[Metricscaler]

I started my lawn mower for the first time this year and it ran great for about an hour and I shut it off. When I restarted it it ran fine but the setting for the throttle is off, there's a choke, fast , slow and off, well now it only runs when is on the choke setting and it runs about half idle if I move it at all to any slower setting it dies. When it's running it seems to surge a bit going up and down in rmps I adjusted some of the screws on the linkage but j can't get it to really rev up, there also seems to be a little black smoke coming out of the muffler I'm kinda senscing it running to rich. Also there's a small leak coming out of the fuel line right buy the fuel tank, if it was sucking air would that cause it to not rev up? It's a older self propelled Toro. I checked out the throttle cable and it looks good.

 

[Mark / Ohio]

I would first and foremost fix that fuel leak. That can't be helping it not to even mention leaking fuel and hot engine are a bad combination.

 

[Metricscaler]

Ya for sure I'll start there, change the filter, oil ect.

 

[TC]

Hi Metricscaler,
Firstly "FIX THE LEAK". If you still have the problem and it is a twin cylinder, check to see that both cylinders are firing. You may have a loose plug wire or bad plug (which is very rear). Most likely you have carburetor problems. Its sound like you have a stopped up carb. Don't start by buying a carb. kit at $30 bucks. Just try giving what your carb. a really good cleaning. Be very careful to make sure you put every part back exactly where it was. You can find a "youtube" video on how to clean the carburetor. Good luck.