How to Fix 12 Common Problems with a Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower
When your leaf blower won’t turn on, you might not appreciate how much you depend on it. A push broom or leaf rake could have to do if you don’t have access to a leaf blower. It will make your work much harder and more time-consuming.
If the air, gasoline, and spark are insufficient, your Troy-Bilt leaf blower might not start. A damaged primer bulb, dirty carburetor, blocked fuel tank vent, clogged air filter, blocked spark arrestor, faulty spark plug, or malfunctioning recoil starter could all be to blame.
If you want to know why your Troy-Bilt leaf blower won’t turn on, keep reading. The cause may be as simple as water getting into the engine. Avoid injury by not disconnecting the spark plug wire until you have taken all necessary safety procedures.
Table of Contents
Possible Causes of a Non-Starting Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower
- The use of obsolete fuel
- Fuel incompatibility for a two-cycle engine
- Air filter obstruction
- Failure of the spark plug
- The Fuel Filter is Clogged
- Broken primer bulb
- Fuel line obstruction
- Unclean carburetor
- Contaminated gas due to blocked fuel tank vent
- Poor recoil-starting
- Insulated spark arrestor
- Mechanical device ruined by water
Reasons a Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower Won’t Activate
It is recommended to start with replacing the maintenance items if they haven’t been done in a while. All you need is an air filter, fuel filter, and spark plug.
Assembled a Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower with an Attached Air Filter
A properly functioning air filter is essential for optimal performance and cleanliness of the engine of a Troy-Bilt leaf blower.
Using a leaf blower can make the air quite dusty. When enough dust settles on the filter, it might get clogged, limiting the flow of air. Your blower might not turn on due to a shortage of air.
Installing an air filter in your leaf blower is crucial for its proper operation. Never use the fan without a guard. Doing so will result in irreparable engine damage due to dirt and debris wear.
To fix this, take apart the air filter by taking off the cover and the actual filter. Clean the air filter housing thoroughly. If the filter is unclean, you should get a new one.
I suggest doing this once a year to keep your air clean. Repairs aren’t finished once construction is finished. Regular inspections throughout the year to clean or replace the filter are essential.
A Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower with a faulty Spark Plug
Having trouble getting your leaf blower to turn over? It could be the spark plug. If the plug is corroded, has a burnt electrode, or the porcelain has broken, it must be replaced.
Your mower’s spark plug may be dusty if you manage to get it started but it continues to run slowly. Misfiring can be caused by a dirty spark plug.
An unusable spark plug may be salvaged by cleaning it with a wire brush. To maintain your leaf blower functional, I recommend swapping it out for a new one as it is a cheap component.
Make sure the spark plug you’re using is the right one for your leaf blower and that it’s gapped properly. The boot covering the spark plug should be fastened securely as well. The inability to start could also be caused by a faulty spark plug with an improper electrode gap or a loose wire.
Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower with Clogged Fuel Filter
The function of the fuel filter is similar to that of the air filter in that it prevents debris from contaminating the fuel supply.
Running unclean fuel or not replacing the filter on a regular basis might cause it to become clogged. If the filter on your Troy-Bilt leaf blower gets clogged up, the engine won’t be able to get fuel and won’t start.
This is another component of your vehicle that has to be serviced at least annually, and possibly more frequently if you have been using dirty fuel.
The answer is to look inside the gas tank for the fuel filter. Hook the fuel line with a clean metal wire to remove the filter from the tank. To get rid of the old filter, you need to grasp the fuel line with one hand and take the filter out of the line with the other.
Don’t let the fuel line inside the tank slip between your fingers. Slide the ring clip so that it securely secures the filter end and the gasoline line, then insert a new fuel filter into the line.
An Incorrect Oil Blend for a Two-Cycle Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower
If you try to run straight gas through a 2-cycle leaf blower’s engine, it will seize and stop working. Two-cycle engines need the lubrication that comes from a mixture of gas and oil, which is absent from pure gas. Using straight gas will quickly destroy your leaf blower.
To properly fuel the 2-cycle engine in a Troy-Bilt leaf blower, gas and oil must be mixed in a ratio of 40:1. The ratio of gasoline to oil in a 40:1 mixture is 40:1.
However, this does not apply to a two-cycle engine produced before 2003. It has been shown that a 32:1 ratio of gas to oil is optimal for these engines. You can use the 40:1 ratio if you don’t know how old the person is.
You can make this blend with unleaded gas that has an octane value of 89 or higher (considered mid-grade) and up to 10% ethanol. Put in some ISO-L-EGD and JASO M345 FD approved 2-cycle premium oil. Before using, combine the two in a gas can that meets safety standards.
Two-cycle oil is available from Troy-Bilt, packaged by MTD. If you can’t find that specific brand, any other brand that has a 40:1 mix ratio will do.
The solution is to empty the fuel tank and refill it with the proper ratio of gas and oil. If the problem persists, take it to a small engine mechanic so they can assess whether or not it can be fixed affordably.
2 cycle pre-mixed fuel for Troy-Bilt leaf blowers
Using an ethanol-free gasoline blend is an excellent way to lessen fuel issues and maximize engine longevity. Ready to be poured into your leaf blower’s fuel tank, this oil and gasoline blend does not include ethanol.
In contrast to the fuel part, you won’t have to cope with the drawbacks of ethanol. In addition, having fuel on hand is a huge time saver. TruFuel produces high-quality 40:1 premixed fuel.
Troy-Bilt Leaf Blowers’ 2-Cycle Gas/Oil Blend
| Mixture | 1 Gal | 2 Gal | 2.5 Gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32:1 | 4.0 oz | 8.0 oz | 10.0 oz |
| 40:1 | 3.2 oz | 6.4 oz | 8.0 oz |
Failure to Properly Maintain a Four-Cycle Leaf Blower Due to Inadequate Engine Oil
Firstly, if you’re using a 4-cycle Troy-Bilt leaf blower, don’t combine the oil and gas. A 4-cycle engine leaf blower has dual fill ports. It has a gas filler and an oil filler. Never attempt to use a 2-cycle oil in a 4-cycle blower. A good engine oil that is cooled by air works well.
To maintain the engine’s moving parts from seizing, SAE30 engine oil is required. Using the incorrect kind of oil or not enough oil can cause the engine to overheat, prevent the leaf blower from starting, and perhaps destroy the engine.
The fix is to drain the old oil from your Troy-Bilt blower and replace it with SAE30 grade oil.
In extremely cold or hot weather, you may need to modify the viscosity of the fuel in your leaf blower.
If the problem persists, take it to a small engine mechanic so they can assess whether or not it can be fixed affordably.
Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower Running on Old Gas
If you leave fuel in your leaf blower for a long period of time, it can soon deteriorate. If you don’t use a lot of fuel in a month, you should add a fuel stabilizer to your gas tank.
The stabilization duration of currently available gasoline additives varies. The duration might range from 30 days to over 2 years.
Just because you put in a fuel stabilizer doesn’t mean it will stay stable for a long time. Use the gasoline additive within the window specified by the manufacturer.
Wetness in the air can cause old fuel to become sticky, which in turn can prevent fuel from flowing into the engine. To ensure proper engine operation, only use unleaded gasoline with an octane value of 89 or above and no more than 10% ethanol (E10).
If you use ethanol in your Troy-Bilt leaf blower’s little engine, it will quickly deteriorate. Using E15, E30, or E85 fuels, which contain 30% to 85% ethanol by volume, will cause engine damage and will likely breach manufacturer warranties.
After submitted warranty claims for carburetor damage to multiple manufacturers, I can say that it is extremely uncommon to get a manufacturer to cover a carburetor when the leaf blower was purchased more than 90 days before.
This is due to the potential for destruction associated with improper fuel use and storage. Use of an incompatible fuel or oil is not covered by the guarantee, only manufacturing flaws.
The fix is to refill the leaf blower with new fuel and discard the old. Unleaded gasoline is used in 4-cycle engines, while 2-cycle engines require an oil and fuel mixture.
Fuel stabilization, fuel system cleaning, and moisture reduction can all be achieved by using a fuel stabilizer like Sea Foam motor treatment.
Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower Faulty Primer Light Bulb
If the priming bulb on your leaf blower is cracked and won’t take fuel, you won’t be able to start the machine.
A new priming bulb is the answer to this problem.
Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower with Blocked Fuel Line
If you let fuel remain in your leaf blower for too long, sticky deposits will form on the fuel line and reduce fuel flow. Also, the fuel line could twist, preventing the engine from receiving the fuel it needs to start.
Replace the leaf blower’s fuel line if it is broken, bent, or blocked.
The Leaf Blower’s Fuel Tank Vent Was Clogged.
Air can enter the gasoline tank thanks to the vent. In the absence of a vent, a vacuum will form in the fuel tank, preventing gas from entering the leaf blower.
If your leaf blower only runs for a few minutes before shutting off, and won’t start again unless you unscrew the fuel cap and let air into the tank, this could be a sign of a gasoline tank vent problem.
Even after several minutes of operation with the fuel cap in place, it continues to perform slowly and eventually shuts off again.
The problem can be fixed by simply replacing the fuel cap, which will allow fresh air to enter the tank. You can use the fuel top as a vent for the tank.
A Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower with a Filthy Carburetor
The carburetor controls the ratio of fuel to air in the combustion chamber. The carburetor will stop working if you use old fuel because it will gum up and clog.
An easy fix is to clean the carburetor, which you should be able to do if you have a basic understanding of mechanics. The Troy-Bilt carburetor may be disassembled and cleaned with special carburetor cleaner. It may be necessary to rebuild or replace the carburetor if it fails to function after being cleaned.
Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower with Faulty Recoil Starter
The engine of a Troy-Bilt leaf blower is started using a recoil. It is possible for the recoil to stop operating due to a faulty pulley, a loose or missing spring, or damaged clips.
Recoil spring replacement and restringing are possible options. If the clips or the pulley in your recoil are broken, or if anything else in the recoil is malfunctioning, you should just replace the whole system.
The Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower’s Faulty Spark Arrestor
Your leaf blower has a spark arrestor that will stop it from firing up accidentally. Spark arrestors are microscopic screens that can become clogged with soot.
The problem can be fixed by removing the spark plug boot. The engine cover and the exhaust cover must be removed. Take off the spark arrestor and clean the soot from it using a wire brush.
A new spark arrestor should be used if the old one is damaged beyond repair, has a hole, or cannot be cleaned properly.
The Troy-Bilt Leaf Blower Was Submerged In Water.
Many customers have brought their leaf blowers in for service because they were unable to start them. A flooded engine is usually to blame, however this is usually not a major issue.
If the choke is closed and the starter rope is pulled repeatedly, the engine may flood from receiving an excessive amount of fuel.
The priming bulb can burn out if pressed too many times, or the starter rope can snap if pulled repeatedly with the power off.
Follow these steps to “unflood” your leaf blower and restore the proper fuel-to-air ratio needed for the engine to start and run.
Repairing a Leaf Blower’s Overheated Engine
- The switch must be set to the “run” position before it may be used.
- Choke lever must be moved to “run” position.
- While repeatedly drawing the starter rope, you should press the throttle trigger. Five to fifteen pushes may be required before it begins. First, the motor on your leaf blower will splutter. Just keep pulling it and eventually it will start.
