Honda Pressure Washer Problem

[Leeboy20]

My neighbor gave me his pressure washer when he moved out of province. Its a honda power jet 2250. It has been stored all winter in doors. I brought it out for the first time yesterday. Before i fired it up, i dumped all the oil out and put in fresh high heat oil ( for pressure washers) . Hooked up the hose, turned the water on and fired it up. Ran good for about 15 minutes with good power. Then the throttle would start going up and down on its own if i didnt have the trigger on the wand pressed. As soon as i pressed the trigger, the machine ran normal. After 15 minutes, it started losing pressure and then finally shut off on its own. I unscrewed the oil checker dipstick, and the crank case was full to the brim and the oil was hot and real thin and went black. So, i figured, i was given a machine with a crack someplace in it. So, we followed the water inlet from the hose, and the pump for the water is a total separate from the crank. Just a shaft coming out of the crank and into the water pump. So, i dont think water can get into the crank. Could it be flooding and the thin oil is gas? I know nothing about these pressure washers, so, before it goes to the dump, and ideas what could be wrong? Poor machine looks almost new.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Clogged carb.

 

[Leeboy20]

Thanks ......What do i do to unclog it?

 

[Pjiman]

I'm no expert but to me it sounds like the unloader valve on the pump is sticking and making the engine run against a pressurized pump. That would explain the engine surging unless the trigger was pulled. Pull the unloader valve and clean it. With any luck it will be good to go.

 

[DYNA BILL]

Mine was doing the same thing yesterday when I used it for the first time this year. I bought it new last year and used it to pressure wash my back fence and then put it in the garage for the winter. I did not drain the gas tank or use Stabil, just stowed it away with a half tank of gas.
It's a Troybilt with a Honda engine. Could the carb be gummed up or if it is the unloader valve, where is it located and is it hard to remove?

 

[Leeboy20]

Why would the crank fill up to the top with ..gas?

 

[Zrexxer]

Why would the crank fill up to the top with ..gas?

The fuel needle/seat in the carb is allowing gas to leak through into the intake. Either something is keeping the needle from sealing or else the float got a hole in it and filled with gas.

 

[dwm]

Leeboy20,

I vote for gummed-up carb. If a lot of fuel wound up in the oil, the question is how much damage was done. Can you still crank it over easily with the pull cord (don't try to run it), or is it seized?

Gummed-up carbs are common on seasonal machines that don't get emptied of fuel before storage. Float valve gets stuck open, and fuel winds up in places it's not supposed to be (out the air intake, washing down the cylinder walls into the crankcase, etc.).

 

[Leeboy20]

Thats 3 votes for gummed up, im heading outside to see if its seized.. After it shut down last night , i had too many beers in me, and just left it and came in to watch Nascar....

 

[Pjiman]

[Could the carb be gummed up or if it is the unloader valve, where is it located and is it hard to remove?[/QUOTE]

It could be the carb but pump problems are common with pressure washers especially if it was not drained prior to storing for the winter. The unloader is located on the valve portion of the pump. Get the manufacturers name off the pump and see if they have a parts diagram on their site. If not, the unloader is usually just threaded into the pump and may have an adjuster on it. It also has a spring and check valve inside so if you do take it apart be careful not to lose them. You can also easily pull the valves out of the pump and clean them out as well. A little debris in the valves can choke the pump. Good luck!

 

[Leeboy20]

I get it, so, if the unloader valve is malfunctioning, would that also cause the crank case to fill up?

 

[Leeboy20]

I also wanted to add, when i pulled the air filter to look in there, the base of the plastic air filter housing ( under the air filter) had gas in that area as well

 

[DYNA BILL]

Leeboy20, I'm sorry. I feel like I kinda hijacked your thread. I'm usually very careful not to do that and I apologize.
Pjiman, thank you for your response.

Bill

 

[Pjiman]

I get it, so, if the unloader valve is malfunctioning, would that also cause the crank case to fill up?

No, two completely separate components.

 

[dwm]

I also wanted to add, when i pulled the air filter to look in there, the base of the plastic air filter housing ( under the air filter) had gas in that area as well

Classic case of float valve stuck open.

Remove the float bowl, clean the carb, float bowl, valve, etc. with carb cleaner, put it back together and replace the fuel-tainted oil. Don't lose the valve, they're usually tiny little critters in this size of engine. Be careful with the float bowl gasket, or buy a new one.

 

[Pjiman]

[ Ran good for about 15 minutes with good power. Then the throttle would start going up and down on its own if i didnt have the trigger on the wand pressed. As soon as i pressed the trigger, the machine ran normal.

If it is the carb, why would the engine run normal once the trigger on the wand was pressed?

 

[dwm]

:Re: Honda Pressure Washer Problem

[ Ran good for about 15 minutes with good power. Then the throttle would start going up and down on its own if i didnt have the trigger on the wand pressed. As soon as i pressed the trigger, the machine ran normal.

If it is the carb, why would the engine run normal once the trigger on the wand was pressed?

It ran normal until the float valve stuck. And when the wand is open, the engine requires more fuel. Maybe just enough to keep the engine from flooding.

My pressure washer has always idled up and down a bit every 60 seconds or so when the wand isn't open, since new (it's now over 10 years old). The feedback system is crude.

Fuel in the air filter is the float valve being open even though the bowl is full. Usually what happens (depending on the position and construction of the air cleaner and fuel tank): owner fills the tank with fuel for the first time of the season, only to find most of the gas flowing out the air intake onto the ground.

 

[Leeboy20]

No, thats cool Dyna Bill...Im just happy to keep the responses and ideas coming!

 

[BD1]

hi, i got a honda motor on mine that i bought new about 7 years ago and still runs great. HOWEVER, the owners manual stated that this particular unit is designed to be used with trigger held open especially when started and it is not designed to run dead headed or with engine running and not depressing trigger. hope this helps.bob

 

[Leeboy20]

I didnt get much time to look at it, today. But i pulled the chord to see if my neighbor seized it and the crazy thing fired right up. I shut it off immediately. The crank case oil is gassy....

 

[fireguy]

Water in the oil will look similar to mayonaise. the reason you have to keep the pw gun open is there is no tank on your cheap pw. If the gun is closed, the water heats up in the pw pump. an open gun keeps fresh cool water in the pump.

 

[MrMark]

I have been working my Honda pressure washer over within the last week with Skin's help. The idle you are experiencing is not normal. Mine did the same thing - up and down constantly. Annoying as hell. I took the carb off and completely apart. There's no a whole lot to the little buggers. There is an idle circuit with a pressed in jet. You have to remove a screw to see it. That jet is tiny and gets plugged. I cleared mine by heating and bending a carb cleaner straw to a very short 90. This was done so I could spray cleaner up the main venturi tube into the hole that is in communication with that idle jet. The idea is to get carb cleaner coming up through that idle jet. You need to follow your BB's. If you do not know what I mean by this, ask.

That fixed my idle. BTW, like someone else posted do not leave the motor running with the pump in bypass for more than 15 seconds or so. It's a good way to burn up the pump according to the manual.

You may have additional problems but those are my thoughts.

 

[MrMark]

hi, i got a honda motor on mine that i bought new about 7 years ago and still runs great. HOWEVER, the owners manual stated that this particular unit is designed to be used with trigger held open especially when started and it is not designed to run dead headed or with engine running and not depressing trigger. hope this helps.bob

Same here. You pull the starter cord with the spray wand held open. These pressure washers are a PITA.

 

[MrMark]

[Could the carb be gummed up or if it is the unloader valve, where is it located and is it hard to remove?

It could be the carb but pump problems are common with pressure washers especially if it was not drained prior to storing for the winter. The unloader is located on the valve portion of the pump. Get the manufacturers name off the pump and see if they have a parts diagram on their site. If not, the unloader is usually just threaded into the pump and may have an adjuster on it. It also has a spring and check valve inside so if you do take it apart be careful not to lose them. You can also easily pull the valves out of the pump and clean them out as well. A little debris in the valves can choke the pump. Good luck![/QUOTE]

What symptoms would this cause? Would it cause the motor governor to go up and down continuously while running.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

Float stuck.......gas flowed past rings into case.....if water was in the oil it would be light brown baby **** color...