Edger: Won't Start

A clogged or damaged carburetor can prevent your edger from starting. The carburetor injects a mixture of fuel and air into the engine to begin the combustion process. This will allow the edger to start and run. If you’ve left fuel in the machine without using it for a while, the carburetor can clog and this prevents it from doing its job. If the carburetor is clogged, the engine will be starved of fuel or air (or both) and it may not start. Sometimes your carburetor can be cleaned, or a carb kit can be purchased to replace some of the smaller parts inside the carburetor. This should solve your problem relatively easily. However, if the carb is irreversibly damaged, it will need to be replaced entirely before the engine will start properly.

Your air filter prevents debris from entering the engine. If the air filter is dirty, it will not supply the carburetor with enough oxygen, and this will cause it to perform poorly. If the air filter is badly clogged, it may starve the engine of air entirely, which will prevent it from starting. The air filter in your edger should be inspected and cleaned regularly, to prevent this symptom. However, if the air filter is so clogged that cleaning it will not get the engine running again, you may need to replace the air filter entirely.

If the fuel filter on your edger is clogged, it can potentially starve your engine of fuel. This will make your edger very difficult or even impossible to start. Because its function is to prevent debris from entering the fuel lines, the fuel filter can become clogged by this same debris. If you inspect the fuel filter and notice that it is badly clogged, you may be able to clean it and that may allow the engine to start up again as normal. However, if your fuel filter is so badly clogged that it will not come clean, or the filter is damaged, you may need to replace it. A damaged fuel filter can allow debris into the fuel lines, which can then become clogged, preventing your engine from starting.

Your edger’s spark plug uses the electrical charge from the ignition coil and generates the spark used to ignite your engine’s fuel and air mixture. Without the spark, your engine will not run. If the spark plug will not spark, it could be the result of a bad ignition coil. You will need to test the ignition coil with a spark tester to determine whether the coil or the plug is at the root of the problem. Your spark plug will not spark if it has become fouled by carbon deposits in the engine. You may be able to clean the spark plug to get it working properly again. However, if after the spark plug is cleaned it still does not spark, you will need to replace it.

A cracked or leaking primer bulb can starve your engine of fuel. This can cause your edger to have difficulty starting. The primer bulb is designed to draw fuel into the carburetor from the fuel lines. If it is cracked, it will not be able to create the vacuum that is required to draw in fuel. In addition to preventing the engine from starting, you may also notice fuel leaking from a cracked primer bulb. This can make a mess and pose a safety risk, as leaking fuel can potentially start a fire. A cracked primer bulb will need to be replaced before this symptom can be resolved.

If your carburetor is clogged and preventing the engine from starting, you can use a carb kit as a quick way to replace the interior parts of the carb that may be damaged or dirty. When the carburetor is clogged, the engine will not get the correct ratio of air and fuel, and if it’s a particularly bad clog, it might not get any fuel at all, which will prevent the engine from starting. A carb kit will allow you to rebuild the carburetor and restore it to its original performance.

Clogged or leaking fuel lines will not supply enough fuel to the carburetor for your edger’s engine to run. Debris can enter the fuel lines, particularly if fuel has been left in the tank for a long period of time, and this can cause them to clog up. The fuel lines can also become cracked or damaged, which will cause fuel to leak out of the lines. Not only will this prevent your engine from starting, but it can cause a mess and even pose a safety risk, as leaked fuel can start a fire. It is important as well that you check that your fuel clamps are tightened, because if they are not, fuel may leak. You may find that you can clean the lines and solve the problem. However, a cracked or leaking line will probably need to be replaced.