Calling all gearheads.... Help!

[Kara]

So I went to mow my yard the other day and the mower ran for about 5 minutes then died. I know next to nothing about engines, but I replaced the air filter since I hadn't done that yet this year. No luck. Replaced the spark plug. Still nothing. So I found some resources online and found that I should probably clean the carburetor. I actually managed to take everything apart to get to it, clean it, and put it all back together without breaking anything. I was so proud of myself. So I tried to start it again and...


Nothing.

There's a shop in town that fixes lawnmowers, but I figure for what that will likely cost me I could just buy a new mower. But it's only like 3 years old, so I really don't want to do that either.

So now I'm forced to play a Helpless Girl card (uses 3 Blue, Player unable to act directly until another player uses a Big Strong Man card). Any ideas on what I'm missing or what to do next? The gas isn't very old, I just filled my gascan last time I mowed a couple of weeks ago. I also put new oil in last time. When I did last mow the yard, I had no problems with it at all.

[pitmonkey]

Do you get a spark when you try to start? Put spark plug wire on engine block and pull cord slowly. Look for a blue spark at the end where you would attach to plug. Also you might want to chack the fuel filter, it might not be getting enough fuel.

[draftermatt]

Well you've tried everything I would have suggested to this point...

Do you have levers near the end of the handlebar where you control speed, choke, etc?

Try moving them up and down and see if you can see anything moving around the engine (specifically the carburetor).

I recently had to change the cables on my mower from the engine to the handle bar as they had become warped/severed from years of folding the handle bar up for storage.

[Kara]

Do you get a spark when you try to start? Put spark plug wire on engine block and pull cord slowly. Look for a blue spark at the end where you would attach to plug. Also you might want to chack the fuel filter, it might not be getting enough fuel.

I have a plastic cover over the top of the engine. So I have to pop that off I guess.

Also, I've tried looking up stuff on fuel filters. It should be connected to my fuel line, according to what I've read. But on my mower, the fuel line goes directly to the carburetor so I have no idea where the blasted thing is.

[Mikkel]

I have a plastic cover over the top of the engine. So I have to pop that off I guess.

Any bare metal will probably work as ground, just don't go to close to the hole for the spark plug.

Also, I've tried looking up stuff on fuel filters. It should be connected to my fuel line, according to what I've read. But on my mower, the fuel line goes directly to the carburetor so I have no idea where the blasted thing is.

Just under the tank or integrated in the carburettor would be my guess, if it isn't on the fuel line.

[Greenday]

Check fuel levels.

Check the oil. Actually I'd do this one first.

[Jester]

Shit, woman. Just take the mower into the mower repair shop and ask them to diagnose the problem. Most such places will tell you what is wrong and how much it will cost to fix it for free. Once you have the estimate of the repair cost, you can decide if it's worth it to get the work done, or if it would be better to buy a new mower. Or if you can fix it yourself, for that matter.

That's what I would do, and I am hardly a helpless girl. (I also don't know dick about engines and such.)

[AdminAssistant]

Sell the mower and use the money to pay somebody else to mow the yard.