I have a Challenge self propelled Petrol Lawnmower 3.7hp bought last year - it now wont start - tried evrythg?
katzbrook asked:
This lawnmower worked perfectly last yr and had only been used once. Have replaced spark plug & checked ht lead etc., Took this to a lawnmower repairers but they wouldnt even look at it cos its a ‘chinese engine’ and they cant get parts! Anyone got any ideas please !
drained all the petrol last year before it was stored for the winter
This entry was posted
on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Garden & Landscape.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
This lawnmower worked perfectly last yr and had only been used once. Have replaced spark plug & checked ht lead etc., Took this to a lawnmower repairers but they wouldnt even look at it cos its a ‘chinese engine’ and they cant get parts! Anyone got any ideas please !
drained all the petrol last year before it was stored for the winter
March 9th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
is the gas old. like from last year? mchlbarger
March 12th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Remove the fuel bowl and clean the bowl. It is probably varnished. Also clean the hole in the screw that holds the bowl on. Use a small wire or something. Steve H
March 14th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Try giving it a good squirt of “damp start” or similar easy start product. Spray on the air filter and then pull gently several times. I usually find it starts on the third pull.
Otherwise, drain out the old petrol from last year, (you should’ve done it at the end of last season) clean the float chamber (humidity collects there) and refill with fresh petrol.
Let us know how you get on.. dunroamin
March 15th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
You can narrow it down to electrical, fuel and/or mechanical. Come to think of it, you could apply that to almost any situation in life, marriage, etc.
You replaced the plug but did you gap it? And did you gap it to specs of the owner’s manual? Make sure that the wire is connected properly to the plug and that the plug is tightly screwed in.
Fuel. Doubtul that it’s a fuel filter after just one season. Old fuel, a major possibility. Another is varnishing of the carb. Remove the air filter and that housing, spray it with carb cleaner. This is tough stuff and will clear out varnish and any paint that it falls on so use with caution. Stray it on the outside and down the throat of the carb. Allow to dry.
Does it have enough oil? A new lawnmower’s oil should be changed after so many hours of use. You’re breaking it in and in that process, you’re mating the cyl. to the pistons and scrapping off bits of metal which fall into the oil. That should be replaced to extend the life of the engine.
Inspect the air cleaner for dirt or if it needs to be replaced. Inspect the fuel line for leaks or a forgotten cut off valve that is in the off positon.
Mechanical. I know it sounds dumb but make sure the switch is on, if it has an on switch. After all other fixes cross-wire the switch to the on position by jumping it, temporarily. Make sure that the choke is operating correctly. If you spray a bit of WD-40 into the throat of the carb and it tries to start up, you have a fuel problem.
Your owner’s manual should give you authorized dealers for repair, and it should be under warranty. See if there’s a tech line you can call that sends you to someone in India who can barely speak English to try and help you.
I’ve heard on a comedy TV program “I always buy British,” You can’t buy much that isn’t made in China today. rann_georgia
March 19th, 2010 at 12:36 am
i agree with the first answer my next door neighbour has had the same problem 2 years running, just drain the tank and refill with new petrol country boy
March 21st, 2010 at 1:25 pm
buy some starting fluid. take out spark plug. give a quick spray of starting fluid in cylinder. put plug back in. now try to start it. worked for me and my neighbor. let me know how it goes. also check the head bolts. make sure they have not come loose. there should be about 6 of them. robert s
March 21st, 2010 at 9:03 pm
take it to a Chinese lawnmower repairers but first tighten the plug and lead bernie s
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:03 am
Duff