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hi
my stihl hedgcutter needs 17 pumps to start, i guess its the fuel pump, or filter, but all looks fine,any ideas

toecramp

The bulb is not a primer, it doesn't squirt fuel into the engine, but purges air out of the carb itself, so 2 or 3 pumps is all you need, then you put it on choke with the throttle trigger set and pull it until it hits, then take it off choke and pull until it starts.

You might want to start with fresh fuel mix, old fuel these days is one of the major problems with small equipment, and it's
formulation changes with the season as well for easier starting.

Fish said:

The bulb is not a primer, it doesn't squirt fuel into the engine, but purges air out of the carb itself, so 2 or 3 pumps is all you need, then you put it on choke with the throttle trigger set and pull it until it hits, then take it off choke and pull until it starts.

You might want to start with fresh fuel mix, old fuel these days is one of the major problems with small equipment, and it's
formulation changes with the season as well for easier starting.

Click to expand...

i know how a hedge cutter works and how to start one, thats my job, for 23 years, but this one will not start without at least 17 pumps, so there must be a reason for this.id say either fuel is not getting into the carb in sufficent amounts or too much air in the carb, so maybe air filter, ive not looked at it,at all,

Air filter?

Choke would be a more likely trouble area, or if the hedgetrimmer is 23 years old, might need to check the compression.

Or by 17 pumps, do you mean pulling the rope 17 times?

Fish said:

Air filter?

Choke would be a more likely trouble area, or if the hedgetrimmer is 23 years old, might need to check the compression.

Click to expand...

the hedge cutter is an HS ,it snot old, maybe 7 years oldish, ive been doing this job for 23 years lol.

i once looked at a car for a mate, which was back firing, i checked the air filter first, and found 'no' airfiter fitted, the problem
this hedgecutter i bought cheap because of its problems, and i havent checked the air filter, maybe their isnt one,
hmmm
ill check the choke as well cheers mate

toecramp said:

the hedge cutter is an HS ,it snot old, maybe 7 years oldish, ive been doing this job for 23 years lol.

i once looked at a car for a mate, which was back firing, i checked the air filter first, and found 'no' airfiter fitted, the problem
this hedgecutter i bought cheap because of its problems, and i havent checked the air filter, maybe their isnt one,
hmmm
ill check the choke as well cheers mate

Click to expand...

I am guessing on your exact model, but it should be similar anyway. but #4 choke lever gets worn where it connects with #5,6,
and will not let the choke fully "snap" closed, but taking off the air filter you can see this readily.

Fish said:

Or by 17 pumps, do you mean pulling the rope 17 times?

Click to expand...

no i mean pressing the rubber primer, obviously,

toecramp said:

no i mean pressing the rubber primer, obviously,

Click to expand...

Well, you never know. I had a couple of nephews that grew up over there, and when they would come here to visit, they would
giggle when anyone mentioned my uncle "Willy"... And cookies were "biscuits".

Why would you want a car for a mate?

have you done a compression test? and if so what were the numbers?

I have a set of Sthil and we were having the same problem. I switched to Stihl Ultra mix oil and mine straightened up. it took about a week, but we use them two or three times a week.

Buy an echo hedge trimmer. They always start and run better than the stihl's. Poor fuel quality could be the problem. Old fuel, fouled spark plug could be the problem. Not all 2 stroke engine start well straight off the choke with no throttle. try giving throttle and pulling the cord. 3-6 Primes max. I don't know the fuel quality in the Uk. Down here in the states fuel starts to turn in 30 days. Small engines with one cylinder are more selective about the fuel quality. A plugged air filter would not cause the engine to not start. It just won't run well. Over time plugged air filters cause the engine to ingest dirt. maybe the cylinder is scored.