When craftsman push mower won’t start: Pushing lawnmower in for the first time this season can be frustrating. The sun’s out, the grass is up and engine won’t turn over. Pulling on starter cord confidently, it coughs … and dies.
Now maybe you’re afraid of losing your weekend. It happens, but more often then not, there’s nothing wrong with mower that will require a trip to the dump. The mowers is never realy broken beyond repair.
It’s normaly just that: An easy-to-fix problem. Lawnmowers are tough beasts; it take a lot to break them internally. It rarely has anything to do with a mechanical failure.
Instead, it is often because something is simply missing that make the engine run. A mechanic isn’t necessary here. All you need to know is that an engine needs three things to operate: fuel, air, and spark.
Without one of those element, no engine will turn over. The most likely culprit? The fuel system.
How To Fix A Craftsman Mower That Won’t Start
Check the Fuel System
Fuel breaks down with age and forms a varnish that gums up the carburetor. Odds are gas in the lawn mower is stale if it was stored over the summer or winter while sitting idle. Step one: drain old gas and replenish with fresh fuel (no ethanol).
Many mower owners don’t pay attention to gasoline’s expiration date. However, stale fuel lead to flooding. This coats the spark plug and prevents it from firing, and it also gums up the carburetor.
Inspect the Spark Plug
Finally, examine the spark plug. The spark plug are key to the whole ignition system. You can remove the plug and see if it’s cracked or if gap is out of spec.
A soot-covered, dirty-looking electrode mean the engine’s running rich (too much fuel). Or the plug might be bad due to heat range or improper fit. Replacing the spark plug isn’t hard; just a couple minute and not much money.
Best case is avoiding trouble down the road. Be sure to get the right kind for your mower, check manual that came with your Craftsman. Don’t forget the air filter.
Clean or Replace Air Filter
Restricted air flow mean the engine lacks oxygen. This will cause it to run rough if allowed to continue. Remove air filter from its housing and inspect.
Is it dirty? Is it oily? Clean filter or change it out.
Having a clean filter assures proper air-to-fuel mixture which are vital for the engine’s smooth running. Without proper mixture, a restricted engine will sputter then die before coming up to speed. Lastly, check out starter cord mechanism and the safety switches.
Test Safety Switches and Starter Cord
Interlocks on Craftsman mowers will keeps the mower from starting unless you depress brake pedal and disengage the blade. Check these switch; a disconnected one or a faulty one can cause problems. Make sure the brake pedal is all the way down.
Next, test the starter cord: Does it pull easy and snap into place? A broken recoil spring would of result in a loose-feeling cord. Repair it and you’re good to go.
The engine should spin quickly enough to get it going. Maintaining a mower is as much about process and patience as anything else. There’s no guesswork here.
Follow the chain of cause and effect: Is there air? Is there a spark? Is there fuel?
If you can isolate where blockage is occurring, that’s often not hard to fix. And keeping up with some basic maintenance will keeps the mower going for years. It will save your weekend and get you back to cutting grass rather than troubleshooting.
Mowers is designed to be durable.