When summer ends and the leaves start to fall, one trusted tool in your arsenal of lawn care instruments is undoubtedly a leaf blower. Leaf blowers are great for quickly clearing up fallen leaves and debris off of sidewalks, patios, decks, driveways, and even your lawn.
But sometimes problems arise with these powerful machines, whether it be a clogged tube or an ignition that won’t spark. No worries if you find yourself stuck in this situation, we have some easy troubleshooting techniques to get your leaf blower back into tip-top shape without having to call out an expensive technician.
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Common Reasons Behind Leaf Blower Starts Then Dies
One common problem is the leaf blower dying after starting for some minutes. The reasons for this are not far-fetched.
All you need is attentive scrutiny through the parts of the leaf blower and a few minutes to fix them. When you encounter this problem with your leaf blower, check these parts.
1. Clogged Air Filter
A clogged air filter can lead to reduced performance or failure to start altogether. To prevent this from happening, regularly remove and clean your air filter according to manufacturer instructions, a dirty air filter will reduce airflow, making it more difficult for your engine to operate correctly.
In addition, make sure that your air filter is properly installed before operating your leaf blower.
2. Clogged Fuel Filter
A blocked fuel filter limits the amount of fuel that flows into the engine. Luckily, some amount of fuel might enter but because the fuel is too small, the engine will stop in just a couple of seconds after starting up.
A clog in the fuel filter is not only caused by an accumulation of debris but it can also be caused by old fuel which has deteriorated into a thick sludge. The fuel filter can simply be cleaned but if not, it needs to be changed.
3. Spoilt Gaskets
Between the carburetor and insulator are gaskets. They are also found between the insulator and the cylinders. Damaged insulators allow excess fuel to get into the engine causing it to start idly.
It will only run for some seconds and then go off. Damaged gaskets are to be replaced.
Other reasons why your leaf blower starts and then dies are clogged or damaged spark plug or damaged carburetor.
4. Gasoline Issues
If your leaf blower is powered by gasoline and it won’t start, the problem may be related to the fuel or the spark plug. Make sure that there is enough fuel in the tank; if not, add new fuel and try starting it again.
If this doesn’t solve the problem, then you may need to check the spark plug. Clean or replace it if necessary, if all else fails, take it to a qualified service technician for repair.
5. Plugged Exhaust Port
Sometimes an exhaust port on a gasoline-powered leaf blower can become plugged with dirt or debris after extended use, this will cause reduced engine performance or even complete failure of the engine due to lack of airflow through the exhaust port.
To clear out any blockage, use compressed air or blow out any dirt with an air compressor hose before restarting your machine.
Also Read: How to Clean Echo Leaf Blower Carburetor?
Why Does My Leaf Blower Die When I Give It Gas?
This issue is a gas-powered leaf blower problem. When this happens, there are several things involved. The problem could be with the air filter, the gas filter, the carburetor, or the muffler. The problem is mostly caused by a clog in any or all of those parts.
They can be fixed by you but you need to know which of the parts is the cause first. After finding out the part with the cause, here’s how to fix it.
1. Air Filter
Cause: If an air filter is clogged, the engine may be able to run idly with just enough air. The engine, however, would want extra air as soon as you step on the gas.
However, the engine will sputter to a stop if the air filter is blocked and unable to deliver the amount of oxygen needed to adequately burn a greater gas flow and long run time.
Repair: this case comes with different methods of fixing different gas leaf blowers. This is why every one of them comes with an instruction manual. Check through the manual to see if the air filter can simply be cleaned and put through a maintenance routine.
But if the air filter is too clogged and damaged beyond proper recovery, then you should get a new air filter. Don’t worry, they are affordable and can be found in hardware stores.
2. Fuel Filter
Cause: like the air filter, If the fuel filter is blocked or partially blocked, it may let just enough gas through the system to allow the engine to run at idle. However, if the engine does not obtain more gas and gets too much air after opening up to gas, the engine will sputter to a halt.
Repair: refer to your instruction manual to see if the fuel filter can be cleaned. If it can, detach it from its position and clean it. If it is beyond saving, then change it.
3. The Muffler
Cause: the muffler does the opposite of the air filter. While the air filter lets air in, it lets air out. Although it allows air out of the leaf blower, it can get clogged too. The clog is caused by the accumulation of the by-product, Carbon, which with time builds up inside the muffler.
Repair: when using a leaf blower, there are maintenance routines to follow. Cleaning the muffler is one of them and it should be done consistently. Anyways, if the muffler begins to rust and wear off, it is advisable to get a new one.
4. Carburetor
Cause: the carburetor cannot get clogged but it can begin to malfunction. It is the part in charge of controlling the gas-to-air mixture.
Repair: the problem might be with the gasket inside the carburetor. If it is, the gasket needs to be replaced, and to do that, it will require a carb kit and a rebuild.
The carburetor requires more work than the other components. As a result, it is at the bottom of the list. Instead of being disappointed after opening the carburetor to discover it is not the problem, examine the other parts first. Until you see that the fault is not with the others, the carburetor remains untouched.
Also Read: Is A Blower A 2-Cycle Engine?
How Do I Know If My Blower Is Flooded?
If you experience difficulty in starting your blower, it may be because of a flooded engine. This situation occurs when too much fuel is ingested due to the spark plug not firing correctly.
To diagnose this condition, check for a lack of spark from the spark plug by removing it and observing if there is any sparking when you pull the cord. If there is not any spark, then your blower is flooded.
You can also try starting the blower with the throttle partially open, as this can help clear the choked carburetor and start the engine. If none of these methods solve your issue, consult a professional mechanic for help.
Why Does My Cordless Leaf Blower Keep Shutting Off?
If your leaf blower keeps shutting off, turn it off and open it to check any of the parts below.
A cordless leaf blower is powered by a battery. This battery needs to be fully charged before use or else the engine will stop working unexpectedly.
But if the leaf blower keeps shutting off when in use, the battery may have a problem. A damaged battery cannot be helped, so you need to replace it.
Another possible cause is the filter. If the filters of the leaf blower are clogged, the engine will not start. Check the filters and clean them. Replace the ones that need to be replaced.
The motor could be another problem. If the motor is a brushless motor and the engine refuses to start, there could be damage to the brush. Damage to the brush requires that the motor be changed.
Leaf Blower Runs For 5 Minutes Then Dies
The most probable cause for this is a bad battery, that is if the leaf blower is a battery-powered one. Over time, the strength of a battery weakens and its normal runtime automatically reduces. So instead of running for the normal 30 minutes, it will run for a shorter time.
Also, it could be because the battery is not fully charged. A charged battery can only deliver the amount it is charged up to and the amount of power it has.
Another possible cause could be a clog in some parts of the leaf blower. When a port is blocked, its ability to perform its engineered task is reduced. This could cause the leaf blower to stall or go off after running for just 5 minutes.
Conclusion:
No matter how much or how much maintenance routine you practice on your leaf blower, some problems are bound to occur. Instead of calling or waiting on professionals to come to fix the problem for you, you can do it yourself and save time and money.
Most of the problem lies with the plug, filters, and carburetor. When checking for the problem, start with the easy-to-access parts then move to the hidden parts.
