My lawn mower keeps getting "vapor locked" I think

[talker]

My 2005 Craftsman riding lawnmower Keeps getting vapor locked every time I choke it to get started.


I have to fix it by putting starting fluid on the air filter, and take off the gas cap.


Is this "vapor lock"?

How can I prevent this?

 

[demarpaint]

Is the fuel getting very hot in the fuel line? That usually happens when a fuel line is near exhaust or some other extremely hot place. If so it can vaporize and cause vapor lock. Odds are there is water in the gas, or the gas is bad, or the carb is bad. Another thing to check is if the gas cap is blocked up and not allowing air into the tank. Those gas caps can go bad too.

Possible fixes: Get fresh gas, check the gas cap, clean the carburator, make sure the float is not sticking.

 

[eoghan]

ditto on the gas cap!

My father had a mower that did the same thing very frustrating! It turned out to be the gas cap.

I drilled a small air hole in it and it never had a problem again! I should have replaced the cap but this was to be a temporary fix that turned into a permanent fix!

It would run until the carb was dry then die. choke it and open the gas cap it would run again until the carb was dry again. out of anger I drilled the hole as a test and it worked!

 

[Asteroid]

Watch out you dont screw fuel can lid (no Vent hole) on to motor fuel tank and vice versa i did, it was a perfect fit, took a while to work that one out.