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ludakris · Jun 22, 2005, 07:12 AM

I have a 1 yo Boland 4.5hp push mower. It's the cheapy. I changed the plug and it ran fine, cut the yard. The second cutting, it ran out of gas, I filled it, started it, and after 5 min it cut out and died. I ended up removing the top end cover, and cleaned all the grass and what not out. Put it back together and it fired right up, cut the remaining grass. 5 days later I tried to start it.. nothing.. removed and did everything I did previously, nothing... I am thinking it has something to do with the wire that goes from the safety cut-off to the coil.. but I am not sure what the function of this wire is... it has a melted spot in it... it's a B&S motor..
Thanks..

thebriggsdude · Jun 22, 2005, 08:25 PM

yeah, bolens =mtd... low end but does the job. You say that wire has a melted spot in it, that's the kill wire... grounds the coil out to the engine to shut it off, and if it stays grounded, it won't start unless removed or replaced, you can get another one cheap or remove it and use rubber gripped pliers if it doesn't have a insulator over the plug wire, to ground the tip of the plug to the bottom of the plug, which does the same thing basically. Or the coil may be failing under heat. Or has already failed but it sounds like its grounding out. You maybe can take some electrical tape and cover the bare spot on the wire up if it has one.

ludakris · Jun 23, 2005, 04:56 AM

After messing with it last night, I think it's the coil. I taped up the kill wire, then I replaced it with a new wire. Nothing.. I took the sparkplug out and laid it against the head and tried starting it.. no spark..
But when I prime it up.. I get a couple of coughs from it, so that makes me think there is spark... I am confused.. I think I am going to start looking at riders before my yard is too tall...

thebriggsdude · Jun 23, 2005, 07:54 PM

OK, nother thing, it most likely uses a diaprahm carb, if it starts and keeps running while a little gas at a time is thrown down the throat, it may be its not getting gas. Other then that it would be the coil or a sheared key perhaps if it gets spark (hold plug while holding it with rubber gripped pliers and watch for strong spark while pulling) but doesn't run good with gas dribbled down the throat, it may also be a key has sheared, a new pack of those are dirt cheap, coil maybe 20 bucks, even cheaper used, and to rebuild the carb, dirt cheap for just a can of cleaner and a new diaprahm/gasket. Did you use stabilizer, or did it happen to cut off real bad like on a stump? Though try gas down the carb.