My Husqvarna Mower is Flooding

Choke Problems

• The choke valve on a Husqvarna lawn mower allows enough gas into the carburetor so it can start up without the engine spinning on its own. This choke valve can get stuck open sometimes on the lawn mower, causing fuel to flood into the carburetor and shutting the engine down. On most Husqvarna lawn mowers, the choke sits on the outside of the carburetor and will connect to a lever on the outside of the engine. Check the function of this lever and make sure it firmly closes the choke valve on the carburetor.

Dirty Needle Valve

• However, most likely the problem lies inside the carburetor. When fuel enters the carburetor, a needle lever opens a valve on the intake jet, allowing enough fuel into the carburetor for the engine's speed. Dirt, grass and other foreign objects can get lodged into the lever's arm or inside the spring, forcing the valve to stay in the open position, which would cause the engine to flood. Remove the carburetor from the Husqvarna mower and disassemble it.

Carburetor Cleaning

• After disassembling the carburetor, it will need a thorough cleaning and inspection to ensure the needle valve, fuel pump and diaphragms are all in good working condition. Soak the carburetor parts in a bath of carburetor cleaner overnight. The next day, brush out any caked on gunk and material. Blow out the inlet and outlet passages with compressed air and inspect all of the parts for cracks, tears and other damage. Inspect the diaphragms to make sure they aren't perforated or torn.

Carburetor Rebuild Kit

• After cleaning the carburetor, the operator should also install a rebuild carburetor kit to the existing carburetor. These rebuild kits will help solve a majority of all carburetor problems, as they will add many years to an old carburetor. The kits will also include new gaskets and diaphragms, which should be replaced every time the carburetor gets disassembled. If it helps, draw a diagram before disassembling the carburetor to make sure it gets rebuilt properly.