Honda Lawnmower starting then cutting out!

I also have a Harmony II HRR2162SDS MZCG 597051. It wouldn't start. Did the gas and oil change and new spark plug. Started up for about 5 mins and shut down. I pulled the plug and it was all fouled up again. The old one looked burnt. The new one was covered with oil. I cleaned the plug but still will not start. Any suggestions?

 

Is the oil level too high? Did you tip the mower and get oil in the air filter housing?

 

The oils level is fine. Where is the oil filter housing?

 

Not the oil filter the air filter. You cannot tip the mower with the carb down or you will soak the airfilter in oil.
My wife did this one day and I had to buy a new airfilter.
Check the airfilter for oil and replace if any is found on it.

 

Air filter is fine. Wasn't tipped. Oil was changed and so was the gas and air filter. Started with new spark plug but cut off again and would not start. Spark Plug was already fouled. Something is causing the plug to foul so it won't start.

 

For the plug to be fouling so fast, there must be a problem with the carburetor, either the choke is sticking and not opening at all, or there is a problem internal to the carburetor delivering an excessive amount of fuel to the engine.

Is there any smoke coming from the engine when it runs, and what color is the smoke???

 

No smoke coming out at all. My next step was going to be to take off the carb and give it a good cleaning.

 

Took my Craftsman Honda powered mower out of storage yesterday to cut my lawn for the first time this season.

It started on the first pull and ran fine for about 2 minutes then started to 'stumble' , 'load up'and then just cut out. I figured it was bad fuel , so I drained the tank and put fresh fuel in. The machine again fired up on the first pull and died again after ~ 2 minutes.

I decided to jump on the internet and I Googled 'Honda' 'lawnmower' and 'stalling' and this thread was the 3rd listing. After skimming the thread it seemed that about 1/2 of the posters said that their problem was solved by changing the spark plug. I was convinced that the problem was fuel related , but I decided to remove the spark plug and replace it.

A ten minute trip to the autoparts store and a $1.49 purchase of a Champion replacement plug , the machine started on the first pull and KEPT RUNNING for the entire job !!

Beer 4U2

 

Great! The first time I ran into this problem, I was thinking fuel problem too. Funny how it will run so flawlessly for just a few seconds or minutes, then shut down, then start right back and run a few again. Odd that so many plugs fail in this fashion, apparently only on this application.

 

Ok so I have a honda harmony 2 hrt216 and it is having troubles.

It all started when I turned it upsidedown to take the blades off (which I failed at because they are stuck like peanut butter to the roof of your mouth) and when I turned it back over, oil was leaking out of the air filter compartment area. I am not very savvy with engines etc, so I don't know what happened, I checked the oil level and it was low, so I used some craftsmen 4cycle engine oil and added more gas. I opened it up, and washed everything out and took the filter out and soaked it in a soap/water solution and dried it off and cleaned out the compartment. After all this, I started it and it is VERY choppy and it emits a TON of exhaust then it dies. I try to start it again, and nothing. I have to let it set for a long period of time before it will start (and die) again.

I really need your help on this one guys because I do not have the cash to take it in to get repaired..

P.s. A detailed explanation would be helpful because I have no clue where anything is, and how to clean or or take care of it.


Thanks for reading

~Cameron

 

Yours is an easy one. First, though, I would put this in a thread of its own. You're tacking on to an old one.

As far as a fix for what you have - you have no doubt filled the upper engine with oil. First drain all the oil out of the crank case and pull the spark plug and check the air filter for oil.

Then add about three or four ounces of gasoline to the cylinder, tie and tape back the plug wire so as to not get a spark of any kind, rock the mower back and forth to slosh the gasoline in the cylinder. Then turn the mower upside down and dump the fuel out of the cylinder into a container. Dispose of that fuel/oil.

Then just stand the mower upright, wipe everything off, fill the crankcase with oil (do not over fill), put in a new spark plug and with full throttle and no choke try to start it. It'll take a few pulls to get it going the first time. After that you're home free.

For future reference, don't turn your mower upside down with oil in the crankcase or gas in the gas tank.

 

I see what you are saying, But what is a crank case, and which cylinder are you talking about? Also, how do I get to said clyinder?

 

The crankcase is where you put the oil for the engine and the cylinder is where the spark plug screws in.

If those things are foreign to you I would begin by going to the Honda Power website and download an owners manual to review and acquaint yourself with the mower.

 

Thank you for this post! I have been having grief with my Garden Master mower with a Honda 4.5hp motor for ages. Not being mechanically minded but pretty practical I did all the obvious stuff. Replaced the spark plug today as per previous posts and it's like a new mower! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

 

Lol... glad you found some useful info here!

 

Man, I wish I had come to this website and read the reports on these Honda lawnmowers. mine was in storage all winter and came with the house we just purchased. Its an older Elegance and it needed an oil change badly so I put in Castrol Synthec. it would not start so I took the carb apart and replaced a broken seal and a cracked fuel line. Then it started but only for 5 seconds then it quit spontaneously, just like others here have reported. I spent the whole day today trying to figure this out and finally decided to come on line. Glad I did. I am going to change the spark plug tomorrow and we'll see if that is the problem.
I also just became a member of this very useful website.
Wishing you all a great day where ever you are..

RM

 

I have a 4.5 yr old Honda mower(2005) with the GVC160 motor. Actually,...it is a Craftsman with Honda motor) SOOOOOO glad I finally found this site!!!

I had talked with Honda dealers....a couple said what the problem was....'that all these mower engines get gunked up from low quality gas and the intake valves stick....they need to be cleaned out and loosened up'. So,...I ended up doing all that & adjusting the valves (myself).....only to find something so simple as it being the spark plug!! I have spent a ton of time on this project....and am shocked to find the original spark plugs are the culprit. Sorry,....but shame on Honda for not getting more training out there and advice to their customers. I have to believe they now know they had used a problem spark plug. My mower has very low hours on it....yet it is 4.5 yrs old....and a decent spark plug should not cause the symptons that are described here (running for short 10-30 second intervals and shutting down). I even made the mistake of putting on a new carb since it was relatively cheap and was easy for a non-mechanic type like me. Aarrgghhh!

But now I am happy....and glad for the power of information on the Web!

 

Frankly reddoggie, I think it's ridiculous to blame a dealer or repairman for not giving you the correct cause of your problem when they never had a chance to inspect the equipment.

You want to DIY ---- help yourself. But diagnosing problems is a part of the drill.

With the symptoms you describe, I would have expected a plugged up carburetor myself.

But the problem could have been lots of things, such as a cracked spark plug lead or bad ignition coil.

I might note that my trusty Briggs and Stratton repair manual suggests that testing the spark plug and ignition system for a good spark is a routine part of a tune up --- although that might or might not catch the kind of problem you had.

I think you get credit for soldiering on with the problem until you corrected it. I don't think you are justified in complaining about Honda or their dealers.

 

[I think you get credit for soldiering on with the problem until you corrected it. I don't think you are justified in complaining about Honda or their dealers. ]

You may be correct. I agree, there are many things that could cause the symptoms I had. My motor is 4.5 yrs old, and I found on the web an unusually high number of people with the same or similar issues with a relatively new motor. I knew the motor quality was good and it just did not make sense that a low hour Honda motor would have these issues. So, discovering such a simple fix should not have been a surprise. I spent over 15 yrs. with a major product company,...and understanding that service data provides a 'heads up' on issues...I guess I would have expected Honda to be on top of that and put out a service bulletin to their dealers. Assuming they have the tech. data capture systems in place. Maybe a wrong assumption. As a note,....two of the three dealers I spoke with were exceptionally helpful/professional and I would recommend them both for product purchase or service.

 

I was having the exact same symptoms: stalling out less than a minute of running. Only thing I want to add is this was a gradual problem. I was having these problems last summer but it would run a while before stalling. But this season it wouldn't last a minute. Got the BPRES5 sparkplug at HD for 4 bucks and it runs now. I only ran it a few minutes to test it - it seems okay - a little rough at times but it did not stall. I'll do the lawn tomorrow since it was getting dark. Any idea if the rough will smooth out ?

Also the old plug's tip looks black as coal. I wonder how the new plug will look after a full cut tomorrow.

 

@ mister_two

I would recommend getting a brand other than NGK. I too had 'progressive' problems with it beginning to run much poorer over time. Telltale sign. I am no mechanic by any means,...just an average Joe who likes to gather good intelligence as I deal with issues. I would recommend running only high octane (Chevron my preference). These small engines get gunked up pretty easy with the quality of gas these days (ie additives...especially if you are in Kalifornia).

My motor kicks into high rpm fine now when you engage the blade. But,...I too have some pulsating up and down running/rpm. It came that way when I bought it....so if that is not the way it should be....I need to look into that.

 

Lawn Mower was working fine. Always started first pull but now all of a sudden it takes more like 10. When it starts, it shuts off in about 4 seconds. If I keep pressing the purge button for the gas, then eventually it stays on. The lawn mower sputters and is only running at about half power.

Here's a video.

YouTube - Lawn Mower

 

Replace the spark plug with a Champion.

 

I had the same problem. After cleaning the carburetor, refreshing the fuel, and cleaning the plug I ran upon this site and got a new plug. It works. I don't know what NGK's problem is, but they should fix it.

 

Hi all, new to this site and the info on this site has my HRT216 that I picked up at the town dump today running good now . No black smoke or surging antmore. Now I need to find a parts break down for my mower to see what parts on the rear wheel drive are missing. It looks to be all there but missing cover plate, I also have a large spring and L bracket that were laying on top of the mower. If anyone could help me with this it would sure be great.

 

Just to say that the replacement spark plug I installed in 2006 is still going strong, and has now exceeded the life of the original.

Interesting to see the discussion that perhaps the originals installed by Honda might have had an intrinsic fault.

 

I've read the Harmony posts, and thought I'd throw this one out. Mine has similar symptoms (surging, smokey exhaust, increasing poor "sounding" performance). I will do an oil change (this is the 2nd year, no oil change after initial 5 hour change), being precise about amount.

The biggest clue for us is the carbonized plug I found. Completely covered. I gently cleaned and buffed with 600 grit (like my dad showed me 40 years ago re-gapped and it runs ok, but still not "fresh", i.e., poor exhaust, still surging, etc.

I'll likely replace plug, but I wanted to get forums call on these symptoms.

thanks!

 

I have a Billy Goat lawn vaccum, it has a Honda overhead cam gsv 190. Its runs twice a week, an hour each time. I have owned it for about 6 months, Today when I started it about 10 minutes into use it bogged down, back fired a couple of times, and then would not run at full speed. It ran at about half or a quarter speed of what it is suppose to. The numbers on this engine GJACA 1061135 and GSV190LA N1L R280. Does anybody know whats wrong with this Honda motor?

 

Put a new plug in it as well as a new air filter,,,I don't know why, but these engines are very picky when it comes to spark & Air

 

I have a Harmony215, just did spark plug and oil change. Take out and clean the carburetor. It starts fine then die. After couple tries again, it only runs in the "choke" position. It dies when move to Fast or Slow postion. I wonder if I have done something wrong while putting back the carburetor.

Any recommendation on the fix or properly diagram show how the carburetor should be installed properly?

My mistake not to take picture shot before taking the Carb down.

Thanks for all the help.

 

What was it doing to make you take the carb off? I assume it wasn't running fine prior to this?

 

It couldn't start at all. So, after reading all the discussion and it seems a clean on carb could help. And it did indeed. I saw the yellow clog at the bottom of the carb and it was so dirty. After cleaning the carb, it was able to start, but then it only works on the "Choke" position. I wonder if I have done anything wrong.

If anyone have a harmony215 mower, could you take some pictures of the carb and governor linkage, with the throttle in "Choke" , "fast" and "Slow" positons. If posibble, with the airfilter off, so that I could see how exactly the linkage on top of the Carb.

It seems the "Choke", "Fast" and "Slow" has been messed up after I put the Carb back (mh..first time to clean the carb).
That way will help me a lot.
Please email it to me at: go4rf@yahoo.com

Thanks a lot.

 

The spark plug worked! I cleaned the carb and it still didn't run right. After reading this thread I bought a new plug and it runs great. Thanks!

 

Just wanted to add I had another problem with starting the Honda lawn mower. It would not start at all. Changed the plug and still the same thing. Decided to change the oil and add 18.5 ounces of fresh oil and that was the problem, low oil. It started right up. It stalled after a minute. Put in the new NGK plug and now it runs okay. The old NGK plug was very dark. Anyone have better luck with a different brand plug that will last longer. The old NGK lasted less than a year.

 

I don't like NGK plugs. I replace them with autolite or champions with no problems.

 

Thanks "cheese" you are the man! I have a 2005 MTD Pro 5.5Hp Honda 21 inch deck, started it for the first time after winter (did the sta-bil and let the gas run out after shutting off fuel for storage) kept backfiring and shutting off after running for a few minutes. Disassembled and cleaned out the carburetor, did not make any difference. Changed the NGK spark plug BPR6ES with a Champion and it runs like new again. May the Good Lord take a liken to ya, cuz I sure have.

 

Lol, great, glad you got it! Me & The Good Lord are buddies!

 

HELP

I have a Honda Harmony2 Model HRT216SDA. So I have been reading through so many posts... trying to solve my problem-



It was fully serviced 1.5 yrs ago which is also the last time it had been in use, but was running great then-

now it is not starting- it has new gas in it- I did replace the spark plug (although I did buy the "V" type prong brand) supposedly extra power? I'm going to buy a Champion tomorrow- to rule this being the issue out-



I have already pulled the carburetor and fully cleaned it. I can get it to start up by pulling the air filter and spraying starting fluid into the carburetor, but it only stays running for about 4 seconds.



I have been looking closely at the linkage of the throttle cable as the upper arm does not seem to really react to the cable movements and the piece the arm connects to atop the carburetor (is this the auto fuel shut off valve?) seems to only move slightly when moving the throttle cable as well- the engine does not act as if it's getting any fuel, I'm thinking the arm or arms are not opening the carburetor valve doors?



I'm thinking the other thing I should probably rule out is the fuel on/off switch, although there was fuel in the carburetor lower bowl portion when I pulled it.



Thanks a ton I have wasted a ton of time on this already, I'm really frustrated...

 

Sounds like the main jet is stopped up. Did you use carburetor cleaner and compressed air? Get a twist tie off of a bread bag and push it through all the passages and jets to make sure they are open.

 

How old is it? I ran into this last year with my 11 yo HRB 215. Two things (besides popping in a new spark plug):
1. Pull the top cover off and make sure you don't have a ton of junk in the fan blades and lubricate the governor linkage. One year I found half a mouse nest in there, and it was blocking the governor from operating correctly... it would run for a few minutes on full choke, but as soon as I took the choke off, it would die out.

2. If yours is as old as mine, it might be time for new gaskets around the carb. I made it work when it died halfway though last season with a liberal smear of RTV Silicone, but I'm on my way out as we speak to get the real OEM deal. Basically, over time, those two gaskets on the intake and engine block sides of the carb turned into a kind of stiff goo from the gasoline, and everytime the engine would heat up, they would no longer make a tight seal. As soon as the engine cooled down, they were fine (for about 5 minutes).