How to troubleshoot your Craftsman gas leaf blower when it won't start
Your leaf blower engine needs gas, compression and spark. First, make sure there's fresh gas in the tank—old gas accumulates water and burns poorly. Replace the fuel if it’s old. Add fuel stabilizer to the gas when you refill the tank to help keep the fuel fresh.
If the fuel is fresh, complete the preventive maintenance on the air filter to make sure the carburetor gets air to mix with the fuel to start the engine. Follow the instructions for in your owner’s manual for cleaning and maintaining the air filter. Lightly coat the air filter with oil on some leaf blower models so the right amount of clean air enters the carburetor.
If the air filter is okay, check the fuel lines for cracks. Air enters the carburetor instead of fuel when fuel lines have cracks. Although the carburetor needs air through the filter, the carburetor doesn’t need air flowing through the fuel lines. Replace the fuel lines if you find cracks in the lines.
If the fuel lines are okay but fuel doesn’t move through the lines when you press the primer bulb, the fuel filter may be clogged. Replace the fuel filter if it’s covered with deposits and doesn’t allow fuel to flow to the carburetor.
If fuel flows to the carburetor, remove the spark plug and see if the tip of the plug is wet (indicating the cylinder is getting fuel). If the cylinder isn’t getting fuel because of a clogged carburetor jet, rebuild or replace the carburetor.
If you see deposits or corrosion on the spark plug electrode when you pull it out, replace the spark plug.
Finally, to check for compression, remove the spark plug, press your thumb over the opening and pull the starter cord. If you don’t feel air pushing out from the cylinder, it’s likely that the piston rings need to be replaced. (For an accurate compression reading, use a compression gauge.)
A damaged recoil starter can also prevent you from starting the leaf blower engine. If you can’t pull the recoil starter rope, check the recoil starter and replace it if damaged.
Common replacement parts for Craftsman gas leaf blowers
- Air filter. The air filter is an absorbent foam rectangle that's mounted on the air intake to the carburetor. It filters the air that enters the carburetor before it mixes with the fuel.
- Fuel filter. The fuel filter attaches to the end of the fuel line inside the gas tank. It filters dirt and other particles from the fuel as gasoline moves from the fuel tank to the carburetor.
- Fuel line. A fuel line is a flexible tube that carries fuel from the tank to the carburetor and from the primer bulb to the fuel system.
- Primer bulb. The primer bulb removes air from the carburetor and fuel lines and fills them with fuel, so you can start the engine with fewer pulls on the starter rope. Activate the primer bulb by pressing it and allowing it to return to its original position.
- Recoil starter. The recoil starter is a starter system on top of the engine that consists of a rope and spring-loaded pulley system. Pulling the starter rope rotates the spring-loaded pulley and spins the crankshaft to start the engine.
- Fan assembly. The fan assembly is connected to the crankshaft of the engine. The engine crankshaft rotates the fan blades to produce the air flow through the blower.
