Lawn & Garden Tips – Spring Lawn Mower Tune Up

After a long, cold winter, the air warms up, the rain starts to fall, and with it comes the greenery. Eventually, you have to drag that mower out of the garage and put it to work. Unless you did the proper winterizing, then you will likely have some work to do getting it up and running. De-winterizing is a the process of changing fluids and components, checking all the vitals and general inspection of the working parts of the equipment. This spring lawn mower tune up can usually be accomplished in an hour or so, but if the equipment has been neglected, as lawn mowers usually are, it can take some time getting it up and running in top shape.

Batteries

If the equipment has electric start, then it has a battery. A drained battery can make your lawn care tasks much more frustrating. Use a volt-meter to check the voltage. If it is a 12-volt battery and the voltage is below 11 volts, it probably won’t start. Put the battery on a charger to bring it up to full charge. If it won’t take a charge, then you will likely need a new one. See our lawn & garden battery article for more tips.

Filter

If your engine can’t breathe, it can’t run. The air filter on lawn & garden equipment should be replaced annually. NAPA Auto Parts Stores have a wide selection of air filters for the most common small engines, you are sure to find the one you need. Many push mowers use a universal filter element, which is often cut to fit.

Oil

Probably the single most overlooked aspect of all small engines is the oil. Where a dead battery or clogged filter will show symptoms, the oil in your lawn & garden equipment doesn’t show any issues until it is too late. Most small engines should get fresh oil annually, some more often depending on the use and the type of equipment it is. Don’t forget the filter (if it has one)

Spark Plugs

A fouled out spark plug can have you pulling out your hair. Spark plugs can last for years, but it is always a good idea to pull them out annually, check the gap, look for signs of oil fouling, and wear. When replacing the plug, make sure you replace it with the correct plug, match the code on the porcelain to be sure.

Fuel (especially ethanol)

Old gas in the tank is never a good thing. Pouring new fuel on top old gas is not a solution either. NAPA sells a pack of testers to check the state if your fuel, if it is bad, it needs to be poured out before firing up your motor.

Carburetor

Enriched fuel may cost a few cents less, but it really can bring down the performance of your lawn & garden engine, especially if you let it sit in your gas tank all winter. We found a 2-year old push mower on Craigslist that the previous owner said would not stay running. Once we had it home, we took it apart to find the problem. As soon as we took the carburetor off, it became apparent that the tank had been left with ethanol gas, which had corroded the aluminum, leaving a bunch of crusty gunk inside the carburetor.

We spent a couple of hours cleaning out the carburetor (these are incredibly simple carburetors), bolted it back together and now it runs like a champ. Spending $20 for a practically new mower beats spending $250 for a new one any day.

While it may seem like a lot of work, a mower tune up usually only takes a short time and it will definitely save you more time down the road. That way you can enjoy your manicured lawn more often without the hassle of servicing your lawn equipment every weekend.

Check out all the lawn and garden products available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine automobile maintenance and repairs. For more information on doing your own lawn mower tune up, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.