You finally find time in your busy schedule to tackle the lawn, but now you’re going to end up spending the day trying to fix it. Here’s a guide with the most common starting issues to help you locate the cause of your MTD starting problem Your MTD Lawn Mower Won’t Start.

An MTD lawn mower won’t start when there is bad fuel; a plugged air or fuel filter; a clogged fuel line; a dirty carburetor; a bad spark plug, ignition coil, starter solenoid, ignition switch, or safety switch; or a bad battery or charging system.

Follow all safety precautions listed in the owner’s manual for your MTD lawn mower to avoid injury.

Before you drag the mower in for repairs or invest in costly replacement parts, first make sure that a clogged air filter, soiled spark plug, damaged safety cable, clogged mowing deck, or contaminated gas isn’t to blame. Work through the following steps, and you may be able to get your puttering grass guzzler up and running again in no time.

This is Why Your MTD Lawn Mower Won’t Start

Your MTD Lawn Mower Won’t Start

Summer is here once again. You get the mower out of storage and it refuses to start. It may start once but then refuse to do so again. A typical situation!

Listed below is a ten-point list to help you get your mower running. When that doesn’t work, you’ll learn more about fuel, oil, and ignition system problems, carburetor fault-finding, and checking for faulty compression if the engine won’t start.

Here is the second part of a two-part guide to troubleshooting four-stroke gasoline engines. Maybe you should check out the part on

The spark plug on your MTD lawn mower may be damaged or the connection may be loose

An insufficient gap, a loose wire, or a faulty spark plug will not cause your MTD to run. Clean spark plugs with carbon buildup; damaged spark plugs with burnt electrodes; or spark plugs with carbon buildup must be replaced. Spark plugs can fail from each of these causes, resulting in an engine that won’t start.

Remove the spark plug and inspect it for carbon buildup. Using a wire brush, you can try to clean a dirty spark plug.

Rather than replacing the inexpensive part, I replace the spark plug, a maintenance item required for your mower to run properly. If the plug is damaged, the mower is likely to misfire and run slowly.

Spark plugs should be gapped according to the engine manufacturer’s instructions. Plug in the spark plug and secure the wire to the spark plug.

 If your MTD lawn mower has a malfunctioning fuel pump, you need to replace it

The fuel pump supplies fuel to the carburetor. Usually, your MTD mower will have a fuel pump when the tank sits below the carburetor, which means the fuel is being moved uphill by the pump.

A fuel pump, like any mechanical part, can fail over time. A deteriorating pump component is likely the cause.

In order to identify a failing fuel pump, inspect your vacuum fuel pump first. If you see fuel outside the fuel pump or cracks in the pump, the pump will no longer be able to create the pressure necessary to pump fuel. 

If your mower has a fuel shut-off valve or pinching pliers to control fuel flow, you can use them. If fuel isn’t getting to the pump, stop and start the flow.

To determine whether or not your fuel pump is malfunctioning, check to ensure fuel is flowing out of it at a steady or pulsating rate.

What to do if your lawn mower won’t start

You may encounter several issues causing your lawn mower not to run, including electrical faults within the spark plugs as well as the reasons I’ve listed above.

In the case of a wet spark plug, your engine won’t start. As a result, the issue is more often caused by a cutoff of fuel to spark plugs.

The following are some symptoms that your lawn mower isn’t getting gasoline to the spark plug, so it won’t start:

Clean Out Your MTD Lawn Mower’s Carburetor

Gas and air are controlled by carburetors, which enable your mower to start and run. The use of old ethanol-containing fuel can cause crusty buildup and gummy deposits in carburetors.

When the carburetor stops regulating fuel flow, your MTD engine will run rough or may even not start.

It is possible for you to clean the carburetor yourself if you have some mechanical ability, otherwise speak with your lawn mower repair shop. In this article, we explain how to clean your carburetor. 

If the carburetor appears to be very bad, consider replacing it. Your MTD Lawn Mower Won’t Start.

MTD Lawn Mower Start-Up Instructions

You can prevent your MTD mower from starting unless you follow their starting procedures, which include setting your parking brake.

Set the choke to the right setting. The choke restricts airflow so fuel can be put into the cylinder more quickly when the engine is cold. As soon as the engine warms, you must adjust the choke so it doesn’t restrict airflow anymore.

You can avoid having your lawn mower not start by following your MTD operator’s manual carefully.

 

Inspect the mower for signs of damage.

Repairing a lawn mower can be done by DIYers, although there are times when a professional is preferred. When you have followed all of the proper mower maintenance that is recommended by the manufacturer and exhausted all of your possible solutions, it may be time to call an expert. These are a few signs that you might benefit from a professional’s assistance.

• It is black smoke that you see. Having a technician examine the engine is recommended since it may be cracked or something else may be faulty.
• Use excessive amounts of oil or gas. In the event that you have changed the spark plugs, and have completed all the maintenance tasks, and the mower is still consuming more oil or gas than usual, consult a professional.
• It makes a knocking sound when the lawn mower is running. It could be that something is bent or out of alignment in your lawn mower if it starts knocking. An expert can help you with this since you might have trouble figuring it out on your own.
• Lawnmowers that vibrate or shake can be signs of a more serious problem than can be fixed with DIY methods. Usually, there is a loose part or an alignment issue.

Conclusions

It can be extremely frustrating and backbreaking to repeatedly pull the lawn mower starter cord and hear the motor sputter and die. In lieu of repairing the lawn mower yourself, you can do a simple repair yourself or leave it by the curb for bulk trash pickup Your MTD Lawn Mower Won’t Start.

Consider one of these easy, cheap fixes before opening up your wallet. Even if one of these fixes helps fix your mower, it’s no longer an excuse not to mow your lawn. It’s summertime, so get your grass in shape!