Thread: chainsaw won't re-start after sitting

so...had this chainsaw for a few months now and it will start up fine, but it will NOT RE-START after you shut it down the first time. I gave it to a friend who fixes small engines for a living and he had it for a few weeks and replaced the fuel line, gas tank exhaust line (or whatever it's called) and the carburetor. He ran it for a long time and cut up a LOT of wood with it after he fixed it, but now when I get it back.....it's doing the same thing??????

It's a counter-vibe 3400 poulan. It think it was made in the 80's, and when it runs it runs great, but this morning I had it out cutting up wood (first time since I got it back) and I put it in my tractor bucket for about 2hrs while I was doing other stuff and when I pulled it out to use it again, it wouldn't start???? Could it be the way I'm starting it??? I'm using the latch to hold the trigger down while I try to start it, the choke is all the way out and I usually only have to pull it 2-3 times the first time to start it, but whatever I do now, it won't start. It's not warm at all, I tried to start it with the choke 1/2 way in, and all the way in, the trigger held all the way in and with it not in at all and it does nothing....not even a sputter?? I just put new gas in it, so I know that isn't the problem.....anyone have any ideas??????

Take out the sparkplug and have a look at it, see if it's wet then you're engine is flooded.
If it's flooded just hold it up side down with the sparkplug removed and pull the starter cord 8-10 times, let it air for a while and try again this time with less choke maybe no choke at all.

Good luck

Hows the compression? If the compression is low and its due for a rebuild, it likely isnt starting because once it heats up it doesnt have enough compression to restart, but once it cools down the cylinder shrinks back down to the point where it has enough compression to start.
Ive seen 2-stroke snowmobiles have this problem and it often comes down to the fact that they simply need a rebuild.

just my 2 cents, but when it won't start after it's been used, does it have any spark? Could be a bad coil.

Ok, I'll try this again tomorrow. I did this once before, but not since they replaced the carb and the fuel lines, etc. thanks for responding!!!

I have a persnickety saw like that. After it's been run, to restart try this:
Switch on, pull choke all the way out and push right back in. (This sets the fast idle lock to the start position.) Then pull : )

Thanks for all the information guys!!!

Finally got around to taking the spark plug out yesterday (1 week later) and it was soaked. I dried it off, pulled the starter cord a few times with it upside down and cleared that and let the entire thing sit for about 30 minutes. I took it outside, put the choke on, set the trigger and pulled the starter cord about 10 times with no results. So for the 'heck' of it, I put the choke in 1/2 way, and released the trigger lock and just held the trigger down all the way and it tried to fire up on the first pull???????? So I pushed the choke in all the way, held the trigger in and it fired up on the first pull??? I gave it some gas and let it warm up (didn't cut anything) and then just shut it down and set it on the garage floor. I came back 2-3 hours later, held the trigger in and pulled the starter cord with the choke in all the way, and it started up on the 2nd pull and ran fine??? Now how can you explain that??

I'm going to try it again today and see how it handles after riding around on my tractor for a while (which was the original problem, with it not restarting after being bounced around).

Originally Posted by meb9796

Thanks for all the information guys!!!

Finally got around to taking the spark plug out yesterday (1 week later) and it was soaked. I dried it off, pulled the starter cord a few times with it upside down and cleared that and let the entire thing sit for about 30 minutes. I took it outside, put the choke on, set the trigger and pulled the starter cord about 10 times with no results. So for the 'heck' of it, I put the choke in 1/2 way, and released the trigger lock and just held the trigger down all the way and it tried to fire up on the first pull???????? So I pushed the choke in all the way, held the trigger in and it fired up on the first pull??? I gave it some gas and let it warm up (didn't cut anything) and then just shut it down and set it on the garage floor. I came back 2-3 hours later, held the trigger in and pulled the starter cord with the choke in all the way, and it started up on the 2nd pull and ran fine??? Now how can you explain that??

I'm going to try it again today and see how it handles after riding around on my tractor for a while (which was the original problem, with it not restarting after being bounced around).

the bouncing on the tractor is pressurizing the gas tank and pushing fuel to the carb , you may not need to choke it.

Ten pulls with choke on = flooded.

Originally Posted by meb9796

Thanks for all the information guys!!!

Finally got around to taking the spark plug out yesterday (1 week later) and it was soaked. I dried it off, pulled the starter cord a few times with it upside down and cleared that and let the entire thing sit for about 30 minutes. I took it outside, put the choke on, set the trigger and pulled the starter cord about 10 times with no results. So for the 'heck' of it, I put the choke in 1/2 way, and released the trigger lock and just held the trigger down all the way and it tried to fire up on the first pull???????? So I pushed the choke in all the way, held the trigger in and it fired up on the first pull??? I gave it some gas and let it warm up (didn't cut anything) and then just shut it down and set it on the garage floor. I came back 2-3 hours later, held the trigger in and pulled the starter cord with the choke in all the way, and it started up on the 2nd pull and ran fine??? Now how can you explain that??

I'm going to try it again today and see how it handles after riding around on my tractor for a while (which was the original problem, with it not restarting after being bounced around).

Everyone had great thoughts so I won't repeat them. However have you checked vent hose? Is it blocked? If so that would create a vapor lock when its hot. One more thing to check.

Originally Posted by meb9796

so...had this chainsaw for a few months now and it will start up fine, but it will NOT RE-START after you shut it down the first time. I gave it to a friend who fixes small engines for a living and he had it for a few weeks and replaced the fuel line, gas tank exhaust line (or whatever it's called) and the carburetor. He ran it for a long time and cut up a LOT of wood with it after he fixed it, but now when I get it back.....it's doing the same thing??????

It's a counter-vibe 3400 poulan. It think it was made in the 80's, and when it runs it runs great, but this morning I had it out cutting up wood (first time since I got it back) and I put it in my tractor bucket for about 2hrs while I was doing other stuff and when I pulled it out to use it again, it wouldn't start???? Could it be the way I'm starting it??? I'm using the latch to hold the trigger down while I try to start it, the choke is all the way out and I usually only have to pull it 2-3 times the first time to start it, but whatever I do now, it won't start. It's not warm at all, I tried to start it with the choke 1/2 way in, and all the way in, the trigger held all the way in and with it not in at all and it does nothing....not even a sputter?? I just put new gas in it, so I know that isn't the problem.....anyone have any ideas??????

Hi,

My first instinct is that it is a "vapor lock type symptom". So, you try this and see what happens.

Fuels are blended by the seasons now and the winter gas puts off more fumes (light fractions). So if you have winter gas on a hot day the problem is the worst. Also our fuels are much poorer for 2 cycle now and add the fact that your saw has some hours on it (the lower end of the saw is responsible for pumping or sucking your fuel into the engine), and your symptoms can and occur frequently. It is more common on weedeaters in the summer, but can happen on all 2 cycle engines.

Here is an earlier post I posted on Lawnsite:

MORE VAPORLOCK

It is more likely to get vapor lock type conditions from a fresh mix.

I am no fuel expert, but it was explained to me the following way.

All fuels are blended for the season and blended in such a way that the vapor (called light fractions) is more in the winter than in the summer. The sensitivity of gasoline to boil is much greater also since the lead was removed (it boils at about the temperature of warm/hot coffee). So, if you use your 2 cycle motor very hard or if some condition/s are present (like lean setting) that induce more heat then "wa la" (can't spell in French) you have a vapor lock type of symptom.

To compound the problem: If you have an exceptionally hot day in the fall, winter or spring with a fresh mix, the blended fuel is pouring off too many fumes.

The venting of the gas container overnight removes some of the light fractions and the extra oil (32 to 1 or 4 oz per gallon) raises the boiling temperature.

If in doubt as to whether this is occuring, then choke it and pull about 8 to 10 times with the throttle wide open. This will flood, but cool the engine and manifold. Then pull about 30 times with the choke off to clear the engine of the flooded condition.

Other things such as pouring water on it or spraying the motor and manifold with an aerosol that is not volitile. Any way of cooling it.

If this does not work, then I would remove the cylinder and look for wear on the lower end. With heat and expansion, the least fault in the lower end of the cylinder (or near the transfer ports) will prevent fuel/air mix from entering the crankcase and combustion chamber even if it has high top end compression.
The 3400 does not have a hardened cylinder and is susceptible to damage on the exhaust side and very likely to get damage on the intake (carb) side if ever primed with anything other than 2 cycle mix.

Then there is the whole different matter of gasohol.

There are a couple of new things here, but most is repeat. What would be nice would be for someone out there that could help us in re refining the alcohol out of the gas. Will my water trick be 100% effective or will we still have to worry.

Good luck,
echoman

I think my problem all along has been the trigger lock. Currently when I pull the trigger in and push the lock (or whatever it's called) down on top of the handle, the trigger feels like it's almost all the way open. I didn't pay much attention to it before I took it apart the first time, so not sure if I messed something up when I put it all back together or not. Anyway...so far so good today. Holding the trigger in all the way is working fine!!!

I did check the vent hose and it appears to be fine, thanks for the advice.