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OM617YOTA

OM617YOTA

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One year I pulled out my pressure washer from winter storage, and had a hell of a time getting it going again. Pull the cord a couple hundred times, didn't even cough. Double check that the fuel was turned on, yes it was. Is there fuel in the tank? Yep. Choke on? Yep. Tap on the carb to free a sticky float? Nothing.

Turns out there's a trick to making a pressure washer run after winter storage. Being near new, Honda powered, and having only been run on non-ethanol gas it's whole life didn't help, but this trick did.

The trick was turning the on switch to on.
 
thenne1713

thenne1713

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Location
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I am guilty as charged more times than I care to admit.
At our fishing resort a lot of guests were towed back to camp because they could not get the motor started.If they were going out for a full day you gave them a spare tank of MIXED GAS
and explain to them how to attach the hose many were towed back and a lot were mad saying the motor is hunk look at the blisters on my hands.I would check the connector at the motor push it on secure pump the ball and one or two pulls it would start.
Another problem was the gas hose would get pinched because they had the tank sitting on it.
You would think they would have payed attention to you when you told them what to before they left for fishing.
Kash
Maybe you needed to check their tackle box, if pre-tied leaders w/ swivel hooks vs they tied, pretty good bet they cud not tie a knot or follow instructions? LOL (That group) you needed to make demonstrate that they understood before they left?
 
thenne1713

thenne1713

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I get used to trimmers that have a "momentary off" kill switch and never think about turning it on, then one day pick up one that has a regular switch and ...........you know the rest.
Worse, I had a Momentary that sometimes stuck in OFF position.... a real cranker, that was, until you find it
 
thenne1713

thenne1713

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Joined
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Messages
487
Location
Memphis
One year I pulled out my pressure washer from winter storage, and had a hell of a time getting it going again. Pull the cord a couple hundred times, didn't even cough. Double check that the fuel was turned on, yes it was. Is there fuel in the tank? Yep. Choke on? Yep. Tap on the carb to free a sticky float? Nothing.

Turns out there's a trick to making a pressure washer run after winter storage. Being near new, Honda powered, and having only been run on non-ethanol gas it's whole life didn't help, but this trick did.

The trick was turning the on switch to on.
My challenge years ago, first time for season, was a leaf vacuum= no spark, almost damaged flywheel trying to remove ... before seeing safety switch and remembering it had no hidden points, was electronic magneto and safety was closed/grounded
 
Oletrapper
Joined
Nov 30, 2021
Messages
1,562
Location
Ky
I'm the owner of a new Echo 590. I had only used it once and when I went to use it again the other day, the damn thing would not start. I tried everything, I mean everything. Choke, pull, off choke, pull, nothing. Used the decompression valve just like it says in the manual, etc. Read and re-read the manual, followed the instructions EXACTLY.

I do know how to cuss and I used that talent to excess. I was about ready to throw it in the river and then noticed the one thing I had not done.

I had not switched it on.

Looked around to make sure the wife hadn't noticed. Flipped on the "on switch," pulled the cord, started right up.

I've done stupider things, but right now I can't think of any.

Lesson: always start with the simplest solution.
I have never ever done that! But that's a lie. lmao :cool: OT
 
Cricket

Cricket

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Oct 7, 2011
Messages
325
Location
Allegan, Michigan
My challenge years ago, first time for season, was a leaf vacuum= no spark, almost damaged flywheel trying to remove ... before seeing safety switch and remembering it had no hidden points, was electronic magneto and safety was closed/grounded
Few things I hate worse than breaking something trying to get it apart to fix it, when... it weren't broke in the first place... (right up there with "Is it plugged in?")
 
Engineeringnerd

Engineeringnerd

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Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
475
Location
Georgia, USA
I'm the owner of a new Echo 590. I had only used it once and when I went to use it again the other day, the damn thing would not start. I tried everything, I mean everything. Choke, pull, off choke, pull, nothing. Used the decompression valve just like it says in the manual, etc. Read and re-read the manual, followed the instructions EXACTLY.

I do know how to cuss and I used that talent to excess. I was about ready to throw it in the river and then noticed the one thing I had not done.

I had not switched it on.

Looked around to make sure the wife hadn't noticed. Flipped on the "on switch," pulled the cord, started right up.

I've done stupider things, but right now I can't think of any.

Lesson: always start with the simplest solution.
Had a chain on backwards two days ago. It was sharp though! Welcome to the human race.
 
bike_reck_ben

bike_reck_ben

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Joined
Mar 16, 2022
Messages
11
Location
Southern California
I just bought a homeowner wood chipper. Put it together, fill up the gas, check the oil is halfway up the dipstick. No start, few hundred pulls. Check the fuel, check the air, then pull the spark plug to see that there's no spark. Great, I bought a lemon. I go to drain the oil to return the chipper and not quite enough oil comes out. Apparently, there's a low oil shutoff and the proper level is 3/4 the way up the dipstick. I add the correct amount of oil and it fires up on the first pull.
 
camel2019

camel2019

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Mar 17, 2019
Messages
900
Location
windsor ont
I just bought a homeowner wood chipper. Put it together, fill up the gas, check the oil is halfway up the dipstick. No start, few hundred pulls. Check the fuel, check the air, then pull the spark plug to see that there's no spark. Great, I bought a lemon. I go to drain the oil to return the chipper and not quite enough oil comes out. Apparently, there's a low oil shutoff and the proper level is 3/4 the way up the dipstick. I add the correct amount of oil and it fires up on the first pull.
For some reason on the newer Honda engines I always forget to flip the switch maybe it’s because I’m use to the old Briggs and Wisconsin engines on my other equipment.
 
bike_reck_ben

bike_reck_ben

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11
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For some reason on the newer Honda engines I always forget to flip the switch maybe it’s because I’m use to the old Briggs and Wisconsin engines on my other equipment.
This is harbor freight engine. I'm doing pretty good about remembering the switch. Not like they used to be with a piece of spring steel to short the spark plug to kill it.
 
camel2019

camel2019

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windsor ont
This is harbor freight engine. I'm doing pretty good about remembering the switch. Not like they used to be with a piece of spring steel to short the spark plug to kill it.
My Wisconsin on my tamper don’t have a kill I just shut the fuel off and close the choke and let it dance around till it’s done.
 
thenne1713

thenne1713

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Joined
May 24, 2008
Messages
487
Location
Memphis
I'm the owner of a new Echo 590. I had only used it once and when I went to use it again the other day, the damn thing would not start. I tried everything, I mean everything. Choke, pull, off choke, pull, nothing. Used the decompression valve just like it says in the manual, etc. Read and re-read the manual, followed the instructions EXACTLY.

I do know how to cuss and I used that talent to excess. I was about ready to throw it in the river and then noticed the one thing I had not done.

I had not switched it on.

Looked around to make sure the wife hadn't noticed. Flipped on the "on switch," pulled the cord, started right up.

I've done stupider things, but right now I can't think of any.

Lesson: always start with the simplest solution.
Went to start Lawn Vac one year, no fire, trying to pull flywheel when I realized (remembered) it was electronic w/ no points under flywheel, then glanced over to see the safety switch on discharge chute.... closed/grounded, because chute NOT installed
 
ron.olson.1968

ron.olson.1968

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Jan 3, 2021
Messages
4
Location
US
Recently I started up my truck and it wouldn't go forward or backward. It has extremely high miles so I figured the tranny was shot. Seemed odd that it did it all of the sudden though. The fluid was up where it should be and didn't smell burnt. After a lot of head scratching, I noticed the transfer case lever was in neutral. I like those kind of fixes.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk
 
Woodslasher

Woodslasher

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Jan 2, 2019
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Commiefornia
Recently I started up my truck and it wouldn't go forward or backward. It has extremely high miles so I figured the tranny was shot. Seemed odd that it did it all of the sudden though. The fluid was up where it should be and didn't smell burnt. After a lot of head scratching, I noticed the transfer case lever was in neutral. I like those kind of fixes.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk
That one rings a bell! Quite a few years back my dad bought a 1994 Land Cruiser with a blown engine and swapped in a good used engine. After he'd gotten the new engine all hooked up he started up the car, put it in reverse, and nothing happened. As he drove it in to the shop before he swapped the engines he was pretty confused and started checking all the wiring connections and other various things under the hood. Long story short, apparently someone who thought it was cool to sit in the drivers seat and "shift through the gears" had left the t-case in neutral. My dad was relieved to find out that the car wasn't becoming a money pit and pretty ticked at the culprit, but it all worked out and that car has been dead reliable ever since.
 
2StrokeFondler

2StrokeFondler

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Guys - and guyettes: don't be like me. Don't be an idiot.
Don't pressure and vac test you saw and carb thrice. Don't rebuild your carb half a dozen time. Don't wonder why this darn thing just wont pull fuel. Just open your jets a bit.
So, to reiterate: be smart. Don't be stupid.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
 
Kenskip1

Kenskip1

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Missouri
Have I made this mistake before? Yes . However being a medical student I have used my medical education relating to certain parts of the human anatomy in dealing malfunctioning machinery.
Also I have dredged up archaic curses from the distant past, combined them with current profanity and worked in a half dozen crude anatomical references, embellished those with all the known vulgarities related to bodily functions and finally combined
all these essential elements into a woven tapestry brilliant in color and blinding in
intensity all aimed at malfunctioning machinery.
 
skeet88

skeet88

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Joined
Mar 21, 2022
Messages
679
Location
Georgia
I'm the owner of a new Echo 590. I had only used it once and when I went to use it again the other day, the damn thing would not start. I tried everything, I mean everything. Choke, pull, off choke, pull, nothing. Used the decompression valve just like it says in the manual, etc. Read and re-read the manual, followed the instructions EXACTLY.

I do know how to cuss and I used that talent to excess. I was about ready to throw it in the river and then noticed the one thing I had not done.

I had not switched it on.

Looked around to make sure the wife hadn't noticed. Flipped on the "on switch," pulled the cord, started right up.

I've done stupider things, but right now I can't think of any.

Lesson: always start with the simplest solution.
Yep! Guilty as heck.It is a new saw so you are still getting use to controls .
 

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