So I was winterizing my mower and it started fine all season and drove it out to the lawn to put some wd40 and removed the spark plug and poured 2 tablespoons of engine oil down the spark plug hole. Now it will turn over once and will not start. I even purchased a new spark plug and charged the battery with my car. No idea what's wrong. It's confusing to think my battery was good one min and the next min it's bad? I was told I should have never placed engine oil in the spark plug hole and that could be causing it but I cleaned it out and dried it up and still turns once and then just clicks. Any suggestions? Would wd40 in a wrong place cause it not to start?
1. hooking it to your other vehicle will not charge the battery - a charger would. If it only turns over once your battery could be the culprit or... as I have often seen.. a loose battery cable is the problem. Check that before you do anything else. Take battery to auto parts store and have them check it.
1b. After battery checks out - If it is a gasser, while your at the auto parts store, get a can of either (starting fluid) take off the air filter and shoot a couple quick shots in to see if it starts
2. If you put oil in where the plug was, it is in the cylinder and you won't be able to get it out with a paper towel two tablespoons shouldn't stop it. You shouldn't have to do this to winterize BTW
3. WD40 - water displacement 40.. where did you spray it. It is usually fine to spray it but hope you didn't spray your electrical components with it. If you did - yeh it could be the problem. WD makes an electrical contact cleaner version - use that or another electrical contact spray for your electrical componenets - but again don't really need to do this to winterize.
To winterize in the future - Change the oil, only if you run it in the winter, to plow snow etc., use a 5w - something weight oil so it flows better in cold starts (If not, change oil in the spring), put Stabile in the fuel run it for 5 minutes and put it in your garage. Start it a couple of times during the winter and let it run for 5 minutes - don't be in the garage when you do. You can spray electrical contacts with a contact cleaner, won't hurt. Then go buy a turkey for thanksgiving.
