8 Causes a Craftsman Snowblower Won’t Continue to Operate

After a snowfall, you depend to keep your driveway and sidewalks clear when using a snowblower. When you can’t keep it going, snow removal becomes much more difficult, which is annoying.

When a Craftsman snowblower isn’t getting enough fuel, air, or spark because of old gas, a blocked fuel line, a jammed choke, a dirty carburetor, a defective spark plug, a broken ignition coil, or a bad gas cap, it won’t continue running and keeps shutting off.

Always unplug the spark plug wire before making any repairs for your own safety. The Craftsman operator’s manual lists all the safety precautions you should take.

Why a Craftsman Snowblower Won’t Continue to Run

Gas in a Craftsman Snowblower Is Bad or Old

An unreliable Craftsman snowblower is frequently caused by gas. This is brought on by the gas’s deterioration while it is in the fuel system.

A snowblower’s ethanol-based fuel might start to degrade within 30 days of the date of purchase. Old gasoline leaves a varnishy residue on its components, which leads to fuel malfunctions and limits.

When a snowblower runs out of gasoline, it stops working. The article “This is the Gas to Use in a Craftsman Snowblower” has more information on ethanol and the proper gas to use.

Check the fuel level in the fuel tank. Drain the fuel and refuel if you discover that the tank is old or that water has gotten inside. Before adding fresh fuel to the fuel tank, combine it ea Foam Motor Treatment, for example, is a fuel additive.

The fuel additive will aid in gas stabilization, moisture reduction, and fuel system cleaning. If you can start the snowblower, do so and let it run for a while to let the gasoline mixture circulate throughout the fuel system.

It should get easier for the snowblower to operate. Continue reading through the list for further reasons for the snowblower’s demise it has been running if it doesn’t start or if you are unable to start it.

Snowblower Made by Craftsman Has a Clogged Fuel Line

An adequate flow of fuel can be prevented from reaching the carburetor by the buildup that old fuel can leave in the fuel line. To ensure that there is enough fuel going through the line, check the fuel line.

Turn stop sing the gasoline shut-off valve or fuel hose pinch-off pliers, crimp the line to stop the flow of fuel, then examine the fuel line. rom the carburetor’s hose should then be removed.

In a container that is lower than the fuel tank, insert the hose. Without a fuel pump, the only direction the fuel will travel is downward. Restart the gasoline supply and observe the fuel flow into the container as it leaves the line.

If you are experiencing a good flow, stop the fuel flow and reconnect the gasoline line. Remove the fuel line portion the snowblower by Craftsman if the flow isn’t good.

Spray carburetor cleaning into the line to dislodge the obstruction. To clear the clog, do this after using compressed air. Repetition is required until the gasoline line is clear of the obstruction.

If you can’t get the blockage out, reinstall the clean fuel line or get a new one. Install a replacement line if the fuel line is dry and cracked to prevent causing fuel leaks as a result of this location in the near future.

Snowblower with a Dirty Craftsman Carburetor

The Craftsman snowblower begins and runs because the carburetor regulates how much fuel and air are combined to cause an explosion in a cylinder of an engine. A malfunctioning carburetor could cause the snowblower to stop operating.

A carburetor is a container used to hold small amounts of fuel. In the carburetor, traces left by an old gasoline can accumulate and cause internal parts to gum up and stick, preventing gas from reaching the engine.

Your carburetor needs to be taken out of utilizing a carburetor cleaner, the snowblower was cleaned if there is no gas coming from it. If you discover any broken components or the carburetor is in poor condition and cleaning is ineffective, you will need to rebuild it or replace it.

SOLUTION: Follow these simple procedures to establish if your running issue is caused by a dirty carburetor:

• Verify that the fuel is flowing properly to the carburetor.
• Spray some injecting the carburetor cleaner snowblower’s air inlet and start it up. If it starts out strong while burning the carburetor cleaner but then loses speed and may even shut off afterward, the carburetor is probably unclean.
• Continue cleaning and taking apart the carburetor.

Craftsman Snowblower Choke is Stuck or Set in the Wrong Position

A snowblower engine needs more gasoline and less air to start than it does to warm up and run. The choke is utilized to limit airflow by way of the air intake in order to accomplish this.

To start a cold engine, the choke must be in the closed position. To continue running with the proper gas-to-air mixture once the engine has warmed up, the choke must be moved to the open position, enabling more air to flow.

The engine will start to run slowly and eventually shut off because the airflow is too low if the choke isn’t set properly or is jammed.

FIX: Verify that you are starting your snowblower according to the right procedures. if the choke plate and cable are jammed but the choke is in the proper place. Clean the carburetor to release the choke cable and plate.

If you are unsure of how to our Craftsman snowblower’s choke should be opened and closed, consult the operator’s manual.

Spark plug on a Craftsman snowblower that is dirty

A snowblower may not start due to a fouled spark plug. The plug may stop sparking and cause sporadic running issues when it gets filthy and covered in carbon or oil. This might also occur as a result of a frayed wire in the spark plug an improper gap.

WORKAROUND: Take out the spark plug to inspect it. The spark plug has to be replaced if it is very black in color, has shattered porcelain, or has an electrode that has burned.

You can use a tip that is only minimally dusty and generally in good shape, but you must use a wire brush to clean it get rid of any carbon and dirt accumulation.

Make sure the spark plug gap is set according to the recommendations of the engine manufacturer. Your operator’s manual contains this information.

If you are having spark troubles, check your ignition coil after making sure sing a quality spark plug, or that ou swapped it out for a fresh one.

Craftsman Snowblower Has a Bad Ignition Coil

Verify your spark plug is in good shape, is suitably gapped, and has a wire that is firmly attached before looking for an ignition coil issue.

A Craftsman snowblower can stop working due to a bad ignition coil. When it gets heated, the ignition coil’s windings able to dissociate and short out.

As a result, the spark plug won’t be able to produce a spark since it can’t obtain the necessary voltage.

WORKAROUND: Use an ohmmeter to check for continuity breaks. Invalidate the ignition coil.

Craftsman Snowblower Crankcase Has Too Much Oil

Your Craftsman snowblower’s engine may smoke, run poorly, and eventually quit if there is too much engine oil in it. A hydrolocked engine is one that has too much engine oil that has reached the spark plug and entered the cylinder.

The solution is to make sure the crankcase oil level isn’t too high when operating a snowblower with a 4-cycle engine. If so, take out a little oil until it reaches the maximum level advised by the manufacturer.

The gas-to-oil ratio on a 2-cycle snowblower must meet Craftsman specifications. The overuse of oil in the gas-to-oil mixture must be stopped. Drain the fuel and replace it with the proper ratio of gas to oil.

Snowblower Gas Cap from Poor Craftsman

A vent is present in the gas cap of a Craftsman snowblower, which allows air to enter through the cap. This makes it possible for the tank’s internal air pressure to match the air pressure outside.

A vacuum will develop if the cap’s vent turns into blocked, preventing air from entering the fuel tank. This vacuum will stop fuel from leaking through the fuel pipes and out of the tank and stopping the snowblower from stopping due to lack of fuel.

Taking off the cap and seeing if the snowblower engine runs better can frequently solve this problem. If so, firmly fasten the cap and keep using to see whether you can use the snowblower reproduce the problem with it stopping mid-run.

Replace a damaged gas cap.