Lawn Mower Fuel Issues- Ethanol & Storage

Lawn Mower Fuel Issues - Ethanol & Storage

Many people are using gas for their lawn mowers that contains around 10% ethanol. Ethanol blended fuel is commonly used as an alternative to unleaded fuel. If you are switching to gas that contains ethanol, check your lawn mower's manufacturer's recommendations on any adjustments that may be required to carburetor first. Lawn mower fuel issues for ethanol & storage are outlined below.

A common problem with ethanol blended gas is that the piston ring may start sticking after a long period of use. This may occur because gas with 10% ethanol has a higher water absorption rate, and can attract water, which can reduce lubrication and allow rubber gaskets and hoses to dry out. The alcohol results in a phase separation occurring in the fuel.

At the end of your lawn mower's season, you should ensure the fuel tank is empty. For lawn mowers that use unleaded gas, you can add a stabilizer to it, to keep the fuel ready for next season. However, ethanol blended fuel has much less of a shelf life than regular gasoline. Its maximum shelf life is only 90 days, which means it's less stable, so to be safe you should replace this type of fuel every 2 to 4 weeks while your lawn mower is in use.


As a general rule of thumb, you always want to store your lawn mower in a dry, well-covered place. This is even more important if you are using ethanol blended fuel, because you need to ensure additional water/moisture does not come in contact with this gas. As a caution against water contamination of the fuel, you should ensure the octane level is over 90, because the water can dilute the ethanol blended fuel, dropping its octane level by as much as three points.
When using ethanol blended fuel make sure you don't put any additional additives or treatment products for fuel systems into the tank, because most of those things also contain alcohol.
It is also worth noting that ethanol blended gas can reduce the fuel efficiency by anywhere between 2 to 40%, resulting in lower gas mileage.


When you are using ethanol blended fuel, you must ensure that you store it in dry, clean tanks that are alcohol resistant. To know if the fuel has gone bad, you can look to see if the gases become layered. If water contamination or phase separation has occurred, you will be able to see two or three different layers in the fuel. There is nothing you can do at this point to restore the fuel - it would have to be properly disposed of.

Knowing these lawn mower fuel issues, relating to ethanol & storage, you can take proper care of your lawn mower and possibly still use ethanol blended fuel. However, you should read your lawn mowers owner's manual to ensure that ethanol blended gas is suitable for your particular model. It is worth noting that any engine, whether it be in a car or a lawn mower, that is older than 1998 will generally not allow for this type of fuel to be used. Doing so can invite damage to the engine's parts and performance issues for the machinery. Always check the specifications first.


About the Author:
Blake Bahrns is a lawn mower parts and small engine parts expert with over 20 years of experience working on lawn and garden equipment. For additional lawn mower tips, lawn care tips, and more free lawn mower articles visit http://www.lawneq.com/.

The Most Common Lawn Mower Problems

The Most Common Lawn Mower Problems

You depend on your lawn mower to keep your lawn healthy and properly maintained. Lawn mowers have many moving parts, and like any piece of equipment may break down from time to time. Troubleshooting common lawn mower problems can save you time and money in expensive lawn mower repair. Of course, the first step is to familiarize yourself with your owner's manual, to ensure proper procedures are followed for safety and to avoid damage to your lawn mower.
The most basic and common lawn mower problems involve a lawn mower that won't start or runs rough. There may be many reasons why this happens, but here are some easy things to check:

#1. Check to see that the fuel line is switched on. This is an easy one to forget at the beginning of the season, because several months may have passed since you last used it. In addition, you want to ensure you have enough gas for the engine to fire. That's another easy one to forget the first time you bring your mower back out.

#2. If your lawn mower has enough gas (at least half a tank) and the fuel line is switched on, the next thing you can check is to see that your fuel line is clear and enough gas is getting to the carburetor.

#3. While you're checking your gas, you may want to think back and try to recall if you had added a fuel stabilizer to it at the end of last season. If not, replace the gas.

#4. A dirty or faulty spark plug is a common culprit of lawn mower problems. Your lawn mower's spark plug should be dry and dirt free.

#5. Dirty air filters can also hamper the lawn mower's function. Before you replace your filter, you can shake it out to get rid of dust and dirt. However if the air filter looks oily and has a lot of caked on dirt you need to replace it.

#6. If you are finding your lawn mower is leaving a ragged edge on your grass, it probably means that the blade needs to be sharpened. A dull lawn mower blade will not only leave your lawn looking uneven, but it can also damage your grass.

#7. Clean your lawn mower's blade often. It's a good idea to clean grass and dirt off your blade after each mow. That goes for the rest of your lawn mower, too.

#8. Check your engine oil. The same way your car's oil needs to be clean and properly topped up, so does your lawn mower's oil. The oil provides a vital function in lubricating your lawn mower's engine parts, so replace it frequently to avoid damaging the engine.

Those are the most common lawn mower problems that people face. Checking each one of these items when your lawn mower is malfunctioning can save you costly repair bills. In addition, you want to make sure you follow the manufacturer's recommended guidelines carefully. Each lawn mower will have different specifications, so have a read over the owner's manual before attempting any repairs on your own.

About The Author:
Blake Bahrns is a lawn mower parts and small engine parts expert with over 20 years of experience working on lawn and garden equipment. For additional lawn mower tips, lawn care tips, and more free lawn mower articles visit http://www.lawneq.com/.