We commonly hear this from customers, neighbors and family members:
“I replaced the blade on my lawn mower and now it won’t start,” or “I tipped over my lawn mower and now it doesn’t start.”
It’s common for mowers to stop working when people tip them over. We help you troubleshoot why your lawn mower won’t start after changing the blade or completing some other kind of maintenance.
What Are Causes When a Lawn Mower Won’t Start After Tipping?
When that happens, there are usually three causes why your tipped lawn mower won’t start:
Possible cause 1: In some models, when you tip the mower, fuel can leak into the carbon in the cap, which restricts the venting of the fuel system. This can cause the engine not to start, or only run for a few minutes, then quit.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Leave the cap to dry out or replace it with a new lawn mower cap.
Possible cause 2: There is oil inside of the breather tube, which is connected to the mower’s carburetor. Oil can then soak into the air filter, causing a restriction and the mower to not start, or run rich with fuel. If there’s black smoke exhaust coming out of the mower, this is likely the cause.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Replace the air filter.
Possible cause 3: Fuel in the carburetor can leak into the air cleaner and engine, causing it to flood and fail to start.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Allow the cap to dry out or replace it.
How to prevent this from happening in the future when you need to tip your lawn mower:
Can You Tip a Lawn Mower On Its Side?
Before performing any kind of maintenance, read your lawn mower owner’s manual for instructions on how to properly tilt or re-position it for maintenance.
If your tipped lawn mower won’t start, RepairClinic.com has replacement parts for lawn mowers to help fix the problem. We also have replacement parts for small engines, string trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, pole pruners, hedgers, generators, and other outdoor power equipment. With your equipment model numbers ready, head to RepairClinic’s free Repair Help for troubleshooting information.
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