Why Your Lawn Mower Won’t Start After Winter

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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 check the conditions of various lawn mower parts to await the sweet smell of freshly-mowed grass. Hopefully, you won’t be among the many to discover a broken lawn mower. Learn the reasons why your lawn mower is not starting after winter storage.

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

If you forgot to winterize your lawn mower, check out these solutions:

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 lawn mower’s carburetor with carburetor cleaner. If it’s clogged beyond cleaning or you’re unable to clean it effectively, the entire lawn mower carburetor may need to be replaced. You’ll also need to drain the fuel tank and replace it 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 mower’s spark plug is tiny but mighty. Fortunately, spark plug replacement is super simple and inexpensive and can help with starting a lawn mower after winter.

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.

Something else broken? Still don’t know how to start a lawn mower after winter?

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

Lawn mower tune-up kits are available at Repair Clinic.

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

Lawn Mower Won't Start After Winter

Shop for replacement parts at Repair Clinic if your lawn mower won’t start after winter

Finding the right lawn mower parts is easy when you visit Repair Clinic. Whether you’re looking to buy a lawn mower tune-up kit, or you need to replace an oil filter, carburetor, piston, or primer bulb, Repair Clinic stocks genuine manufacturer parts from the top names in small engines, such as Briggs & Stratton, Craftsman, Honda, Kawasaki, Kohler, MTD, Tecumseh, Toro, Walbro, and more. Shop with us when your lawn mower is not starting after winter and get it running again.

Related info
Lawn Mower Repair Help
What to do if your lawn mower won’t start
Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips

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