Echo ES-250 Blower/Vac

[Tenn]

Engine would not start, no spark, in normal upright position. Placed blower on side on workbench and checked ignition switch which is okay. Coil gap correct and all wires okay.
Hooked up spark tester, still on side, and engine starts. Disconnect spark tester and engine starts while on side.

Hold blower in normal upright position and no spark.

I use to work as a OPE mechanic and I know I have run in to this before but the old mind like this blower does not work as good as it use to.

Nevada, I remember you from the PERR forum several years back. Hope you are doing well.

Serial Number: P33612001212137

[bgsengine]

Unhook ground wire to switch from the coil and check for spark (Switch may not be "ok" after all) - also check the coil primary ground strap, check the plug wire terminal and perhaps trim coil wire back a 1/8 inch and change location of plug wire terminal (Coil wire may be broken) also check crank bearings - while very unlikely if it starts and runs, could have loose bearings.

[hillsider]

Have you tried a replacement spark plug?

I recently found a spark plug where the insulator had cracked all around the underside of the centre electrode allowing the insulator to fall and shield the spark when in the upright position. New plug fitted saw started ok.

[bgsengine]

Have you tried a replacement spark plug?

I recently found a spark plug where the insulator had cracked all around the underside of the centre electrode allowing the insulator to fall and shield the spark when in the upright position. New plug fitted saw started ok.

Good thought but he was using a spark tester between plug and plug wire - I would wonder though how a spark plug like you describe might affect spark test results if it was causing an open circuit..

[hillsider]

Have you tried a replacement spark plug?

Good thought but he was using a spark tester between plug and plug wire - I would wonder though how a spark plug like you describe might affect spark test results if it was causing an open circuit..

Re the effects of a plug with the fault that I described I would imagine that as there is still a circuit to earth within the plug and the spark being masked by the dropped insulator it could still show a spark at the spark tester, I no longer have the defective plug or I would put it into an engine to test your theory.

[Tenn]

I replaced the plug before I even tested for spark and it was not the problem.

bgsengine,
I will trim the coil wire as you suggest. The coil wire connects to the spark plug via a “Spark Plug Cap Spring” and it is plausible continuity could be lost when moved from side to upright position.

Spark Plug Cap Spring:
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/spark-plug-cap-spring-p-502323.html

I will post results next week, thanks.

Is Nevada on this board?

[okie]

Here is the pic. saves a step or 2. Nevada Walrus in still a member but not very active anymore.

Travis

[Mek-a-nik]

Okie, this past summer I worked on an Echo with the exact same symptoms.

It turned out that the unit had a safety switch on the air inlet cover. The inlet cover was cracked, and the switch was open when upright because the cracked cover wasn't holding the switch closed. When I put the thing on it's side, the switch would close, viola, spark!

New cover fixed it. Hope this is all it is for you.

Hope I caught you before you pull that thing all apart!

[KE4AVB]

Good to know. I haven't ran into any blowers yet that has this safety feature but it makes that there should be one. Some operators are not the sharpest tack in the box and would stick their hand in the fan while the blower is running.

[bgsengine]

Good to know. I haven't ran into any blowers yet that has this safety feature but it makes that there should be one. Some operators are not the sharpest tack in the box and would stick their hand in the fan while the blower is running.

Yeah I believe this is just the ES-xx Blower Shredder Vac series - they have a fan cover flap that can be swung out of the way or removed to install the Vacuum suction tube for the vacuum feature on them. Forgot about that - Mek may have nailed it down (Though unhooking coil ground wire to switch can defeat that, if disconnected at coil, which would narrow it down to those features..)