"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
You are running 2 stroke mix in a 4 stroke, that will carbon up the
motor. Your plug is wet and you have spark, so you are flooding it, Keep
choke off and spray in some either. Or even at 5 yrs your compression
may be to low to run it, test compression. Or a few other things.

Ok - all good info. I'll go chew on this for a while. I have had concerns
the engine was getting flooded because the dang plug has been dripping
sometimes when I pulled it. But here's the clincher about your advice with
respect to this mower: In their effort to make it as idiot-proof as
possible, I have no control over the throttle or choke.

Typically, I pull the CPSC (CPS?) lever, tie it down with some cord, push
the priming bulb a couple of times, crank the engine 2-3 times, and go. I
have no control over speed ot anything. Once I put the wheels in gear I can
only disengage them by releasing the CPSC lever which also kills the engine.