Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

  • 0

power washer stalling out


Tom7227

Question

I have a power washer that runs for a few minutes and then stalls out.  Can't restart it for hours.  The shop said it was a carb and so I replaced that and it still happens.  I thought it may be a problem with the vent in the gas tank but left the cap loose and it still happened. 

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks for your time.

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0

Is it a hard stall like too much pressure that kills it or does it just die out?

 

The hard stall would most likely be caused by your pump locking up.  A die out would be fuel or maybe even spark, although less likely.

 

What pressure washer?

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

It is a Powerhorse, the northern tool house brand.  It dies while I am spraying.  If I replaced the carb what more fuel issues could there be?  The carb replacement took about 5 minutes and was extremely simple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

When you try to restart it does it pull easy or hard?

 

When mine has water pressure built up, it pulls hard to start.  I trigger the wand to release the pressure so it starts easier.   Maybe the hours for yours is due to pressure that needs to bleed off?  Hard to tell not being there.  
 

I can kill mine at low throttle just by spraying.  Are you running yours at a high throttle position?  Again, hard to tell without hearing the RPMs of the engine.

 

Otherwise for fuel, it could be a blockage or venting issue anywhere in the system. If there wasn’t a change in performance with the change of carburetor, the carburetor is probably not the issue.  If it sat with old gas for a while something could be varnished up and the engine starves for gas until it quits.  Taking hours to get enough fuel flowing again to run seems odd if you actually get to run it hard enough to spray for even a few minutes.

 

Hearing the way it behaves would help a lot for me.

 

I’ve had pressure washers that you’re not supposed to let idle for extended time without spraying and others like my current one that bypass just fine while it’s running.  I’m just wondering if your killing it on high pressure AND low idle.  Mine will die every time that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Full throttle before I even start to spray.  When trying to restart it pulls easy and I keep the wand open to assure it doesn't get backed up.  I agree it has to be a fuel issue.  But the tank to engine line is a straight shot except for the fuel shut off valve.  When I was replacing the carb the fuel would run out of the fuel line quite a bit until I remembered to shut off the fuel line.   The gas has been brand new non-oxy every time I have tried it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

That's odd Tom, I have a power washer from northern tool also. Not sure which one but only issues I've had with mine is I had to replace both tires???🙄🙄

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

The not restarting for hours....   Could it possibly be an ignition thing where as it gets hot it stops providing spark and has to cool all the way down to start again?     That's the only thing besides flooding I can think of.   Typically, isn't the spark on small engines produced by magnets on the flywheel going by a coil?    So when it quits and won't restart, is it getting spark?      And is the plug wet when it quits?     

 

Has it got the Honda motor or something else?   

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

I can't figure  out how enough heat would form to cause a problem. What part could be getting hot?  That sort of makes sense but then it will start and quit again quite quickly.  I don't  know what engine it has and that's a problem with it.  Finding the parts is troublesome even with Jack's Small Engine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Heat can cause some issues.  Like an old PTO on a lawn tractor that won’t engage after it’s been running, then shut off, then turned on again.  Having to wait 2-3 hours to get it to engage again tells you it’s time at least adjust it but plan on a replacement soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Answer this question...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Similar Content

  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.