How To Turn off a Lawn Mower – The Ultimate Guide of 2024

Turning off a lawn mower is very easy because there is a bail lever. Just release it to turn the machine off. If yours doesn’t come with a bail lever, the throttle lever is the switch that helps you to turn off the mower. You won’t need to search for anything else to do.

In some cases, the levers don’t work properly to stop the mower. This happens because of several reasons. Improper wiring is one of those. However, no matter what the reason is, you need to know some tricks to turn off the mower in such a situation. 

You’re looking for those tricks, right? Don’t worry because I’m writing this article to help you with coping with such situations. If you’re looking for an answer to the question- of how to turn off a lawn mower, here I’ll be sharing a few other ways for this. Using these ways, you can stop the mower when the bail lever or throttle lever doesn’t work.

How to Turn off a Lawn Mower?

Pulling Out the Spark Plug Wire

The spark plug is a significant feature of the system that runs the mower. So, if you can disconnect it, the mower would stop working and won’t start again unless you connect it to its place.

You won’t have the chance to find out the position of the spark plug wire when the problem is already happening. So, we suggest knowing where the spark plug is located as soon as you get the mower. If you don’t know the location yet, here I’m sharing the location of the spark plug for you. 

The spark plug is typically located around the motor. So, check that place carefully. Stop reading it right now and locate the plug. If you don’t find it, take help from the user manual. 

If you face such a situation where the mower is not stopping by the levers or switch, take out the spark plug wire from the motor. This is easy because it is a pull-on push-off system. 

However, to keep you safe from accidents, we suggest using insulated pliers for pulling the plug. It might shock you if you touch it with your bare hand. It won’t kill you, but there is a chance that you’ll face heart issues because of it. 

Also, while doing this, make sure that you’re maintaining a safe distance from the mower. You don’t want to get injured by it, we know. 

After getting the mower off, call for a professional service that can check why the lever or switch is not working. Don’t leave it as it is. Let professionals handle and fix it. 

Choking the Engine

This is another way of stopping the engine when regular ways can’t do it. There is a high possibility that it is going to stop the engine fully. When you apply a full choke, the engine gets too much gas inside and stalls. 

Your mower might have an auto choke system. Try that. If the engine doesn’t get choked, you have to do this manually. 

Choking manually is not a tough task. For this, you have to reach the carburetor. Carefully remove the outer cover and air filter from the mower to reach there. Then take a clean cloth. With the help of it, cover the mouth of the carburetor. Doing this would stop the airflow and the engine will get choked.  

Choking doesn’t damage the engine. It is just a way to stop it when nothing works. However, we don’t suggest choking frequently. Do this only when it is a must. 

Turning off Gas Tap

You can turn off the gas tap to stop gas flow which stops the engine. The gas tap is typically situated beside the carburetor. Not every mower comes with a gas tap. So, this is not a universal option for turning off a mower. 

Find out the gas tap of your mower for emergencies. Turning the gas tap off stops the gas flow towards the engine. It doesn’t stop the engine instantly. You’ll see the impact within a few minutes. The engine starts stumbling after a minute and gradually stalls. Thus you can turn off your lawn mower using the gas tap. 

If your mower doesn’t come with a gas tap, you can follow another technique. Find out the gas line of your mower and use vice grips or pliers to pinch the line. This will stop the flow of fuel towards the engine. As a result, the engine will stop automatically. It may take one or two minutes. 

Reasons why the Switch or Lever can’t Turn off the Mower

Faulty or Loose Wiring

If any of the wires of the mower is faulty, it can’t send signals to the engine. Maybe it sends some weak signal that the engine can’t understand. That’s why when you ask the engine to stop, it doesn’t. 

The wiring can damage in many ways. Bangs or shakes can make the wires loose or faulty. Also, if the wires are too old, they can get damaged easily. So, you should check the wirings regularly and make sure everything is okay. 

Faulty Flywheel Brake

The flywheel brake is the most important component that stops the mower. But if it is faulty, it can’t do its duty properly. As a result, no matter how many times you push the brake lever or switch, it is not going to turn off the mower. 

So, if you don’t want to face such a situation, maintain the flywheel brake regularly. This is a part of maintaining your lawn mower. Inspect the brake regularly to make sure that everything is okay. If you want the brake to last long, stay away from random and frequent braking without any need. 

Faulty Switch or Lever

The issue might happen because of a faulty switch or lever too. You shouldn’t randomly click the switch or pull the lever when the mower is off. Such actions damage the levers and switches. Also, the connection of the switch or lever may get weak because of any hit from outside. You’ll find several reasons for this. 

If you feel that the switch is not working like before, you should get it checked as soon as possible. Leaving it as it is might cause such situations when the mower doesn’t shut off. You don’t want to face such an event, right?

Final Verdict

If you find that your lawn mower engine is not turning off, don’t panic. You already know how you can stop that, but panicking is common when you’re facing it for the first time. Try to keep calm as soon as possible and focus on what you’re going to do.

Panicking might make the situation worse. As a result, accidents may happen. You can ask for help from someone to handle the mower when you’re reaching the spark plug, choking the mower, or turning off the gas cap. 

We suggest reaching for a professional service as soon as you stop the engine. They can help you by finding out the reason behind the problem and fixing it so that you don’t face it again in the future.