Fix a Snowblower that Won’t Start | Snow Blower Help
It’s a frustrating thing… to have a snowblower and not be able to use it. If you’re in this situation, there is hope… Here’s some things to check.
Snowblower Start-up Maintenance
Check for Bad Gas – By far the #1 reason a snow blower won’t start is because the gasoline is bad. Many people don’t empty out the snowblower’s gas tank at the end of the season and the gas goes stale. If you’re in this situation, the solution is to drain the gas tank, and refill it with new gas. You should always let the snow blower run out of gas at the end of the season, and add new gas the following year.
Check that the Gas/Oil Mixture is Correct – If you have a two-stroke snow blower, you need to be sure the gas/oil mixture is correct. Our Toro snowblower takes a 50:1 mixture. Other blowers will take 40:1 or 30:1. Check the owner’s manual. Most 2-stroke oil cans will give you instructions to get the proper mix.
Make Sure You’re Using the Electric Start Option – Most mid-to-high end snow blowers come with an electric starter and a pull starter. The only time you should use the pull starter is if the snow blower has already been running and you’ve turned it off briefly to clean it or add gas.
Check the Engine Oil Choke - Just like a riding lawn mower or gas string trimmer, you may need to choke the engine to get it started. There’s usually a slide lever somewhere on the blower used to control the choke level.
Prime the Engine – Most snow blowers have a primer button on them to prime the engine. This is very important, particularly if you previously ran the lawnmower out of gas. Priming the engine moves fuel through the fuel lines and into the cylinder(s) where it can ignite. Our Toro snowblower recommends pressing the primer button twice. We’ve found it actually requires more like 8-10 pumps to get going. Be careful not to over-prime, however, since it can flood the engine. Prime the least number of times required to get it started.
Check the Throttle – For starting, the throttle should be set to full-open so that no air is restricted going into the engine. Some snowblowers have throttle control, and will usually indicate the ’start’ position on the throttle selection lever.
Check the Blades for Lock-up – Ensure that the blades can move freely. Make sure the snow blower is off and disconnected from power, then check whether the blades can be moved by hand. When in neutral, locked blades shouldn’t prevent a lawn mower from starting, so this is rare.
Snowblower Engine Checks
If you’ve made it this far in the list and you still aren’t getting it started, it could be a bad spark plug. Consult the owner’s manual for assistance with these.
Check/Replace the Spark Plug – You should be able to find a replacement spark plug at the local big box.
Check/Replace the Fuel Filter – Some snow blowers will have a small fuel filter on the fuel line. This can become clogged over time and constrict fuel flow to such a great extent that it won’t run.
Check/Replace the Engine Air Filter – If the snow blower has an engine air filter, it can degrade performance. We’ve never seen an air filter prevent a snow blower from starting, but it’s still something to check.
If All Else Fails…
Try asking a question in our Tools Discussion Forum to see if someone can help… or take it into the local service center.
(photo: joebeone)
P.S. Our friends over at Charles and Hudson give us some more Blizzard Preparation Tips … worth a read on a cold Winter day.
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9 Responses to Fix a Snowblower that Won’t Start | Snow Blower Help
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December 19th, 2009 7:08 pm
I already got hit with this storm (for the most part) and did my snow blowing the old fashioned way, I shoveled it! Was no fun since I got 18″ overnight but I limited it to a single path to my truck!
We are expecting another 4-6 inches tonight and more throughout the week, so I am WISHING I had a snowblower right now!
December 20th, 2009 2:26 am
Just curious about the rationale behind always using the electric start. I have a brand new snowblower with ES and haven’t heard of this recommendation before.
December 20th, 2009 4:09 pm
Karen, after re-reading what I wrote I realized I made it seem like there is a danger in not using the electric start. That’s definitely not the case.
However, when it’s very cold outside,the manufacturer intends the electric start to be the primary start method. I’ve heard of folks spending 30 minutes getting a blower started when it’s 10 degrees outside and they didn’t know it could be plugged in.
One additional tip I didn’t mention here is to not run the blower completely out of gas when you are mid-work. Emptying the tank clears the fuel lines and will require extra priming to restart the blower, which can make it more difficult if you are trying to use the pull start.
Again, nothing to really fret over – it will still restart, just might take extra effort.
January 2nd, 2010 9:12 pm
Fred,
I am having trouble getting a 357cc engine to start. The engine is on a Cub Cadet snow-blower. It is definitely getting a spark, as there are flames that can be seen from the exhaust and out the rear of the carb. I was told it could be a timing issue, and we checked the gears inside the crankcase to make sure they were all aligned- they were. Cleaned the carb out as well. Have no idea why it will not turn over. Also, it looks like it has something to do with incomplete combustion, as there is fuel coming out of the exhaust manifold area, as well as out the rear of the carb. The only thing I can think of that may be wrong would be an electrical issue- mainly having to do with the ignition. Any ideas would be appreciated.
February 18th, 2010 12:12 pm
Our 2 cyl Toro snow blower was flooded. Now it blows white smoke and won’t start. What can we do to get it running again?
February 18th, 2010 12:15 pm
We have a 2 cyl Toro that was flooded. It was running good until that happen. Now it won’t keep running. What can we do to make it run again?
February 21st, 2010 12:28 pm
Valerie, how did you flood it? Did you over-prime the engine? Usually this problem will work itself out if you just wait a while…
February 23rd, 2010 10:22 pm
I have an Ariens ST824 snowblower that I was using 2 weeks ago during a big storm in NY. After using it for about an hour, it started to choke and eventually died. I tried to re-start it usign the manual recoil and the ES but it wont restart. THe tank is full of new gas and we’re looking at another 10 inches later this week. I let it rest for a few days but it still wont start. What should I do?
February 27th, 2010 10:31 am
Gf’s brother purchased a toro 180(Recoil)..It had been sitting for about 2 months(with gas)…We finally get our first hit of snow and he attempts to finally use it: Anyways it turns on no problem but he starts seeing blacks smoke and turns it off right away…3 days later he calls me and we cannot get it to start! Spark Plug cleaned, squirt some oil into spark plug hole and still nothing! What I do notice it that upon pressing primer, no gas, as there is a clear tube behind primer button….I can press primer button 15x and nothing happens(no smell, no gas seen in tube behind primer button)..is something plugged as he turned off machine as soon as he turned it on?