Why is there no resistance on my lawn mower pull string?

Answer by  Lordschild (1398)

There could be a couple of possibilities. One is that maybe the device that engages the pull string to your lawn mower engine is not engaging to start your engine. Another possibility is that your lawn mower engine has no compression which would mean you need engine repair or replacement. Fixing the latter is the most expensive.

Answer by  wrusche (176)

There's no resistance any more because your string is not turning the crankshaft and pistons. The rewind mechanism may have broken so that it isn't engaging the crankshaft any more, which is a fairly cheap repair. Another possibility is that there a major problems with the crankshaft or piston which is very serious.

Answer by  Matthew88 (27)

Most likely, the pull string has been pulled out of place. The solution would be to wait for the lawn mower to cool down, then carefully take the lawn mower apart, and re feed the string. If I were in the situation, I would actually get a professional to do this.

Answer by  OceanTiara (158)

One possible reason could be corrosion. A good spray with PB blaster should do the trick. It also could be the spindle that it's on...you could try turning it manually to loosen it up, open the cover, to see if the rope is knotted inside. It is a matter of trial and error, but most can be fixed.

Answer by  NutBucket (140)

You have no compression. Air is leaking into the cylinder during part of the engine rotation that it should be trapped and compressed. You will need to seek advice from a small engine repair person. Most cities have a shop that specializes in lawn mower engines and you can probably find it in the yellow pages.