What to do when your Weed Eater gas line trimmer won't start
The engine needs gas, compression and spark in order to start. 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, check the fuel lines for cracks. Air enters the carburetor instead of fuel when the fuel lines have cracks. Replace the fuel lines if you find cracks in the lines. If the fuel lines are okay, you may need to rebuild or replace the carburetor because a dirty carburetor won't supply the engine with fuel.
Next, disconnect the spark plug wire and remove the spark plug. If you see deposits or corrosion on the electrodes, 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 from the cylinder, it's likely that the piston rings need to be replaced (for an accurate compression reading, use a compression gauge).
Top replacement parts for Weed Eater gas line trimmers
- Carburetor. The carburetor mixes air with fuel in the proper proportion to produce a combustible gas. That gas/air mixture then moves into the cylinder where it is compressed by the piston and ignited by the spark plug.
- Fuel filter. The fuel filter attaches to the end of the fuel line inside the gas tank. It filters particles from the gasoline as it moves from the fuel tank to the carburetor.
- Ignition module. The ignition module supplies spark voltage to the spark plug on the engine.
- Spark plug. The spark plug produces the spark that ignites the fuel in the engine.