Lawn Mower Runs for a minute then stops | How to Fix

November 16, 2022 by George

As you know that lawnmower is essential equipment for lawn maintenance so you have to take care of them and should have to know some common and basic information about them. if your lawn mower runs for a minute then stops, you want to know the cause and what to do to fix that problem.

First, you have to know that lawn mower runs for a while then dies, this is a very common problem and many people face it because they don’t take care of some important factor. But don’t worry this is in most cases, not a big deal.

Here I will tell you about the most common reason that may be behind this problem and after that, I will suggest to you, how to fix the lawnmower that runs for a minute or two and after that stops.

Fuel Cap Venting Problem
Dirty Carburetor
Old or dirty Gasoline
Dirty or Damaged spark plug
Faulty Choke
Excessive Oil in the reservoir tank

These are the above common problem and reasons behind this type of problem like lawnmower runs for a minute then stops.

1. Fuel Cap Venting Problem

One of the common problems that your lawnmower surges then dies after a few minutes of starts is fuel cap venting improperly.

It means that your fuel tank is not drained properly because of the fuel cap that is not working well and inside the fuel tank vacuum is created and venting is not executing properly and after some time it stops the fuel or supplies the fuel in very little quantity that could be an issue.

For the fuel cap venting test you have to take an empty box and then you have to place it under the fuel tank and disconnect the fuel tube from the fuel tank and drained the fuel directly in the empty box and check the speed and of draining fuel and check after some time fuel draining is stop or not.

If fuel draining is stopped then open the cap of the fuel tank and check that the fuel drain starts properly if yes then this is the problem of the fuel cap that is not venting properly. After that, you have to change the fuel tank cap, and here is (View on Amazon) of the best fuel cap that is venting very well without any issues like that.

If this your lawnmower has not that type of issue then it could be a carburetor problem because in most cases this kind of problem comes due to a carburetor that is not working properly.

2. Dirty Carburetor

If you are not taking care of your lawnmower then something bad happens to the carburetor of lawnmower. You know that if you’re living in the area where you have to use your lawnmower throughout the year or at the place where your lawnmower stored it the whole winter season both cases are not in favor of your lawnmower and then you have to take care of the maintenance of lawnmower to run it smoothly.

What is the main function of a Carburetor?

A carburetor is a compact and small device that is mostly found in gas-powered motors just like motorcycles or lawnmowers. The function of this device is to mix the gas with a suitable and right proportion of oxygen to create combustion.

The combustion of fuel should be in a continuous rotation to run the lawnmower or other motos that use a carburetor.

If the lawnmower carburetor is not working properly because of dirt or the carb bowl is clogged, the process of combustion is not running smoothly and your lawnmower may start and run for 2 minutes or more and after that tends to stop.

How to fix the dirty Carburetor?

There are two methods of cleaning the carburetor, one of them is to blow out with carburetor cleaner, and the second of them is the proper way to open it with the tool and after clean the carbon contaminants and make it gum-free.

Here we tell you about both methods to clean the carburetor to run it smoothly.

Gumout (View On Amazon) is the best carburetor cleaner that is used to clean the carburetor and help to remove the gum and dirt from the clogged carburetor. This is a very easy and quick method to clean your carburetor for the small issues but that could not be beneficial for deep problems like baras jet issue.

Overall this is the most used method for cleaning the carburetor to prevent the severe issue that leads it to replace the carb.

Now, this is the second method of full cleaning of the carburetor by opening it with a specific tool, and if you have that tools you can clean it yourself.

Watch this youtube video for cleaning the carburetor properly.

I hope you will get the deep method of cleaning and protecting the carburetor method to avoid this type of issue and solve the issue of lawnmower that start for a few minutes and dies quickly after that by cause of carburetor problem.

3. Old or dirty Gasoline

One of the main reasons behind this issue is old or dirty gasoline because old gasoline can clog the internal part of a lawnmower. This mistake leads to stopping the flow of fuel and after that lawnmower dies after a short start. If you store your lawnmower for the whole winter without empty the fuel tank and using of stabilizer before winterizing the lawnmower that type of issue occurs.

If you want to know how to winterize the lawnmower you can read this complete guide that helps you a lot of help to avoid such types of issues as old gasoline. Read more about How to store lawnmowers in winter.

If you have this issue then how to fix it?

First of all, you have to clean the fuel tank by draining the whole gasoline, and then you have to start the lawnmower again and again till your lawnmower doesn’t start. Make sure that all old and dirty gasoline is finished out and then you have to use a stabilizer to fresh the gasoline that is very helpful for your lawnmower engine.

In normal usage of a lawnmower, you have to use a stabilizer to fresh the gasoline which helps to avoid the internal issue of your mower engine.

I hope you understand and if you don’t fully understand, you can read the above-mentioned helpful article that helps you to maintain your lawnmower in the winter season.

4. Dirty or Damaged spark plug

A dirty or damaged spark plug can cause this type of issue, as you know that the main purpose of the spark plug is the ignition of air and fuel in the engine of a lawnmower in this case.

A spark plug is a very important component to start the engine and if it is dirty or damaged then this is not working properly and your lawnmower could not start in some case, it starts but after that quickly die.

For knowing that your mower spark plug is damaged or dirty, you have to find it and then use the appropriate tool to remove it from the mower.

How to fix the spark plug?

Fixing the spark plug is not a big deal, you can easily remove it from the lawnmower and after that use a wire brush to clean or another cleaner this is suitable for cleaning the spark plug.

If carbon residue is one of the spark plugs then you have to change it. As you know that spark plug is not very expensive and try to change it after winterizing and preparing the lawnmower for spring.

Replacing the spark plug is not difficult for anyone but if you face difficulty you. We add here a video for you that helps to replace it but use the manual for an appropriate plug for your mower engine.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=R8dk8n3gee4

You can check out the method of replacing the spark plug of a lawnmower easily.

5. Faulty Choke

Just like another small gas engine that is not starting in cold weather, a choke is a flat metal that chokes off air entering the carburetor and that creates and rich fuel condition that helps the engine to start easily by warming the engine against the cold weather.

If the choke is faulty or stuck then it does not help the engine to start by providing the engine richer fuel and that may be the cause of the lawnmower that does not start or start and after some time it stops.

Now the next thing is about that, how to fix stuck choke it?

Fixing a choke is not very difficult that is stuck or it is damaged then you need a professional to fix it but if you have such type of problem as stuck choke then you can easily fix it by using a lube choke (View On Amazon) and use it with nozzle and apply over there.

6. Excessive Oil in the reservoir tank

Just like other reasons for the lawnmower not start or start and the spark plug fires then one remaining issue could behave to your lawnmower which is excessive oil.

If white smoke is coming out from the mower engine that is a sign that the oil reservoir is totally full. Sometimes we overfill the oil reservoir and after that, we have such kind of problem. If such kind of problem is with your lawnmower then what do you have to do?

How to fix it?

This is not a very complicated problem to solve, you have to drain the oil and check the amount of oil by using a dipstick, and after draining the oil and set the amount of oil at the standard point. You can start again your lawnmower if the lawnmower does not blow out the white smoke, it means that this problem of excessive oil is solved.

The lawnmower runs for a minute then stops, If that problem is not solved after checking all major problem then it’s time to call the professional. They will do a deep inspection and find the cause of what happening the with lawnmower.

Best tips to prevent your lawnmower from problems:

lawn mower runs for a minute then stops,

Here are some important tips that you have to consider to maintain your lawnmower without creating any problems.

After the use of the lawnmower, mush clean the mulching and deck area
If you are using a lawnmower after some time then before starting check the condition of the gasoline and use a little bit amount of stabilizer.
Clean the air filter and it needs to replace then do it.
Check the carburetor and clean it with spray cleaner that is made especially for a carburetor.
Must clean the spark plug and you change it after 1 or 2 years that it of very low price.
Use a spray for anti-rusting otherwise, some parts of the mower could be damaged by the cause of rusting and before winterizing use it and you can read our other comprehensive article about how to store a lawn mower in the garage.
After winterizing mush use fresh gasoline with a stabilizer.

These are major factors you have to know about them to maintain your lawnmower for a long time and run it smoothly without any issues.

Conclusion:

This is a complete guide on how to fix the problem that a lawnmower runs for a minute then stops. I hope you will get the full guide.

If you have any questions regarding this topic you can leave a comment below in the comment box, we will try to answer your question as soon as possible.

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