Stihl MS 250 Wont start?

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SKIN052

Minister of Fire
Nov 12, 2008
798
Appleton, Newfoundland
Never had a problem with this saw. I was bucking up some wood today and was starting a stopping the saw quite a bit. Set it down for a bit and it refused to start. Not sure how long I had it down for, not sure if I put on full choke, half, etc. I think I flooded it and quit for the day, cleaned the plug and it was quite wet. Any advice for a flooded saw? I currently have the plug out and cleaned up. Hoping this thing starts tomorrow. Fishing season opens on Tuesday and I have a bit of work to do before I am ready. 1 hard days work tomorrow and I am 2-3 cords ahead.
 
The easy place to start is with the air filter. Then the fuel filter (yes, even on a saw that is "flooding"). These two problems are common and can be cured or eliminated in a couple of minutes.

After that comes diagnostics - fuel, spark, air.
 
I would clean the plug and pull the pull cord a few times with the plug out to dry out the cylinder and try again. If you don't have any luck then try a new plug. Once a plug is fouled they are never the same again.
 
Procedure to clear a flooded 2-cycle is to hold the throttle wide-open (choke off/open, ignition on) and pull the starter until it starts. You can reduce the amount of yanking by pulling the spark plug and performing the same procedure with the ignition off until the fuel stops spraying out the hole. Replace the plug and attempt to start without using the choke.

With the MS250, clearing a flooded engine is easy. Set the lever all the way down to full chake position and then move it up 1 postion to the Fast Idle (some might call it half choke but the choke is actually fully open) position. Pull until it starts. Sometimes this may take 20 pulls depending on how bad it's flooded. Removing the plug is only necessary for the absolute worst cases of a flooded engine.
 
Yah, most Stihl saws are pretty easy to flood. 250s can vapor lock sometimes when they are hot as well. Fast idle is a good way to start a flooded Stihl. I ususally let them set for 5 minutes and then do the fast idle thing, and full open throttle if that does not work. I also tend to carry 2 saws into the woods, and if I am around the house and a saw will not strat, I reach for another one.
 
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