The Spartan Lawnmower Won’t Start for These 14 Reasons

If you have a large lawn, a zero-turn mower is an excellent investment. When compared to traditional mowers, it produces a superior cut and drastically shortens the time required to finish the job. You put your trust in your zero-turn Spartan maneuver. Because of this, it’s annoying when it won’t turn on.

If the cylinder doesn’t receive the air, spark, and fuel necessary for combustion, the Spartan lawn mower won’t start. One or more of the following may be at fault: a clogged fuel line, a clogged fuel filter, a dirty carburetor, a clogged air filter, a bad spark plug, a faulty switch, a dead battery, or any combination thereof.

If you keep up with routine maintenance, you should have fewer issues with your Spartan lawn mower. You might also identify issues early on, before they escalate into costly disasters.

More things that will prevent your Spartan mower from beginning are detailed below.

Possible Reasons Why Your Spartan Mower Won’t Turn Over:

• Fuel Deficiency
• Substandard Fuel
• Leaky Gas Cap
• Dull spark plug
• Congested Air Filter
• Stuck Fuel Filter
• Stuck Fuel Line
• Malfunctioning Fuel Pump
• Clogged carburetor
• Faulty Power Source, Connections, or Cables
• Defective safety switch
• Ignition Switch or Coil Problems
• Problematic Power Supply
• Faulty Method of Beginning

Before attempting any diagnosis or repairs, or using the equipment, make sure you’ve read and understood all relevant safety information found in the equipment’s operator’s manual. If you are unsure of how to proceed or if you lack the necessary knowledge or experience, or if your health prevents you from doing so, you should seek the assistance of a professional.

The Problems You May Have With Starting Your Spartan Lawnmower.

An inability to start due to a lack of fuel in a Spartan mower.

Some people don’t check the most obvious cause of a non-starting Spartan lawn mower, which is an empty fuel tank. If you’ve been using more gas than usual, it could be because of a fuel leak you’re not aware of.

It’s possible you didn’t realize you were out of gas because you either forgot to fill up recently or the fuel gauge is malfunctioning.

To fix this, make sure there’s enough gas in the tank for the mower to start and run. Make sure there is no fuel leak and fix the fuel gauge if it is broken. Refuel the lawn mower’s tank.

A Spartan mower won’t start due to stale fuel.

Mower fuel for the Spartan lawn

No matter if your Spartan lawn mower runs on gas or diesel, stale fuel is bad for it. This guide focuses on gasoline and its impacts because the vast majority of Spartan’s mowers are gas-powered zero-turns.

As soon as 30 days after purchase, gas starts to degrade and lose its effectiveness. The mower may have starting issues as a result of this. Ethanol, a plant-based fuel typically produced from corn, is included in gasoline as an alternative fuel source.

Ethanol helps make gasoline more eco-friendly than regular gas, but it’s bad for the small engine in your Spartan mower. Mower corrosion is accelerated by ethanol because it attracts moisture from the air.

Gummy deposits from this ethanol and water solution will clog fuel lines and render some of the carburetor’s tiny parts ineffective, reducing the fuel supply.

Unleaded gas with an octane rating of 87 or higher and no more than 10% ethanol can be used in Spartan lawn mowers. Do not operate this vehicle with E15 or E85 gas, or any other gas with an ethanol concentration above the legal limit.

Both of these can have ethanol concentrations of up to 85%. The best fuel for your Spartan mower is ethanol-free fuel, but it can be expensive to buy.

Use New Spartan Mower Fuel

Gas deteriorates rapidly, so only buy what you can use within 30 days. If you won’t be able to use your fuel within 30 days, you can prevent it from deteriorating by mixing in a fuel stabilizer like Sea Foam Motor Treatment.

Solution: If you discover stale gas in your Spartan mower, you can fix the problem by draining the tank with a fuel siphon pump. When you add Sea Foam or STA-BIL to your fresh gas, it helps to stabilize the gas and decrease the amount of moisture in the fuel system.

Read “Use Sea Foam Additive in a Lawn Mower to Stabilizer Your Fuel” to find out why I put Sea Foam in every tank of gas.

A Spartan mower won’t start due to a faulty gas cap.

The gas cap on a Spartan mower is vented to allow air to circulate. This is necessary to ensure that the fuel tank pressure is uniform throughout the vehicle. When the vent on a fuel tank is blocked, or if the cap isn’t vented, a vacuum forms inside.

The fuel tank will be sealed off from the outside world. Your Spartan zero-turn won’t start or run without adequate fuel flow.

If your gas cap is stuck, you could be able to tell by running your mower with the cap off or loosened. Change the fuel cap if the mower fires up and runs smoothly.

You should let the mower keep running for a while longer to see if it dies from lack of fuel. If your lawnmower automatically turns off after a while and will only restart after you remove the cap, it’s probably the culprit.

Solution: A new Spartan fuel cap should be used whenever the old one stops venting.

A non-starting Spartan Mower is traced to a faulty spark plug.

If you’re having trouble starting your Spartan mower, check the spark plug for debris, adjust the gap, and tighten any loose wires. A strong spark is needed to start your mower. Your mower may not always start because of any of these issues, which can cause your spark plug to fire irregularly.

Solution: Remove the spark plug with a socket wrench. Examine the porcelain for any cracks, the electrode for any signs of burning, and the plug for any signs of dirt or grime to ensure it is in good working order. Dark-colored plugs indicate damage or excessive dirt and must be replaced.

A wire brush will suffice if the dirtiness is minimal. The spark plug is typically all I have to change. It’s a cheap but essential piece of equipment for keeping your mower in tip-top shape.

A spark plug must have the correct gap according to the engine manufacturer before it is installed. To ensure a proper connection, the spark plug must be installed with the wire firmly fastened.

Spartan Mower Won’t Start Due to Clogged Air Filter

While driving a zero-turn, you’ll kick up a lot of dirt and other particles. Avoid expensive engine repairs by keeping an air filter on your Spartan mower at all times. The air filter can become clogged due to the dust and debris in the air if it isn’t regularly changed, cleaned, or removed.

With a clogged air filter, less air can reach the motor. If you don’t give your Spartan mower enough air, it won’t work.

Overheating isn’t the only problem that can result from operating your mower with a clogged filter. Never, not even temporarily while you finish mowing, operate your Spartan mower without an air filter.

Solution: Replace the air filter at the beginning of each mowing season. You still have work to do on your air filter.

At regular intervals throughout the mowing season, you must inspect and clean it. When cutting grass in dusty areas, you should clean your air filter more frequently.

How to clean a Spartan mower’s paper air filter:

• Take out the air filter from its housing.
• Use a dry, clean rag to remove any lingering grime from the housing.
• Prevent any grime from entering the air intake.
• Lightly hit the air filter against something hard. Shake as much grime loose from the filter as you can. You shouldn’t clean your filter with compressed air because that can ruin it.
• Hold the paper filter element up to a light to see if any light comes through.
• Air filters can be reused if they allow light to pass through the paper. You should get a new filter if you can’t clean the old one.
• Replace the cover of the air filter housing after installation.

Spartan Mower Won’t Start Due to Clogged Fuel Filter

To remove debris and other contaminants from fuel, a fuel filter is used to filter fuel as it leaves the fuel tank. If you haven’t changed your fuel filter in a while or are using dirty gas, it may become clogged.

Because of the restricted fuel flow, the mower will not start if the fuel filter is clogged. The fuel filter should be changed once a year at the very least. Using dirty fuel in your mower can cause premature oil changes.

Solution: To fix a clogged fuel filter, simply install a new one. Be sure the arrow on the side of the filter is pointing in the direction of fuel flow when replacing the insert fuel filter on your Spartan zero-turn.

A clogged fuel line prevents a Spartan mower from starting.

The entire fuel system is vulnerable to clogging and damage from stale or contaminated fuel. This also applies to the gas lines.

The only way to tell if there is a blockage in your fuel lines is to start and stop the flow of fuel by using the fuel shut-off valve or pinch-off pliers to crimp the line.

When the fuel is no longer flowing, you should disconnect a section of the fuel hose (the one farthest from the tank) and place it in a container. It is imperative that the container be positioned below the fuel tank.

Gasoline can’t travel uphill. Get the fuel going and see if any comes out of the hose you positioned in the container.

Solution: Once a clogged line has been identified, the next step is to attempt clearing it. You can do this by disconnecting the fuel line and turning off the fuel pump on your Spartan lawn mower. Carburetor cleaner can be sprayed into the line to help break up the clog.

The next step is to use compressed air to blast the obstruction out of the line. This must be done repeatedly until the obstruction is cleared. If the obstruction is too stubborn to remove, a new fuel line will be required.

You can get a fuel line for your lawnmower at any hardware store or on the internet. No matter what you find, if your fuel lines are dry and cracking, you should replace them.

A faulty fuel pump causes a Spartan lawn mower to fail to start.

There is a risk that a fuel pump will break down after some time has passed. Don’t let old gas sit in your fuel pump; doing so can cause it to deteriorate and break. Because the fuel pump can no longer build pressure and push fuel to the carburetor, your Spartan mower will no longer start.

Make sure your fuel pump isn’t leaking. If you can’t locate a leak, you should run a few tests to verify that the fuel pump is functioning normally. You must ensure that fuel is reaching the pump before proceeding.

After making sure the fuel pump is getting power, double-check that it is actually pumping fuel. The fuel hose should be removed from the carburetor and set aside. Get your mower going and keep an eye on the fuel hose to see if it’s continuously flowing or pulsating.

Solution: If the flow from the fuel pump on your Spartan mower is intermittent or otherwise inconsistent, you should replace the pump.

A Spartan mower’s clogged carburetor prevents it from starting.

Running your Spartan mower on old fuel can plug up the fuel jet and gum up the small elements of the carburetor, rendering it ineffective.

The carburetor is a device used to control the ratio of fuel to air for combustion in an internal combustion engine.

Failure of the carburetor to function properly will prevent the Spartan mower from starting and running. To get rid of the sticky and crusty buildups, it needs to be taken apart and cleaned.

Solution: Disassemble the carburetor and clean it yourself, which should be doable if you have some mechanical aptitude.

A carburetor can be cleaned or replaced by a local small engine mechanic if you are uncomfortable with the task.

Take apart the carburetor and use carb cleaner to clean the internal components, such as the float bowl and the needle. Carburetor cleaning instructions are provided. You should get a new carburetor if it gets too dirty to clean properly.

A Spartan mower won’t start if it has a bad battery, loose cables, or corroded terminals.

Battery problems, such as inability to charge or maintain a charge, will prevent your Spartan from starting. Issues with staring can also be caused by frayed cables or corroded terminals. See to it that the terminals on your battery are clean and well-attached.

Solution: The corroded terminals can be cleaned using a baking soda solution made from 2 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Scrub the terminals with a wire brush.

Put your battery through its paces with a multimeter. An indicator voltage of 12.7 volts is optimal. If your battery reading is lower than this, you should put it on a charger.

Find out what you need to know about the process of charging your battery right here. You will need to get a new battery for your Spartan mower if the old one won’t hold a charge.

A faulty safety switch prevents a Spartan mower from starting.

There are multiple safety switches installed on your Spartan lawn mower for your protection. When the parking brake is on and the levers are open, the mower will not start due to safety switches installed by the manufacturer.

When it detects that the operator has left the area, a safety switch disables the mower’s deck and switches it off. Spartan zero-turn vehicles may come equipped with supplemental safety switches. If these switches break, you won’t be able to get your mower going.

Solution: Use a multimeter to check out a safety switch. When troubleshooting, it may be necessary to temporarily disable the safety switch.

Mowers should never be used without first flipping the safety switch.

Never operate a lawnmower with its safety switch disabled. You never know when you might need a safety switch, but having one is a good idea anyway.

A faulty ignition switch or ignition coil causes a Spartan mower to fail to start.

As you turn the key in the ignition, you realize your Spartan won’t start. There could be a problem with the ignition switch or the ignition coil.

Solution: Use a multimeter to check the ignition switch. If the switch is broken, change it. A multimeter check of the ignition coil’s continuity follows a successful test of the spark plug. If you locate an open circuit, you will need to replace the ignition coil.

A faulty charging system prevents the Spartan mower from starting.

Your Spartan lawnmower won’t start for a number of reasons, one of which is a weak battery. The battery charging system is crucial to ensure that your battery never dies.

Having to constantly recharge your battery suggests that there is a problem with the charging mechanism. In the event of a breakdown in this system, your Spartan mower will not start because the battery will not supply enough juice.

Your mower won’t start the next time you go to use it if the battery has been drained due to a malfunctioning charging system. If the stator or alternator is broken, it can cause issues. In this article, I outline a process for checking your charging system.

Solution: Have the charging system checked by a local Spartan mower dealership or lawn mower small engine repair shop. It’s likely that you’ll have to keep swapping out appliances and chargers until you find one that works if you don’t have any background in this area.

Because most hardware stores won’t accept returns on electrical parts, trying multiple solutions until you find one that works can be very costly.

If you’d rather not visit a Spartan dealership for assistance, you should make sure the mechanic you choose has experience with charging systems.

A Spartan Mower Will Not Start Due to Incorrect Operating Procedure

There is a specific sequence of events that must be followed in order to get a Spartan mower up and running. Mower won’t turn over if instructions aren’t followed.

In addition to these precautions, the mower may refuse to start if the choke lever is improperly adjusted.

When trying to start a cold engine, the choke is engaged. By limiting the amount of air entering the cylinder, the choke increases the fuel-to-air ratio for ignition. If you don’t turn the choke off after the engine warms up, your zero-turn will falter and die.

Solution: To avoid accidentally triggering the safety mechanisms that turn off your mower, consult the operator’s manual that came with your Spartan brand mower.