Click here for a new fuel cap ➜ amzn.to/2zn4ARK Check out these other informative videos: How To Adjust the RPM Speed on a Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/7YrA3QEIFnE/видео.html How To Fix A Surging Engine On A Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/JOI293d8XUg/видео.html Here's Why Your Lawn Mower Is Leaking Gas ➜ ruclips.net/video/tp67AzWNbI4/видео.html How To Sharpen And Balance A Lawn Mower Blade Correctly ➜ ruclips.net/video/HkTqhfydrjk/видео.html Make sure to check out the Saloon here too… Click here for my website ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ Click here for my Parts and Tools Store ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon Follow me on Facebook ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon Follow me on Instagram ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ Follow me on Twitter ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon
Hey Steve my lawnmower is a Toro starts running great but when I stopped won’t start again Will you help me to diagnose what’s the problem? Thanks man you’re the man
What if a riding lawnmower runs for 30-45 minutes then idles up and down and quickly dies. Sometimes will restart immediately, Sometimes have to wait a bit.
I'm clueless about small engines, but I actually understood this video from start to finish. That's a rare talent to be able to explain things that clearly. Thanks, Steve! :)
I may have said this before but this guy is a godsend to those looking to maintain their small engines. If no one appreciates you I do and I have taken a small engine vocational training program at the local Vo Tech high high school adult learners program. Thank you!!
This is EXACTLY what my mower did. Only after watching your video I started my mower and when it was ready to kill on me I quickly removed my gas cap. Boom! It then kept running! It was the cap! Thanks for the video. Everybody always thinks it’s ALWAYS the carburetor, not so!
Thank You! I screwed around with one of my Honda's for 2 years. Was getting ready to dump it & buy a new one, found your video by accident. Steve, you saved me $600 dollars! The new cap is $18.
Thank you! As I start tne 2024 season, my Honda mower did this. Your video came up, so i watched. I went right out to my mower, and when it started to stuble, i loosened the gas cap and it came back to life. Issue resolved. 👍👍👍👍
Was going to call someone to look at the lawnmower and possibily spend upwards of $ 80 - $ 150 to get the mower working again. (ie if someone comes to visit us there is always a minimum service fee). However, I looked at this video, simply loosened the cap over the fuel tank, and the lawnmower worked without any further issue. Thanks allot for this video! You saved me a good amount of money.
Hey thanx Steve, This was the only video where anyone mentioned the cap !! My mower had the same problem, would run for a minute, then cut out. I cleaned the carbie, (3 times) cleaned the fuel tank/hoses, new airfilter, everything I could think of, still didnt work.....argh !! The misses said take it to the shop......NO... Im gonna do this !!! So I came inside sat down, had a cold one and watched this vid. Eureka !!! while doing the carbie, the mower had slipped off the block and cracked the petrol cap. I just wrapped it up in tape, thinking nothing of it. still didnt work. !! Quick trip to the shop, new cap, and the mower is working fine. Thank you Steve, you are a legend mate. The lawns are mowed, the misses happy, my wallet is happy, mancard restored. Have a cold one for me. Cheers mate
Hey Steve, you are THE MAN!! Last summer, one of our mowers exhibited these symptoms. So, we replaced the carburetor, replaced the spark plug, cleaned the fuel filter, even changed the oil... just in case... However, none of these steps made a difference and we were ready to Craig's List it for next to nothing. Today, I stumbled across your video. Figure, what do I have to lose. Swapped the cap w/ our other mower and the mower now WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!! I appreciate this video SO MUCH!! THANK YOU!! REALLY HELPFUL!!
Spot on. I spent an hour or so troubleshooting - cleaning carb, etc. Didn't think to look at the inside of the petrol cap. The rubber seal had perished and stopped the tank venting!
Hey Steve. I'm so thankful I found your channel. You've helped me out so much. Here's one story. Last fall, there was a Toro lawnmower for free down the street. I couldn't resist. I brought it home, tried to start it - no luck. No worries because it was fall and the grass stopped growing anyhow. I find your channel in the winter and load up on a bunch of your knowledge. and this spring I try starting it again. Put new gas in it. No luck. Check the plug for spark. Yep, good spark. I check the air filter. Plugged solid with oil. I clean it and the mower starts right up and runs perfectly! And I'm thinking "thank you Steve!" So then I go to cut the grass and it cuts like crap. I stop the engine, flip the mower on the side and look at the blade. It was installed backwards! It was trying to cut the grass with the blunt edge! LOL. I take it off and put it on correctly. Cuts like a charm! It's my favourite mower now. Thanks so much for all the valuable information Steve.
Had a similar problem. Mower ran for a couple of minutes then died. After a couple of minutes it would start again only to die later. Turned out to be an ignition problem with the spark plug. After the engine warmed up it would lose spark. Replacing it solved the issue. Never had seen that in an NGK spark plug. Your diagnosis techniques are spot on. Do the easy tests first and move on from there.
Thank you for sharing My mower starts one pull it runs for 1-2 minutes then starts cutting out and dies. Then won't start but after like 10 minutes it starts again and the same story repeats! I will try to run it without the cap first and if it doesn't change anything I will buy new spark plugs!
@2:23 is the moment I realized why my mower keeps stalling after a few minutes when you said "there's no air getting into the tank to displace...". My gas cap went missing last summer, don't know how, maybe the kids, but I just replaced it with a cap I saw laying around that fit. Your video made me realize that my mower needed a vented gas cap. Went to the local hardware store, got one, pressed my luck... works like a charm. Thanks for the upload.
This is a lifesaver. I know I cleaned the carb out twice and everything was spotless. No leaky seal or anything. Turned out to be the mesh in the gas cap was clogged with gunk from old gas. Few quick sprays with carb cleaner and back to business 👌🏾
Great suggestion with carb cleaner. How about just leaving cap off or replacing with one off another engine! Headed out to try before I pull carb off again after cleaning and new gaskets! Getting pretty good at taking things apart with the help of these videos! I wonder how many mowers go to the landfill/recyclers because of a faulty $13 gas cap!
I just went through the exact same thing. I checked and cleaned everything but 2 minutes later it dies. I just happen to watch your video before I loaded up the mower for the shop. BOOM it's fixed. I can't believe I cleaned the carb blew through all the fuel lines including the shut off pit cock and checked the kill cable to be sure it wasn't loose and somehow killing the motor. NOPE it was the damn vent. I overlooked the EASY stuff instead of making it my first observation. Thanks Steve.
You saved me from another carburetor breakdown. The gas cap was gummed up and not venting properly. I cleaned it and now everything works just fine. Thank you.
Boy, your tips. Help me all the time. My son's lawn mower or shot last night. Night. I was halfway through my yard. Mine quit, I tried another gas cap. Walla took right off thanks so much
Thanks Steve. I had this problem and could not work it out until I saw this video. I had a spare fuel cap and swapped it in and tested the mower and it now runs properly.
Great info Steve. I learned allot about my carb, venting of the cap, linkage, etc. after taking all apart cleaning and reassembling. However my problem, the exact symptoms you describe, are still creating havoc. After a beer or so, I caved and took the mower to our local guy and described the symptoms. His immediate reply was "coil out, 2 weeks , $70". Looked up coil issues and the same symptoms. Looked like a straightforward fix. Wish I would of seen it on your channel and enjoyed a beer while fixing. Always enjoy the Help.
I must've spent two hours of frustration on working on my mower today for about 40 minutes of action. My spark plug was fouled, so I replaced it, but all the other stuff i did was dead end after dead end. I watched your video and then went and looked at my mower's gas cap. That was the issue. You saved me a trip to my repair shop and who knows how much money. Thanks
Steve, thanks for the video. I didn’t even bother doing the test after I looked at my cap. I got a friendly reminder that I didn’t place it in it’s fitting properly a couple of summers ago. It fell off and went under the mower while I was mowing. It still fit at the time so I thought “no foul, no harm”. Obviously, there was harm but it took two years for it to show up. Purchased the replacement fuel cap today at Lowe’s for $4.27. Swapped them out and the problem was resolved. You da Man!
Just realised that I need to stock up on cans of lager before diagnosing and repairing my small engine equipment. Thanks Steve your videos are really helpful
Thank you Steve. Trying to beat a storm coming in and the mower kept dying. Watched your video and was able to diagnose the problem. Couldn’t buy a new cap in time, but loosened the cap substantially and was able to finish the lawn.
Dude, you're a GENIUS! My Honda was doing just that and I used your advice with a twist. When it would start to die, I'd open the fuel cap...worked every time. I didn't have a spare cap and needed to finish the yard so I just screwed the cap on loosely and it worked! Replacement cap is enroute. Thanks!
Excellent information Sir 👍! Just replaced carburetor on Toro auto-choke after losing the micro needle spring while trying to clean it up n my dog chewed up the fuel lines ,cover and the gas cap n pull rope. Lol😂 well I repaired everything except the fuel cap. It's doing exactly what you talked about. Even added a shut off valve. I will try this.
I’m never using another small engine site to troubleshoot and fix again. I’m a single mom that likes to diy and you save me SO much time and money! Thanks dude!
Thank God for men like you that know this all this stuff and make videos to help people like me. I’m a carpenter and anything mechanical pisses me off if I try to figure out it out on my own. I was figuring it would be something much more complex and it wasn’t 👍
Been watching you for years bud! Chainsaws, grass whips, now my lawnmower.. Your knowledge always helps and you always get my junk working again! Thought I had to rip my carb jets out for a clean, checked this and, viola! It works again.. Always a time saver... Not to mention spending it on better things like beer! Lol.
Thank you! I thought the carburetor needed to be cleaned or the sparkplug was bad.. I checked the oil and everything was good.. I was honestly baffled and thought it was something more mechanical. This was it, though.. I wish I had checked before I did all that. This really helped me. Subbed!
Steve thanks a ton man, took apart my carb, cleaned it, same problem, ran for about 1min then dies, finally reviewed your video, then switched out my gas cap from my snowblower, and sure sh@$t this did the trick, you sure do know your stuff!! Thanks again!
I had this problem with a lawn trimmer today. I found a tiny hole in the metering diaphragm. Problem solved. Thanks for all of your encouragement and support. From a big fan. Bill
This fixed my issue after watching your video on cleaning the carb for it to turn over. My vent is a little pipe that’s on the side of the tank. Thanks for the help
Replaced the carb and plug and it still kept shutting off, it wasn't until I saw this video that I realized that I had the cap from my 5 gallon gas can on my mower. Swapped caps and it runs better than ever. Thank you so much!
SERIOUSLY great advice man! I was actually starting to lose confidence in my ability to fix small engines. EVERYTHING was perfectly fine with the entire lawn mower. I literally JUST replaced the carb too. You can imagine how I felt when everyone said my issue was the carb. No way, such a small chance that was the issue. The gas cap was actually completely at fault. I've learned a VALUABLE lesson here. I was about to construct a makeshift gas tank out of a bottle to make sure it wasn't messed up in some way. While that would have worked, it's doubtful I would have even thought of the cap. Thank you! Thank you very much!! You made my day brother, seriously, I was feeling borderline depressed after working so hard on this mower and getting nothing but a tease from it, LOL. You rock!
BINGO! I would have NEVER guessed my fuel cap was not venting. My 8 year old Ryobi BP42 is now back in business. YEA! As a temporary fix I took a small drill bit and removed the gas cap venting plug. Thanks Steve, your channel has helped me several times in the past.
I had a few people look at it and we did all the standard stuff. Nothing wanted to fix it. Seen your video and just for the heck of it put the new fuel cap on it. I was amazed. Problem was resolved. Thanx much.
Just blew my mind! I literally just drained the oil and gas thinking that since it sat for so long, it simply needed to be replaced. However, while I was draining the gas, only a little came out then the flow stopped, so - out of curiosity (because I knew there had to be more in there) I took the cap off to see, at which point - the flow started up again. Thanks!
Well let me say up front I didn't believe it. Mower would run when it was cold but die as soon as it warmed up. Lo and behold I loosened the fuel cap and it runs better than ever. Steve, you are the man! Thank you for saving my bacon! I have liked and subscribed.
In my life, I have never had to replace a fuel tank cap save for losing one. I would never have believed the cap to be plugged/ not properly venting and causing a negative pressure. Thank you for sharing this.
Have had this issue for a while now and knew it was something simple. My caps seal broke off a while back and I've been tightening it too much where no air was getting through. Once I slightly loosened the cap, no issues! The correct fix is to just get a new cap, but this allowed me to finish the lawn today!
Thank you so much for sharing your intelligence with us. I have learned so much from you. They I would rather fix my own things but they are thousands of people that would rather just pay. But thanks to you, I have fixed so many lawn mowers weed eaters, power washers. Thank you
Hi Steve. I watched youre video here about gas cap venting as well as others in a process of elimination. I have a Craftsman Eagle 1 mower with 4hp Tecumseh motor. Model # 944 365160. The issue I have is it will start, run for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes and then it dies. I cleaned the carb, replaced the float(filled with gas) and bowl(pinhole), replaced primer bulb(hole in it), replaced gas with new gas, checked for spark & replaced fuel line & the ignition coil(as it tested bad). None of that helped. Heres what I did find & after fixing solved my problem. The wire that goes under the flywheel to the ignition coil had worn through the insulation to bare wire and I’m assuming was grounding out and stopping the coil from sending electrical current to the plug to spark.
Was headed out to take bowl off to see if jet in nut is plugged from another video. After watching this, think I'll switch gas caps from my spare mower and see if that's the problem. Might save me a lot of work. Might just be ordering a new cap!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!!!
@Steve's Small Engine Saloon, I just found you on RUclips and I subscribed, great channel! I recently had this problem on my Cub Cadet lawn tractor, I didn't realize what the problem was at first but suspected a faulty gas cap. I took the cap off and sprayed the heck out of the vent holes with brake cleaner, I figured I had nothing to lose by trying this since I was going to replace the cap anyway, it worked perfectly after that. Thanks for your video's!
My mower was acting like it was running out of gas even though I had just filled it up. I took the gas cap off, looked it over and put it back and the mower fired up and ran perfectly the whole time. I think I had put just a bit more gas in it than usual. At any rate thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I enjoy the videos!
Nice video Steve 2 other reasons I've found that make the engine do something simular are, 1) A valve gap is to small (as the valve gets hot it gets slightly longer and not shutting 100%) 2) The coil/ignition module breaks down when the engine gets hot but returns as it cools
Dude. You just saved me a ton of time. Nobody had this diagnosis!!!!! I just bought a replacement aftermarket cap and it dies every time after 2 minutes. Was about to dive into the carb and everything else. Good vid.
Excellent demonstration, really illustrates the concept well and that is crucial for proper understanding and in the end will help solve a lot of problems and headaches for people out there + everyone's just a little smarter now. Good stuff
You rock man, thanks! Just repaired my Husqvarna (GV 160 Honda motor). Checked the gas flow, changed the spark plug. Ended up being the carburetor. Bought a new one, swapped it out-back to lawn cuttin’! Keep rockin’ 👊🏽
I Never would have thought about this . I changed the carb, filters, new shut off valve. I did almost everything Other than the darn gas cap. And it worked!!
Being an engineer, your video gave me a personal duhhhh moment! I’m familiar with industrial equipment and systems and also an automotive enthusiast, but when it came to lawnmowers, I guess my brain shut down. I didn’t pay much attention to my nice push mower as it’s always faithful (except for this one time), and it’s great exercise. Your solution made perfect sense and now has me more interested in small engines. Many thanks for your short video!
Omg thanks so much! I broke my original cap and used an old hey can call that was the same size, and that's obviously what had caused this issue for me! Was thinking of everything else, autochoke butterfly, air filter etc, nothing worked. Thanks!!
Hello I trust you are having a GREAT DAY I had the same issue with the gas cap on a Honda On the bottom side are the vent hole I simply cleaned the bottom rim and have had no issues Another Happy Customer
I got a free Craftsman Rider mower from a neighbor who gave it away because it kept dying after running a few minutes. And guess what, when I began troubleshooting it I decided to drain the old fuel first. I pulled the fuel hose loose from the carburetor and the fuel just dribbled out. When I unscrewed the fuel cap the fuel started running out. Sure enough, I found the little vent hole on the top of the gas tank cap was plugged up. I just cleaned out the little hole and that fixed the problem for nothing!
Hi Steve. That was a great tip. I had the carburettor dismantled and cleaned 3 times and still not starting or cutting out. I followed your suggestion and loosened the fuel cap and it started and kept going. Thanks a million.
I cannot believe I just spent $100. on this very problem, got the mower home, and it still had the same problem. I removed the fuel cap and Son of a B. the mower ran OK. and did not stop. The repair shop put on new carb gaskets, and changed to prime free feature to a bulb prime system. If all that was needed was a new cap I am flabbergasted. Thank you very much for this quick fix idea.
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon I don't think it's a bad shop but I do think it is a lack of knowledge and inability to think outside the box for back to basic physics and mechanics.
We have a usually perfectly running Honda that we've had for nearly 15 years and it started acting like it was starving for fuel. I can't thank you enough for this video, we were going nuts trying to figure out what was wrong with it.
You just solved my work mower problem. Thought it was the fuel filter. Runs great for several minutes then just dies. Bobcat Randsome. 36" large gas tank. Thank you Steve enjoy the other half of the beer.
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon It was the screw nipple on the gas cap. It must of got right screwing the cap back on after refuelling it. Turned it a quarter turn and could hear the air enter. This video was perfect timing for me. Thanks Steve
When my mower stopped like that I just thought it was telling me to have another beer ! Come to think of it , My lawn didn't get mowed all summer !! [ Oh well, it matches all the other lawns here in the trailer park. ]
Steve I had this cap that somehow cracked was leaking so as a temporary fix I placed a small piece of plastic to keep it from leaking and closed the cap blocking this venting tube that was in the cap soon enough my lawnmower started running very slow kept stalling I opened my governor screw all the way not realizing the plastic in the cap was suffocating the air in the tank I bought a new cap and my 80s machine runs like a new machine thanks a millon iam a fan of this for life.Dan.
I had this issue with a Cub Cadet I had. I changed the Plug, Coil, and Air Filter. I cleaned the carb (Twice), by accident I had the cap off, started it, ran great. Put the cap on, it dies! Then it hit me!!! Backed the cap off, fired it up. Ran like a champ!
What would happen if I just cracked my gas cap a little bit? UPDATE. I tried and just loosened the gas cap a little to see if that will get some air going through. It did! So happy 😀. You’re my hero! Thank you so much. I will go in and fix it properly after I finish mowing my front lawn
After looking @ your video went on & took carb off (new)and sure enough tank was dirty & gas line was clogged! Cleaned Carb with twist tie from bread cleaned out fuel tank & new fuel line with filter, Cleaned all hole that I could fine & blew out with cleaning fluid put back together & mower turned on 1st pull! PS: Thanks for the tip & WILL CONT WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS!
Click here for a new fuel cap ➜ amzn.to/2zn4ARK
Check out these other informative videos:
How To Adjust the RPM Speed on a Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/7YrA3QEIFnE/видео.html
How To Fix A Surging Engine On A Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/JOI293d8XUg/видео.html
Here's Why Your Lawn Mower Is Leaking Gas ➜ ruclips.net/video/tp67AzWNbI4/видео.html
How To Sharpen And Balance A Lawn Mower Blade Correctly ➜ ruclips.net/video/HkTqhfydrjk/видео.html
Make sure to check out the Saloon here too…
Click here for my website ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/
Click here for my Parts and Tools Store ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon
Follow me on Facebook ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon
Follow me on Instagram ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/
Follow me on Twitter ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon
Thanks for the tip. Diagnosed and ordered a new cap!
I have a question
Why when you in engage your lawnmower it takes off on you what will cause that.
Hey Steve my lawnmower is a Toro starts running great but when I stopped won’t start again
Will you help me to diagnose what’s the problem?
Thanks man you’re the man
What if a riding lawnmower runs for 30-45 minutes then idles up and down and quickly dies. Sometimes will restart immediately, Sometimes have to wait a bit.
Worked for me, I just cleaned my cap and it kept on running.
I'm clueless about small engines, but I actually understood this video from start to finish. That's a rare talent to be able to explain things that clearly. Thanks, Steve! :)
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
Totally true - Steve is a natural teacher.
00.00 pl 0] p😊90😅9😊
Yes. I'm learning about small engines and it helped!
I may have said this before but this guy is a godsend to those looking to maintain their small engines. If no one appreciates you I do and I have taken a small engine vocational training program at the local Vo Tech high high school adult learners program. Thank you!!
What an awesome comment! Thank you so much....
I agree what a nice channel steve. you make awesome content
I did the same! One of the best things I've ever done!
Thank you so much for your time. I can’t afford to get repairs and have to follow videos to fix things. You have managed to help me so much.
Hi Steve, and commentors...do you know of some other reasons this exact symptom can occur?
Mine appears to be fine.
Thanks!
This is EXACTLY what my mower did. Only after watching your video I started my mower and when it was ready to kill on me I quickly removed my gas cap. Boom! It then kept running! It was the cap! Thanks for the video. Everybody always thinks it’s ALWAYS the carburetor, not so!
You're Welcome...
Thank You!
I screwed around with one of my Honda's for 2 years. Was getting ready to dump it & buy a new one, found your video by accident. Steve, you saved me $600 dollars! The new cap is $18.
You're Welcome...
Thank you! As I start tne 2024 season, my Honda mower did this. Your video came up, so i watched. I went right out to my mower, and when it started to stuble, i loosened the gas cap and it came back to life. Issue resolved. 👍👍👍👍
Great to hear!
Was going to call someone to look at the lawnmower and possibily spend upwards of $ 80 - $ 150 to get the mower working again. (ie if someone comes to visit us there is always a minimum service fee). However, I looked at this video, simply loosened the cap over the fuel tank, and the lawnmower worked without any further issue. Thanks allot for this video! You saved me a good amount of money.
Hey thanx Steve, This was the only video where anyone mentioned the cap !! My mower had the same problem, would run for a minute, then cut out. I cleaned the carbie, (3 times) cleaned the fuel tank/hoses, new airfilter, everything I could think of, still didnt work.....argh !! The misses said take it to the shop......NO... Im gonna do this !!! So I came inside sat down, had a cold one and watched this vid. Eureka !!! while doing the carbie, the mower had slipped off the block and cracked the petrol cap. I just wrapped it up in tape, thinking nothing of it. still didnt work. !! Quick trip to the shop, new cap, and the mower is working fine. Thank you Steve, you are a legend mate. The lawns are mowed, the misses happy, my wallet is happy, mancard restored. Have a cold one for me. Cheers mate
That is AWESOME! Thank You...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon Your welcome buddy have a great christmas
I would think that a crack in the fuel cap would vent it better? Why am I wrong?
@@cqking7465 because he taped up the crack with tape which sealed it all up again and caused the vacuum.
Hey Steve, you are THE MAN!! Last summer, one of our mowers exhibited these symptoms. So, we replaced the carburetor, replaced the spark plug, cleaned the fuel filter, even changed the oil... just in case... However, none of these steps made a difference and we were ready to Craig's List it for next to nothing. Today, I stumbled across your video. Figure, what do I have to lose. Swapped the cap w/ our other mower and the mower now WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!! I appreciate this video SO MUCH!! THANK YOU!! REALLY HELPFUL!!
Right on Marky! You're Welcome...and Thank You...
Spot on. I spent an hour or so troubleshooting - cleaning carb, etc. Didn't think to look at the inside of the petrol cap. The rubber seal had perished and stopped the tank venting!
Why would the disintegration of the rubber gas cap seal stop the tank venting? It seems as though it would vent better.
You couldn't imagine that the fix will be so easy, my lawn mower runs again. you saved my day! Thank you so much Steve
Great to hear!
Hey Steve. I'm so thankful I found your channel. You've helped me out so much. Here's one story. Last fall, there was a Toro lawnmower for free down the street. I couldn't resist. I brought it home, tried to start it - no luck. No worries because it was fall and the grass stopped growing anyhow. I find your channel in the winter and load up on a bunch of your knowledge. and this spring I try starting it again. Put new gas in it. No luck. Check the plug for spark. Yep, good spark. I check the air filter. Plugged solid with oil. I clean it and the mower starts right up and runs perfectly! And I'm thinking "thank you Steve!"
So then I go to cut the grass and it cuts like crap. I stop the engine, flip the mower on the side and look at the blade. It was installed backwards! It was trying to cut the grass with the blunt edge! LOL. I take it off and put it on correctly. Cuts like a charm! It's my favourite mower now.
Thanks so much for all the valuable information Steve.
You're Welcome...
Thank you so much. It was the filler caps valve that was stuck shut! Almost went a bought a new carb!! Saved me $30
Had a similar problem. Mower ran for a couple of minutes then died. After a couple of minutes it would start again only to die later. Turned out to be an ignition problem with the spark plug. After the engine warmed up it would lose spark. Replacing it solved the issue. Never had seen that in an NGK spark plug. Your diagnosis techniques are spot on. Do the easy tests first and move on from there.
Thank you for sharing My mower starts one pull it runs for 1-2 minutes then starts cutting out and dies. Then won't start but after like 10 minutes it starts again and the same story repeats! I will try to run it without the cap first and if it doesn't change anything I will buy new spark plugs!
@2:23 is the moment I realized why my mower keeps stalling after a few minutes when you said "there's no air getting into the tank to displace...".
My gas cap went missing last summer, don't know how, maybe the kids, but I just replaced it with a cap I saw laying around that fit.
Your video made me realize that my mower needed a vented gas cap.
Went to the local hardware store, got one, pressed my luck... works like a charm.
Thanks for the upload.
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
This is a lifesaver. I know I cleaned the carb out twice and everything was spotless. No leaky seal or anything. Turned out to be the mesh in the gas cap was clogged with gunk from old gas. Few quick sprays with carb cleaner and back to business 👌🏾
Right on Jeff...
Great suggestion with carb cleaner. How about just leaving cap off or replacing with one off another engine! Headed out to try before I pull carb off again after cleaning and new gaskets! Getting pretty good at taking things apart with the help of these videos! I wonder how many mowers go to the landfill/recyclers because of a faulty $13 gas cap!
I just went through the exact same thing. I checked and cleaned everything but 2 minutes later it dies. I just happen to watch your video before I loaded up the mower for the shop. BOOM it's fixed. I can't believe I cleaned the carb blew through all the fuel lines including the shut off pit cock and checked the kill cable to be sure it wasn't loose and somehow killing the motor. NOPE it was the damn vent. I overlooked the EASY stuff instead of making it my first observation. Thanks Steve.
You're Welcome...
You saved me from another carburetor breakdown. The gas cap was gummed up and not venting properly. I cleaned it and now everything works just fine. Thank you.
Awesome....
Boy, your tips. Help me all the time. My son's lawn mower or shot last night.
Night. I was halfway through my yard. Mine quit, I tried another gas cap. Walla took right off thanks so much
You're Welcome...
the real deal, just watched a blower video, fixed me blower, no cost, and had fun watching, yes Bob there is a god
Awesome...
Thanks Steve. I had this problem and could not work it out until I saw this video. I had a spare fuel cap and swapped it in and tested the mower and it now runs properly.
Nice job!
Just did this test today, yup it was the cap. Still helping 5 years after first being uploaded.
Right on
Worked for me Steve. I took the rubber insert out of the top of the cap cleaned it and the cap, put it back on and worked perfectly. Thank you!!!
Excellent!
Great info Steve. I learned allot about my carb, venting of the cap, linkage, etc. after taking all apart cleaning and reassembling. However my problem, the exact symptoms you describe, are still creating havoc. After a beer or so, I caved and took the mower to our local guy and described the symptoms. His immediate reply was "coil out, 2 weeks , $70". Looked up coil issues and the same symptoms. Looked like a straightforward fix. Wish I would of seen it on your channel and enjoyed a beer while fixing. Always enjoy the Help.
What do you mean by coil out ?
I must've spent two hours of frustration on working on my mower today for about 40 minutes of action. My spark plug was fouled, so I replaced it, but all the other stuff i did was dead end after dead end. I watched your video and then went and looked at my mower's gas cap. That was the issue. You saved me a trip to my repair shop and who knows how much money. Thanks
You're Welcome...
Im pretty savvy with this stuff but i was stumped. Never thought of the gas cap. Thanks a million. Love your style.
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
Steve, thanks for the video. I didn’t even bother doing the test after I looked at my cap. I got a friendly reminder that I didn’t place it in it’s fitting properly a couple of summers ago. It fell off and went under the mower while I was mowing. It still fit at the time so I thought “no foul, no harm”. Obviously, there was harm but it took two years for it to show up. Purchased the replacement fuel cap today at Lowe’s for $4.27. Swapped them out and the problem was resolved. You da Man!
Right on Jeff! You're Welcome...
Just realised that I need to stock up on cans of lager before diagnosing and repairing my small engine equipment. Thanks Steve your videos are really helpful
Glad to help
Thank you Steve. Trying to beat a storm coming in and the mower kept dying. Watched your video and was able to diagnose the problem. Couldn’t buy a new cap in time, but loosened the cap substantially and was able to finish the lawn.
Right on
Dude, you're a GENIUS! My Honda was doing just that and I used your advice with a twist. When it would start to die, I'd open the fuel cap...worked every time. I didn't have a spare cap and needed to finish the yard so I just screwed the cap on loosely and it worked! Replacement cap is enroute. Thanks!
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
Excellent information Sir 👍! Just replaced carburetor on Toro auto-choke after losing the micro needle spring while trying to clean it up n my dog chewed up the fuel lines ,cover and the gas cap n pull rope. Lol😂 well I repaired everything except the fuel cap. It's doing exactly what you talked about. Even added a shut off valve. I will try this.
5 year old video, just keeps on giving great advice! Thanks Steve, you are the best!
You're Welcome...
I’m never using another small engine site to troubleshoot and fix again. I’m a single mom that likes to diy and you save me SO much time and money! Thanks dude!
WOW! That is AWESOME! Thank You...
Thank God for men like you that know this all this stuff and make videos to help people like me. I’m a carpenter and anything mechanical pisses me off if I try to figure out it out on my own. I was figuring it would be something much more complex and it wasn’t 👍
Right on
Been watching you for years bud! Chainsaws, grass whips, now my lawnmower.. Your knowledge always helps and you always get my junk working again! Thought I had to rip my carb jets out for a clean, checked this and, viola! It works again.. Always a time saver... Not to mention spending it on better things like beer! Lol.
Right on buddy! Thank You...
Thank you! I thought the carburetor needed to be cleaned or the sparkplug was bad.. I checked the oil and everything was good.. I was honestly baffled and thought it was something more mechanical. This was it, though.. I wish I had checked before I did all that. This really helped me. Subbed!
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
Steve thanks a ton man, took apart my carb, cleaned it, same problem, ran for about 1min then dies, finally reviewed your video, then switched out my gas cap from my snowblower, and sure sh@$t this did the trick, you sure do know your stuff!! Thanks again!
Right on Buddy...
I had this problem with a lawn trimmer today. I found a tiny hole in the metering diaphragm. Problem solved. Thanks for all of your encouragement and support. From a big fan. Bill
I JUST SUBSCRIBED BECAUSE THIS VIDEO MADE A 1 HOUR MENTAL PUZZLE TURN INTO A 1 MIN FIX!!! THANKS STEVE!!! BIG HELP BROTHER💯✊🏿👍🏿
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
This fixed my issue after watching your video on cleaning the carb for it to turn over. My vent is a little pipe that’s on the side of the tank. Thanks for the help
Nice work!
That was my issue. Was about to go buy a new mower. Thank you!
You're Welcome...
Same here. Was just checking some out on Facebook market place. Definitely gonna try this as soon as I get home from work.
Replaced the carb and plug and it still kept shutting off, it wasn't until I saw this video that I realized that I had the cap from my 5 gallon gas can on my mower. Swapped caps and it runs better than ever. Thank you so much!
You're Welcome...
I definitely have most of the tools needed to fix things after watching your videos Steve, but not near enough beers. 😊
Right on Will...
You just fixed my brand new (from someone on the internet for $20) lawn mower! You're tha man Steve!! Thanks big dawg.
You're Welcome...
SERIOUSLY great advice man!
I was actually starting to lose confidence in my ability to fix small engines. EVERYTHING was perfectly fine with the entire lawn mower. I literally JUST replaced the carb too.
You can imagine how I felt when everyone said my issue was the carb. No way, such a small chance that was the issue.
The gas cap was actually completely at fault. I've learned a VALUABLE lesson here. I was about to construct a makeshift gas tank out of a bottle to make sure it wasn't messed up in some way. While that would have worked, it's doubtful I would have even thought of the cap.
Thank you! Thank you very much!! You made my day brother, seriously, I was feeling borderline depressed after working so hard on this mower and getting nothing but a tease from it, LOL.
You rock!
You're Welcome...
BINGO! I would have NEVER guessed my fuel cap was not venting. My 8 year old Ryobi BP42 is now back in business. YEA! As a temporary fix I took a small drill bit and removed the gas cap venting plug. Thanks Steve, your channel has helped me several times in the past.
Glad to help
You know this fella knows his stuff because he measures shop time in beers.
fixed my mower after the first sip. Thanks Steve, cheers
I went to law school with a guy from Montana. They measure distances in beers. “How far to the gas station?” “Little less than 2 beers down the road.”
Love it!
so how does he calculate labor cost? $30 per beer?
🤣🤣 Miller time bahahaha
I had a few people look at it and we did all the standard stuff. Nothing wanted to fix it. Seen your video and just for the heck of it put the new fuel cap on it. I was amazed. Problem was resolved. Thanx much.
Nice work!
Just blew my mind! I literally just drained the oil and gas thinking that since it sat for so long, it simply needed to be replaced. However, while I was draining the gas, only a little came out then the flow stopped, so - out of curiosity (because I knew there had to be more in there) I took the cap off to see, at which point - the flow started up again. Thanks!
You're Welcome...
Well let me say up front I didn't believe it. Mower would run when it was cold but die as soon as it warmed up. Lo and behold I loosened the fuel cap and it runs better than ever. Steve, you are the man! Thank you for saving my bacon! I have liked and subscribed.
I'm so glad the tip worked for you! Sometimes, it's the simple fixes that make all the difference. Keep up the great work with your mower!
You guy helped me fix my lawn mower. I was gonna throw it away and buy a new one. Now it is working perfectly.
Thank you so much.
In my life, I have never had to replace a fuel tank cap save for losing one. I would never have believed the cap to be plugged/ not properly venting and causing a negative pressure. Thank you for sharing this.
You're Welcome...
Have had this issue for a while now and knew it was something simple. My caps seal broke off a while back and I've been tightening it too much where no air was getting through. Once I slightly loosened the cap, no issues! The correct fix is to just get a new cap, but this allowed me to finish the lawn today!
Right on ....
Thank you so much for sharing your intelligence with us. I have learned so much from you. They I would rather fix my own things but they are thousands of people that would rather just pay. But thanks to you, I have fixed so many lawn mowers weed eaters, power washers. Thank you
You're Welcome...
Hi Steve. I watched youre video here about gas cap venting as well as others in a process of elimination.
I have a Craftsman Eagle 1 mower with 4hp Tecumseh motor. Model # 944 365160.
The issue I have is it will start, run for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes and then it dies.
I cleaned the carb, replaced the float(filled with gas) and bowl(pinhole), replaced primer bulb(hole in it), replaced gas with new gas, checked for spark & replaced fuel line & the ignition coil(as it tested bad). None of that helped.
Heres what I did find & after fixing solved my problem.
The wire that goes under the flywheel to the ignition coil had worn through the insulation to bare wire and I’m assuming was grounding out and stopping the coil from sending electrical current to the plug to spark.
Was headed out to take bowl off to see if jet in nut is plugged from another video. After watching this, think I'll switch gas caps from my spare mower and see if that's the problem. Might save me a lot of work. Might just be ordering a new cap!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!!!
@Steve's Small Engine Saloon, I just found you on RUclips and I subscribed, great channel!
I recently had this problem on my Cub Cadet lawn tractor, I didn't realize what the problem was at first but suspected a faulty gas cap. I took the cap off and sprayed the heck out of the vent holes with brake cleaner, I figured I had nothing to lose by trying this since I was going to replace the cap anyway, it worked perfectly after that. Thanks for your video's!
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
I had the same problem and I am not handy whatsoever but when you said check the cap, that's just what I did and I finished the lawn! Thanks!
You're Welcome...
Good tip thanks! Like AvE says... when you're fixin stuff, rule number the first, check the simple stuff first!
My mower was acting like it was running out of gas even though I had just filled it up.
I took the gas cap off, looked it over and put it back and the mower fired up and ran perfectly the whole time. I think I had put just a bit more gas in it than usual. At any rate thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
I enjoy the videos!
Great job!
Nice video Steve
2 other reasons I've found that make the engine do something simular are,
1) A valve gap is to small (as the valve gets hot it gets slightly longer and not shutting 100%)
2) The coil/ignition module breaks down when the engine gets hot but returns as it cools
3) bad spark plug.
Dude. You just saved me a ton of time. Nobody had this diagnosis!!!!! I just bought a replacement aftermarket cap and it dies every time after 2 minutes. Was about to dive into the carb and everything else. Good vid.
Right on
A very nice, straightforward video series with easy to understand examples of "how to" each potential situation. Well done.
Thank You...
I just drilled a small hole in the top of the cap opposite the vent in the bottom of the cap and it work fine! Liked your video!
Glad it helped
Thanks so much-fixed the problem!! And great presentation/delivery on this video by Steve. Very watchable
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
I normally dont comment on these but seriously been working on lawn mower for 2 days, and this did the trick!! Thank you thank you!
You're Welcome...
I appreciate how he explains how things work, thank you.
You're Welcome...
You saved me with this video. I had one day to mow daughters grass, was out of town.
It was gas cap...big hugs. Ty 🙏
Glad I could help
Excellent demonstration, really illustrates the concept well and that is crucial for proper understanding and in the end will help solve a lot of problems and headaches for people out there + everyone's just a little smarter now. Good stuff
Thank You...
You rock man, thanks! Just repaired my Husqvarna (GV 160 Honda motor). Checked the gas flow, changed the spark plug. Ended up being the carburetor. Bought a new one, swapped it out-back to lawn cuttin’! Keep rockin’ 👊🏽
Right on Joey...
always interesting videos!I am watching you from Greece!
COOL....
Thank you for the best advice and solution. I just diagnosed and fixed the problem of my lawnmower . ❤
Great to hear!
Hi sir great video best I have seen
Thanks for up loading. Kind regards from UK. Kind
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
I Never would have thought about this . I changed the carb, filters, new shut off valve. I did almost everything Other than the darn gas cap. And it worked!!
Right on
It may have been a half beer fix but a well deserved half beer bonus! Happy Dubeer!
LOL. Right On...
That was it. I took apart the whole thing looking for a flywheel key issue but it was your gas cap issue. Much appreciate your video!
Glad it helped
Thanks, Steve. You're awesome!
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
Being an engineer, your video gave me a personal duhhhh moment! I’m familiar with industrial equipment and systems and also an automotive enthusiast, but when it came to lawnmowers, I guess my brain shut down. I didn’t pay much attention to my nice push mower as it’s always faithful (except for this one time), and it’s great exercise. Your solution made perfect sense and now has me more interested in small engines. Many thanks for your short video!
That is awesome!
Could I actually just loosen the cap and run my lawn mower till I get another cap?
Omg thanks so much! I broke my original cap and used an old hey can call that was the same size, and that's obviously what had caused this issue for me! Was thinking of everything else, autochoke butterfly, air filter etc, nothing worked. Thanks!!
Glad I could help!
I missed something. Six beers in at this point
Thanks for showing me how to diagnose the fuel cap problem my mower is running again and you saved a lot of time and money
You're Welcome...
Great video Thanks Steve
You're Welcome...
Hello
I trust you are having a GREAT DAY
I had the same issue with the gas cap on a Honda
On the bottom side are the vent hole
I simply cleaned the bottom rim and have had no issues
Another Happy Customer
Thanks for sharing
I got a free Craftsman Rider mower from a neighbor who gave it away because it kept dying after running a few minutes. And guess what, when I began troubleshooting it I decided to drain the old fuel first. I pulled the fuel hose loose from the carburetor and the fuel just dribbled out. When I unscrewed the fuel cap the fuel started running out. Sure enough, I found the little vent hole on the top of the gas tank cap was plugged up. I just cleaned out the little hole and that fixed the problem for nothing!
Awesome....
Hi Steve. That was a great tip. I had the carburettor dismantled and cleaned 3 times and still not starting or cutting out. I followed your suggestion and loosened the fuel cap and it started and kept going. Thanks a million.
Great job!
Also sticking needle valve could cause this Steve?
Yes, sticky float needle can be a cause but first check the breather on the cap. It's easier and cheaper than removing the carb and cleaning it.
I cannot believe I just spent $100. on this very problem, got the mower home, and it still had the same problem. I removed the fuel cap and Son of a B. the mower ran OK. and did not stop. The repair shop put on new carb gaskets, and changed to prime free feature to a bulb prime system. If all that was needed was a new cap I am flabbergasted. Thank you very much for this quick fix idea.
Lots of bad shops out there!
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon I don't think it's a bad shop but I do think it is a lack of knowledge and inability to think outside the box for back to basic physics and mechanics.
Is there any other way of fixing this problem besides buying a new cap , drilling a hole in side of the cap for example .
We have a usually perfectly running Honda that we've had for nearly 15 years and it started acting like it was starving for fuel. I can't thank you enough for this video, we were going nuts trying to figure out what was wrong with it.
You're Welcome...
Steve, I have allergies and can't drink beer. Am I lost? Can I still fix my lawn mower?
ps great show. I'm learning quite a bit.
Carl Brunberg there’s always wine😀
You just solved my work mower problem. Thought it was the fuel filter. Runs great for several minutes then just dies. Bobcat Randsome. 36" large gas tank. Thank you Steve enjoy the other half of the beer.
Right on...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon It was the screw nipple on the gas cap. It must of got right screwing the cap back on after refuelling it. Turned it a quarter turn and could hear the air enter. This video was perfect timing for me. Thanks Steve
When my mower stopped like that I just thought it was telling me to have another beer ! Come to think of it , My lawn didn't get mowed all summer !! [ Oh well, it matches all the other lawns here in the trailer park. ]
Steve I had this cap that somehow cracked was leaking so as a temporary fix I placed a small piece of plastic to keep it from leaking and closed the cap blocking this venting tube that was in the cap soon enough my lawnmower started running very slow kept stalling I opened my governor screw all the way not realizing the plastic in the cap was suffocating the air in the tank I bought a new cap and my 80s machine runs like a new machine thanks a millon iam a fan of this for life.Dan.
You are amazing
Thank You...
I had this issue with a Cub Cadet I had. I changed the Plug, Coil, and Air Filter. I cleaned the carb (Twice), by accident I had the cap off, started it, ran great. Put the cap on, it dies! Then it hit me!!! Backed the cap off, fired it up. Ran like a champ!
Right on
Yup the old mowers from the 70s and earlier had metal caps with pinholes.
lsuman38 ahhhhhhh. But that pinhole seldom if ever clogged .
What would happen if I just cracked my gas cap a little bit?
UPDATE. I tried and just loosened the gas cap a little to see if that will get some air going through. It did! So happy 😀. You’re my hero! Thank you so much. I will go in and fix it properly after I finish mowing my front lawn
Right on Jan! You're Welcome...
Dumb question but can you just drill a tiny hole in the existing gas cap?
That's what I did, but gas oozes out during operation. Get a new cap.
After looking @ your video went on & took carb off (new)and sure enough tank was dirty & gas line was clogged! Cleaned Carb with twist tie from bread cleaned out fuel tank & new fuel line with filter, Cleaned all hole that I could fine & blew out with cleaning fluid put back together & mower turned on 1st pull!
PS: Thanks for the tip & WILL CONT WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS!
Right on Gus....