On day three, the mower started itself at 3:05 AM. Leo ran outside. The engine hummed a low, broken chord. In the fuel tank, instead of gasoline, there was a single sheet of laminated paper.

: Check the foam or paper air filter under the plastic cover. A clogged filter will starve the engine of air, causing it to smoke or lose power.

If you want, I can draft a printable one-page quick-start sheet or create a maintenance checklist tailored to your mower usage (weekly, monthly, seasonal).