Symptoms of Bad Snowblower Plug

A poorly running snowblower engine may be difficult to start. When it does start, the engine may run roughly, cough, sputter etc. It also may not run under full power and may not deliver full power. There can be a number of issues that could cause this condition including the spark plug. While all of these could be symptoms of bad snowblower plugs, they can be symptoms of poor gasoline, dirty fuel filters, and gummed carburetors.  The best way to deal with these problems is by a process of elimination and one of the easiest is to check and clean the spark plug.

Symptoms of Bad Snowblower Plug

Remove the spark plug after the first disconnection of the spark plug wire and moving off to the side. Use an air blower of some kind to blow away any dirt and dust from around the snowblower spark plug. With the proper tool, remove the spark plug and assess the condition of the plug.

If it is clean with no carbon deposits, regap the plug and reinsert it. If there are any deposits, they should be removed using sandpaper and then the plug regapped to the specified gap as outlined in the manual.

Plugs that are very dirty, with lots of carbon, probably should be replaced. Replace any plug that is in this condition.

Often this is all that is needed. If this step does not make your engine run smoother or start, then further checks are necessary. Verify that there is a spark getting to the plug, verify that there is clean gas in the gas tank. Also, use some gas line cleaner added to the gas tank.