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My Stihl FS 110 R is just a year old. I love it. It's been great to start up each time I've used it until recently. I've changed the spark plug which worked initially, but now it takes 10-15 pulls to get it going. Any ideas on what might be the problem??

Bomba said:

My Stihl FS 110 R is just a year old. I love it. It's been great to start up each time I've used it until recently. I've changed the spark plug which worked initially, but now it takes 10-15 pulls to get it going. Any ideas on what might be the problem??

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Have you checked the spark arresting screen and replaced the primer bulb?

Bomba said:

My Stihl FS 110 R is just a year old. I love it. It's been great to start up each time I've used it until recently. I've changed the spark plug which worked initially, but now it takes 10-15 pulls to get it going. Any ideas on what might be the problem??

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Did you let it sit with gas in it all winter long. Carb could need cleaning or the filter could be clogged or the fuel lines may be blocked. Either way you need to look at the fuel system. In my opinion.

LoCo86 said:

Did you let it sit with gas in it all winter long. Carb could need cleaning or the filter could be clogged or the fuel lines may be blocked. Either way you need to look at the fuel system. In my opinion.

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Hey LoCo. Yes, I thought I had drained all of the gas but I had not. And, I also should have let it run until it ran out, which I didn't. I guess that's probably it?

I guess I'll take it to my it to my local Stihl dealer. It's just a few miles from me.

Bomba said:

Hey LoCo. Yes, I thought I had drained all of the gas but I had not. And, I also should have let it run until it ran out, which I didn't. I guess that's probably it?

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Bomba said:

I guess I'll take it to my it to my local Stihl dealer. It's just a few miles from me.

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I've got and run the FS 110. Does it fire at all? If that spark arresting screen is plugged with carbon it wont start or run. I'd also pull the gas filter, air filter & primer bulb and change them. These are no more than maintenance issues that can be handled in five minutes by you and at a minimal cost and is exactly what they will do at the shop before anything else and can save you a ton of money. The thing is your going to pay for them one way or the other so why not try yourself first and save a 65 to70$ bench rate if possible.

Ric said:

I've got and run the FS 110. Does it fire at all? If that spark arresting screen is plugged with carbon it wont start or run. I'd also pull the gas filter, air filter & primer bulb and change them. These are no more than maintenance issues that can be handled in five minutes by you and at a minimal cost and is exactly what they will do at the shop before anything else and can save you a ton of money. The thing is your going to pay for them one way or the other so why not try yourself first and save a 65 to70$ bench rate if possible.

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When I put the new spark plug in it last week it started on the first pull.

Bomba said:

When I put the new spark plug in it last week it started on the first pull.

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Ok, is it still starting and running?

Usually it will fire eventually. I will try the fuel filter and see if that works.

Bomba said:

Usually it will fire eventually. I will try the fuel filter and see if that works.

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Had the same problem with my FS130. I put a new spark plug in and it fired right up but then went back to having to use about 15 pulls to get it going. I put a new carb on it after 10 plus years of use and it fires up every time now within 2-3 pulls. But since yours is a newer model maybe you just need to clean out the carb and lines and put some new fuel in it and see how that works. All this is stuff you can do for free, as Ric says, so try all of that before going to your dealer. Like I stated before it sounds like a fuel system issue you just have to find out which part is the trouble.

LoCo86 said:

Had the same problem with my FS130. I put a new spark plug in and it fired right up but then went back to having to use about 15 pulls to get it going. I put a new carb on it after 10 plus years of use and it fires up every time now within 2-3 pulls. But since yours is a newer model maybe you just need to clean out the carb and lines and put some new fuel in it and see how that works. All this is stuff you can do for free, as Ric says, so try all of that before going to your dealer. Like I stated before it sounds like a fuel system issue you just have to find out which part is the trouble.

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Can I ask if your using the primer bulb and priming the unit before you try to start it?

Ric said:

Can I ask if your using the primer bulb and priming the unit before you try to start it?

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I only use the primer bulb if the unit runs out of fuel. Other than that I just choke it and it starts right up.

LoCo86 said:

I only use the primer bulb if the unit runs out of fuel. Other than that I just choke it and it starts right up.

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The secret with starting a Sthl of any type trimmer, blower or edger is never using the primer. Nine times out of ten using the primer floods the unit. Just use the choke and it will fire in a couple of pulls then turn the choke off and crank it again and it starts right up. Every piece of stihl equipment I own starts the same way.

Ric said:

The secret with starting a Sthl of any type trimmer, blower or edger is never using the primer. Nine times out of ten using the primer floods the unit. Just use the choke and it will fire in a couple of pulls then turn the choke off and crank it again and it starts right up. Every piece of stihl equipment I own starts the same way.

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Yea I found this out the hard way when I first started using Stihl commercial equipment. But to my defense I was 16 and just a novice to this industry.

LoCo86 said:

Yea I found this out the hard way when I first started using Stihl commercial equipment. But to my defense I was 16 and just a novice to this industry.

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Don't feel like a lone stranger because there are alot of people or users that don't realize it.

Yes, I use the primer bulb for each use. I need to put some fresh fuel in it and look at the carb. I guess I'll buy a new spark plug on the way home. It's very frustrating, especially now at the start of the growing season. I have learned my lesson though. Thanks for all of your input and advice.

Bomba said:

Yes, I use the primer bulb for each use. I need to put some fresh fuel in it and look at the carb. I guess I'll buy a new spark plug on the way home. It's very frustrating, especially now at the start of the growing season. I have learned my lesson though. Thanks for all of your input and advice.

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Yea just do it tonight. You should be able to check and fix anything that's wrong in under an hour.

How do I clean the Carb? It won't start at all now, even with new spark plug. Aaahhhh!!

Bomba said:

How do I clean the Carb? It won't start at all now, even with new spark plug. Aaahhhh!!

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Try to start the machine, if it doesn't start tyhen pull the new plug and see if it is soaked.

Yes, the plug is wet.

It would not fire up of course.

I need to watch a video on how to do this.

Bomba said:

Yes, the plug is wet.

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OK then your getting gas and I don't believe it's a carb problem. Your flooding the machine and it's soaking the plug, that's why it wont start. Have you replaced all the filters and cleaned the spark arresting screen and change the primer bulb?

Ric said:

OK then your getting gas and I don't believe it's a carb problem. Your flooding the machine and it's soaking the plug, that's why it wont start. Have you replaced all the filters and cleaned the spark arresting screen and change the primer bulb?

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Excuse my ignorance, but where is the spark arresting screen? Air filter is clean, primer bulb looks and works fine.

Bomba said:

Excuse my ignorance, but where is the spark arresting screen? Air filter is clean, primer bulb looks and works fine.

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It's on the side of the muffler. You will need to remove the shroud /orange cover, three screws, two in the back one in the front. you'll see a cover on the side of the muffler and there is a screw that holds the screen, remove it and lift out the screen using a pair of needle nose pliers. Use a wire brush to remove the carbon build up and replace the screen and put things back together.

Ric said:

It's on the side of the muffler. You will need to remove the shroud /orange cover, three screws, two in the back one in the front. you'll see a cover on the side of the muffler and there is a screw that holds the screen, remove it and lift out the screen using a pair of needle nose pliers. Use a wire brush to remove the carbon build up and replace the screen and put things back together.

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Thanks Ric. I'll give it a shot. All the family coming over tomorrow for Easter lunch, I hope I can fix it and have the yard looking good.

Will the spark plug still work?

Bomba said:

Will the spark plug still work?

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Yes it will work. I don't know if everyone does this but if you take a cigarette lighter and hold the center electrode of the plug over the flame it will dry it out and don't worry you wont hurt the plug. It just burns the excess gas and oil off the plug. Let me know how the screen was?

Ric said:

Yes it will work. I don't know if everyone does this but if you take a cigarette lighter and hold the center electrode of the plug over the flame it will dry it out and don't worry you wont hurt the plug. It just burns the excess gas and oil off the plug. Let me know how the screen was?

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Thx. Ok I'll let u know.

No luck. I cleaned and dried the spark plug and cleaned the spark arrester screen. It won't even turn over. Nothing. I almost grabbed it and smacked it against a tree! I'll just go to the dealer on Monday.

Bomba said:

No luck. I cleaned and dried the spark plug and cleaned the spark arrester screen. It won't even turn over. Nothing. I almost grabbed it and smacked it against a tree! I'll just go to the dealer on Monday.

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Have you checked to see if you have any fire or spark at the plug? put your plug wire on your plug and with a pair of insulated pliers hold the plug against the top engine where you would normally screw the plug in, crank the engine and watch to see if there's any spark in the plug.

I don't have insulated pliers. I'm done with it. Thanks for your help though. The yard looks like crap. After just one season the high end trimmer won't work. I should have bought an Echo instead of spending a fortune on spark plugs.

Bomba said:

I don't have insulated pliers. I'm done with it. Thanks for your help though. The yard looks like crap. After just one season the high end trimmer won't work. I should have bought an Echo instead of spending a fortune on spark plugs.

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Well if you want to send the trimmer my way I will gladly take it. I'll even pay shipping.

The cylinder is just full of gas take the plug out and flip the engine upside down and crank the hell out of it doin this while blowing compressed air in the spark plug hole helps alot too , id deff give it a try

Bomba said:

I don't have insulated pliers. I'm done with it. Thanks for your help though. The yard looks like crap. After just one season the high end trimmer won't work. I should have bought an Echo instead of spending a fortune on spark plugs.

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If you just lay the spark plug next to the hole where you would insert the plug making sure it contacts metal and crank the engine you should see a spark in the plug. If there's no spark then you more than likely have an electrical problem.

I just had the same problem with my fs55r yesterday. Took a cut off saw and cut the screen off. No need for it IMO

I took it to the dealer today. He put some fresh gas in it and adjusted the revs with a screwdriver. Trimmer fixed and running great! And, free of charge.

Sometimes I hate Stihl, I have a chainsaw that I can't start. I take it to the dealer and within three pulls it fires right up. Then I get it home and it wont start. Take it back and he says the carb needs work. Remember it's a new saw. He fixes it and I take it home it starts and I cut one branch and shut it off. It won't start again so back it goes to the dealer. He says let me keep it a few days and we will see. I go across town to another dealer and buy an Echo. Go home and cut the rest of the stuff. Go back and pick up my Stihl and take it home, dealer said that they had messed up my carb during the work they did before and now it should work like new. It was new but never started. Now I have 2 chain saws that start and run. I still love my Echo because it has a primer bulb where the Stihl don't. Two cycles are made to make me mad and drive me crazy.

It turns out that there was a recall on my Stihl FS 110. The dealer replaced the part and now it's working like new. I wish we had discovered that – three visits to the dealer ago.

For future reference, all the Stihl products I have owned need only 1 pull stroke with the choke on. Then, it cranks 2nd pull with choke off. So when, all of a sudden it doesn't start that way, it has a problem and doesn't need to be flooded with gas. The only thing that needs adding to this post is many times you can spray sea foam or some other cleaner into the carb and clean it out. I spray my carbs as a regular maint when cleaning the filter and the exhaust screen or plug. I have an FS55R and it is balanced and light and I trim as many as 4 yards (over 2 acres) in the same location without stopping to rest. It is easy to take apart to work on. Only thing is if I take one completely apart, I leave the trigger lockout out when I reassemble it. That is an unnecessary safety device, which is hard to get back into place. I've got a few of those trigger lockouts just taking up space in a drawer.