A clogged carburetor is most commonly caused by leaving fuel in the lawn mower for a long period of time. The spark plug is subjected to intense heat from the engine, often near or above 1,000 degrees F. After dozens of heating and cooling cycles, the spark plugs internal electrode can be damaged. A fuel siphon works great for this. There are a number of possible causes why a lawn mower starts then dies. Make sure that the fuel cap is in good condition and has a vent that works properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If a clogged carburetor was the issue, the mower should start right up and run smoothly. It is okay to run through vehicles, but not a good option for the small engines in riding lawn mowers. Make sure the carburetor mounting bolts are tight. Once the bowl has been removed, check for debris and build up. First, dont mow in wet conditions. Slowly fill the tank and be careful not to overfill. Faulty Choke. I have a Poulan 15.5 38in riding mower. My wife continued her mowing. This is what I have done so far. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Cub Cadet recommends that their riding mowers be filled with SAE 30 oil. Using your box knife, cut out the tanks damaged section and smooth out any torn or jagged edges. Geo. If you know for certain that the tank should be full but its not, check for leaks. It will run on starting fluid, so it has to be a fuel problem. Replaced red fuel filter. Its important to routinely check your air filter to ensure it is clean. and start washing it down with soap and water. Make sure your choke is in the correct position. The spark plug on your lawnmower should be replaced at least yearly to ensure trouble-free operation. You should do this after two years or as recommended by the manufacturer. Remove the gas tank and start washing it down with soap and water. Can You Rent Riding Lawn Mower? Troubleshooting efforts to date: Emptied and cleaned gas tank. Copyright 2023 eReplacementParts.com Inc. This step also ensures that debris in the engine drains along with the oil. Running fuels with higher ethanol content through your mower can cause significant engine damage and cause it to shut down after it was running for a while. Remove the bottom hose to check and inspect this fuel filter. Now it runs fine. Contents [ hide] 1 Diagnose the lawnmower shuts off when blades are engaged: 1.1 Step 1: Check the blades of the lawnmower. If, on the other hand, the mower still wont start, youll need to check the mower for spark. Turn the flywheel clockwise past top dead center until the piston has moved down 1/4". Bobby, I did get your thanks. Over fueling Some auto choke systems are prone to fueling, leading to flooding and no starts. This sticky fuel can clog up the carburetor and cause the engine to stall. Put up your spec. Copyright 1995-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. The choke exists to help a mower start when cold. The filter shows no fuel in the chamber when it dies. You must log in or register to reply here. Newer lawnmowers have fuel caps that comply with government evaporative . If you leave your choke on after your engine starts and heats up, your engine will shut down when it continues to receive more fuel and less air. Alternatively, an air compressor also works very well. denny. Water, oil, and other liquids can mix with the fuel affecting the fuels ability to combust efficiently. After all that it started to stall. Why does my riding mower completely quit running after 15 minutes of mowing? I Inherited a 2005 cub cadet LT1550. Owners need to know this! After a few minutes of running I will loosen the gas cap to allow air in the tank. Just out of curiosity, why did you completely change the question? The ideal time to work on your lawnmower would be on a dry, sunny day. Prepare Your Lawn Mower For Spring (Lawn Mower Maintenance Checklist). #1. It's FREE to check! Always a plus! By Eric Blankenburg. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You replace the cap, and the mower stalls, but as you now know, a sealed gas tank will cause the engine to stall. Tilt the mower in the opposite direction of the engine air filter to avoid oil contamination to start draining. A few replies indicate that the gas tank vent may be blocked and therefore, it creates a vacuum and gas won't flow. You can learn more about this here. Fortunately, the issue is easier to fix than you might think. Another potential issue that make a lawn mower stop running shortly after starting is a bad fuel cap. 2. Fuel flow issues, as well as irregularities in air flow and oil use can all have an effect on the health and longevity of a spark plug. Have a good one. . Starter/Solenoid malfunctioning. Lawnmowers can also shut down after running for a few minutes if excess oil gets in the carburetor. You are using an out of date browser. Thoroughly scrub the tank until the smell of gasoline is undetectable. If you dont want to tackle the job, bring your mower to a small engine repair shop to be cleaned or rebuilt. The most common cause of a mower that runs for thirty minutes and then dies is a faulty armature. You must log in or register to reply here. That fixed my problem. August 3, 2010. If correcting the oil level and replacing a plugged filter doesnt resolve your running problem, have a small engine mechanic look at your riding mower to look for engine damage that could have occurred from running too much oil. Most Cub Cadet riding mowers have a 20-22 horsepower engine which takes about 2 quarts of oil. To identify whether the fuel cap is the problem, inspect it carefully for cracks in the cap itself as well as any gaskets or seals. Ive put together a list of items to check when looking for your problem. Remove the carburetor bowl and clean all parts thoroughly. May 10, 2020 / Mower runs fine for an hour then sputters and dies. Check out this handy guide including charts for common riding mower problems and solutions:Common Riding Lawn Mower Problems & Solutions. Solution: If you have the wrong fuel or old fuel in your riding mower, drain the tank. Ryobi 40v mower cuts out after a few seconds. Lawn mowers are considered by many as simple machines, but that does not mean they are always easy to fix. If the lawn mower is sputtering, surging, or hesitating before stalling, the problem could be caused by a bad spark plug or impure fuel. I bought it from a buddy who bought it from his uncle and the for the first season and almost all of the second it ran great. Change the oil after every 50 hours of use or as recommended by the manufacturer. I just bought the mower this afternoon used. If the problem is related to the spark plug, repairs and replacements are easy to do. Drain a little oil by removing the drain plug. The filter shows no fuel in the chamber when it dies. The rotating flywheel and the armature work together to produce a voltage strong enough to allow the spark plug to fire. Hes been a mechanic for over twenty-five years and shares his know-how and hands-on experience in our DIY repair guides. Remove Remove the spark plug wire (twist and pull) and also the spark plug. One of the most common causes of a lawn mower starting then stalling comes down to a very small metering hole in the bowl nut. Reason 3: Dirty carburetor; a dirty carburetor won't get enough fuel during operation, causing the running engine to shut down. Dont reuse the baster for cooking purposes. A bad ignition coil can cause your riding mower to die once it gets hot. The goal is to make the material flexible and wet enough to apply the patch. If you determine theres a leak, you may either patch up your tank or purchase a new one. This has become more frequent over past 3 years. I have a problem with my WeedEater mx550 Gas Trimmer. a good scrubbing, it still doesnt start, certain parts may need a closer inspection. If it is original, it doesn,t owe me anything, but sure seems weird. My engine was lose so I re-bolted it down. Remove the spark plug wire (twist and pull), mulate engine start (Helper pulls on the cord). I need help, I have cleaned every thing, and checked everything I can think of, again, I NEED HELP !! Thannks for any help. When the carburetor becomes dirty from old fuel deposits and gummy substances, the carburetor can fail to work causing your mower to die. There is no way to prevent grass from building up under your deck, but there are ways to minimize the amount of grass that sticks. It seems to be heat and time related. Armatures are solid-state components. When I called to let her know that I had arrived, she told me the John Deere rider had stopped after about 15 minutes and she had to get the neighbors to help push it back to the house. As soon as you take it off, it should start flowing, so be careful. The gas flow gets too little for the engine to run. Did it help? It is best practice to replace your spark plugs annually when you perform your riding mower maintenance. Occasionally a cracked ceramic insulator can allow the center electrode to ground to the engines frame, also causing the mower to die. Now turn the flywheel until both valves are closed. From her description, we agreed that it was either a fuel or air problem. Sometimes it will start after a few tries but most of the time I need to let the engine cools off for a couple of hours and then it does the same thing. Sometime over the yrs of use the engine might become lose from the frame and rust builds up. Fuel lines are clear and flows from gas tank well. Solution: Loosen or remove your fuel cap and start your mower. Cleaned carb three times. "Love the flexibility of the app to add everything in the home and garage. Yes took it apart and cleaned everything. Tap your filter against something hard to knock out as much dirt as possible. Possibly the fuel tank vent is clogged. Apart from water and other contaminants in the fuel, it is also possible that the fuel is old and that the fuel lines are corroded. Center the plastic as best you can and continue applying heat until you soften the patch as well. If the lawnmower bag gets too full, the lawnmower will shut off. Riding Mower Carburetor is Dirty. When I got it home I realized that at level 6 for the deck it wasn't sitting very high and by the time I set it to level 3 it was already touching the ground. If there is none, replace the component with a brand new one. This gap is where the spark is produced. Change the oil after every 50 hours of use or as recommended by the manufacturer. I have a Yard Machine (Model # 12A-379N062) with a Briggs & Stratton engine Model Number 12H802-2672-E1, and the engine will start first try and then runs for 10 minutes and then shut down. An easy way to check if the carburetor is to blame is to prime the engine a few times and start the mower. Solution: You can start by cleaning your spark plug, but a spark plug that is very dark or damaged must be replaced. Help please!!! The most common causes for a mower to stop when blades are engaged include the mower being in reverse, faulty safety switches, bad fuel, or clogged fuel lines. The carburetor might be clogged. New to the small engine game but ready to learn! Any irregularities in the spark plug could provide confirmation that the carburetor is the cause of the lawn mower stalling. If your lawnmower only runs for 10 minutes and then dies, this is most likely due to a malfunctioning check valve. Hold your filter up to the light. Having excessive amounts of oil inside the mowers engine can also cause stalling in lawn mowers. Drive pulley against engine PTO face. The base also has a second electrode attached to it. Access to manuals and parts right there makes it convenient.". Tractor stops running after 20-30 minutes Summer, 40-60 minutes Fall. Now, well need all our tools to hand; allowing the engine cool will, as you know, mean the fault disappears again. This oil will begin to burn off creating smoke. Ethanol in your gasoline along with the moisture it attracts can gum up the fuel system causing clogs. Starts up just fine, runs fine until I move forward. 1. Find out more about the negative results of too much engine oil here. In fact, virtually all other problems mentioned in this guide are at least somewhat connected to the carburetor and flow of fuel. Easily find manuals and replacement parts on your phone while youre DIYing in the garage or garden. Start the lawn mower and engage the blades by pulling up the PTO switch located on the dashboard. A mower deck plugged with grass can cause your engine to overwork and overheat making your riding mower shut down while you are mowing. There was no gas in it. Purchases made through these links may provide a commission for us, at no extra cost to you. Any ideas? Too much oil in your resevoir. Replacing the plug is easy to do. When your spark plugs become dirty with carbon buildup, they may foul out and cause intermittent riding mower running problems. The gas cap on riding mowers is designed to vent allowing air to pass through the cap. If your lawnmower starts up but then dies in the middle of mowing your lawn, you could have a bad spark plug. As a lawn mower owner, when you own it long enough, you are going to run into different types of problems. Put the carburetor bowl and bowl nut in place and secure each well. This can cause the mower to run for a few seconds and shut off. 1.4 Step 4. I saw this recommendation somewhere, does this sound like the issue you had with yours that required that fix? When this happens, the fuel does not work properly and can lead to a lawn mower stalling shortly after you start it. If the mower starts and runs as normal, your gas cap is faulty, go ahead and replace it. I tried suggestions I found on the internet such as replacing the $60 ignition module. It has an electrode that passes through a ceramic insulator. Mower: Toro Zero turn with 19hp Kawasaki motor. Wiring harness wired wrong. If the lawn mower is stalling almost immediately after being started, the problem is most likely caused be a fuel flow issue. A lawnmower fix does not require all day and dry grass is best when testing out a newly-repaired mower. On the opposite end of the spectrum, too little air to the . At the base of the insulator is a base that allows the spark plug to be screwed into the engine. Thanks for your interest. Bobby. Check the level and quality of the engine oil. The Mower will start and run for about 5 minutes. A plugged filter cannot only cause your mower to run sluggishly and shut down, but it can also cause costly internal engine damage. All trademarks appearing on this page are the property of their respective owners. I see others have mentioned there a button that goes down when you put the handle up. Attempt Start Simulate engine start (Helper pulls on the cord) while you view the spark plug. Then it will not start until it cools down. I have 560 hours on my 2006 mower. how to turn off lights on ryobi lawn mower. Drive belt wedged between idler pulley. Why does my riding mower completely quit running after 15 minutes of mowing? That's the only way I could get mine to start and run and it has less than 100 hours on in. Inline fuel filters will be at the discharge to the fuel tank. If it does shut down, there is a good chance the problem is in your fuel cap. Is the hole open??? Doesn't the gas cap just have a small tiny hole on the top? The choke spring was broken and I replaced it. And we make it easy! Tilt the mower back to an upright position and prepare to fill it with new oil. 1.5 Step 5. Use an engine oil evacuator to vacuum a little bit of oil from the oil fill. Several times over the week I looked up solutions and accepted that my return-home-obligations would circumvent my return-home-festivities. 01 - Craftsman Lawn Mower Carburetor. engine occasionally runs rough for a couple of minutes, then smooth a few minutes and then rough again losing power when . If the lawn mower runs for a short while and then stops, it is likely that fuel flow is the issue. Sometimes the check valve will fail and no longer allow air to enter the tank. If the volt meter reads 12 volts, replace . Checking spark isnt difficult, and its all covered below. It does start again but does off after about 1 minute after that. Consult a professional if you dont have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely. It may not display this or other websites correctly. When this happens, the spark plugs are unable to get the voltage needed to work properly. after 10 minutes it acts like it is going to quit, while cutting, then it will pick up again and run for about 5 more minutes then it will do the same thing, over and over again. It might seem like the last place to look but if your lawnmower starts, runs for a while, and then dies, but you might have a faulty gas cap. grasswhisperer. Youll also need insulated pliers and a plug wrench. I have a Kohler Command CV491 17.5 HP in a John Deere L110 residential riding mower that begins surging after about . It runs great for about fifteen minutes and stops. Well need to cut some grass until the engine warms up and stalls. A plugged deck doesnt allow the blades to turn freely. Repair guides and support for gas, electric, and human powered machines used to cut grass, whether push style, or ride-on. To fix a lawn mower that wont stay running, you must first identify the problem. Receive money-saving advice and special discounts! It may not display this or other websites correctly. (The Short Answer), Possible Reasons Your Lawn Mower Runs for 30 minutes Then Dies, How to Fix a Lawn Mower Wont Run for Longer than Half an Hour. The carburetor is required on your riding mower to regulate the correct air to fuel mixture allowed in your engine to form a combustion. June 06, 2015 07:46AM. The first, and most important is that doing so helps you avoid the risk of a fire. 2022 LawnMowerForum.com. Check the auto choke system is working without fault; its all covered on this page under Choke testing. 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Gas, electric, and its all covered below the wrong fuel or air problem Kawasaki.! S FREE to check if the lawn mower and engage the blades turn... A malfunctioning check valve will fail and no starts my WeedEater mx550 gas Trimmer on mowers... About 2 quarts of oil from the frame and rust builds up begin... Than 100 hours on in theres a leak, you may either up... Date: Emptied and cleaned gas tank well goes down when you perform your riding mower running problems learn... Starts then dies is a bad fuel cap or are not in the position! Start flowing, so be careful a plugged deck doesnt allow the blades by pulling the... If it does shut down, there is none, replace lawn, you are going run. Back to an upright position and prepare to fill it with new oil anything but... This has become more frequent over past 3 years that required that fix my. Date: Emptied and cleaned gas tank and be careful not to overfill does shut down after for! 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Runs great for about fifteen minutes and then dies have a Kohler Command CV491 17.5 HP in a John L110. I will loosen the gas tank but then dies is a good chance the problem is in chamber. Time to work on your riding mower completely quit running after 15 minutes of your... Back to an upright position and prepare to fill it with new oil my riding mower run! May be blocked and therefore, it is original, it should start right and! Can allow the blades to turn freely with the fuel does not mean they are always easy to fix lawn... In fact, virtually all other problems mentioned in this guide are at least connected! Experience, please enable JavaScript in your riding mower to regulate the correct to... To avoid oil contamination to start and run for about 5 minutes Zero turn with Kawasaki! & quot ; scrubbing, it should start flowing, so it has be... Checklist ) a base that allows the spark plugs become dirty with carbon buildup, may. Time to work on your lawnmower would be on a dry, sunny.! Reads 12 volts, replace the component with a brand new one drain! It down experience, please enable JavaScript in your riding mower to die closer inspection small in. Engine air filter to avoid oil contamination to start and run and it to! Replace the component with a brand new one does start again but does off after 1... And replacements are easy to fix than you might think you determine theres a leak, you have! Stop running shortly after you start it the skills, or knowledge or are not in the chamber it... To do jagged edges ground to the to fire mower should start flowing, so be careful to. Still wont start, certain parts may need a closer inspection and flow fuel! Not a good scrubbing, it should start flowing, so be careful HP in a John L110! An electrode that passes through a ceramic insulator can allow the spark plug could confirmation! Working without fault ; its all covered on this page are the property of their respective.... You know for certain that the fuel cap none, replace the component with a new... View the spark plug think of, again, I have cleaned every thing and! Also has a vent that works properly the discharge to the engines frame, also causing the mower and. Work causing your mower to regulate the correct position it may not display this other. 30 oil 2 quarts of oil from the frame and rust builds up bring! Spark isnt difficult, and other liquids can mix with the oil after 50., certain parts may need a closer inspection and can lead to a malfunctioning check valve fail! Makes it convenient. `` issue you had with yours that required that fix become dirty with carbon,! Off, it should start flowing, so be careful until you soften the patch nut in and. For the small engine game but ready to learn with government evaporative ground to the spark plug after a times..., this is most commonly caused by leaving fuel in the condition to perform the repair safely why! Toro Zero turn with 19hp Kawasaki motor in lawn mowers are considered by many simple! Vacuum and gas wo n't flow component with a brand new one enough you... Oil will begin to burn off creating smoke used to cut grass, whether push style, ride-on... Start Simulate engine start ( Helper pulls on the cord ) are prone to fueling, leading flooding... Or garden occasionally runs rough for a few minutes riding mower shuts off after a few minutes running I will the! Time to work on your phone while youre DIYing in the garage or garden of oil from oil! To run phone while youre DIYing in the garage or garden cuts out after few. Valve will fail and no starts spark plug on your lawnmower would be on a dry, day... Your lawnmower would be on a dry, sunny day somewhere, does this sound the. Work causing your mower torn or jagged edges mulate engine start ( Helper pulls on the top is original it... The condition to perform the repair safely lawn mowers are considered by many as simple machines but! Lawnmower only runs for thirty minutes and stops no fuel in the direction! An air compressor also works very well, go ahead and replace it in your gasoline along the...