Lawn Mower Ran Out of Oil and Won’t Start (What to Do)

Keeping an eye on the oil level in your lawn mower is a job that you need to carry out regularly if you want to avoid any major engine problems. This includes using the correct mix ratio for your two-cycle engines and the level in the sump of your four-cycle engines. So, if you have discovered that your engine has run out of oil and won’t start, you’ll have to investigate if the engine can be saved or if it’s too late.

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Why Your Lawn Mower Won’t Start After Running Out of Oil (The Short Answer)

An engine that will not start once it has run out of oil is usually because the engine has seized. Once the engine locks up, it is a clear indication that irreparable damage has been caused to engine components such as the piston, piston rings, and crankshaft. The lack of oil will cause heat expansion and friction wear beyond what the engine can cope with.

How Long Can a Lawn Mower Run Without Oil

Well, your lawn mower will start to be affected once the engine is up and running. With no oil, this could be less than one minute. As soon as the engine reaches working temperature, it will continue to heat up because there is no oil to lubricate the moving parts.

So, it’s always important to keep an ear perked to listen for symptoms associated with low and no oil in your lawn mower’s engine.

Symptoms of Low Lawn Mower Oil

If your lawn mower is running low on oil, there are several symptoms you might encounter that could give you some advance warning that there is a problem.

Now, if your engine stops due to no oil, then, unfortunately, you missed the warning signs, and you’ll be looking at a bigger problem. A seized engine.

How to Check if Your Lawn Mower Engine is Seized

If your lawn mower has stopped due to no oil, then you want to let it cool down before you do anything. This will allow the engine parts to contract back to their original size and might be enough to get things going again.

Once the engine has cooled down, pull off the spark plug and give the starter cord a pull. If the engine has seized, you’re not going to be able to pull the cord at all. This is basically because parts have broken inside the engine and are jamming things up, or parts have fused/welded themselves together.

So, if your lawn mower engine made some clattering sound before it stopped, then it’s likely that it’s seized.

Can You Fix a Lawn Mower that Ran Out of Oil?

Well, this all depends on how long the engine ran without oil and how hot it became. If you managed to catch one of the symptoms quickly enough and switched off your engine, then you could have avoided anything too damaging.

So, if you are able to pull the starter cord once the engine has cooled, then fill up the engine sump with oil or swap out the two-cycle fuel mix and give the engine a try. You’ll soon find out if it’s going to run or not.

If the engine fails to start, you‘ll want to check any other problems with the lawn mower, like a spark plug and fuel flow. You can try these steps to attempt to fix a seized lawn mower engine, if you think that may be the problem. In the worst case scenario you may be looking for a new engine or a rebuild.

How to Avoid Running Out of Engine Oil

A lawn mower that ran out of oil and won’t start can easily be avoided by checking the oil more frequently. I always check my lawn mower’s oil before every use.

For you guys with really big yards, I’d even recommend checking the oil during use. This is for those of you who are out mowing your yard, the field, and half the empty lot next door, adding up to a few hours of mowing.

But if you have a normal-sized yard that takes only an hour, checking the oil before going out for a cut should be enough. Also, when you’re checking the oil level, be sure to check the condition of the oil. This can help determine how often to change your lawn mower oil.

So, other than checking the oil level regularly, I recommend that you double check you’re using the correct mower oil type and know how much oil your lawn mower takes so you have enough oil on hand for topping off.