OK guys a lawn mower problem.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Dear Guys,

My darling son mowed the front lawn and side yesterday. He went to do the back this afternoon and the mower will start and then immediately cut off. This happened a few times.

The mower was just at Sears for a tune-up 2 weeks ago and has been used, successfully about 4 times since. It's 3 years old.

What gives?

[Chap7 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Chap7]

Did you check the Johnson rod?

[tabbyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tabbyc]

Here's a few hints ... not neccessarily in order ...
Check the blade to see there are no obstructions, wet grass, etc.....
Make sure the linkage to the handle you pull down to keep it going is working properly and pulling the throttle open all the way...
Make sure the gasoline is full and if it could be watered down or old replace it...
If the bullb to prime it to start has holes in it then it may be getting toel o much air so pinch it and see if the mower keeps going...
Check the air filter...
Replace the sparkplug...
Check the fuel line to make sure it isn't clogged and if you drain the gas tank make sure the fuelportal at the bottom of the tank is clear.

If this doesn't work look on craigslist to find someone to fix it for about $45 because a lawnmower shop usually charges $80 to $120 depending on where you live.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Did you check the Johnson rod?

Craig this my son we're talking about here!

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Here's a few hints ... not neccessarily in order ...
Check the blade to see there are no obstructions, wet grass, etc.....
Make sure the linkage to the handle you pull down to keep it going is working properly and pulling the throttle open all the way...
Make sure the gasoline is full and if it could be watered down or old replace it...
If the bullb to prime it to start has holes in it then it may be getting toel o much air so pinch it and see if the mower keeps going...
Check the air filter...
Replace the sparkplug...
Check the fuel line to make sure it isn't clogged and if you drain the gas tank make sure the fuelportal at the bottom of the tank is clear.

If this doesn't work look on craigslist to find someone to fix it for about $45 because a lawnmower shop usually charges $80 to $120 depending on where you live.

Shall do.

First thing I did was check and fill the gasoline. Not old as it was emptied prior to tune-up.


I don't think it's got a primer bulb like the weed eater. So maybe it is just residue build up from yesterday. I can hope...

[Chap7 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Chap7]

You're too funny Lawren...not what I meant at all!

"Seinfeld" Season 6 Episode 19 Aptil 27, 1995 The Fusille Jerry

Jerry: Eh, we had a little fight about the move. I took her to this other

place. I think they might be trying to screw me.

George: Well, of course they're trying to screw you. What do you think?

That's what they do. They can make up anything. Nobody knows. "By the

way, you need a new Johnson rod in there." "Oh, a Johnson rod. Yeah, well,

you better put one of those on."

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

You're too funny Lawren...not what I meant at all!

"Seinfeld" Season 6 Episode 19 Aptil 27, 1995 The Fusille Jerry

Jerry: Eh, we had a little fight about the move. I took her to this other

place. I think they might be trying to screw me.

George: Well, of course they're trying to screw you. What do you think?

That's what they do. They can make up anything. Nobody knows. "By the

way, you need a new Johnson rod in there." "Oh, a Johnson rod. Yeah, well,

you better put one of those on."

Well I'll let you slide this time but the only thing I've ever heard called a Johnson is... uh; never mind, this is the PG rated forum.

Keeping my sense of humor is one my highest priorities at the moment.

[Kentonmag Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kentonmag]

It happened to my Son last week, what you need to do is take the filter cover off, remover the filter pad. under the filter pad will be 2 or 3 bolts that bolt the filter pad base to the carburetor, unbolt the filter base. Then you unbolt the carburetor and on the underside of the carburetor there is bolt, you need to unbolt this and the carburetor splits in 2 pieces. On the underside of the top half of the carburetor there is a small pin hole where the gas goes through, get a piece of wire or a bit of guitar string and poke this through a few times as this is the cause, the hole is blocked and the gas isn't getting through. Re-assemble everything.
One thing I forgot to add, remember to take the cable off the sparkplug at the start and remember to reattach it before you start the mower again.

Good luck I saved myself $60 - $100.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

... will start and then immediately cut off. ... The mower was just at Sears for a tune-up 2 weeks ago and has been used, successfully about 4 times since.

Tell Sears you want it to be tuned to run for the season. Only 4 times just doesn't get!

Sounds like a dirt clogged line or water in the fuel.

The pull down and clean job just mentioned could do it. However,

Before that, I'd check the fuel... The fuel-can may have water into it.
Just to check, dump it out of the mower into a jar so you can look at it.

I'd even dump a bit of fuel in the empty tank... shake it around and dump it out, just to get dirt and water out.

Before attempting to start the mower, remove the spark-plug and crank the engine to help blow any moisture out of the cylinder(s).

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Here's a few hints ... not neccessarily in order ...
Check the blade to see there are no obstructions, wet grass, etc.....
Make sure the linkage to the handle you pull down to keep it going is working properly and pulling the throttle open all the way...
Make sure the gasoline is full and if it could be watered down or old replace it...
If the bullb to prime it to start has holes in it then it may be getting toel o much air so pinch it and see if the mower keeps going...
Check the air filter...
Replace the sparkplug...
Check the fuel line to make sure it isn't clogged and if you drain the gas tank make sure the fuelportal at the bottom of the tank is clear.

If this doesn't work look on craigslist to find someone to fix it for about $45 because a lawnmower shop usually charges $80 to $120 depending on where you live.

Sounds like everything Sears should have checked when they had it tuned up recently.

The problem is Sears IMHO. They became unreliable a few years ago. It sound to me as if this one needs to go back to Sears with you receipt for the tune up and ask them "What gives?"

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I haven't heard much good commentary about Sears mowers, most accounts are about the problems getting them running. I would avoid them at all costs. My last Toro went 20 years without a tune-up and still started on the first few pulls.

[garyd210 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close garyd210]

Shut off switch for fuel?

I had my Sears mower tuned up earlier this year and when I got home to mow, it'd start for a moment or two then die, over and over again. It never occurred to me that there was a fuel shut-off that I had never had on a mower before. I felt pretty stupid taking it back to the tune-up shop, but that problem never reoccurred.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Sears (like just about everyone else) uses one of two major motor companies, Briggs and Straton or Tecumseh. Like or dislike a certain brand of mower, the way it runs is based on one of those engines. The mower deck, wheel lift assembly, and a few other parts are custom built for the company or just the manufactures standard product relabeled with the customer's name.

It has been a long time since I really did any work on engines, but it sounds like a fuel or carb choke problem. If you had a prime bulb, and would push that as the mower starts to stall out, I believe it would pick up again. If you don't have a prime bulb, I think that is what I read, then the carborator must have a manual or automatic choke. That may not be opening to allow the mower to run. Or, there is a restriction in the gas line that allows enough gas fill the bowl to the carb for that first run, but not enough to keep it going. All that means to take it back to Sears.

And...I hate my toro. Absolutely impossible to adjust the deck height.

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Did you ask for a tune up or a tune down at Sears?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I googled Sears this week because our garage door opener is acting up. The first beaucoup hits were complaints about Sears service. I could not get Sears, in any form, to troubleshoot my problem, but they did tell me about a forum they have set up for that purpose. I am still waiting for an answer from it:

www.managemyhome.com.

The good news is that if the engine is a Briggs and Stratton, that is who you would really talk to and I have had great success with them troubleshooting lawn mower stuff, the last problem being a primer bulb replacement for a at-least-20-year-old Monkey Wards mower (remember Monkey Wards?).

http://faqs.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/faq...=0&p_redirect=

I agree that whatever your problem is should have been taken care of by a tune-up, so it should go back, if you can't resolve it yourself. However, this is the type of stuff I normally resolve with a bit of messing around.

Troubleshooting it logically, the problem is either fuel or spark. Since it runs awhile, let's assume it has spark. If I ever want to confirm that, I remove the spark plug and set it on the cooling fins of the engine, so it is grounded, then crank the engine, looking at the spark plug gap.

Eliminating that and moving on to fuel, it will be the fuel filter, air cleaner element, primer bulb or choke (not releasing).

Now, diagnose my golf cart, the one we take down to the dock, and we're both good to go.