We’ve all done it at some point. You cut your grass for the last time before winter, put your mower away just like you always do, completely forgetting that you’re not going to be using it for a few months and not preparing it for its “winter hibernation”.
Maybe you had a lot going on or maybe you just didn’t know you were supposed to do anything to prep it. Don’t you worry as in this post we’re going to talk about what could happen and steps you might want to take if you forgot to winterize your lawn mower.
What Can Potentially Happen If You Forgot to Winterize Your Lawn Mower?
If you’re wondering what happens to a lawn mower that’s not properly winterized before it’s stored…in many cases, nothing at all. It depends on quite a few factors (namely your mower model, the gas you’re using, winter climate), but many people never winterize their mower and it starts up just fine in the springtime.
That said, I’d always advise you to take the time to properly winterize your mower before you shut it away for the winter break. It’s not just the cold conditions that can cause problems. It’s the fact that it’s going to be sitting there, not used for a lengthy period of time. Here’s what can happen if you forgot to winterize the lawn mower that keeps your yard looking beautiful:
Gas Goes Stale
Gas that is left for too long in a mower that’s not being used can go stale. When that happens, certain components that make up the gas will break down and leave a gummy-type substance behind, which can clog the carburetor and coat the engine. Needless to say, that’s often great for your mower, and may prevent your mower from starting.
Corrosion
Oxygenated gas, which contains ethanol is particularly bad for this. You see ethanol likes to absorb water. And when this happens and the mixture is allowed to just sit there, it can corrode the fuel tank, fuel lines, carburetor and cylinders. White “crusty” deposits on metal components are a tell-tale sign of this. These corroded particles also contribute to clogging the carburetor.
Your Lawn Mower May Struggle to Start
Obviously you can look for visual evidence of both “gunk” and corroded components before you attempt to start your mower, and I’d strongly recommend you do. But if for some reason you don’t, you may find that either your mower won’t start at all or it splutters its way to starting, before cutting out shortly after. This is a sure sign that the above-mentioned problems are definitely present.
Steps You Can Take If You Forgot to Winterize Your Lawn Mower
The key is not to panic. I know it’s easy to worry that you’ve wrecked your mower when you type “forgot to winterize lawn mower” into Google and you come across information that says your mower’s engine is ruined, but try not to freak out. If you find yourself in this situation, there are things you can do.
You basically have three main options:
Drain the Mower of Old Gas + Refill
This is the method that I was always told to follow when forgetting to winterize a mower by a local pro years ago, and on the odd occasion I did find myself in this position, it’s what I did.
You’re going to want to drain the tank completely of the old gas that is currently sitting in it. Your mower will also likely have some of the old gas sitting in the float bowl too, so make sure to remove that also.
Now that it’s clean and free of stale gas, fill it up with fresh gas and you should be good to go.
Add Fuel Stabilizer
This would be my second choice and is definitely quicker than the first option (although maybe not quite as “safe” for your mower). Take whatever fuel stabilizer you want to use (you should be able to pick some up at pretty much any big box store) – I like Stabil and I know a lot of other folks that do too – and add the recommended amount to your fuel tank.
Now attempt to start your mower. If it starts, let it run for a short while and then shut it off. This will allow the stabilizer to work its way into the mower’s system, drawing out any water that’s there, which may potentially cause lasting damage. Leave it for a while, and then start up again. You should be ok after that.
Add Some Fresh Gas
If the amount of stale gas in the tank is minimal and it’s not broken down too badly into a thick gum, you could try simply topping up the tank with some fresh gas. If the mixture is more fresh than stale, it may be ok to get the mower running. I wouldn’t personally recommend doing this, as I’d always suggest adding stabilizer at a minimum, but I have heard of some people doing this and getting their mower running fine after not winterizing it.
Winterizing Steps Relating to Gas that Manufacturers Recommend
I personally like Honda mowers and respect the brand. They’re very good machines. So it’s interesting to take note of what they recommend in terms of the gas situation when storing your mower for longer periods.
If you anticipate having your mower in storage and not using it for a period of 30 to 90 days, they’d recommend fully filling the tank with fresh gas, and adding the required amount of fuel stabilizer.
However, if you think you’re unlikely to use your mower for more than 90 days (winters are looooong in some states!), then they recommend running the engine until the entire system (including the fuel tank) is completely dry.
My Mower Still Won’t Start
In the event that you’ve tried the steps I’ve laid out above, it may be necessary to clean the carburetor more thoroughly. As a first step, I’d get some Seafoam, spray some around the air intake port and wait a few minutes. This may do the trick and dissolve any gunk that is preventing your mowing from starting. Don’t be worried if you see some smoke after you start it up – this is just the rest of this residue being burnt off.
If that doesn’t work, you might need to remove your carburetor to give it a more thorough clean. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, pay a technician to do it for you.
If you’re super unlucky, your mower might need a new carburetor. But honestly, you’d be very unlucky for that to happen.
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