Echo CS 400 will not start

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

kinkedforearm

New Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
Location
Farmington, MN
"Congratulations" the official Echo insert proclaimed. "You are the proud owner of a new, prestigious, industrial grade chain saw." The proud smirk on my face was palpable; almost divinely heroic; until it wouldn't start. Go and figure.

I will qualify and paraphrase by stipulating: Put 50:1 mixture in proper tank--check--. Poured proper amount of cutting bar lubricant into the proper aperture--check--. Choke out--check--. Toggle switch to "on"--check--. Chain brake to "forward/locked" position--check--. Pumped the purge 4 times until fuel was present and accounted for in the looking glass--check--. Was in the proper ergonomic position when starter wire--check--. NOTHING. I kept pulling, tugging, prying, praying, cussing, flagellating until the inevitable dawned upon me; this POS was not going to start.

Any veterans of this doomsday scenario have any advice for this wanton neophyte?
 
"Congratulations" the official Echo insert proclaimed. "You are the proud owner of a new, prestigious, industrial grade chain saw." The proud smirk on my face was palpable; almost divinely heroic; until it wouldn't start. Go and figure.

I will qualify and paraphrase by stipulating: Put 50:1 mixture in proper tank--check--. Poured proper amount of cutting bar lubricant into the proper aperture--check--. Choke out--check--. Toggle switch to "on"--check--. Chain brake to "forward/locked" position--check--. Pumped the purge 4 times until fuel was present and accounted for in the looking glass--check--. Was in the proper ergonomic position when starter wire--check--. NOTHING. I kept pulling, tugging, prying, praying, cussing, flagellating until the inevitable dawned upon me; this POS was not going to start.

Any veterans of this doomsday scenario have any advice for this wanton neophyte?

Did you try it with the switch in the other position?

Did you pull the plug and see if it was wet?

Welcome to AS! AND another guy from MN! Double WELCOME! MN/new guy REP sent!

I'm thinking it's flooded. Pull the spark plug (like zogger suggests) with the choke off, and pull the rope several times to get the extra fuel out. Put the plug back in, hold the throttle wide open to get extra air in, choke off, and pull the rope. It should start. While you have the plug out, ground it on the cylinder and check for spark.

I bet the saw fired early on during your attempt to start it and you didn't notice it. The choke should be placed in the off position after it fires. Once a two stroke fires with the choke on, if you keep pulling with the choke on, it will flood.
 
Something is wrong with your saw. My cs 400 is the easiest starting saw i own. Usually 2 pulls to start. One with choke on and one with choke off. After its warm one half hearted pull and it runs everytime.
 
With the 2 Echo's I've owned if they sit for a while they can be a bit touchy to get started...

Usually I just lock the throttle open, no choke, and let it rip... As soon as it hits off I pop the throttle and it's good to go.
 
Something is wrong with your saw. My cs 400 is the easiest starting saw i own. Usually 2 pulls to start. One with choke on and one with choke off. After its warm one half hearted pull and it runs everytime.

Exactly right, best starting saw made and they will start first pull no choke after sitting for a hour or more. It might need to be primed a bit more on a new saw, fuel in the bulb doesn't mean the carb is full. With the purge bulb they should start in 2 pulls even brand new. Steve
 
Back
Top