Honda Lawn Mower -hard starting

[captpierre]

Hi Guys.

 

My Honda lawn mower is about 7-8 yrs old.

 

Used to start on first or second pull.

 

Over the last 3 yrs or so years seems to require 5-6 pulls. More when it's cold.

 

Always ran it dry before storage. Stabilized remaining gas in tank.

 

I ran a fair bit of Seafoam thru it this spring. I had been using regular gas all along but this year only Shell Premium without ethanol.

 

Mower has a throttle lever that chokes when pressed all the way down. No primer button.

 

My crappy Briggs and Stratten with a primer botton at the cottage starts right up.

 

Any ideas? I'm worried I'm going to wreck the pull cord.

 

Thanks in advance

 

[misfish]

SPARK PLUG

[Lape0019]

I would agree with misfish. I hae a similar mower and never had any issue. I would suggest a tune up all around. Change the plug and the filter.

[Fisherman]

Drain the tank and give it a good shot of seafoam, let it sit in the tank for a couple days, add regular gas. Honda carbs have small jets that can clog quite easily, even from stabilized gas. It will probably smoke like a locomotive for a bit until all the crap is burned out. My honda manual said to store them empty. 6 years old and one pull starts, same plug.

[misfish]

same plug.

[Bernie]

If you haven't done a spark plug yet, do it as Brian has suggested.
Also, why the switch to premium?

Premium is designed to burn slower in automotive engines to prevent preignition. This wouldn't be necessary in a lawn mower.

It can cause a harder start.
Use regular fuel, just don't let it sit in the fuel tank too long.

 

If the seafoam you have already put through it hasn't helped, it could be time to have the carb cleaned or compression tested.

[misfish]

I only said the plug,,as.like said,"My Honda lawn mower is about 7-8 yrs old."

Cracked insulator,or it,s fowled.Even the wire can be cracked/weathered. MOISTURE.

[wormdunker]

When adding stabilizer to the gas tank did you start & run the engine for a couple of minutes to allow the stabilized gas to flow throught fuel line, fuel filter & the carburetor? Very important step!

[aplumma]

While sea foam is a great product it can not clear a sludge/clogged jet in the carburetor. It can dissolve varnish but it doesn't take the place of a good cleaning and adjustment. With air, spark, and fuel being present/correct the two elements left to an easy starting motor is compression and timing. Checking all of these ingredients in the order listed will eliminate the problem from easiest/most common to hardest /least likely.

 

Art

[danc]

After 8 years, I'd just buy a new one.

[Lape0019]

Those mowers are over $700.00. You pay it knowing it will last a lifetime. A little maintenance is all it needs and it will be cheaper than buying a cheaper run of the mill lawnmower.

[danc]

Those mowers are over $700.00. You pay it knowing it will last a lifetime. A little maintenance is all it needs and it will be cheaper than buying a cheaper run of the mill lawnmower.

Honda is top of the line in my books. But "last a liftime" ?? No way.

[registerfly]

Honda is top of the line in my books. But "last a liftime" ?? No way.

mine is 15 years, only ever changed plugs once and filter once. Oil twice. Starts on 2nd pull, no stabilizer, nadda. maybe not a lifetime but pretty close. I can only imagine if I followed regular maintenance.

BTW my Honda snowblower is still humming along after 10 years LOL.

 

Def do the plugs if you haven't

[OhioFisherman]

My first thought would be to check the plug since it does start, the connection to the plug also. Spark plugs don't usually last as long as engines, and a dirty fouled plug or corroded plug wire connection reduces the spark.

[Walleye72]

Wow, I can't respond to all of the comments posted in response to your enquiry, but you definitely don't need to "buy a new one."

 

A new spark plug is so inexpensive, it can't hurt to try that. I would add that you should try to purchase the exact brand of spark plug that came with the unit originally. If it's a champion, buy a champion.

 

I wouldn't have high expectations though. With today's gas containing so much ethanol, my guess is that your carbs need a cleaning. Even with all of your preventative maintenance your carbs will still get "gummed up" unless you are using up the gas within 2 weeks of buying it.

 

Look for a local small engine repair person. Not a major dealer. Look in the yellow pages under small engine repair and find someone off the main drag, likely in a subdivision.

 

Describe your issues and leave the unit. I paid $65 and that included a carb rebuild, oil change, air filter, sharpen the blades. When I picked up the mower, the nice man who fixed it brought me back into his shop, ( in the garage of his half a million dollar home) and showed me the bottle of fuel stabilizer. He said "use it in every tank all the time and you'll never be back." And by the way, he said my kids could inherit the TORO if I wanted them to. He wasn't doing all of this for the money, he really liked keeping stuff out of the landfill and promoting looking after your equipment.

 

If you can't find a local friendly neighbourhood small engine mechanic, you can also try a product called "Mechanic in a Bottle". Exactly as I have spelled it. It is very hard to find, but it cleans carburetors and reconditions the soft parts at the same time. You can google it and read about it. If you can't find it, PM me and I'll mail you a bottle for the cost of it. Around $8 I think. One bottle can treat 4 engines I think.

 

The point is, find someone who is really interested in small engine repair and you'll have someone in your corner, that's for sure.

 

That HONDA mower you have is worth a lot more than you think.

 

Sincerely,

 

Walleye72

[bigbuck]

Try a spark plug as has been suggested. Clean or replace the air filter And run seafoam through it for the next couple of tanks of fuel. If that doesn't work, it probably needs some carb work. It may cost you around a hundred bucks at a small engine repair shop. It is at the point where you owe the lawnmower, not the other way around.

[Headhunter]

I have a self propelled Honda mower I inherited from my Dad. It's gotta be 15 years old and it starts on the first pull, every time.

I am running gas I bought for it in 2011 through it, with no stabilizer. I have left it half full over the winter, it's never seen Seafoam and I have not changed the plug, oil filter or oil in the six years I've had it!

Dang, I guess I can't really bring anything to this discussion except...

You guys are babying your stuff too much! LOL

HH

[Big Cliff]

Why don't you just bring it up to the cottage, drop it off at my place, I'll give it a tune up for you and you can take it back home at the end of the weekend.

[captpierre]

Why don't you just bring it up to the cottage, drop it off at my place, I'll give it a tune up for you and you can take it back home at the end of the weekend.

 

That's awesome of you to offer that, Cliff. I'm going to try a new plug and run some more Seafoam thru her.

 

If that doesn't work, I'd appreciate it if you take a look if you can.

 

peter

[Big Cliff]

Whatever works for you Peter! I am around all weekend except for this evening. My cell is 705-928-8899