Echo CS590 Hard to Start

[blueacre]

I have an Echo CS590 with 20 inch bar I use for cutting firewood. It is just over a year old used it for 5 or 6 hours last winter when it was no and no starting issues. I only use premium no ethanol gas and I drained all the fuel and ran it till it died before I stored it in the spring of 2020. Didn’t use it again until this January to start to cut my firewood. It was real hard to start when I first got it out. Thought it was flooded so I ended up pulling the plug and cranking it over with no plug in it and then out in a new plug and got it going after quite a few pulls. It ran fine after I got it going so I headed out to cut some wood. Went through the first tank of fuel and run perfect – cut like new. I shut it off a few times to move between trees and started right up first pull. After I stopped for about 15 minutes to refuel, fill bar oil and adjust the chain tension it wouldn’t restart. Tried for about 10 minutes to start it and finally pulled the plug I had put in earlier and put the original plug back in – started second pull.

Have been using it for 3 or 4 hours a day all week and same thing happens every time. Cold start is usually 4 pull – 2 pulls with choke on and decompression button pushed in and it kicks a little on second pull– push choke in and push decompression button again and usually starts on second pull. Runs perfect once it is going. I can shut if off for a couple of minutes and restarts first pull. If I shut it down for 10 or 15 minutes, which is normally to refuel, it wont start – usually try to restart by pulling choke out and then pushing back in to set high idle – if no start after 5 or 10 pulls try a couple pulls with choke on and then choke off but still nothing – no kick from motor – decompression button never pops out the whole time. If I pull the plug and swap it for the spare one it generally will start on the first or second pull every time – no choke. When I pull the plug to swap it the plug never looks wet like they normally do when flooded.

So I now go through the same routine every startup after it has been shut down for more than a few minutes but still warm – try to start – 5 or 10 pulls – swap plug – starts first or second pull no choke. It keeps me going but sure is a nuisance.

If anybody has any ideas on what might be the problem – great saw but this problem is frustrating

 

[Kenskip1]

I will take a stab at this and say that the saw is running to hot thereby causing a vapor lock. Removing the plug allows the cylinder to cool and also cools the engine and the vapor lock will stop. I will guess that this carburetor has not been adjusted. Also you are what I consider to be in a bit colder climate and this will add to a leaner or hotter running condition. Richen it up a quarter turn on the high side. To run properly the colder the outside temperature the more fuel is needed.

 

[mountainlake]

Dont know but try pulling the choke then back in to set the fast idle, might help. Steve

 

[SteveSr]

Changing the spark plug and t hen starting with no choke is an indication that you are flooding it. Does the plug that you pull out look wet?

 

[mountainlake]

Thats why I said to pull the choke to get on fast idle then back in, the throttle will be open some. Steve

 

[blueacre]

I will take a stab at this and say that the saw is running to hot thereby causing a vapor lock. Removing the plug allows the cylinder to cool and also cools the engine and the vapor lock will stop. I will guess that this carburetor has not been adjusted. Also you are what I consider to be in a bit colder climate and this will add to a leaner or hotter running condition. Richen it up a quarter turn on the high side. To run properly the colder the outside temperature the more fuel is needed.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes I Live in Southern Ontario Canada near NIagara Falls. It has been a few degrees below zero over the past week when I have been cutting wood. I had been running it for the first couple of days with the air shutter in summer position but moved it to winter the last couple of days with no change. The plug has never looked wet when I pull it out to swap it with the spare. I have not made any carb adjustments yet and the limiter caps are still in place. Do I have to remove limiter caps to open the high side a 1/4 turn richer.

 

[blueacre]

Dont know but try pulling the choke then back in to set the fast idle, might help. Steve

YRd

Dont know but try pulling the choke then back in to set the fast idle, might help. Steve

As I mentioned in my post " usually try to restart by pulling choke out and then pushing back in to set high idle – if no start after 5 or 10 pulls try a couple pulls with choke on and then choke off but still nothing" I always try setting the fast idle first when restarting when hot. I Only use the choke after 5 or 10 pulls with no attempt to start,

 

[blueacre]

Changing the spark plug and t hen starting with no choke is an indication that you are flooding it. Does the plug that you pull out look wet?

No the plug has never looked wet when I pull it.

 

[SteveSr]

No the plug has never looked wet when I pull it.

Sounds like in your current operating environment the saw is cooling off completely while sitting which necessitates at least a partial cold start procedure. Retuning would probably be a good idea as it is already likely too lean due to the cold temperatures. Others on here can tell you how to remove the limiters and retune. If the saw is still in warranty you will void it doing this... if you care.

 

[mountainlake]

New limiter caps cost around 70 cents, if your worried about the warranty just put new ones on after tuning. Steve

 

[Cliff R]

Lately I've been very carefully pulling the limiters with a scribe, grinding off the tabs, and putting them back in place. You can't even tell they were removed.......

 

[Keder]

I have an Echo CS590 with 20 inch bar I use for cutting firewood. It is just over a year old used it for 5 or 6 hours last winter when it was no and no starting issues. I only use premium no ethanol gas and I drained all the fuel and ran it till it died before I stored it in the spring of 2020. Didn’t use it again until this January to start to cut my firewood. It was real hard to start when I first got it out. Thought it was flooded so I ended up pulling the plug and cranking it over with no plug in it and then out in a new plug and got it going after quite a few pulls. It ran fine after I got it going so I headed out to cut some wood. Went through the first tank of fuel and run perfect – cut like new. I shut it off a few times to move between trees and started right up first pull. After I stopped for about 15 minutes to refuel, fill bar oil and adjust the chain tension it wouldn’t restart. Tried for about 10 minutes to start it and finally pulled the plug I had put in earlier and put the original plug back in – started second pull.

Have been using it for 3 or 4 hours a day all week and same thing happens every time. Cold start is usually 4 pull – 2 pulls with choke on and decompression button pushed in and it kicks a little on second pull– push choke in and push decompression button again and usually starts on second pull. Runs perfect once it is going. I can shut if off for a couple of minutes and restarts first pull. If I shut it down for 10 or 15 minutes, which is normally to refuel, it wont start – usually try to restart by pulling choke out and then pushing back in to set high idle – if no start after 5 or 10 pulls try a couple pulls with choke on and then choke off but still nothing – no kick from motor – decompression button never pops out the whole time. If I pull the plug and swap it for the spare one it generally will start on the first or second pull every time – no choke. When I pull the plug to swap it the plug never looks wet like they normally do when flooded.

So I now go through the same routine every startup after it has been shut down for more than a few minutes but still warm – try to start – 5 or 10 pulls – swap plug – starts first or second pull no choke. It keeps me going but sure is a nuisance.

If anybody has any ideas on what might be the problem – great saw but this problem is frustrating

Change the fuel filter in the tank
Problem solved