Blower: Runs For A While Then Dies

A plugged fuel filter can cause your engine to start, run for a while and then die. The fuel filter on your leaf blower connects to the fuel line, and filters out any debris that may be in the fuel tank. Over time, this debris can build up in the filter and make it more difficult for fuel to enter the lines and ultimately get to the engine. If the obstruction is minor, the engine will run for a little while before dying, rather than almost immediately after the engine starts. To fix the issue, you may be able to clean your fuel filter, but if it is faulty or damaged it will need to be replaced.

A bad spark plug can cause the engine to die at any time. When your leaf blower is running properly, the spark plug will ignite compressed fuel and air with every rotation of the piston within the cylinder. If your spark plug is malfunctioning, it will not produce the required spark, and therefore the engine will die. As mentioned, if your spark plug is faulty, this can happen to your engine at any time.

A vented gas cap can cause this problem. If the vent is plugged, a vacuum will form as the fuel level drops. After a while, the vacuum will be stronger than your carburetor’s ability to pump fuel and the engine will die. To solve this problem, you can allow the engine to sit for a short period of time, or you can remove and replace the gas cap. After you apply one of these solutions, the engine should start again.

The fuel lines on your blower carry fuel from the tank to the engine. If these fuel lines are obstructed, it can’t allow the proper amount of fuel to enter the engine, which will cause it to run for a short time, but ultimately stall out. You may be able to clean out the fuel lines and solve this problem. However, because these lines are usually made of plastic, they can crack and begin to leak. This can allow air to enter the fuel system which will cause it to die after a short period of running. If the crack is small, this can cause the engine to die somewhat unexpectedly, as very little fuel is leaking out. If you discover a crack in your fuel line, you will most likely need to replace it.

Your leaf blower’s ignition coil provides voltage to the spark plug, which then ignites the fuel mixture that runs the blower. A faulty ignition coil will normally only fail once the engine has run long enough for the coil to become hot. If you discover that your blower is dying after it runs for a little while (basically until it gets hot), your ignition coil may be faulty and will likely need to be replaced. To determine whether your ignition coil is the cause of this symptom, you can test your ignition coil by first disconnecting the spark plug from the engine and (while it is still connected to the ignition coil) setting it on the engine itself. At this point you can attempt to run your engine and look for a spark from the spark plug. If no spark is present, it could be the result of a faulty ignition coil.