As temperatures drop during the seasons, you might find that the cold weather is having an impact on how your mower engine starts, stubborn mowers might restrict valves or even stop the oil flow.
To start a mower in cold weather, you first need to ensure that the mower is not starting due to other reasons such as a bad spark plug or air filter, after that, you will likely have to check the oil and valves, ensure the mower is clean and start again.
So as we can help you start your mower ignition in cold weather, we have composed a small troubleshooting guide below that will cover the common reasons as to why this happens, along with how to start your mower in the colder temperatures.
If you have taken your lawn mower out of storage only to find that it is not starting, then it might not just be down to the cold weather, there are numerous other reasons you need to cross off your list so as you can be confident the colder temperatures are to blame.
We have listed some common reasons as to why your mower is not starting in cold weather below, as well as other causes as to why your mower might not be switching on.
One of the first issues you should check on your mower is the fuel. Fuel that has been sitting in your mower for too long might have expired and gone bad which can cause your mower to block up and not start.
Also, ensure that you have enough fuel in your mower and that it is sufficient for the mower to be able to start up.
After checking the fuel, you also need to make sure that its lines are not blocked. A blocked fuel line can cause the fuel to not reach the carburettor for combustion, meaning the mower will not start properly.
As well as checking if the fuel lines are blocked, you should ensure the air filter is not dirty and blocked too. It is possible that an air filter in your mower blocked with debris can stop oxygen from reaching the combustion chamber in your mower, meaning it will not start.
You should either try and clean the air filter or replace the whole part to fix this.
It's a good idea as part of regular mower maintenance to check that the spark plugs are not dirty and that they are fitted the right way, a very dirty plug will stop a strong spark from happening to ignite your engine.
Applying starter fluid to a bad spark plug firing can help fix this issue.
Now, this cause does relate directly to cold weather. Oil viscosity does change according to temperature, during the summer oil will be thinner while during the winter it will be thicker, this can mean there might insufficient oil levels in your mower for it to start up properly.
To fix this oil problem, you might want to consider changing to an oil type that is more suitable for the colder weather and topping up your oil levels during the colder months.
Heat and cold can cause the metal parts in your lawn mower to expand and contract without you knowing, so a valve that works fine during the summer might not be in very cold temperatures, it's best to get a professional to check your engine if this is the case.
Now you know the common causes which can cause a mower not to start up in cold weather, we have listed a simple step by step guide for you to try so as you can start your mower in cold conditions.
Overall, starting your mower in cold weather can be easily done as long as you have checked that all the major parts of your mower are clean and are functioning as they should be. A clean mower will always start well and you should make sure to store your mower properly over the winter too to avoid any of the cold weather damaging parts of the mower.
