Ignition Coil on Stihl MS 261 c-m

[Tom Holmes]

I bought a Stihl MS 261 c-m last year to help clear out a bunch of fallen oaks at my church after the hurricane. A couple of days ago, the saw wouldn't start and continued to not start after letting it cool and then a few days later. A friend suggested it was probably the coil, so I ordered an 1135 400 1308 replacement on Amazon, or so I thought. What came was the 1300, and while very similar, had different wire interfaces. A subsequent check on Google failed to reveal any source of the exact part. The Stihl dealer I bought the saw from didn't have them. Is there a good source out there for OEM parts or exact equivalents for Stihl?

 

[DND 9000]

Do you really have a MS 261 C-M? I ask because the ignition coil you are talking about (1135 400 1308) is for a MS 361. You say that a 1300 came (I think 1135 400 1300). That is a older version of the MS 361 coil. If you really have a MS 261 C-M, you need the right control unit for this saw, because it includes "the brain" of the m-tronic system. The current availible control unit for the MS 261 C-M is 1141 400 4731.

 

[Ozhoo]

Welcome to AS. The control module falls under the emissions warranty which is 2 years. That said, CM's are tough to troubleshoot if you don't have spares on hand. If you want an ignition module to test with, let me know and I'll send you one. You can test your saw and send it back. They're north of 100 quid if you pay dealer prices so you don't wanna rush out and buy one without confirming.

 

[Dan Dean]

What kind of Stihl dealer would say they do not have one? or did they mean they did not have one in stock? Stihl dealers can have these parts within 24 -48 hrs

 

[Tom Holmes]

Thank you all for the wealth of responses. I received the part number from the Stihl dealer that I bought the saw from, who stated they did not have any in stock. The saw is indeed an MS 261 c-m.

Based on the advise given, I'll take the saw in to the dealer and ask them to take a look for warranty consideration. I can't really afford to be down a saw for too long, but I don't see an alternative.

 

[Tom Holmes]

Welcome to AS. The control module falls under the emissions warranty which is 2 years. That said, CM's are tough to troubleshoot if you don't have spares on hand. If you want an ignition module to test with, let me know and I'll send you one. You can test your saw and send it back. They're north of 100 quid if you pay dealer prices so you don't wanna rush out and buy one without confirming.

Gary, appreciate your offer, but it seems better to push the dealer I bought the saw from for appropriate resolution. You are very kind.

 

[blsnelling]

A Stihl dealer is the only source for that coil. I also doubt it's the coil. I would look at the fuel solenoid first.

 

[Tom Holmes]

Brad - my friend tested for spark after checking the plug - no dice. Obviously, the plug could be bad, which we didn't test as we didn't have another plug in the field. Could a fuel solenoid cause no spark?

 

[Ozhoo]

CM ignitions have a cut-in rpm which can lead you to believe that you have a faulty ignition. Rather than chase the ignition pour a little mix into the carb and see if it fires.

 

[blsnelling]

Brad - my friend tested for spark after checking the plug - no dice. Obviously, the plug could be bad, which we didn't test as we didn't have another plug in the field. Could a fuel solenoid cause no spark?

No.

 

[blsnelling]

Well, I take that back. When playing with a standard carb on a 661, if the solenoid is disconnected, it will kill spark after it starts.

 

[Tom Holmes]

I went out and I'm ashamed to say, couldn't find where they hid the carb. The 261 diagram looks like it's buried underneath the air filter along with other parts that look complicated to remove. So I pulled the plug instead and dribbled a bit of fuel mix in, then reinstalled the plug and tried to start. I didn't give up easy under the assumption that I may have flooded it in the process. No luck, but will try again after letting it sit for a while.

 

[blsnelling]

The carb is directly behind the air filter. If you have the filter off, you're looking at it.

 

[Conquistador3]

Honestly I wouldn't even try taking apart an M-Tronic saw without taking a lot of pictures during the disassembly process. The first time I removed the shroud to clean the air filter on my 362 I thought I was dealing with a car, not a chainsaw.

To be honest if I had any problem with my 362 I'd take it straight back to the dealership, for no other reason it's still under warranty and I am not trained to deal with M-Tronic.

 

[Tom Holmes]

I took it in. I can't be out a saw for two or three weeks, so I bought a little bitty MS 170 as a back-up. Hope it survives.

Thanks everyone for your guidance!

 

[Tom Holmes]

I'd like to apologize for mocking the MS 170. I put three tanks of fuel through it tonight and it cut like a champ. Sectioned about twenty feet of a massive fallen oak (hollow) and a few smaller guys that the oak took down when it fell.

 

[super3]

Put an Oregon or Carlton chain on it rather than the crappy Stihl chain that it comes with and you will like it even more.

 

[Khntr85]

Hey the 170 are fine for what they are....

Let us know what they do!!!!

 

[Ozhoo]

What's the word on your 261 Tom? Was it the module?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I know it's the latest thing and all but I hope I don't ever end up with one of those...