Need help - 5 hp Honda pressure washer

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 7th, '07, 17:38

The Brown Truck brought my new pressure washer from Northern Tool today. "Requires some assembly with simple hand tools" it said. Got a inch & 1/16 socket and open end wrench ?, well I did, but it was a pain in the ass to put it together.

Anyway, the 5 hp Honda horz. shaft motor was assembled to the pump already, pump had oil in it, but had to take the shipping plug out and replace it with the supplied vented one. Engine came with no oil, filled it full with good Rotella. Filled the tank with new gas, got it this morning when I filled up the UV-Mobile (gulp, $72).

Anyway, wheeled the pressure washer out on the driveway, started it dry - no water hooked up - and it fired up on the third pull.....ran it for about 15-20 seconds, shut it off, hooked up the water and the damn thing will not fire, not even a peep. Since its about 92 outside, unhooked it from the hose, wheeled it back in the a/c shop. Pulled the plug, sat it on the head, pulled it over and a really nice blue spark. Plug back in, still no pop. Took the air cleaner off and shot a little ether in the intake, still no pop......called Northern Tool, got a nice lady that told me it had to be hooked up to water to run........Sure.......an air cooled engine with spark and ether won't run.......so anyway, just to be compliant with bonehead instructions, I wheeled it back out, hooked up the hose, bled the air and, of course, it still won't start.

Now the gas can I filled this morning with new gas might have had a little (maybe 10 oz in a 5 gal. jerry can) old gas in it, sort of smells like old gas, but with a spark and ether, it ought to at least pop. I get nothing. Maybe shoot some carb cleaner in the intake? Vales stuck?

I be'z befuddled, tired of fooling with it need advice from the Faithful, the best trouble shooters ever......

UV, enjoying a clear......

Dave Kosh R.I.P. · Post by **Dave Kosh R.I.P.** » May 7th, '07, 19:44

UV, I'd take it back after first trying to resolve it over the phone. Try it again and see if you can speak to a qualified guy. My Karcher 5 HP Honda pressure washer works fine. They however warn you to run the water first before you attempt to start it. I don't know why, some type of interlock maybe but I never take a chance in fear of blowing an impeller on the pump section. Mine is 6 years young and works great.
BTW never did find out how Snow made out? Dave K

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 7th, '07, 20:05

Dave - there is no interlock, they just don't want you running it dry for any period of time since the pump is cooled by the water going thru it. These pumps are ceramic piston pumps, not impellers, so running them dry for a few seconds is not going to hurt them. Some of the small Hondas (and Briggs) have a low engine oil level interlock that grounds the ignition to keep from burning them up with no oil, but mine is full, and does not even have that interlock. Since I get a good fat blue spark but no pop even with ether, I figure I have a valve stuck. Don't have a compression gague here at home to check. Have a real serious case of the red ass over it since I order stuff on line since I can't drive around town and buy like most can. Anyway, I'll get it fixed locally, but Northern Tool is on my doo doo list. I'm going to call until I get the head honcho tomorrow and suggest he (or she) needs to send someone to my house to fix the damn thing that ran for 15 seconds.......

Last I heard Snow's cancer was in remission.

UV

Harry Babb · Post by **Harry Babb** » May 7th, '07, 21:01

Vic,
I know that you checked the spark.......BUT consider this.....
Last Christmas I purchased a new Honda motorcycle for my grandson. I went to the Honda shop and actually rode the bike around the parking lot for 10 minutes or so before loading it up in the pickem up truck for the ride home.

The dirt bike sat in the garage for a week until Jo Ann and I gave it to him on Christmas morning..........now imagine this.........everybody is really excited.........this kid just eats dreams and lives dirt bike riding.

I pulled the choke, kicked the kick starter and with a couple of kicks or so it starts right up then soon after the engine dies.........Sound familiar so far????

I removed the spark plug and it cleaned it (Brand freaking new engine!! ! ) screwed it back into the head kicked the starter and it poped once then nothing else.

The fix was to replace the sparkplug........I took a sparkplug out of a 4 wheeler and put it into the new dirt bike and WALLA........it cranked up and ran just fine.

To this day we have never had another problem with that bike. I cannot explain it but thats my story........go try another spark plug the let me know what happens.

Harry Babb

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 7th, '07, 21:17

Harry, I will take the plug out and take it to the Pep Boys by the office tomrrow and get a new one. I took it out and looked at it under my big time electronic blind guy magnifier for cracks, saw none. But the engine seems to be making compression, put my finger in the plug hole and it blows it out, saying valves are not stuck. Plug fires out side the engine. I even shot some ether into the plug hole, put the plug back and no nothing. Ether will usually fire with even the weakest spark.

Shot some CX in the bore too. On the other hand, the unit got shipped from somewhere in MN to Baton Rouge over the last week, and who knows what kinda whacks it took.

Harry, thanks for the heads up. I'll put a new plug in it and see what happens.

UV

randall · Post by **randall** » May 7th, '07, 21:21

UV.....i always run water through the power washer before i start it....not cause you're supposed to but because its mikes...no probs yet....very glad to hear about snow

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » May 8th, '07, 07:57

On my washer you need to release the presure an the sprayer and pull at the same time for it to start. This may or may not help. Other wise the presure from the hose will not let it start.

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » May 8th, '07, 08:39

UV: My Honda 5 hp crankede right up after sitting for two years! None of my other single cylinders will do that! Don't know what you problem is. Try starting it without the aitfilter in place. They seem touchy about running lean.

AndreF · Post by **AndreF** » May 8th, '07, 09:05

UV,
I have a 6 hp Honda washer you can use 'till you get yours "fixed", if you want. It starts right up but I always hook up water first.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 8th, '07, 10:14

Thanks guys, it was the spark plug.....got a new one and it cranked on the first pull. I like buck 89 problems.

Harry, I owe you a bunch of clears....at Pt. Clear. I'll be at the Grand Hotel with the whole family on July 3d thru the following Sat....let's get together.

UV

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » May 8th, '07, 11:47

You will love that Honda engine Vic! I like to buy American when I can, but they have a better mousetrap.

randall · Post by **randall** » May 8th, '07, 14:08

have a honda generator (and a civic)...fire that puppy up once a year weather it needs it or not...always starts right up

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 8th, '07, 15:30

Yeah, its a one pull deal now with the new plug. Have a 15 hp Honda 4 stroke outboard on the Goo Boat I got from Bruce a few years ago and it always starts with no protest. Good stuff. But I will stop by Pep Boys tomorrow and get a spare plug to have. Threw the bad one about a city block up in the woods......

UV

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » May 8th, '07, 15:31

I have found that if you can get a replacement in the Autolite brand, they seem to have the least amount of problems. The small engine champion plugs quit quite often. NGK plugs are good also.

Threw the bad one about a city block up in the woods......

More fill for Andre's property.

Harry Babb · Post by **Harry Babb** » May 8th, '07, 22:25

Vic
I would like the opportunity to meet you in person.
I live about 3 miles from the Grand and my boat house is about 10 miles from the Grand.

Glad the Honda cranks and runs

Harry Babb

Dave Kosh R.I.P. · Post by **Dave Kosh R.I.P.** » May 8th, '07, 22:46

Glad you resolved that one Vic. Buck 89 solution the best kind. Same deal on my Honda pressure washer sits for a year and a half and starts right up . I use Hi Test though always and have little or no problems with all my little engines. I always make sure I put a stabilizer in the generator though.
Thanks for the update on Snow. That's great news. I'm heading that way now with only one more treatment to go. I am gaining all my strength back and made up my mind I'm going to live this short life to the fullest. Off to the Keys I go Friday AM early. Boatload of good fisherman too, excluding an old Captain.
You'll love that pressure washer . I even use it on the plastic lawn furniture. Makes everything look new again. Dave K

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » May 8th, '07, 23:22

I just put all quick connects on mine. makes it much easier being able to disconnect my two hoses from the pump and from each other, as wellas removing the handle and wand. I also got a second handle without a wand. It is extremely handy in tight areas such as bilges. I have quick connect nozzles that go on either handle. I also added two hose reels on the frame to hold the two hoses. I've almost got it right. I just need to add a water heater!

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 9th, '07, 15:33

Dave, glad to hear you are on the mend....we are all gonna go room temp bye and bye, so enjoy your time. Couple of the Faithful that went to Panama with us last year were pretty sick puppies, but went anyway. They both looked 100% better at the end of the week.

Shrimp Pimp, the one I got from Northern Tool has quick connects on all the fittings, you are right its a slick solution to trying to coil up the hose with the gun attached.

Sure sorry to see we have our first (sub) tropical system off the SE coast...Patrick, guess you glad you moved to the hill country. Time to make plans guys.......I have a lot of room at the camp for anyone that wants to hide out in a pretty good hurricane hole. I'm gonna hurricane proof AJ and the camp before we go to Panama next month....I have a strange feeling this year might be a bummer on the storms.

UV

Whaler1777 · Post by **Whaler1777** » May 9th, '07, 17:07

UV Never let that pump run without water, you wont have any engine problems to deal with.... What you will have is a pump problem and a decrease in water pressure.... Easiest way to start one of these things is to turn the water on and stare the engine while you are depressing the trigger on the wand (Pointing it somewhere safe)

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » May 9th, '07, 17:09

UV: I was suprised to see that offshore too. Not a good omen. Cross your fingers and toes!!

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » May 9th, '07, 18:11

We're not getting ANY damn hurricanes this year. Period. And don't jinx it either...

I recently got a call from an unsurance company (no I didn't misspell that) lawyer to look at a guy's house for a 2+ year old claim. He had exposed hurricane ties everywhere on the place by design, which were all rusting. His house was 25 miles from the shore, but he said it was all the saltwater from the hurricanes. Hmmm...... his explanation deepened to say that as both Hurricane Jeanne and Francis bore down on our area (near the space center), the government decided to try protect all it's fancy space stuff by air dropping many tons of salt in the storms to weaken them. And of course the salt ended up on his house, and then rusted all his steel... so the unsurance company still owes him some more bucks. The guy and the story is real (and he is a real loon), can't make up stuff this good.

So anyway, that nut and this post got me thinking. The salt obviously didn't work. So next year (no storms coming this year, remember) how much per load do you figure a 727 could drop CX in a hurricane? Maybe it'll make it the storm slide down the globe all the way to the south pole where the cold will take it out

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » May 9th, '07, 19:04

Sean, I like that idea, sort of like the Sherwin-Williams paint logo??????

UV

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » May 10th, '07, 06:53

That's it! Think of a fried egg on the side of a beach ball. Oil that sucker up, and it'll drop down to Antarctica. Now that's some scientific reasoning. Somebody call Al Gore

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Need help - 5 hp Honda pressure washer

Need help - 5 hp Honda pressure washer

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