HARD TO START
The reasons for an engine to be hard to start can be caused by a wide variety of individual or combinations of concurrent problems and the best place to begin is to do a quick check of the engine:
- Is the tank full of fresh gasoline?
- Does the air filter need to be cleaned or replaced?
- Check the condition of the spark plug.
- Is the fuel valve turned on?
- Is the On/Off switch turned ON?
- Is the choke in the correct position or the primer functioning?
- Check the oil for correct fill level and quality. *(see note below)
- Improper fuel/air mixture reaching the carb
- Weak spark
- Improper timing
- Low Compression
- Not turning fast enough to start
*Note:
The oil level should not be a factor in a hard to start situation unless the engine is equipped with a low oil shutoff system, but should always be checked prior to use.