Lawn mower won't start or your lawn mower won't stay running

If your lawn mower doesn't start or it starts for a minute and then dies right away, you came to the right place. Lawn mower troubleshooting is not hard. There are a few common things to check that don't require a lot of mechanical ability. You got this!

The most common issues with lawn mowers not starting or lawn mower running rough.

Mower has been sitting for extended time, won't start or starts and runs for just a few seconds.
Gummed up carburetor from old fuel evaporating.
Old fuel.
Mower was running great and suddenly won't start or is running rough.
Bad spark plug.
Plugged carburetor jet from debris in fuel.

If your mower has been sitting for an extended time and when you try to start it, it either won't start at all or starts for a few seconds and quits, the carburetor is likely gummed up. To fix this you will need to do 2 things:
1. Dump out the old fuel and replace it with fresh. You will need to tip your mower to the side to do this. Do not tip your mower all the way upside down for an extended time as that will cause the oil to drain out.
2. Remove the bowl from the carburetor to clean it out and remove any debris blocking the main jet in the carb. This can typically be done by tipping the mower on it's side. You may need to lean the mower against something so it doesn't tip too far over. You can then remove the bowl from the carburetor without gas continually running out of it.

Once the bowl is removed you can take a strand of copper wire and push it up through the main jet on the carburetor to remove and debris. Never use a drill bit or force something into the jet. A strand of stranded copper wire is very fine and works well.

While you have the bowl removed from the carburetor, check that the float operates freely. You should also tip the mower down momentarily to verify that gas freely running out of the carb when the float is in it's downward position. If no fuel runs out of the carb when you tip the mower down, the float needle is likely stuck in place or gummed up. You will need to remove the float and needle and clean and possibly replace it if this is the case.

All the steps above are coverd in my video. Watch the video below to see how to clean and check your lawn mower carburetor.

How to clean the carburetor on your lawn mower

How to check the spark plug on your lawn mower article and video soon to come.