Ryobi Leaf Blower Wont Start [Solved!]

So, your Ryobi leaf blower wont start and you got some leaves and grass to blow off the driveway(which is exactly the job you bought it for)?

Well, there are quite a few things you can check- and the good thing is some are so simple to check and fix.

We look at them below:

Ryobi Leaf Blower Wont Start

If your Ryobi leaf blower wont start and it has been working flawlessly since you purchased it, then you need to try the following:

 

Replace the gas

Probably you should begin by cleaning out the tank and then adding fresh gas(ensure proper gas to oil mix).

Fact is if you had left gas in your Ryobi leaf blower for months, your leaf blower will, on many occasions not start, because gas that’s too old clogs fuel lines, gums up the carb, and more.

This tends to prevent small engines from starting.

Before we move on, I must say that TruFuel can be advantageous for most air-cooled, 2-cycle equipment so you can give TruFuel a shot.

 

Check the fuel lines

You probably know that gas lines do get brittle (over time) and crack.

So next you need to check the fuel lines and replace, if you find them damaged.

I have to reiterate that a lot of folks get it to start once more after replacing the fuel lines.

 

Clean the carb

Also try to clean the carb thoroughly because as I have mentioned, it may have significant gunk – it is true that fuel may evaporate when you leave it there for a while, leaving behind some thicker, stickier substance.

When it comes to cleaning the carb, a carburetor cleaner like the CRC Carb & Choke Cleaner typically works best.

So get the carb cleaner then take off the carburetor and completely spray it out – including spraying the cleaner through all those ports(remove any adjusters, as necessary, to access the port).

You then put everything back together and see if it will now fire.

Side Note: You might also need to re-adjust your gas mix screws (on the carb) for it to get firing again (sometimes it’s a carb adjustment problem). To do that, you’ll require a set of carb-adjustment screwdrivers.

If you are not successful, you cannot rule out a rebuild (We recommend it if cleaning does not help).

Ultimately, you might need to replace the carb with a new OEM Ryobi leaf blower carb (if nothing works).

 

Replace fuel filter

You can then try to pull the fuel filter out then replace it with a new one.

Keep in mind that fuel filters in most trimmers and leaf-blowers should be replaced twice a year as they too get clogged over time(by gas deposits), which means proper fuel flow is hampered.

So if you have not swapped it out lately, get a new filter.

The best part?

Replacing the oil filter in most Ryobi backpack leaf blowers is normally a super easy plug-and-play like installation- you simply pull the gas line out -from inside the fuel tank- pull off your old filter and then slide the new one(on the tube)

You may want to try the Homelite/Ryobi Fuel Filter if you’d like to explore this option

 

Replace the primer

Numerous gas-powered leaf blowers have a primer bulb that typically gets air out of the carb to help circulate fuel better to the carb for quicker starting.

It follows that if the primer bulb is faulty, then you may have problems starting your Ryobi leaf blower.

Keep in mind that the best solution here is replacing the primer bulb.

There are good YouTube videos showing beginners how to replace the primer bulb on Ryobi handheld gas blowers so you can see if you’ll get a good tutorial to help you replace it.

 

Replace the plug

The other part that can be causing the fault is the spark plug.

But you can first check if it has a spark – just take the plug out and follow this YouTube Video to test the part.

It is a simple test that you can do even if you’re not mechanically inclined.

The easiest starting point is cleaning the spark plug – if you see signs of deposits- before you consider replacing it.

If you have cleaned up the spark plug- a steel brush could suffice- and after reassembly, it still won’t start, you may want to squirt starter fluid- it helps fix carb/fuel issues in these engines.

Finally, replace the spark plug and check if it starts flawlessly now.

 

Ryobi leaf vacuum not starting – Troubleshooting summary

In summary, check for hard fuel hoses, contamination inside the carb, ruined fuel filter, faulty priming bulb, a bad spark plug, or even lack of compression.

And you may go for the Hipa Universal Kit as it has many of the parts you could need for the repair.

Most importantly, it is way cheaper compared to buying the parts one by one, keeping in mind you’re not very sure about what’s wrong.

Be sure to reach out to a repairman if you need further assistance.

 

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