers to prevent any mishaps like the engine from firing up unexpectedly and causing damage and harm.
Without the ignition cable connected, the engine can’t receive a spark and will never fire up. So locate the spark plug and the ignition cable on the engine and make sure that they’re connected.
Battery Connected & Charged
If you have purchased a brand new lawn mower that uses an electric start, then you’ll want to make sure the battery is connected and fully charged. A new lawn mower could easily have the battery disconnected, or it could have gone flat during shipping. So you want to locate the battery and check first to see if it’s connected.
Next, you need to check that it is fully charged using a battery tester/charger or multimeter. If the battery is flat or disconnected, then there won’t be any power going to the starter motor, and turning the key won’t do anything.
ON/OFF Switch
As simple as it may sound, the reason your brand new lawn mower won’t start could be because of the ON/OFF switch. I’ve done this before where I didn’t turn on my lawn mower, and I thought there was a problem. But, it turned out that all I needed to do was switch it on.
So, take a look around your lawn mower and check to see if the engine has an ON/OFF switch. If you don’t have your mower switched on, you’ll face the same issues I did, and your mower will not start.
Air Filter
The last item I recommend checking is the air filter. If your lawn mower came with oil already installed, then the oil could have found its way into the air filter. If a lawn mower is tilted over incorrectly, then oil will spill into the carburetor and into the air filter.
Once the air filter is soaked in oil, it reduces the air that can flow into the carburetor. Combustion engines use a very precise air-to-fuel mixture in order to operate. So, if the oil has worked its way into the filter, you’ll have a problem starting your engine.
If you look on the lawn mower’s side, you’ll find the air filter housing. I would recommend popping off the cover and taking a look inside. If you see the air filter is covered in oil, you know why your new lawn mower won’t start.
Easy Fixes to Get Your Brand New Mower Running
Hopefully, you have run through the list of common reasons why your new mower won’t start and have found the problem. Let’s go over the fixes you’ll need to carry out that will save you from having to return your new lawn mower and get it up and running in no time.
Engine Oil Level
If you have checked your oil level and discovered that it’s either low or even empty, then you will need to fill it to the correct level. You may wonder if new lawn mowers come with oil, and the answer would be, sometimes. So, if there wasn’t any oil in the package, you’ll need to head to the store and grab some.
While you’re at the store, grabbing a funnel would be a good idea, so you don’t make a mess when filling the oil. Once you have the oil, you can fill the engine through the oil filler cap. This is usually the same hole where you insert the dipstick.
Pour the oil into the fill location in small amounts, then check the level with the dipstick. You will want to make sure that you fill the oil to the correct level using the guide on the end of the dipstick.
Gas in the Tank
This one is pretty simple and something you’ll get used to with gas-powered lawn mowers. Just figure out where you want to get your gas from and fill up your gas can. Then, once you get home, all you need to do is add the gas to the lawn mower fuel tank, pop the gas cap back on, and you’re off.
Choking the Engine
If you have discovered that you have a choke on your new lawn mower and weren’t using it, then all you need to do is pull/push it, depending on your mower. Usually, the choke on the carburetor will indicate where it needs to be positioned to be engaged.
Once you have it in the correct position, you can go ahead and start your lawn mower. After you get the mower up and running, wait just a few seconds and then switch off the choke.
Engaging the Bail Lever
Bail levers are devices you must use continuously when running your lawn mower, including when you start the engine. All you need to do is hold the lever and handlebar at the same. So, when you go to start your engine, hold the handlebar and bail lever in one hand and pull the starter cord with the other. Then, when you want to stop the engine, you let go of the bail lever and the handlebar.
Connecting the Spark Plug
If you find the ignition cable disconnected from the spark plug, you’ll need to attach it. Place the ignition cable connector onto the spark plug and push it in. Usually, you should feel a click as the connector clips into position. Once the connector is attached, you should be able to strike up the mower with no trouble.
Connecting the Battery
If your battery wasn’t already connected when you received your mower, you will need to grab a couple of tools and make the connection yourself. First, make sure the mower is switched off. Then, use either a screwdriver or socket wrench and remove the terminal nut and bolt. Next, thread the bolt through the cable connector and then through the terminal connector. Finally, tighten up the nut and bolt nice and firmly, and you are done. Once the battery is connected correctly, it should have the power it needs to start the engine.
Charging the Battery
If you tested your battery and found it dead, you will need to charge it. If you don’t already have a charger or the mower doesn’t come with a charger, I recommend you head to the store and purchase one or borrow one from a friend.
Once you get a charger, you need to connect it to the battery’s terminal and set the charger. You will need to indicate on the charger what type of battery you have and how many volts it is.
Because the mower is brand new, all information should be found in the manual. There you can also find if it’s recommended that you disconnect the battery first. Your new mower should have no problem starting once the battery is fully charged.
Switching On the Mower
I’m not going to go into too much detail here because all you need to do is switch the mower on. If you forgot to switch on the mower, then it’s not going to start. Don’t worry; I think we all do it sometimes, even more than once.
Changing the Air Filter
Well, we have come to the only fix that may need a new part. If your lawn mower air filter is soaked in oil, it will need to be replaced. All you need to do is pop out the original filter and install a new one. This will allow the air to flow into the carburetor and create the air-to-fuel mix the engine requires to fire up.
Also, once you remove the original filter, if the inside is messy with oil, then a quick wipe with a paper towel would be a good idea to avoid damaging the new filter.
If None Of These Things Work…
Finally, if you try all of my fixes and your new mower still won’t start, then I’m afraid it will need to go back to the store. While the fix required may be an easy one that you could probably fix, I don’t recommend it because you need to avoid doing anything that voids your warranty and causes you problems going forwards.
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