9 Reasons Why Craftsman Lawn Mower Won’t Start And How To Fix It

A lawn mower that fails to start is a commonly prevalent issue that can occur on best of the mowing machines. Be it a push mower or a zero turn mower or a lawn tractor, every lawn machinery requires regular maintenance of the fuel and the engine to prevent operational errors. 

Today, I have picked up the Craftsman riding mower to discuss and we’ll be specifically discussing how to deal with it when the Craftsman riding lawn mower won’t start.

Struggling to start is rather a prevalent issue and has been reported on other prominent brands of lawn mowers like Ferris, Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, Ariens etc. 

When the Craftsman lawn mower doesn’t start, it is primarily due to worn-out or faulty components like the spark plug, solenoid, ignition coil, recoil and rewind pulleys etc and the fuel having gone stale or less in the tank. 

Let’s learn about these causes in detail and know whether they can be repaired or they can only be replaced.

How To Fix When Craftsman Mower Won’t Start 

For your understanding, I have divided the reasons responsible for a Craftsman mower’s failure to start into ‘Most Common’ and ‘Common’ issues. 

Let’s explore the ‘Most Common causes’ first and try their solutions. If they don’t work, then some component specifically bears defects on your Craftsman mower which you would have to replace. 

Most Common Reasons

1. Less Fuel/Old Fuel 

Checking the fuel is the first step that is most basic but usually forgotten when it comes to fixing starter issues in a mower. Yes, the issue can be as small as a low level of fuel in the tank due to which the engine does not start.

Solution: 

• Use clean and fresh gasoline with up to 10% ethanol ( gasohol) or 15% MTBE ( Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether). If you would be using your Craftsman mower on the hills, use gasoline with a minimum of 87-octane / 87 AKI ( 91 RON). 

• Drain the fuel if it has not been changed for more than 30 days. Most of the gasoline fuels today have ethanol which is environment friendly but is not a good choice for small engines which the Craftsman mower has. Ethanol has the tendency to captivate moisture and after the moisture has evaporated, the mower’s fuel system is left with sticky residue in the fuel system. 

• While you add fuel, fill fuel to the recommended level on the oil-dipstick. You should never fill fuel excessively in the mower’s tank to avoid engine’s smoking issues. STA-BIL Small Engine Pro  is a good choice for a Craftsman mower’s engine.  

2. Bad Spark Plug, Safety Switch and Solenoid 

Spark plug: Another potential cause for your mower not starting up is a bad spark plug. If the spark plug has a loose connection or is damaged, it can even misfire the engine which can be damaging. 

Safety Switch : The Craftsman lawn mower has several safety switches to let you operate the mower safely. These safety switches can also become faulty overtime, causing the mower not to start. 

Solenoid : These Craftsman mowers also have a solenoid which is an electromagnetic switch. It is like an on/off switch that pushes the starter motor to turn the engine on. If you hear a ‘click’ or a ‘humming’ sound when the ignition key is turned on, or if the wire attached to the solenoid heats up and starts smoking, the solenoid is bad.  

Solution: 

• Spark Plug : Take the spark plug out and look for any carbon residual build-up, or if the porcelain insulator is bad. Change the spark plug if it’s cracked and remember to gap up the spark plug correctly as per the user manual. 
• Safety Switch: Use a multimeter to test the safety switch. If the switch is not working, replace the faulty switch with a new one. Never attempt to use the mower without a safety switch, as recommended by Craftsman. 
• Solenoid: If the solenoid is damaged, change it with a new one. 

3. Carburetor and the Fuel System is Clogged with Dirt;

The carburetor and the filters are probably the most important parts of the engine which maintain the flow to air to the fuel. Correct ratio is fuel to air is extremely essential for the engine to keep creating combustion in the engine. 

The fuel system comprises the fuel filters, the fuel cap and the fuel pump. 

If the fuel filters of the mower are clogged with dirt, they won’t be able to filter the fuel pouring in from the fuel tank and the fuel would simply pass onto the engine, along with particles of dirt and debris. 

Along with, a leaking fuel pump and a loose or cracked fuel cap prevent the mower from starting as they keep leaking the fuel and the fuel is reduced to insufficient level in the tank. 

Solution: 

• Fuel Filters : If the fuel filters are cracked, they can only be replaced with new ones. But, if they’re just dirty, clean them using hot water and gentle liquid soap. 
• Test For Fuel Filter and Fuel line: Remove the filters and then, the fuel line. Keep the fuel line in a container and stop it with a clamp. Now, once the fuel line is in the container, detach the clamp and see if fuel is passing. If the fuel is dripping off very slowly, clean the filters but if there’s no flow of fuel, the filters are completely blocked and hence, must be replaced. 
• If the filter is clean yet no fuel passes through the fuel line, it is the fuel line that is clogged. Replace the clogged fuel line with a new one. 
• Carburetor: Mostly, cleaning the carburetor and the fuel filters resolves the starter issue on the mower. If nothing works, change the carburetor. 
• Fuel Cap and Fuel Pump: If the fuel cap fits loosely on the fuel tank or if the lining of the fuel pump is falling apart and it’s leaking fuel, change them. 

4. Worn-Out Battery with Corroded Terminals

The next step to fix the starter issue on your Craftsman mower is to check the battery for  wiring and terminals. The charge on the battery must be 12.7 Volts or higher. If it’s not, the battery won’t be able to push start the mower. Plus, loose wiring or corroded terminals also make the battery dysfunctional. 

Solution : 

• Use a multimeter to test your mower’s battery. If the battery’s reading says less than 12.7 Volts, the battery needs a charge. If the battery fails to charge, change it. 
• If the wiring of your battery is loose, or has any cuts, change the broken wires and connect them securely to the correct terminals, as per the user manual. 
• Lastly, if the battery’s terminals are corroded, make a cleaning solution by mixing 2 cups water + 3 tbsp of baking soda. Use this solution on a brush to clean the corroded terminals. 

5. Incorrect Procedure Followed to Start the Mower 

Every lawn mower comes with a different user manual in which the precise instructions to operate the mower are given. 

The Craftsman push mowers have a safety bar to start the operation and the Craftsman riding mowers have a safety switch. These riding mowers also have a brake switch which if not engaged, does not let the mower start. 

Solution: 

• Always read the user manual of your Craftsman mower to learn the correct way to operate your mower-be it the push mower or the riding mower. 
• Ensure that the safety switch, the safety bar or the brake switch of your mower, whichever applicable, is functional. If not, change them with new ones. 

All these parts mentioned above can be the cause of a starter issue on your Craftsman riding mower very commonly. It means that whenever you are stuck up with why my Craftsman lawn mower won’t start, you should be inspecting them as the first thing. 

If these solutions fail to start your Craftsman lawn mower, move on to the next section where other parts of the mower have been discussed. 

Common Reasons 

If your Craftsman mower has still not started, we will now inspect other parts of the mower which are the flywheel key, ignition system ( ignition switch and the coil), the recoil and the rewind springs along with the pulleys. 

6. Broken Flywheel Key

The flywheel key of the mower is a tiny piece that is fitted into the crankshaft for engaging the flywheel of the mower. If your lawn mower hits a hard object accidentally, this flywheel key cracks into half to protect the engine from any damage. 

If the flywheel key is broken, your Craftsman mower won’t start.

Solution : 

• Dismiss the flywheel from the engine to check if the flywheel key is broken. 
• If it’s broken, change it with a new one. 

7. Broken Ignition Switch or Ignition Coil

The mower has an ignition coil for sending voltage to the spark plug which then in turn, starts the mower’s engine. If the ignition switch is damaged, it won’t engage the ignition coil and a faulty ignition coil won’t let the engine start. 

Solution: 

• Before you test the ignition coil, test the spark plug if it’s working. If you require to change the spark plug, refer to the section above. 
• Use an ignition coil tester to determine if the ignition coil is working. 
• Change the ignition coil if it’s not working. 

8. Broken Recoil Spring, Recoil Starter and Recoil Pulleys 

When you pull the starter rope of your mower and then release, the recoil spring recoils the starter rope on the pulleys. If the recoil spring is damaged, it won’t recoil the starter rope on the pulleys and the engine won’t be turned on. 

Moving onto the recoil starter assembly, its function is to engage the crankshaft for turning the mower’s engine on. 

Last part of the recoil starter assembly is the recoil pulleys which keep the starter rope collected when it’s not in use. If the pulleys are broken, jammed or have no lubrication, they won’t work, causing failure of the entire recoil starter assembly. 

Solution: 

• Recoil Spring : Replace the defective recoil spring if it’s damaged but in this case, I recommend replacing the entire recoil starter assembly as this is more convenient. 
• Recoil Starter : Extract the whole recoil starter assembly out and check if it’s defective. On pulling the starter rope, the pulleys’ tabs along with the cam should clutch the engine’s hub and start the engine. On the contrary, on releasing the rope, the pulleys’ tabs will retract and the rope would rewind back on the pulleys. If the recoil starter assembly is not working in this manner, it’s defective and you must change it with a new one. 
• Recoil Pulleys: If the pulleys are broken, change with new ones and keep them lubricated at all times. 

9. Broken Rewind Spring and Pulleys 

This rewind function is the exact opposite of the recoil function on the mower. When you pull the starter rope of the mower, the rewind spring would recoil the rope on the pulleys. If this rewind spring or the rewind pulleys are broken, the rope would fail to recoil on the pulley and hence, the Craftsman riding mower won’t start.

Solution: 

• Change the rewind spring and the rewind pulleys if they’re damaged. After you change the pulleys, keep them lubricated to avoid issues in future.

Hence, this brings me to the end of this guide about Craftsman riding mower’s starter issues. Replace the parts that are damaged and refer to the user manual to install them correctly. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the recoil start on a Craftsman lawn mower?

Answer – A recoil start is  one main feature of the push mowers or walk behind mowers. It is basically the pull mechanism of the mower which turns the crankshaft on to start the engine. This recoil start comprises a few moving parts that work together to start the engine. 

Q2. Is recoil start same as a pull start on the mower?

Answer – The recoil start of the mower is the pull mechanism given at the back of the engine, for starting the engine of the mower. It consists of a starter rope, also called the starter cord. 

Q3.  When I turn on the key on my mower, the mower does not start. Why?

Answer – If nothing happens when you turn on your mower’s key, you don’t even hear the ‘click’ sound, the battery has gone flat. If not the battery, it can be due to blade switch or the lever in the engaged position, or failure of transmission system. 

Q4. How do I know if the battery of my mower is completely dead?

Answer – If nothing happens when you turn on your mower, the battery’s terminals are visibly corroded, the lights of the mower do not turn on and the mower’s engine does not start despite the tank being full of fuel, it is the battery that has become faulty. 

Q5. What are the signs of a failing starter in a mower?

Answer – On starting the mower, if you hear unusual clinking, whirring noises, smoke is coming from the mower’s hood and there are intermittent issues in running the mower, the starter key of the mower is damaged. Resolve this issue by replacing the starter of the mower. 

Conclusion 

When you have been using a lawn mower for a long time, issues are bound to occur and starting issues occur almost on all the mowers. Apart from the starting issues mentioned above, you also may have to deal with the Craftsman engine smoking. Engine issues are most commonly the reason why the mower fails to start and with engine issues, smoke coming from the engine occurs very commonly. 

To prevent all these issues from occurring ever, check for the parts mentioned above and replace them with the new ones. With this, ensure that at all times, the fuel does not go stale and is filled till the required level in the tank. Also, purchase new parts like solenoid, recoil and rewind pulleys, ignition coil etc from an authorized service center only that sells original parts.