Lawn Mower Repair and Troubleshooting Tips

It happens to the best of lawn mowers. They pop, sputter and fail. Even the most meticulous maintenance cannot prevent all the issues that come with lawn mowers and other small engine equipment. But most of these problems are not all that serious and a little DIY lawn mower repair and troubleshooting can get the lawn mower back to doing what it is supposed to do. Below is a list of common lawn mower repair issues and what you can do to troubleshoot and fix them.

Safety First

Lawn Mower Repair

Keep your lawn mower running to keep your yard looking great!

Before tinkering with your mower, it is important that you take a few steps to ensure that a little lawn mower problem doesn’t turn into a hospital stay. Before working on your lawn mower, make sure:

  1. That you remove the spark plug cap from the spark plug and ground it, especially if you are cleaning or working on the blades.
  2. Put on safety glasses.
  3. Make sure you are wearing full, thick shoes that cover your feet while operating or working on the lawn mower.
  4. Consult your lawn mower owner manual before working on the mower.

Alright, lets get started.

Lawn Mower Won’t Start

The most common lawn mower issue is a failure to start. We covered this issue in a previous post which you can read here: Lawn Mower Won’t Start? To summarize:

  1. Check the fuel and prime it to the specifications in the owner’s manual.
  2. Make sure the spark plug is clean and undamaged.
  3. Make sure that the air filter is free of dirt and replace if necessary.

Loss of power while mowing

So you got the mower started only to have it sputter out in the middle of mowing. Frustrating.

First, just like with a mower that won’t start, check the air filter for debris and other material. This is commonly the issue. As you mow, grass and other debris can build up in the filter and starve the lawn mower engine of air.

Second, if you are cutting thick or tall grass, the mower can sometime stall if the cutting height is not set properly. Raise the cutting height to keep mower running through thick or overgrown grass.

Third, like above, check the spark plug for wear and replace or clean.

Oh! And check to make sure you didn’t run out of gas!

Mower is smoking!

Don’t worry, it usually isn’t a huge problem. Sometime oil and other debris comes into contact with the exhaust and starts to burn off. To stop this from happening, clean the area around the exhaust port and check the blades and undercarriage for excess buildup.

If, however, you see blue or light colored smoke in combination with a loss of power or a stall, you may need to have the mower looked at by a professional small engine mechanic.

Lawn Mower Repair with Greg’s Small Engines Service and Repair

No matter what the lawn mower issue, big or small, the professionals at Greg’s Small Engine Service and Repair can do it all. Servicing the Reno, Tahoe and Sparks area, Greg’s Small Engine has built a reputation around quality service with an emphasis on customer convenience. Greg’s small engine even offers a pick up and delivery service. Come check out are services and contact us today!