Causes of petrol and electric trimmer breakdowns

The trimmer, both electric and with an internal combustion engine (ICE), is an indispensable tool in summer and autumn for cottage owners and private houses. With it, weeds, small shrubs are easily removed and the lawn is leveled. But, like any technique, trimmers fail at the most inopportune moment. To troubleshoot with their own hands, the user of this technology must first determine the cause of their occurrence.

The main malfunctions of gasoline and electric trimmers

At benzokosy and electric trimmer, if we do not consider the damage associated with the rod and the mowing head, faults mostly occur near the engine.

Breakdowns of gasoline trimmers

Typical petrol trimmer breakdowns that owners of this unit most often encounter are as follows:

• engine breakdown;
• problems with the carburetor;
• problems with the fuel supply;
• malfunction of the muffler;
• gearbox failure;
• starter broke;
• problems with the air filter;
• The breather on the gas tank was clogged.

Malfunctioning electric trimmers

Since the device mowers much easier than mototrimmer, then the reasons for its failure a bit.

It should be noted that it is better to entrust the removal of some of them to a specialist.

Basically, the trimmer stops working normally in the following cases:

• electrical cable malfunction;
• faulty control button;
• burned out motor stator winding;
• breakage of contact connections on the engine.

Why the gas trimmer does not start

The reasons why the petrol trimmer has stopped to turn on may be different, therefore it is necessary to carry out a phased diagnosis of the device.

Fuel tank (fuel quality)

Remember that always before starting the unit is required fuel availability and quality check. In this case, do not be greedy and save, as well as “clever” about the amount of added oil. Everything needs to be done according to the manual attached to the device, since when the piston group fails, its replacement will cost about 70% of the total cost of the trimmer. Fill fuel at the rate that you will completely use it when working. Gasoline remaining in the tank after a while loses its properties and can harm the engine. Therefore, do not prepare the mixture for future use and in large quantities. If the gasoline mower does not start up well, try to drain the “old” fuel from the tank and fill it with freshly prepared mixture.

Important! Refueling the device, the origin of which is unknown, is fraught with negative consequences. Gasoline should be of high quality, purchased at a gas station, and its brand should be no lower than the AI-95.

Candle and candle channel

So, you changed the fuel, but nothing has changed, and the trimmer still does not start. In this case, it is worth checking the candle channel: does it not throw it with a combustible mixture? Often users translate air damper in the “OFF” position at start-up, and when the engine starts, do not put it in the “ON” position, after which it stalls. Further, the attempt to re-start the internal combustion engine leads to the fact that gasoline fills the candle, and the start becomes impossible. To diagnose and fix a possible problem in this node, do the following.

1. It is necessary to unscrew the spark plug, wipe it well and dry it. When installing the spark plug in the cylinder, it should be dry.
2. Drain the accumulated fuel from the combustion chamber. This is done through the hole from which you unscrew the candle.
3. In the presence of a deposit on the electrodes of the candle, it must be removed either with a thin file or a nail file.
4. Do not forget before installing the parts in place to set the gap between its electrodes. The gap on the candle should be equal to 1 mm. As a probe to check the gap, you can use a coin.
5. Next, assemble the unit, read the start-up instructions and try to start the engine again.

If the engine does not start, you will need to check the spark. For this:

• unscrew the candle;
• put a cap of high-voltage wire on it;
• touch the metal part of it to the cylinder body (to ensure contact, you can insert a tubular key) as shown in the figure below;
• pull on the launch cord so that several engine revolutions occur.

Normally, each time the piston rolls between the electrodes of a candle, a spark must jump. If there is a spark, then the reason that the engine does not start, you need to look in other nodes of the device.

For a better understanding of the process, how to test a candle for a spark, you can use this videowhere the test is shown on the example of the Soyuz gas mowers.

If there is no spark, then at the beginning check cable, connecting the candle with the coil - perhaps the reason is in it. You can call him using the tester. If an open circuit is detected, the high-voltage wire will need to be replaced.

Also the cause of the missing spark can be ignition coil malfunction (magneto). The figure below shows what a coil (magneto) from a Patriot gas trimmer looks like (Patriot).

To eliminate a malfunction, you need to check the magneto trimmer, namely, its primary and secondary windings using a tester. On the primary winding, the resistance should be between 0.4 and 2.0 ohms. If the device shows 0, it means that a short circuit has occurred in the winding, and if infinity is a clear sign of the open circuit. The resistance on the secondary winding should be in the range of 6 to 8 kΩ.

On some coils, it can reach a value of 15 kΩ.

Air filter

In case your gas mower does not start up properly or stalls immediately after starting, you should pay attention to the air filter, as it can be clogged, as a result of which air does not flow into the combustion chamber and the fuel does not ignite. To check whether the filter in the case, remove it and try to start the engine. If he earned, then the reason is found. The filter needs to be replaced or rinsed well and dried before installation. In the case where you discovered oil in the air filter, it must be rinsed with gasoline, wring well and dry for at least 2 hours before installing.

If the unit still does not start when the air filter is removed, it is recommended to check the fuel filter.

Fuel filter

This filter cleans fuel from possible contamination. If it is clogged, gasoline does not enter the cylinder, and, accordingly, the unit does not work or stalls after starting. The fuel filter is located at the end of the intake hose, which is located inside the fuel tank. To get to the filter, you need to remove the plug with the tubes coming out of it.

When removing the plug, the intake hose may come loose and remain in the tank. It is extracted using tweezers.

Next, remove the old fuel filter from the hose and put a new, previously purchased one on it. You can also clean the fuel filterif you don't have a new one. The filter must be attached to the hose with a spring clip.

Install the intake tube on the stopper and insert the last into the tank.

It should be noted that in some models of trimmers intake hose is not on the tube, but inside the tank. You can remove it with tweezers or a hook bent from a wire.

Breather

A breather is a non-return valve that is designed to equalize the pressure in the gas tank. If it is clogged and does not let air in the direction of the tank, then a vacuum is formed inside the fuel tank, and the fuel stops flowing into the carburetor. To check the condition of the valve, remove the hose that goes from the tank to the carburetor. If gasoline does not flow out of the tank, it means that the breather is clogged.

Trimmer users often wonder: where is the breather? This valve is usually located in the fuel tank cap and looks like the following figure.

Cleaning the breather is very simple: disassemble the valve and wash all its components. In some benzokosah this valve can be located directly on the fuel tank. Immediately find it will not work, because it is hidden from the eyes under the starter housing. Such a breather is cleaned with an ordinary needle.

Exhaust channel

The reason that the trimmer has significantly lost power, and when trying to increase engine speed, it is gaining them slowly, often is the clogging of the exhaust channel through which exhaust gases exit from the combustion chamber.

It is necessary to remove the silencer so that the fumes do not get inside the cylinder. Next, clean the exhaust channel from carbon.

This should be done very carefully, not allowing the deposit to enter the combustion chamber.

After this procedure, the weak power of the unit and the slow set of rotational speed of the mowing head will no longer upset you.

Insufficient compression

If the compression is insufficient, then start the engine, in most cases, will not work. To check the compression, you can use a car compressometer.

1. Remove the spark plug from the cylinder engine.
2. Screw in her place compressometer.
   
3. Begin to pull the launch cord as you do when you start the gasoline mowers. Do this until the arrow on the measuring device stops moving upwards. This value will show the compression force of this engine.

What compression should be? Normally, compression should be not less than 8 kg / cm². Although even with 8 kg / cm² Some engines are idle and stalling, as the fuel is not sufficiently pumped up. In case your mower does not pump above 8 kg / cm²you will have to check the cylinder, piston and rings.

Also bad compression may be due loosely screwed carburetor. Check if it is staggering. If so, tighten the fasteners that hold it well.Also, if the carburetor is badly screwed, you can see that when working gasoline drips.

Electric trimmer vibrates

Many users of mowers noticed that some time after the start of operation of the device, it begins to vibrate strongly. On some trimmers, mainly in expensive models, an anti-vibration system is installed in the form of shock absorbers, located between the engine and the rod. But in some cases even she does not save from strong vibration. The reason that there is a strong vibration in the trimmer can be a small amount or no lubrication on the rigid or flexible shaft inside the boom.

Replacement hard shaft lubricants happens as follows:

• unscrew the gearbox located at the bottom of the rod;

• after removing the gearbox, you will see the end of the shaft, for which you need to pull to remove the part;

• after removing the shaft, it should be abundantly lubricated with special lubricant “Shrus-4” or ordinary lubricant “Litol-24”;

• apply a small amount of grease on the shaft and evenly spread it along the entire length of the part, including the splines on the ends of the rod (if they are worked out, the shaft will have to be replaced);
• after lubrication, insert the shaft back into the rod and put the gear in its place.

Flexible shaft lubrication performed as follows:

• unscrew and remove the mowing head;
• remove the bar from the electric motor by unscrewing a pair of bolts;
• pull the flexible cable out of the bar;
• lubricate the cable over the entire length.

It is done this way: first you need to lubricate the end of the cable, and then insert it into the rod, then, as it moves inside the pipe, apply lubricant to the part and distribute it evenly over the surface. Then insert the flexible shaft into the electric motor and fasten it.

In the case when the lubricant does not help, and the vibration continues to appear, you will need to change the flexible shaft.

The trimmer is very hot

Overheating of the trimmer can occur for many reasons:

• gasoline has not the octane number, which is indicated in the instructions for the unit;
• the proportions of gasoline and oil were not observed during the preparation of the fuel mixture;
• a mixture of fuel with oil was prepared for a long time (the mixture can not be stored for more than 2 weeks);
• the trimmer works more than the time required by the instructions;
• low-power trimmer is used on thick and hard grass, the device works with overload and heats up quickly;
• shifted toward the bar or stuck cassette cover.

The latter happens if you install unsuitable mower head for this unit, or when the axis is displaced inside the rod. These changes make rotation more difficult, the engine load increases, and it overheats.

Selection of buyers in 2018

ECHO SRM-2305SI trimmer