I bought a ride mower with a Briggs and Straton engine less than a year ago and it is been increasingly difficult to start. Last week, I stopped it in the middle of my lawn and now it won't start anymore.
* When I turn the keys, I can see the engine turn 1/4 of the way, but then do nothing else
* Once, today, (on about the 50th try) the engine did what looks like a full 2 rotations, but died before I had time to release the clutch
* I replaced the spark plug last week. The tip of it was black and kind-of burnt looking, so I put in a new one.
* there's plenty of gas and oil in the engine, though I did notice blue smoke coming out of it when I went up or down hills before it stopped working. I assume this was the oil, but I'm not sure why it seems to be burning on such low hills and assumed that the engine was overheating
* When I turn the keys, I can see the engine turn 1/4 of the way, but then do nothing else
* Once, today, (on about the 50th try) the engine did what looks like a full 2 rotations, but died before I had time to release the clutch
* I replaced the spark plug last week. The tip of it was black and kind-of burnt looking, so I put in a new one.
* there's plenty of gas and oil in the engine, though I did notice blue smoke coming out of it when I went up or down hills before it stopped working. I assume this was the oil, but I'm not sure why it seems to be burning on such low hills and assumed that the engine was overheating