550xp won't start

[dacron]

Hi everyone, It's been awhile since I have posted. I have a 2016 vintage 550xp that has always run ok since I got it in 2017. Ok means I can always get it started, sometimes one pull, sometimes 10. It often dies at idle, and often dies if you begin to give it throttle and then let off. But it has always cut so strong, and is such a pleasure to use that I put up with it. a couple days ago it wouldn't start cold, I had run it the previous day. I thought I had flooded it and took the plug out, pulled the starter and let it sit. Its been days of efforts to dry it out and start it. It ran for a minute and died yesterday. Today it fired off on the second pull on choke, but never fired on high idle, the plug was soaked. It looks like I'm getting consistent spark, and compression feels same as always. Unfortunately there are no Husqvarna dealers near me and I don't have a whole lot of faith in any of the shops around here.

Any tips or ideas? All my other saws start great and if I flood them its really straight forward. I'm following the directions for starting the 550 except I'm not using the decompression valve.

Thanks!

 

[Wood Doctor]

I've never heard of a "vintage" Husky 550xp. Four years old is anything but vintage in my book. It is possible you straight gassed this saw and it no longer has enough compression. Remove the muffler and inspect the ring(s) if that's a possibility. However, you said that it seems to still have good compression, so that inspection might be a useless exercise.

My Husky 353 had some trouble starting the other day and seemed like it was trying to run while too rich. I leaned out the high-end set screw on the carb (clockwise a quarter turn) and that solved the problem. These carbs are really touchy.

 

[dacron]

Thanks, I'm 100% positive its got the same mix gas in it as the day before when it ran normally. The same gas (92 octane non ethanol, 50:1 husqvarna synthetic oil) has been running great in several other saws and is all the 550xp has ever run on. The saw appears to be flooding, the plug is real wet, the muffler is drooling, but I am beginning to think that there is another problem, and not just operator error. Maybe I'll replace the plug, even though it looks good and sparks, though its black, but isn't a black plug normal when flooded?

 

[Marine-piper]

Did you check to see if you have spark?


Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[cuinrearview]

Send it off to get flashed with the latest software if you don't have anybody competant locally. Pretty important to have someone with a computer if you have one of the new computerized saws...

 

[dacron]

Yes, when I plug the spark plug in, ground it and pull the cord, there is consistent spark every time. I'll probably give it a couple tries and then call around to figure out where to send it to get a dealer with the right equipment to try to fix it. When it runs it runs so good, but I'd settle for less performance to have a saw that started warm on one or two pulls without high idle.

Thanks

 

[dirtcurt]

Pull the fuel line and try to start it. If it fires and cleans out/dies, then you know it's fuel delivery.