Generator won't start

[drake]

So, with all this storm business going on, I went to test my generator.... and nothing happens. I had drained it recently, but it may have been too late. Any ideas on how I can fix it myself: where to start addressing problems, etc. I am poor, so taking it to a small engine repair shop would probably be more than I can afford. Any ideas are appreciated.

[fusil de asalto]

So, with all this storm business going on, I went to test my generator.... and nothing happens. I had drained it recently, but it may have been too late. Any ideas on how I can fix it myself: where to start addressing problems, etc. I am poor, so taking it to a small engine repair shop would probably be more than I can afford. Any ideas are appreciated.
Use this.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hammer-1.jpg

[wilebill]

Take the plug out and clean it good. Pull the cord a few times with the plug out to make sure it's not full of gas. Make sure the filter is clean. Put fresh gas in it and pull the cord a bunch of times.

[drake]

Use this.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hammer-1.jpg

Funny, but not really helpful.

[drake]

Take the plug out and clean it good. Make sure the filter is clean. Put fresh gas in it and pull the cord a bunch of times.

I don't know anything about small engines. Take out what plug?

[wilebill]

I don't know anything about small engines. Take out what plug?

The spark plug. I also added another line to my post after you quoted it.

[Conveyor Belt]

put in new fluids and then hit it with a hammer.

[wilebill]

It's usually a fouled plug, though. It gets all kinds of crap stuck to the plug. You may want to scrape off any stuff that's stuck on the end of the plug, but be careful not to bend that thick wire looking thing out of place or it may make matters worse.

[OTM]

Did you let it run dry the last time you ran it? Turned off the gas and let it run till it died. If so, like Bill said, clean the spark plug. Also, you can get a can of starter fluid at anywhere and spray a little in the cylinder while the plug is out and put the plug back in and try it. If still nothing, take the air filter off and spray the starter fluid in the carburetor and try it.

[hendrixfreak70]

"It ain't got no gas in it" Billy Bob Sling Blade.

[drake]

The last time I tried to run it, about 6 months ago, I had trouble getting it started and ended up manually draining out the gas. I'm not sure if the damage had been done already by the time I got the gas out.

[hendrixfreak70]

Spark plug prolly like Bill said. I know I put a new one on my lawnmower and it cranked right up. Then the solenoid went out on it and I put that on but there are only 120 different ways to attach the wires to it so I just jump start the dang thing with metal pliers and bypass the safety on it. Works everytime now.

[XC9]

try googling small generator home repair.

[OTM]

The last time I tried to run it, about 6 months ago, I had trouble getting it started and ended up manually draining out the gas. I'm not sure if the damage had been done already by the time I got the gas out.If it ran 6 months ago, it'll run. Drain the gas and use fresh gas and get some starter fluid.

[drake]

try googling small generator home repair.

Yeah, I've been googling all kinds of things. Problem is that I don't know what a lot of the technical terms mean.

[hendrixfreak70]

You also may wanna check the carburetor too. Alot of times when gas be sittin up in a tank for a minute the gas carmalizes and stuff, the fuel line may be jacked up too. Or am I thinking about the gas filter?? Goodness, I dunno.

[Conveyor Belt]

wd40 works great as starter fluid...

learned that from a small engine repair shop guy...

tried it out, and it works fine.

[Ted]

So, with all this storm business going on, I went to test my generator.... and nothing happens. I had drained it recently, but it may have been too late. Any ideas on how I can fix it myself: where to start addressing problems, etc. I am poor, so taking it to a small engine repair shop would probably be more than I can afford. Any ideas are appreciated.
Does it have an ON/OFF switch?

[fusil de asalto]

Still haven't figured it out yet?
Then maybe you should
http://www.bartcop.com/jpg/012ham.jpg

[hendrixfreak70]

I say if all else fails, pray over it. It has worked once in history!!!

[carsalesguy]

i'm surprised nobody mentioned this-

most horizontal engines (just like the generators) have a safety for low oil- so check the oil level to see if it is low-

those engines will not start/quit running if the level gets low-

[drake]

i'm surprised nobody mentioned this-

most horizontal engines (just like the generators) have a safety for low oil- so check the oil level to see if it is low-

those engines will not start/quit running if the level gets low-

When we got the generator for Katrina this sensor was messed up. When we finally got someone at the Briggs/Stratton place to tell us that sometimes they don't work and we could just take it off, it worked fine. Anyway, I checked the oil, and the low oil sensor hasn't been hooked up in years.

[Declan]

try pulling the cord

[Fish-Bait]

what kind of generator is this?

[mike_honcho]

what horse power is the engine?

[Fish-Bait]

get a 4 dolla' can of startin' fluid...shoot it in the air intake for a sec and pull da' cord my man....she'll fire. If she don't you have spark problems.

[mike327]

Starting fluid is bad, bad. If you don't know what you are doing you can lock it up. Do NOT run your engine on starting fluid. Use only a quick burst near the intake.

[drake]

what kind of generator is this?

It is a Coleman Powermate 6250 with a Briggs and Stratton engine.

[777]

My dad runs a small engine shop out of his house and hes really cheaper then i think he should be. If you want i can give you his number he lives in Brooklyn thow. It would be alot cheaper then anyone in hattiesburg and hes really fast ususaully has everything done within a day or less.

[R1ZOOM]

It is a Coleman Powermate 6250 with a Briggs and Stratton engine.


Ouch, I'm sorry, my mom and dad have one of those and it has to be the loudest generator on the face of the Earth. :-D

[drake]

My dad runs a small engine shop out of his house and hes really cheaper then i think he should be. If you want i can give you his number he lives in Brooklyn thow. It would be alot cheaper then anyone in hattiesburg and hes really fast ususaully has everything done within a day or less.

I don't know how cheap "cheaper" is, but I'll give him a call if you give me the number.

[mike_honcho]

Starting fluid is bad, bad. If you don't know what you are doing you can lock it up. Do NOT run your engine on starting fluid. Use only a quick burst near the intake.
they make starting fluid with top engine lube that is not as bad.

[58ford]

You should replace the spark plug every year whether it's fouled or not. It's cheap, and cleaning a plug a lot can lead to a miss gapped plug. Also, if you left gas in it for a few months a little carb cleaner couldn't hurt.

[mike_honcho]

pull the spark plug and see if its wet. if it is leave it out for an hour or so and then put a new plug in and try again. it may just be flooded.

[Fish-Bait]

dang.....I want to get this thing runnin'.....any luck yet?

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

fish bait I think u just gonna have to go do it yourself hun...

[drake]

dang.....I want to get this thing runnin'.....any luck yet?

Just got back from getting a new spark plug. Like I said before, I don't know what I am doing, so I have been searching the internet to try and figure out how to do all the suggestions I've gotten.

[58ford]

Pull the plug wire, choose the appropriate socket & remove the plug, wipe a little oil on the threads of the new plug & screw it in medium tight, but don't really wrench on it hard because the steel threads of the plug could strip out the aluminum threads of the block, replace the plug wire.

[Fish-Bait]

Just got back from getting a new spark plug. Like I said before, I don't know what I am doing, so I have been searching the internet to try and figure out how to do all the suggestions I've gotten.

Find the air filter...rectangular box prolly....take out the filter, spray just a tad of starter fluid in it and pull on it a few times really fast. It should fire.

[carsalesguy]

am i going to have to come over there and do this?

[drake]

Pull the plug wire, choose the appropriate socket & remove the plug, wipe a little oil on the threads of the new plug & screw it in medium tight, but don't really wrench on it hard because the steel threads of the plug could strip out the aluminum threads of the block, replace the plug wire.

The spark plug was incredibly difficult to remove. The gas tank was right on top of it. Anyway, once I got it out, I noticed that they new one and old one didn't look anything alike, even though I had purchased the one they said I needed in the reference chart. I guess it's back to home depot.

[Fish-Bait]

The spark plug was incredibly difficult to remove. The gas tank was right on top of it. Anyway, once I got it out, I noticed that they new one and old one didn't look anything alike, even though I had purchased the one they said I needed in the reference chart. I guess it's back to home depot.

it'll prolly work. It' prolly had a chinese plug in it.

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

it might be a good idear if one of you guys head on over b-4 drake blows his place up

[drake]

it might be a good idear if one of you guys head on over b-4 drake blows his place up

Give me a little credit. I'm smart, just not trained.

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

you need one of these good ol boys to give ya few lessons..... once they show you, chances are you won't forget it! We all have to learn somehow!

[58ford]

The spark plug was incredibly difficult to remove. The gas tank was right on top of it. Anyway, once I got it out, I noticed that they new one and old one didn't look anything alike, even though I had purchased the one they said I needed in the reference chart. I guess it's back to home depot.
Be sure to put a drop of oil on the threads of the new plug, it will prevent the plug from corroding in the hole & make it easier to remove next time.

[damnyank]

drake, everything I would suggest has already been suggested and although it won't help you - it has prompted me to get off my booty and make sure my generator will start (it does) and that I have all the extention cords available that I used during Katrina! TYVM for putting me in motion! :clap:

[CircusRide]

There's no gas left, so it doesn't matter if you get it started anyway.

[PHDPLEASE]

Buy some starter fluid, take off the air filter...

1) spray the hell out of the intake (silver nipple lookin' thang)
2) spray some more
3) choke all the way
4) pull like hell
5) when motor turns over, wait for it to "chug" (right before it dies) then spray like hell
6) repeat

If this don't work, change the plug.

If that don't work...buy new generator!

[ynotme297]

clean the plug, add new gas, remove carb. breather/filter, spray with carb. cleaner. it will start with carb. cleaner all by its self. spray a small amount in hole before you replace the plug. don't go crazy with the cleaner or it might go booooooooom.

[Ted]

The spark plug was incredibly difficult to remove. The gas tank was right on top of it. Anyway, once I got it out, I noticed that they new one and old one didn't look anything alike, even though I had purchased the one they said I needed in the reference chart. I guess it's back to home depot.Compare and scrutinize the ends that screw in very closely.
If they look the same, it's very likely the correct sparkplug.
Often the 'outside' end that the wire plugs onto will look different depending on different mfrs. ;)

[mike_honcho]

did you ever get it running?

[Fish-Bait]

the damn suspense is killin' me.....

[drake]

Well, I replaced the spark plug and sprayed a little bit of carb cleaner in there, but it didn't start. I only put about 4 squirts of it in. I didn't know if you can put too much. Should I spray in more?

It is clunking about 4 times after I pull the string, but never fully turns over.

[Rainey]

Well, I replaced the spark plug and sprayed a little bit of carb cleaner in there, but it didn't start. I only put about 4 squirts of it in. I didn't know if you can put too much. Should I spray in more?

It is clunking about 4 times after I pull the string, but never fully turns over.

You fail.

[Fish-Bait]

spray more....directly into the carb man.....

take the plug out and ground it to the block (touch the sparin' end to it) pull the cord and see if it sparks...if it does it will run!!!!! DO IT!!!!! make sure the on switch it is on if it has one.

[mike327]

I might can take a look at it tomorrow if you would like.

[drake]

Alright, I put a bunch of carb cleaner in, and when I pulled the chain it sounded like it wanted to run for about 4 or 5 seconds, then stopped. The next few pulls got me nothing again. I have heard y'all say it can run on carb cleaner alone, so was it just burning that stuff I sprayed in? Should I spray even more in? Someone said if you put to put it might explode, and I like my face the way it is.

[drake]

I might can take a look at it tomorrow if you would like.

If I can't get it started today, I might take you up on that.

[Fish-Bait]

If I can't get it started today, I might take you up on that.

You didn't happen to turn off the gas at the tank did you.....

that or your carb is gummed up....get it runnin' again and everytime it starts to die give it a squirt and it'll pick back up....do this a couple of times and see if it spits out the junk in the carb and starts runnin'...if you can...pull out the choke while it's runnin' and see if that clears it...but only pull it out for a second.

[drake]

You didn't happen to turn off the gas at the tank did you.....

that or your carb is gummed up....get it runnin' again and everytime it starts to die give it a squirt and it'll pick back up....do this a couple of times and see if it spits out the junk in the carb and starts runnin'...if you can...pull out the choke while it's runnin' and see if that clears it...but only pull it out for a second.

Gas tank valve is opened up. Should I keep spraying more carb cleaner in?

The choke thing is a sliding lever. The manual says to have it in choke position to start it, but if I do that too many times will it flood it?

[mike327]

Sounds like no gas to me. It may have more than one shutoff valve.

[drake]

Sounds like no gas to me. It may have more than one shutoff valve.

Hmmm... maybe, but I am doing the same things I did when I ran it after Katrina. Or at least I think I am.

[Fish-Bait]

yeah...it will flood....spray more in there and then fire it off immediatle ly....do it quick as you can....close the choke and keep sprayin' if it starts to die...just keep repeating....if it won't run by itself after a few times doin' this then your carb is too gummed up and you need to take it off and clean it out....

[Fish-Bait]

mine did the same thing man after sittin' up and I let the gas run out and closed up the valve. It was in storage for 8 months...had to get a new carb.......

[Fish-Bait]

you can try blowin' a little air into the hose that goes into the carb....there are all kinds of little tricks...

[58ford]

At this point I suggest buying lots of batteries.

[drake]

Damn, this is wearing my arm out...

Anyway, I sprayed a bunch more carb cleaner in there, and it sounded like it wanted to start for a couple seconds, but then wouldn't make any more effort than that.

I guess I'll try some starter fluid, and then who knows what.

[Fish-Bait]

Damn, this is wearing my arm out...

Anyway, I sprayed a bunch more carb cleaner in there, and it sounded like it wanted to start for a couple seconds, but then wouldn't make any more effort than that.

I guess I'll try some starter fluid, and then who knows what.

do you drink beer?

[drake]

do you drink beer?

No, but I think I am about to start if this sunuva bitch doesn't start soon.

[Fish-Bait]

No, but I think I am about to start if this sunuva bitch doesn't start soon.

get a beer........

it's the carb man....the carb cleaner will run it....next time it fires spray the shat out of it up in that hole....you do have the air filter off eh?

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

fishy take a 6 pack and head on over to drakes place....

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

dang, I want to drink a beer for ya

[Fish-Bait]

this shat is killin' me...

[drake]

Some friend of my dad's just called me and said he would fix it for me this weekend when I go to my folks house. Maybe that's the best way to go at this point.

[Bahlk]

Drink enough beer and you wont care if it runs or not LOL

[Fish-Bait]

dammit.

[Pop]

By time you get er started the storm will have come and gone and FEMA might buy you a new one!!!!!!

[Ted]

No, but I think I am about to start if this sunuva bitch doesn't start soon.Ya know it ain't gonna crank until ya cuss a lot - and real loud. :-D

[buggz13]

Ya know it ain't gonna crank until ya cuss a lot - and real loud. :-D
I can assure you that generator has been cussed a lot. During Katrina it caused a black eye when my neighbor jerked the cord really hard and elbowed Drake in the eye. Quite the sight.

[Rainey]

I can assure you that generator has been cussed a lot. During Katrina it caused a black eye when my neighbor jerked the cord really hard and elbowed Drake in the eye. Quite the sight.

Wow, I bet you get groaned for that post.

[buggz13]

Wow, I bet you get groaned for that post.
Probably. I tend to not be helpful.

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

so has he gotten this thang going yet?

[buggz13]

so has he gotten this thang going yet?
Nope. Pretty darn close though. I doubt that would make me to happy if we were without electricity though. Hopefully has dad's friend can fix it this weekend. :(

[pEtAl mIsFiT]

I hope he can get it fixed so just incase...
I hope more that we don't need to use any generators...

[777]

Told ya you should of called my dad he fixed 5 yesterday, all 5 for less then a 100 bucks..

[buggz13]

Told ya you should of called my dad he fixed 5 yesterday, all 5 for less then a 100 bucks..

This is Drake. I'm on my wife's account.

I don't have 100 bucks. Will he do it for 4?

Seriously, I'll trade some beer for labor if anyone who knows what they are doing wants to come out here and help me tomorrow.

[carsalesguy]

This is Drake. I'm on my wife's account.

I don't have 100 bucks. Will he do it for 4?

Seriously, I'll trade some beer for labor if anyone who knows what they are doing wants to come out here and help me tomorrow.

call me in the afternoon we have to move carz at 9 (pooey)

601-520-7473 and i might be able to help. FB may be around too, IDK

[777]

Too late now buddy Good luck! Early Birds get the worm! Maybe a couple of days ago he'd work something out now he got like 15 people up in his crib!

[buggz13]

call me in the afternoon we have to move carz at 9 (pooey)

601-520-7473 and i might be able to help. FB may be around too, IDK
:bowrofl:Thanks! We have a 4 mo. old and a 2 yr. old so cooling them off will be important. Hopefully it won't come to that, but having it just in case will make me feel a lot better.

[carsalesguy]

i can't promise anything- but i know your pain

[wilebill]

Drake, what general area do you live in. If it's close I might can give it a look tomorrow.

[drake]

Drake, what general area do you live in. If it's close I might can give it a look tomorrow.

I live just off South 34th.

[Aphrodite]

A generator is for wimps....tough it out! :evil:

[mike327]

I can come take a look at it after Church. PM me addy and Phone #.

[jmb]

Drake, I hope you get your generator going. That's what makes this such a great place...lending a helping hand when needed. :clap:

[drake]

Mike327 and his boy came over and fixed my generator today. It was nice to have some guys who knew what they were doing have a look at it instead of me. Thanks Mike. Everyone who reads this should donate that guy some hubbucks for helping out a stranger who needed his assistance.

[Bahlk]

What ended up being the problem?

[OTM]

Mike327 and his boy came over and fixed my generator today. It was nice to have some guys who knew what they were doing have a look at it instead of me. Thanks Mike. Everyone who reads this should donate that guy some hubbucks for helping out a stranger who needed his assistance.Don't leave us hanging. What was wrong with it and what did he do to fix it?

[drake]

Don't leave us hanging. What was wrong with it and what did he do to fix it?

Apparently, I think there was some sort of build-up or dirt in the float. Mike might get on later and be able to tell you more. They did a lot of work on different aspects of the carburetor.