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Lawn mower won't start

15 years ago

I've got a MTD 21" mulching, self propelled mower. 5.5 hp Briggs and Stratton engine. Ran fine til today. Now it won't start. I've pulled the plug and shorted it against the head - no spark. I don't have a spare plug for the mower handy. If i put a 12 volt elect tester in the spark plug boot (instead of spark plug) and ground it, will it show me if I've got spark? I've tried an automotive spark plug from my toyota 4 cylinder, but it didn't spark.

if I don't have spark, where do I start to track down the culprit?

It's got a cut off bar - when starting and running have to hold the bar in. If release bar, engine stops. Could this be the problem?

Thx

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Comments (2)

slash-nevada
15 years ago
Have you tried some carb cleaner into the cylinder to see if it will fire up. I had the same problem and thought it was the spark too, but it was a fuel delivery problem.
bill_kapaun
15 years ago
Disconnect the kill wire to the coil.
IF still no spark, you'll have to remove the shroud to change the coil. Before removing, examine the wires and make sure a mouse hasn't chewed through the insulation, allowing the wire to short.
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