After the initial snowfall, it’s common for small engines (like the Briggs and Stratton unit on my Troy-Bilt) to act like they’ll never fire up again: It sits dormant all winter, when your driveway freezes, and then you haul the thing out of the garage and try to start it and all you get is sputter sputter nothing. Don’t panic; no need for an expensive service call, and certainly no need to replace engine. There are only three basic culprit: Fuel, Spark, Compression.
All you need is to know where to look to diagnose the trouble within 20 minutes. That way you can be shoveling snow rather than gazing into carburetor. Fuel is the number one cause.
How to Fix a Troy-Bilt Snow Blower That Won’t Start
Stale Gasoline and Fuel System Issues
Stale gasoline has no business inside your tank. Gasoline will go bad over time. Old fuel begins to oxidize and gums up the carburetor’s small passages.
Even though the tank appears full, what the engine see is sludge, not fuel. Remove old gas, then refill the tank with fresh fuel. If storing the snowblower for a while, add a fuel stabilizer.
A good supply of fresh fuel ignite well and flows easily, eliminating many mechanical headache. Secondly check the spark plug.
Inspecting and Testing the Spark Plug
Remove it and inspect the electrode.
Is it wet? The engine is flooded. Let it dry and then retry.
Is it dry and the gap is proper? Crank the engine over while holding the plug near the engine block. You should of see a brilliant blue spark.
No spark indicates a failure in your wiring or ignition coil. Weak spark means you have a failing coil. This is a very inexpensive fix compared to replacing an engine.
You need a good spark jump to ignite mixture. How about the safety switches on your Troy-Bilt?
Troubleshooting Safety Switches and Sensors
I love that they has interlocks so you can’t start them accidentally.
All of those switches (handlebars, auger switch and blade switch) connects to each other and tell ignition system if you’re not positioned safely. When it believe you’re out of the safe zone it kills the spark. Clean contact points and wiggle the wires a bit too.
More times than not these switch fail because of corrosion/dirt more then outright breakage. Keeping this up is huge for reliable starts. Then take a peek at your oil level.
Checking Oil Levels Correctly
Many moddern Troy-Bilt engines has low-oil sensors. The engine will not crank if the oil drop just below the line. Why?
It is to keep it from seizing up, of course. Pull out the dip stick, check your oil and top off as necessary. But don’t over fill.
Too much oil can cause foam which in turn doesn’t lubricate proper. All you really want is enough oil to do its job. This is an easy check that avoids major damage.
Last, look at that air filter.
Cleaning or Replacing the Air Filter
Because an air filter is clogged, it can’t breathe adequately so the engine doesn’t get enough air mixed with the fuel for it to run properly. Take off its cover and check the filter element.
If dirty, clean it or change it. A new filter allows the air to flow smoothly. It will make a huge difference in performance at almost no cost.
Now your Troy-Bilt will begin running. You’ve checked for air, oil, spark, switches and fuel. And if you’re still having trouble getting started?
Chances are it’s wearing down on the inside. More often than not though, it’s simple. Work systematically through the basics.