Three reasons your lawn mower won’t start after winter storage

Though I’m staring at the massive snow mounds that fence RepairClinic.com headquarters’ landscaping, I’m smiling about the promise of a soon-to-arrive spring.

If you haven’t already, you’ll soon dust off your lawn mower and await the sweet smell of freshly-mowed grass. Hopefully, you won’t be among the many to discover a broken lawn mower.

Here are three common reasons your lawn mower won’t start after a long winter:

1. There is buildup clogging your carburetor and/or there is stale fuel in the float bowl.
Left over a period of time, gasoline will cause buildup to clog the carburetor or stale fuel will enter the float bowl. Solution: Drain the old fuel from the float bowl and thoroughly clean the carburetor with carburetor cleaner. If it’s clogged beyond cleaning or you’re unable to clean it effectively, the entire carburetor may need to be replaced. You’ll also need to drain fuel tank and replace with fresh fuel and fuel stabilizer. Be sure to read your lawn mower owner’s manual for instructions specific to your model about how to safely drain fuel.

TIP: Always add fuel stabilizer to fresh fuel; it slows the buildup in carburetors.

2. The spark plug is dead.
As we always say, the spark plug is tiny but mighty. Fortunately, spark plug replacement is super simple and inexpensive.

Shop for replacement lawn mower parts.

3. The battery is worn out.
Lawn mower batteries can be expected to last about five years. If the battery isn’t staying charged long enough or if it’s completely dead, try using a battery charger. If the battery won’t hold a charge, you’ll need to replace it. Over time, batteries lose power. Though the battery may have worked before you stored the lawn mower for the winter, you may find that the long winter without any charging caused the death of it. Replacement batteries for lawn mowers may be purchased at major retailers.

Something else broken?

Check out RepairClinic’s troubleshooting and repair help for lawn mowers.

The best way to get your lawn mower ready for spring is to tune it up.

Tuning up your engine will:

•   Improve efficiency
•   Reduce emissions
•   Prevent costly repairs
•   Extend the life of your lawn mower

That’s why all engine tune-up kits are on sale now through May 31, 2014.

Enter your engine model number to discover the kit packed with the essentials for your particular model:

Go to www.RepairClinic.com/tune-up