This is Why Your Troy-Bilt Lawn Mower Isn’t Getting Gas

A lawn mower that isn’t getting fuel will run sluggishly or not even start. When the engine isn’t running at full power due to a fuel restriction, the engine won’t be able to provide the power to rotate the blade and provide a good cut. It will most likely bog down and die.

A Troy-Bilt lawn mower isn’t getting gas when a fuel component fails or the fuel system has developed a restriction caused by old gasoline, a plugged fuel filter, clogged fuel lines, a dirty carburetor, or plugged vent in the gas cap.

You’ve narrowed down your mower’s running issue to the fuel system. I have listed all of the items that can affect your fuel supply below and how to fix them.

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Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.

5 Reasons Your Troy-Bilt Mower Isn’t Getting Gas

Old Gas

Gas that is older than 30 days can begin to break down causing problems in your Troy-Bilt lawn mower. Most gasoline contains ethanol which is an alternative fuel that naturally attracts moisture from the air to the fuel system.

This can cause corrosion in the mower and leave behind varnish and gummy deposits. The fuel restrictions resulting from these varnish and deposits clogging fuel components will keep your Troy-Bilt from getting the gas it requires to start and run.

Always use fresh gasoline and consume it within 30 days. Use unleaded gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 87 and a maximum ethanol content of 10% (E10).

Because of the negative effects ethanol has on a mower, never use gasoline that contains more ethanol than 10%. Stay away from fuel sold as E15 and E85 that contains up to 15% and 85% ethanol respectively.

You must know what type of engine you have on your mower so you use the right kind of fuel. Using the wrong fuel can damage the engine. You will find a 4-cycle engine on most Troy-Bilt lawn mowers sold today. However, there are Troy-Bilt mowers with 2-cycles engines still being used.

• 2-cycle Troy-Bilt mowers require gas and oil to be mixed prior to filling the fuel tank.
• 4-cycle Troy-Bilt mowers require a straight gas. Do not mix with oil. It has separate filling ports for gas and oil.

It’s important to use fresh gasoline in your Troy-Bilt mower. Use it within 30 days of purchase. If you are unable to use gasoline this quickly, make sure you add a fuel additive to your gasoline to stabilize the fuel.

I use a product called Sea Foam Motor Treatment in each tank of fuel for my lawn mower. Read more about Sea Foam and its advantages here.

Solution: Drain old fuel from your gas tank using a siphon pump. Fill with fresh gasoline treated with a fuel system cleaner and stabilizer like Sea Foam Motor Treatment.

Plugged Fuel Filter

A fuel filter strains fuel as it comes out of the fuel tank. While this filter keeps dirt out of the fuel system, it can also keep sufficient fuel from flowing through the filter when it becomes plugged.

The fuel filter will become clogged with dirt and debris when it is not being changed out regularly. A fuel filter should be replaced annually and more often when you find you are running dirty or old gas.

Solution: Replace a plugged fuel filter on your Troy-Bilt. When installing the new fuel filter, shut off the fuel supply and remove the old inline filter from the fuel lines.

Install the new filter making sure the arrow located on the side of the filter housing is pointed in the direction of your fuel flow.

Clogged Fuel Lines

The gummy deposits left behind by old gas can stick to the fuel line restricting the amount of gas that is allowed to pass through the line. When this happens, you need to check the fuel lines for a restriction.

Check for a clogged fuel line on your Troy-Bilt lawn mower:

• Shut off your fuel supply. Use the fuel shut-off valve (if your mower has one) or pinch pliers to crimp the fuel line and stop the flow.
• Identify a section of the fuel line to check.
• Remove the end of the line that’s furthest from the gas tank and place it in a container. The container will need to be placed lower than the gas tank because gas cannot run uphill without the assistance of a fuel pump.
• Turn on your fuel flow and watch the flow coming out of the line and into the container.
• Stop the fuel flow. If you are getting good flow, go ahead and reattach the fuel line. If not, remove the line from your Troy-Bilt mower.

Solution: Remove the clog in the fuel line you removed from the mower. Spray carburetor cleaner into the line. This is to help loosen the blockage. Next, blow compressed air through the line to clear it.

Repeat with the carburetor cleaner and compressed air until the line is free of any obstruction. Reinstall the fuel line. If you are unable to remove the blockage, replace the fuel line with a new line.

Dirty Carburetor

The carburetor regulates the fuel and air needed to form combustion in the cylinder. When it becomes dirty from running old fuel the fuel jet can clog and components can stick so it no longer functions properly.

A dirty carburetor can prevent your Troy-Bilt from getting the fuel it requires causing it to run sluggishly or not run at all. To identify a bad carburetor, you need to first make sure you are getting fuel to the carburetor. If you are not, check the fuel filter and fuel lines for clogs.

Once you have confirmed the carburetor is getting a good supply of fuel, use carburetor cleaner to start your engine.

Remove the air filter from the air filter housing and spray carburetor cleaner into the air intake port. Do not use starter fluid. Read why in “Don’t Use Starter Fluid on a Lawn Mower (Use This Instead!)“.

Start your mower. If it starts, runs, and then dies, chances are your carburetor is restricting fuel and must be cleaned, rebuilt, or replaced.

Solution: If you don’t mind working with small parts and are a little mechanical, you can disassemble your carburetor to clean it. Follow my step-by-step directions to clean your carburetor in this article.

If you choose not to clean your Troy-Bilt’s carburetor yourself, your local small engine mechanic can do this for you. You can also just replace the carburetor assembly.

Clogged Gas Cap

The gas cap on your Troy-Bilt lawn mower is designed to vent so air can pass through the cap. When the vent is plugged, the gas tank forms a vacuum restricting fuel flow to the engine so your mower will no longer get the fuel it requires to run.

To narrow down the fuel issue to the fuel cap, loosen the cap and start the engine. If the mower now starts and runs strong, the fuel cap may be the problem.

To further validate the cap as the problem, continue to allow the mower to run and tighten the fuel cap.

Allow it to run for a while. If your mower begins to run rough and shut down, you most likely need to replace the cap because the vent is clogged.

Solution: Replace your cap with a new Troy-Bilt gas cap.

Keep Your Troy-Bilt Mower Fuel System Clean

Keeping the fuel system clean on your Troy-Bilt will minimize the fuel-related problems that develop. To do this follow these tips:

• Use a fresh unleaded gas with a maximum ethanol content of 10%. An ethanol-free fuel is best.
• Add a fuel additive like Sea Foam Motor Treatment of STA-BIL Fuel Treatment to stabilize the gas and reduce moisture.
• Replace the fuel filter once a year and more often if you are running dirty fuel or you use your lawn mower more often than the average homeowner.

Having Troy-Bilt Mower Starting Problems?

You checked the fuel system and can’t find the problem preventing your Troy-Bilt mower from starting or running well. There are many other items that may mimic a fuel supply problem.

Check out this list of items for additional reasons your lawn mower won’t start or run: “17 Reasons Your Troy-Bilt Mower Won’t Start“.