Small Engine Troubleshooting

• Battery lead connections are loose.
• Battery charge low or discharged.
• Battery amperage too low.
• Starting leads reversed.
• Fuse in wiring harness blown.
• Keyswitch wired wrong.
• Safety switch malfunctioning.
• Wiring harness incorrect.
• Wiring harness wired wrong.
• Starting cable connectors loose.
• Connectors corroded or worn.
• Starter/Solenoid malfunctioning.

• Electric clutch air gap wrong.
• Drive pulley against engine PTO face.
• Drive belt wedged between idler pulley.
• Drive belt wedged between belt guide.
• Drive belt tension adjusted too tight.
• Starting torque too high for starter.
• Automatic compression release inoperative.
• Combustion chamber flooded with oil/gas.
• No oil in crankcase causing seized rod.
• Drive shaft coupling forcing engine shaft against internal thrust face eliminating crankshaft end play.
• Transmission brakes too tight.

• Fuel tank empty.
• Fuel hose kinked, pinched.
• Fuel filter clogged.
• Fuel valve shut off
• Fuel solenoid inoperative.
• LPG Regulator not opening.
• Water in fuel, stale fuel.
• Wrong type fuel (Diesel).
• Throttle control in stop position.
• Choke not fully closed.
• Choke on, flooding hot engine.
• Power take off clutch on.

• Safety interlocks inoperative.
• Spark plug wire disconnected.
• Spark plug improperly gapped.
• Wrong type of spark plug.
• Wiring harness not connected.
• Wiring broken, loose or wrong.
• Transmission not in neutral.
• Electrical clutch not adjusted.
• Cranking speed too slow to start.
• Spark plug loose.
• Low or no compression.

• Spark plug gap incorrect.
• Engine not properly warmed up.
• Running out of fuel.
• Low idle set too low (Below 1000 RPM).

• Low idle fuel setting too lean.
• Electric clutch dragging.
• Parasitic load on PTO shafts.
• Crankshaft end play zeroed drive.

• Water contaminated fuel.
• Running out of fuel.
• Fuel mixture too rich or too lean.
• Carburetor fuel solenoid shorting.
• Throttle or choke improperly set.
• Dirty carburetor needs cleaning.

• Kill switch contacting intermittently.
• Keyswitch malfunctioning.
• Safety interlock(s) malfunctioning.
• Faulty fuse in unit control box.
• Leaking, worn valves in engines.

• Improper ground causing battery to lose charge when accessories activated.
• Faulty battery will not hold charge.

Will not charge

• Regulator-Rectifier failed.
• Regulator-Rectifier not grounded.
• Flywheel magnet not charged.
• Fuse blown or circuit breaker open.

• Regulator-Rectifier burned out.
• Leads pinched causing shorting.
• Alternator stator shorted.

Electric clutch will not engage

• Wrong Regulator-Rectifier used.
• Wiring wrong or not grounded.

Engine runs on when switched off

• Ignition grounding terminal or ground lead not connected at ignition module.
• Faulty switch.

• Paint or oil burn off.
• Battery cables reversed causing charging stator to short out.

• Defective regulator-rectifier causing charging stator to short out.
• Electric clutch - No running clearance.

• Running out of fuel.
• Running out of oil in crankcase.
• Carburetor solenoid malfunctioning.
• Keyswitch malfunctioning.
• Safety interlocks malfunctioning.
• Spark plug lead loose.

• Fuse blown in control box.
• Carburetor out of adjustment.
• LPG Regulator malfunctioning.
• Loss of vacuum to LPG Regulator.
• Tight drive belt causing crankshaft bearing to seize.

• Overheated - Clogged in cooling fins.
• Overheated - Blocked shrouding.
• Closed choke flooding engine.
• Throttle not in midway position.
• Throttle left in stop position.
• Carburetor solenoid malfunctioning.

• Fouled spark plug.
• Kill lead shoring out.
• Ran out of fuel.
• Lost compression.
• LPG Regulator not functioning.
• Vacuum too low to open LPG Regulator.

• Choke not completely opened.
• Throttle control cable clip loose.
• Throttle control improperly installed.
• Fuel filter or line clogged.
• Fuel inlet line too small.
• Fuel running low.
• Fuel tank too far from engine.

• Fuel pump malfunctioning.
• Gravity feed tank below carburetor.
• Foreign material in carburetor.
• Carburetor out of adjustment.
• Spark plug gapped wrong causing intermittent firing.
• Drive system binding.

1. Close choke.
2. Set throttle to full.
3. Pull starter rope to set engine on compression.
4. Return starter rope, then give a full, steady pull.
5. When engine starts, return choke to full open immediately.
6. Position throttle control to desired setting..

1. Move throttle/choke lever to choke position.
2. Pull starter rope to set engine on compression.
3. Return starter rope, then give a full, steady pull.
4. When engine starts, move the control lever to the desired setting.