The lawn has been mowed, the weather is ideal for scarifying and then the engine won't start. Don't throw in the towel straight away and let moss and weeds take over the lawn. This guide will familiarize you with common causes and provide practical tips for solving them. This is what to do if the scarifier doesn't start.
What to do if the scarifier doesn't start?
If the scarifier does not start, first check whether the tank is full or the power connection is intact. If this is not the cause, check the spark plug for contamination and clean or replace if necessary.
Most common cause: empty tank or no power
The scarifier does hard work when it combs out moss, weeds and thatch. The fuel consumption of a gasoline-powered device is underestimated. First take a look in the tank to add fresh fuel if necessary.
If an electric scarifier refuses to work, the power connection is often interrupted. Check whether both plugs are firmly seated in the socket and on the scarifier. Lightweight electric scarifiers bounce on hard ground, causing the cable to become loose at one end and the motor to stop and no longer start. Reconnect and place a small sandbag on the device to stabilize it.
Dirty spark plug prevents engine from starting – what to do
Scarifiers with gasoline engines are the powerhouses among the device types. The high performance goes hand in hand with a high degree of contamination on the spark plug. If you can rule out a lack of gasoline as the cause, check the spark plug carefully and clean it if necessary. How to do it right:
- Pull the spark plug connector
- Remove the spark plug manually or with a spark plug wrench
- Brush all contacts and clean with a dry cloth
- Reinsert the spark plug and connector
- Replace a completely sooty spark plug with a new one (€37.00 on Amazon)
- Renew candle with cracks in porcelain
Spark plug maintenance is a good opportunity to check the air filter. Simply tap out a paper filter or clean it with compressed air. You can wash the foam filter with water and soap, let it dry and reinstall it.
Tip
Gardeners with small lawns can save themselves the hassle of a broken engine and scarify by hand. This is easy on the household budget and has a high trimming effect. If the blades are sharpened regularly, the work is less trouble.
