How to Cold Start a Lawn Mower

It will remain cold after a long winter season when you start your lawnmower. Thus, it may not start regularly. In fact, you will find that lawn mower hard to start when cold. Even if it starts after a few tries, it might shut off abruptly. Thus, it is hard and annoying to cut the grasses and maintain your green lawn.

At this moment, knowing how to cold start a lawnmower will be truly useful. Also, starting a cold lawnmower isn’t as tough as you may imagine. You need to clean off the carburetor, spark plug and drain the oil to start a cold lawnmower with ease.

How to Cold Start a Lawn Mower

When your lawnmower is cold and has remained idle for months during the wintertime, you can’t start it directly during the summer. You will need to clean its engine components, carburetor, and spark plug. Also, you need to warm it up properly.

Also, if you want to know why a craftsman lawn mower is hard to start when cold, these steps will help you truly.

Step 1: Clean the spark plug

At first, you must clean the spark plug of the lawnmower. It is important since the spark plug will accumulate debris and oil residues when not used for a long time. It would help if you disconnected its cap first. Then, unscrew the entire spark plug from the lawnmower engine.

Now look for oil residues and carbon build-up on the spark plug. When identifying the residues, use a wire brush to remove the debris from the plug. Finally, spray starting fluid on the entire spark plug. Now you can remount the plug and connect the cap properly.

Step 2: Clean or replace the air filter

When the lawnmower isn’t used for a long time, the air filter will also accumulate debris. The air filter supplies air to the engine and carburetor to help them work appropriately. So, when there’s debris on the air filter, it fails to supply the required amount of air to the engine.

Thus, take out the air filter from the lawnmower engine. Now, inspect it thoroughly to know how much dirt it has gathered. If the air filter isn’t too dirty and you can clean it, use the wire brush to remove the dirt and debris from it.

However, if the air filter is dirtier than expected, you should replace it. Air filters are cheap and easily gettable in hardware stores. Also, you may purchase it from the lawnmower store. Once you get the new air filter, mount it in its actual position.

Step 3: Check the carburetor

Before you consider starting the lawnmower, you should also check the carburetor. Sometimes, oil spills or debris might clog the carburetor. When the carburetor gets dirty, it will not mix the air and fuel according to the right ratio. Thus, the combustion engine of the lawnmower will not start.

Therefore, you should check the carburetor thoroughly. If you think it needs cleaning, wash it off using a neat and clean rag. For this, apply the carburetor cleaner using a straw in the air intake of the component. You should always use premium carburetor cleaner to yield the best filtering results for the carburetor.

Step 4: Check and adjust the oil level

Finally, you must check the oil level of your lawnmower. Usually, every lawnmower has a recommended oil level mark. You should maintain the oil level to help the engine deliver the best performance. If the fuel tank has old gas or fuel, drain it. After that, refuel the tank with the new gas. Always use premium gas as fuel instead of regular gasses.

If you use regular gas for the lawnmower engine, initially, you may save a few cents. But, in the long run, it will cost you to replace the lawnmower.

Step 5: Start your lawnmower

When you have checked the air filter, carburetor, and spark plugs of the lawnmower, you can proceed to start it. First, observe the air filter to find the primer button. Once you have found the primer button, press it three times without any delay.

After that, remove your thumb from the primer button. It allows the primer button to get back to its original position. Once the switch gets back to its actual position, press it three times continuously.

Finally, press the starting switch of the lawnmower. Once the engine starts, allow it to get warm-up for a few seconds. Now, you can start cutting the grass with the lawnmower.

Also, note that you might convert an electric lawnmower to a cordless one if you find it difficult to move the corded one. We have a separate guideline on it.

How to Warm Up a Lawn Mower

Many homeowners complain that their lawnmower takes many pulls to start. It usually happens when the engine is idle for a few months and has become cold. Thus, you will need to warm up the lawnmower engine before starting it.

Nonetheless, you should understand that warming up the lawnmower refers to warming up the carburetor. You can’t warm up or heat the engine itself. So, how do you warm up the carburetor of your lawnmower?

The process is easier than most homeowners might expect. The steps include:

1. Place a 60W light bulb close to the lawnmower carburetor. However, ensure that you don’t put it too close to the carburetor. Otherwise, the bulb’s heat might burn the carburetor wiring to damage the engine.
2. Now, connect the bulb with the electric outlet using proper wiring. Turn on the outlet to help the bulb light up adequately.
3. You should ensure that the bulb remains in its position without any movement. You need to keep the bulb lighted for 10 to 20 minutes.

This way, you may warm up the carburetor of the lawnmower. Nonetheless, many experts suggest that you don’t need to warm up the lawnmower at all. Don’t try to straighten the carburetor blade with heat as part of your warming up process. You should ensure that the light bulb is positioned securely so that it doesn’t burn any wiring and components inside the engine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Words

This guideline on how to cold start a lawnmower after a long time includes possible reasons for the engine not starting and their fixing steps. If your lawnmower still fails to start, it might be due to internal damages. Thus, you need to call a mechanic to fix it, or you might even need to buy a new one. So, maintain your lawnmower properly to avoid such inconveniences.