10 Reasons Riding Mower is Leaking Gas

In some cases, when you see a spot of wet grass in your yard or signs that your grass has been burned in your backyard, you will be able to tell that your riding mower is losing gas. A gas leak is usually not noticed until it is smelled in your garage or storage area, and that is when you realize you have a gas leak. If you are storing your mower in a garage that is attached to your house, then you obviously don’t want it to leak gas when it is hot. Right now, there is a problem that needs to be addressed and it needs to be handled as quickly as possible. Here are ten of the most common reasons why your lawnmower is leaking gasoline that you need to know about. You may not have to remember some of these reasons when working with other power equipment, but it’s helpful information to know.

1. Why is Your Lawn Mower Leaking Gas?

In most cases, gas leaks are the result of three main causes: wear and tear of parts over time, damage caused by mistreatment of parts, or incorrect servicing and repair of parts from a mower’s service center. There are various reasons why lawn mowers leak gasoline. However, the result is a dangerous situation that can arise if gasoline leaks from any point within the fuel system.

2.   Detecting the cause of a gas leak on a lawn mower

It is always my intention to find the root cause of any gas leak that I have ever had on my lawn mower. This is in case I am able to avoid it in the future. As a result of something we have done, not always, but definitely sometimes, gas leaks occur because of something we have done that has caused them to happen in the first place. The next thing we need to do is take a look at the fuel system and try to figure out where the leak is coming from.

3.   Riding mower carburetor stuck with float

It is imperative to check for stuck floats if you are experiencing leaks from your carburetor. You might be able to locate a leak in the area near the air intake port if you check that area first. This area of the float can become clogged with fuel if a float becomes stuck.

There is a float in the carburetor bowl, which is responsible for regulating the amount of fuel that can enter the engine.

The problem that occurs when a float gets stuck is that fuel can no longer be regulated by the float. Continuing to flow into the bowl, the fuel will overflow the bowl and continue to flow into the surrounding area. Your carburetor will have to be disassembled if the stuck float is the cause of the fuel leak. This is so that you can figure out why the float is stuck and how to fix it.

4.   Riding mower carburetor float needle stuck

There is a possibility that the float will be fine, but the needle on the float may be stuck. Gas is kept flowing into the carburetor bowl by the needle working alongside the float.

You need to take apart your carburetor if the needle is stuck, and then rebuild it afterwards. Your local lawn mower repair shop may be able to help you with this or you could do it yourself.

Using a rubber mallet or the rubber end of a hammer may be useful to temporarily fix a stuck needle in a carburetor. This is if the needle is stuck for an extended period of time. In the short term, you may be able to fix the issue with this solution, but eventually, you will have to replace your needle.

5.   Lines for fueling vehicles

As soon as you take the lid off the gas tank, you will see that there are fuel lines coming out. If you find that your fuel lines are dry-rotted or cracked, you will have to replace them immediately. If there is a clamp holding the hose in place, look over the clamped areas to ensure that there are no damages to the hoses caused by the clamping mechanism.

You may want to replace the factory pinch style clamps you are using with worm gear type clamps if the clamps used are factory style pinch clamps.

6.   There is a fuel tank in the vehicle

You might be experiencing a fuel leak as a result of a leak in your fuel tank. It would be wise to check your mower’s fuel tank for any rust or corrosion if it is an old mower that has a steel fuel tank.

Whenever you are checking the seams of a plastic tank on your lawn mower, you should look for where the plastic has been molded together. A plastic tank seam may separate over a period of time, or a rusted steel tank may develop a hole due to corrosion over time.

7.   Filter for fuel tanks

When the fuel filter hasn’t been changed or removed for some time, you should check whether it needs to be changed. For example, if you are using an inline fuel filter made of plastic that sits in your vehicle for a long time, the plastic will begin to break down and become weak and brittle over time.

The ends of the filter may appear to be melted if you remove them, so don’t be surprised if you crush them. The problem can be caused by using faulty gasoline over time.

Therefore, if you own a lawn mower, I highly recommend that you use recreational fuel in it. If you would like to learn more about the types of fuel for your mower, you can check out this page.

8.   Tank for gas

As the last repair on the list, the gas tank needs to be fixed. Various products are now available on the market that can be used to seal any holes in the gas tank that need to be repaired. The problem is, I’m not confident that they will work as well as I’d like them to. I would therefore recommend replacing the tank with a replacement one to be on the safe side.

The first thing you need to do is drain the fuel from the lawn mower’s tank so you can properly inspect it. Once you have removed the spring clip of the fuel line from the fuel tank, you can disconnect the line using a pair of pliers. The lawn mower engine cover will have to be removed once the fuel tank is disconnected so that you can access the fuel tank. Using a small socket set or screwdriver should be all that is required in order to complete this process.

Then, with your screwdriver, remove the screws holding the tank onto the lawn mower, and then take the tank and the screws out of the lawn mower. It is now time to mount your new tank to the mower and position it where you want it. It is then necessary to take the fixing screws that have been provided with the tank and screw it into place. After reinstalling the engine cover, you will have to reinstall the fuel line as well. At last, attach the spring clip to the fuel line, place the fuel tank in the middle, and then fill it up with fuel.

9.   The gas cap on the riding mower is damaged

Your riding mower’s gas cap has a seal that keeps gas from leaking. There is a possibility that this seal may fail to seal properly and allow gas to leak around the cap if it does not work properly. There is no need to worry about noticing a wet spot around the gas tank cap as gas evaporates into the air as it travels.

Using the rocking motion of your mower, you can check to see if fuel is leaking out around the cap area of your mower. This will enable you to check if there are any leaks. The first sign that something is wrong with your gas cap is a bead of water on the outside of it. In such cases, you should replace it with a Neoprene gas cap.

Is Your Lawn Mower Giving You Problems?

The process of owning a lawn mower doesn’t come without its frustrations, however. In addition to starting and smoking problems, leaking, cutting problems, and overheating problems, owning a lawn mower for an extended period of time is bound to cause you problems with your lawn mower.

Related Questions

1. Is the air filter on your lawnmower leaking oil?

There are a few reasons why oil is leaking from a lawn mower air filter, the most common reason being that too much oil was in the engine, however, it can also occur if the mower has been on its side for some time.

2. What are the chances of the primer bulb on your lawnmower leaking gas?

There is a perished primer bulb and it has split. Mice also like to eat these types of bulbs. Replace the primer bulb with the replacement one after you remove the retaining ring on the primer bulb.