Troybilt TB110 won't start

[Capa]

Ten months ago I bought the Troybilt TB110 with a Briggs and Stratton 140cc engine and the Ready Start system. A couple of weeks ago I tred to start it and it wouldn't. I changed the oil, spark plug and added new fuel and inspected the air filter and still no go.

Took it back to Lowes and was told the problem was the ethanol in the fuel that I had used and more than likely the carb just needs to be cleaned. Since it still under a two year warranty, I called two Briggs and Stratton authorized dealers. They both told me the same thing---90% chance the carb needs to be cleaned and the warranty doesn't cover it. Price quoted for service was $70 and $110.

I have never had a mower act up so early. This weekend I will attempt to clean a mower carb for the first time in my life. I guess another possibility is a bad fuel line. Any other thoughts on a possible fix? I will admit that I did leave a very small amount of fuel in the mower (maybe 1/2 a cup) during the winter.

On a different note, is there a cheaper option than two cycle oil (for my weed eater)? Ounce per ounce, it costs more than Redline and Amsoil!

 

[Donald]

Provide more details. Does it start and die, or never catches?

Try some starter fluid and see if it catches for a second or two. Two months is not enough time for it to gum up the carb. to the point of it not starting. There is also phase separation but that typically only happens on boats. The people at Lowes are helpful but not mechanics.

Can you check the spark?

MTD make TroyBuilt and they are pretty cr*ppy these days. I would have gone for a John Deere or Husquvarna.

Take it back, ask to talk to store (not dept) manager or asst. manager. Say its two months old, it does not work and I want to return it. Push a little and you will get some kind of a resolution.

I pretty much use (blue) STABILized gas in all my OPE year round.

 

[Panzerman]

I have a lot of "stuff" a lot sits for months, if not years, before I play with it. I have not had luck with Stabil. I use Sea Foam, and since I started using Sea Foam to stabilize my gas, have had 0 problems. Ive also had good luck with the stuff in the clear blue bottle, cant think of the name, for marine use, that contains enzymes. Regardless, Ive never had luck with Stabil. My engines set for awhile too though. Not talking two weeks and all the gas is 10% ethanol, unless I go to a Marina and pay crazy prices. That said, I have gotten three lawnmowers out of my neighbors garbages in the last year. All of them were carb problems. One was really bad, it looked like spoiled milk. I was able to repair it. My advice, learn to clean lawnmower carbs and use Sea Foam. They give instructions for stabilizing use. The carbs are not complicated at all. Lawnmower repair shops are a huge rip-off. Once you get a ratty mower and start playing with it, you will see what they do is, not rocket science, they only charge for it.

 

[04SE]

It is the sparkplug, just do a google search. I have a Troy Bilt TB210 with the 190cc Briggs engine. The OEM sparkplug, RJ2YXLE, is a very well known problem. Briggs has issued a replacement, RJ19LMC. My mower went from 3-5 pulls to start to starting on the first pull each time. The plug is sold at Lowes for $5. Briggs actually packages the new plug in the old plug's packaging. The gap should already be 0.020 which is correct if your mower's build date is post 7/1/12. Pre 7/1/12 requires 0.030. Good luck.

 

[coolbird101]

Just take the carb. bowl off, the bolt that goes through the bottom is also the jet - they get clogged, need a bread tie with paper taken off, reem that through jet hole (the horizontal hole through the bolt) Should be good to go after that. 15 min. max.

 

[Capa]

Donald, it doesn't start at all---no catching. It's ten months old and I have wondered if I should use some sort of fuel stabilizer.

Panzerman, I have some MMO and Chevron Techron laying around. I have never used fuel or oil additives in a lawn mower. Should I start and since I don't have any Seafoam at hand, would those two work?

04SE, I did replace the spark plug. It had a Champion RC12YC in it and I replaced with a comparable E3 plug.

 

[AandPDan]

Is the choke working? It's a common problem.

 

[eljefino]

Look up the EPA warranty on small engines. You may have another out.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I have a lot of "stuff" a lot sits for months, if not years, before I play with it. I have not had luck with Stabil. I use Sea Foam, and since I started using Sea Foam to stabilize my gas, have had 0 problems. Ive also had good luck with the stuff in the clear blue bottle, cant think of the name, for marine use, that contains enzymes. Regardless, Ive never had luck with Stabil. My engines set for awhile too though. Not talking two weeks and all the gas is 10% ethanol, unless I go to a Marina and pay crazy prices. That said, I have gotten three lawnmowers out of my neighbors garbages in the last year. All of them were carb problems. One was really bad, it looked like spoiled milk. I was able to repair it. My advice, learn to clean lawnmower carbs and use Sea Foam. They give instructions for stabilizing use. The carbs are not complicated at all. Lawnmower repair shops are a huge rip-off. Once you get a ratty mower and start playing with it, you will see what they do is, not rocket science, they only charge for it.


The blue stuff you mention is Startron. What StaBil did you not have good luck with? Red? Try blue StaBil.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Capa
Donald, it doesn't start at all---no catching. It's ten months old and I have wondered if I should use some sort of fuel stabilizer.

Panzerman, I have some MMO and Chevron Techron laying around. I have never used fuel or oil additives in a lawn mower. Should I start and since I don't have any Seafoam at hand, would those two work?

04SE, I did replace the spark plug. It had a Champion RC12YC in it and I replaced with a comparable E3 plug.


Pull off the air cleaner, with the throttle open and NO choke quirt in some starter fluid. Give it a pull or two. If you have a thermostatic choke that stays closed, hold it open with a BIC pen while doing this. If it does not try and start its the spark.

 

[doitmyself]

Educate yourself about E 10 fuel management. Many people like me have been using it for years without the dreaded problems some people claim. Warm climates are worse for fuel degradation.

Learn basic engine diagnostic procedures. You need: Fuel, spark, timing, compression.

Fuel: is your plug wet when removed or dry after attempted start.

Spark: remove the plug, attach to boot, allow threads to touch (ground) an engine part (unpainted), pull the cord and watch for a bright spark.

Timing (sheared key) and compression: we will do some other time.

I'll let someone else carry on with the troubleshooting portion of fuel and spark.

HERE'S ONE TIP TO TRY FIRST: Remove the plug and pour a teaspoon or so of gas directly into the cylinder. Replace plug and attempt starting. If you have spark, it should fire up until that gas is consumed. SOMETIMES, THIS HAS GOTTEN ENGINES RUNNING FOR ME. I don't know why, but I suspect that maybe something in the fuel system gets dislodged enough to allow proper running.

Best of luck!

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Educate yourself about E 10 fuel management. Many people like me have been using it for years without the dreaded problems some people claim. Warm climates are worse for fuel degradation.

Learn basic engine diagnostic procedures. You need: Fuel, spark, timing, compression.

Fuel: is your plug wet when removed or dry after attempted start.

Spark: remove the plug, attach to boot, allow threads to touch (ground) an engine part (unpainted), pull the cord and watch for a bright spark.

Timing (sheared key) and compression: we will do some other time.

I'll let someone else carry on with the troubleshooting portion of fuel and spark.

HERE'S ONE TIP TO TRY FIRST: Remove the plug and pour a teaspoon or so of gas directly into the cylinder. Replace plug and attempt starting. If you have spark, it should fire up until that gas is consumed. SOMETIMES, THIS HAS GOTTEN ENGINES RUNNING FOR ME. I don't know why, but I suspect that maybe something in the fuel system gets dislodged enough to allow proper running.

Best of luck!


You can also buy the spark testers for engines at HF. They are a spark plug wire extension with a light to show the spark. A few dollars. Good to have around. They make a straight one and an angled one. Buy both. The next time will be the one you did not buy.

 

[Warstud]

Since it's new I would guess it's probably a carb/gas issue. Before tearing the carb apart try pouring some Seafoam or Techron in the tank. Then remove the spark plug and pour some gas in the hole. Then try starting it...if it fires you know it's a gas issue. You may have to do this several times to dislodge whatever is plugging it up. GL

 

[Capa]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Since it's new I would guess it's probably a carb/gas issue. Before tearing the carb apart try pouring some Seafoam or Techron in the tank. Then remove the spark plug and pour some gas in the hole. Then try starting it...if it fires you know it's a gas issue. You may have to do this several times to dislodge whatever is plugging it up. GL


I'm going to try this this evening. So you ae saying to remove the spark plug and from within that same hole to put in slightly treated gas and then put the spark plug back?

Some context--this is the mower:

http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/tb110--triaction--21-walk-behind-push-mower

The "Ready Start Choke system" comes with no primer bulb. Though most of the reviews are good there are several one star reviews and basically all of them complaining about it not starting.

 

[Warstud]

I'm going to try this this evening. So you are saying to remove the spark plug and from within that same hole to put in slightly treated gas and then put the spark plug back?[/quote]

That's correct..a small amount of gas in the hole. So this mower has no primer bulb or choke?

 

[Quest]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Educate yourself about E 10 fuel management. Many people like me have been using it for years without the dreaded problems some people claim. Warm climates are worse for fuel degradation.

Learn basic engine diagnostic procedures. You need: Fuel, spark, timing, compression.

Fuel: is your plug wet when removed or dry after attempted start.

Spark: remove the plug, attach to boot, allow threads to touch (ground) an engine part (unpainted), pull the cord and watch for a bright spark.

Timing (sheared key) and compression: we will do some other time.

I'll let someone else carry on with the troubleshooting portion of fuel and spark.

HERE'S ONE TIP TO TRY FIRST: Remove the plug and pour a teaspoon or so of gas directly into the cylinder. Replace plug and attempt starting. If you have spark, it should fire up until that gas is consumed. SOMETIMES, THIS HAS GOTTEN ENGINES RUNNING FOR ME. I don't know why, but I suspect that maybe something in the fuel system gets dislodged enough to allow proper running.

Best of luck!


Yup! go with all of the mentioned suggestions first.

If it doesn't start at all and the plug is wet, blow it dry and then try again (fouled plug cannot get spark across).

If it consistently fouling and replacing with fresh plug doesn't help..check for sparks.

Does yours come with a primer bulb (3x to start)? If it does, and assuming the plug is dry, try priming it 4x or 6x and then pull again.

If you happen to have some spray ether (those who lived in the north back in carb'ed car days shall have some of these spray fire handy in their garage), try that with your air filter off.

If none of this works, and your plug is still wet but has spark coming from your ignition coil, your carb will have to be pulled for service.

Before you dreaded to throw in the mullah, see if you can get it replaced under warranty.

Lastly: I wouldn't fall for/buy into that E10 bullpucky, citing that we have been using E10 equivalent in our area for over 2+decades now (we have Mohawk and Husky gas that are E10 since the mid-80s), and never have the complaint of ethanol blended gasoline causing carb issues even on avg joe mower users that don't use fuel stabiliser to begin with.

Q.

 

[Capa]

Originally Posted By: Warstud


That's correct..a small amount of gas in the hole. So this mower has no primer bulb or choke?



Yes, no primer bulb. For those suggesting a new spark plug, I seriously doubt the original was bad after just four months of use but I installed a new spark plug with he same result: it doesn't start.

 

[Quest]

Originally Posted By: Capa
Originally Posted By: Warstud


That's correct..a small amount of gas in the hole. So this mower has no primer bulb or choke?



Yes, no primer bulb. For those suggesting a new spark plug, I seriously doubt the original was bad after just four months of use but I installed a new spark plug with he same result: it doesn't start.


Are you able to confirm spark or no?

(*reason for suggesting a new spark plug is simply because it's very easy to flood a spark plug to the point of no spark, not because the original spark plug is worn*)

Q.

(no spark means dead engine)

 

[Panzerman]

It was Startron, I had good luck with and Sea Foam. I love Marvel Mystry oil, but I don't think it does much for stabilaztion of Ethanol gas. I tried the red stabil. I heard the blue works better, but its so pricey. I am better off with Startron and Sea Foam. If its not broke and working fine. Stay with it.

 

[yeehaw1960]

Is your mower running yet?