Husqvarna 445 trouble starting after running out of fuel

[DaveInPhilly]

So I have a Husky 445 that I picked up used about a year ago. The saw had been was newly purchased by a guy who needed it for hurricane cleanup and sold it to me when he was done with it. So it's a relatively young saw. Saw has worked fine most of the time, and most of the time I'm not putting long hours on it (rarely more than one tank of gas.) Since I use the saw relatively infrequently I use the pre-mix fuel so I don't have to worry about ethanol eating away at the insides. It has never given me a hard time cold starting. But it has given me a bit of a hard time restarting after having run for a little while.

During the big storms last week I lost a 50' pine in on my front lawn. I set about cleaning it up yesterday. The first time I ran through a tank of gas, the saw stalled mid cut. I took it over to the driveway, filled it with gas and chain oil and the damn thing would not start. I banged on it for 15 min with no luck. Let it sit for a few beers and a hot dog. Came back to it and it started. Ran through another tank of gas, filled it back up and again, it wouldn't start. Pulled the air filter, pulled the plug, all looked fine.

I finished the job with my neighbors Stihl and then took the bar off the saw. I noticed the sprocket in the nose wasn't spinning freely. I hit it with some penetrating lube and eventually worked a few big splinters out of it. My bar does have grease ports, so I greased it up put it back on the saw and it started on the first pull.

I really love the saw, but it left my in a lurch yesterday. Is this normal? Would a stuck nose sprocket cause the saw not to start? Or is it really that big a deal to run out of gas mid cut? Or might there be an actual issue with my saw? This is my first real saw, before this I had only used garage sale Poulans and Craftsmans. So user error is certainly possible.

 

[Dobish]

my 445 is notorious for only starting for me, and nobody else. did it sound like it had no compression, or did it want to start and then stall out?

 

[DaveInPhilly]

I'm not sure I would know what a saw would feel like if it had no compression, but it felt like a regular pull on a cold start, just over and over and over again. Out of more than a hundred pulls it may have coughed once or twice, but didn't make any real effort at turning over.

 

[Dobish]

I'm not sure I would know what a saw would feel like if it had no compression, but it felt like a regular pull on a cold start, just over and over and over again. Out of more than a hundred pulls it may have coughed once or twice, but didn't make any real effort at turning over.

it could be a number of things and this might sound really simple, but dump out the gas, and try new gas. Also, check the gas line for a clog or the pickup filter in the gas tank.

I have had to hold the throttle down a few times starting mine... when it doesn't start, its a real pain in the butt, then the next day it is fine.

 

[Montanalocal]

Yea, my 391 does the same thing. It starts reliably, hot or cold, but if I let it completely run out of gas, it does not want to start. I make sure if it starts to accelerate just a few seconds before it runs out, I shut it off immediately, regardless of where I am in the cut. I have used starting fluid to get it to pop a few times so as to suck up the new gas. I know some people do not like to use starting fluid, but I have used it all my life and have had no problems.

 

[Zack R]

One thing thats worked for me is to remove the spark plug, open the throttle all the way and give it a good 5-6 pulls to dry out the cylinder. I had a bunch of starting problems with my 365 Special that were rectified with a new E3 spark plug. Best $8 I ever spent.

Other than that it looks like you'll just need to check the fuel more often.

 

[jwfirebird]

I never let my stuff run out of gas its bad for it. causes a lean condition which can cause burned rings, holes in your pistons, etc and crap can clog the filter that doesn't get stirred up otherwise

every three or four months my ms361 would quit starting and it was always the ngk plug they put in at the dealer, finally just put a e3 in it has been there for many years and hasent stopped working yet

 

[jackatc1]

? Would a stuck nose sprocket cause the saw not to start?

Not if you had the chain brake engaged.

 

[Zack R]

I'm not sure I would know what a saw would feel like if it had no compression, but it felt like a regular pull on a cold start, just over and over and over again. Out of more than a hundred pulls it may have coughed once or twice, but didn't make any real effort at turning over.

No compression means it turns over with no resistance (same feeling as pulling the starter cord without the spark plug in). Low compression means you would feel some resistance but not much.

 

[Kevin Weis]

My 445 is sort of doing the same thing but not when it runs out of gas. Does it whenever you shut the saw off then go to restart it. Seems like compression is a little weaker when it does this. Never had a problem before now. Have had the saw about 6 years so well used. Maybe just getting worn out? Kevin

 

[greg13]

I would look towards something in the ignition getting hot. next time it acts up check for spark. The plug is the easiest and cheapest to change in fact change it anyway. I have seen them spark outside the cylinder and not fire under compression. next would be the coil breaking down when hot.

 

[DaveInPhilly]

Thanks for all the replies. The saw is running fine at the moment, but I have run it out of gas since. The plug looked good to me (I have been working on cars a lot longer than chainsaws). I doubt the saw has had 10 tanks of gas through it yet, but still, its a cheap and easy fix, so I'll swap it out and see if that makes my life any easier.

 

[tadmaz]

My brand new MS261CM doesn't like to start after running out of gas. It will start after a few pulls then die, start after a few pulls then die, then be fine. I believe this is normal on a saw that does not have a primer bulb (such as Stihl M-tronic). The manual (linked below) states that the prime is simply gone and needs to reestablish. Page 38 (but the bottom of the page says 36). Not sure if this helps you or not.

(broken link removed)
With a new engine or after a long period
of disuse or if the fuel tank has run empty
(engine stalled out), with machines
without an additional manual fuel pump,
it may be necessary to pull the starter
rope several times - to prime the fuel
line

 

[Allagash350]

Does that saw have a primer bulb? Are you using it?

Running it out of gas may take a few extra pulls but shouldn’t be that difficult. Sounds to me more like it is getting choked out or the carb needs tuning.

Gas tank clean? Sometimes you run something low on fuel the filter gets gunk on it as it sucks everything up.

Spark arrestor clean?

Doubt there is a problem with the plug but if it was flooded it could be fouled. I have always used ngk plugs in pretty much every outdoor tool.

Air filter should be fine but worth checking.

Also keep in mind you don’t know what the previous owner was running in it. Maybe old gas or not mixed right?

Next time don’t run it out of gas, and when you refill and try a warm start do it with no choke first and see what happens

 

[DaveInPhilly]

Does that saw have a primer bulb? Are you using it?

Running it out of gas may take a few extra pulls but shouldn’t be that difficult. Sounds to me more like it is getting choked out or the carb needs tuning.

Gas tank clean? Sometimes you run something low on fuel the filter gets gunk on it as it sucks everything up.

Spark arrestor clean?

Doubt there is a problem with the plug but if it was flooded it could be fouled. I have always used ngk plugs in pretty much every outdoor tool.

Air filter should be fine but worth checking.

Also keep in mind you don’t know what the previous owner was running in it. Maybe old gas or not mixed right?

Next time don’t run it out of gas, and when you refill and try a warm start do it with no choke first and see what happens

Yep, tank is clean and clear. My first thought was to check the plug, filter and spark arrestor, all were clean and appeared just fine.

If the previous owner ran bad gas or the wrong mix through it, wouldn't have I noticed a problem earlier on? I haven't put all that much time on this saw, but I have run it through a few tanks of gas without a hiccup.

I will try to keep from running out of gas, but the saw doesn't give me any indication like my trimmer or leaf blower does. It just stops running.

 

[VirginiaIron]

I think your nose sprocket had debris in it because the saw stopped mid cut. Although, some chain/bar combos might be more susceptible to this problem. After stopping to add a wedge, sometimes my chain won't turn and I have to rake it backwards. Maybe my c.c/hp is too small for the bar.

 

[rothenbj]

So I have a Husky 445 that I picked up used about a year ago. The saw had been was newly purchased by a guy who needed it for hurricane cleanup and sold it to me when he was done with it. So it's a relatively young saw. Saw has worked fine most of the time, and most of the time I'm not putting long hours on it (rarely more than one tank of gas.) Since I use the saw relatively infrequently I use the pre-mix fuel so I don't have to worry about ethanol eating away at the insides. It has never given me a hard time cold starting. But it has given me a bit of a hard time restarting after having run for a little while.

During the big storms last week I lost a 50' pine in on my front lawn. I set about cleaning it up yesterday. The first time I ran through a tank of gas, the saw stalled mid cut. I took it over to the driveway, filled it with gas and chain oil and the damn thing would not start. I banged on it for 15 min with no luck. Let it sit for a few beers and a hot dog. Came back to it and it started. Ran through another tank of gas, filled it back up and again, it wouldn't start. Pulled the air filter, pulled the plug, all looked fine.

I finished the job with my neighbors Stihl and then took the bar off the saw. I noticed the sprocket in the nose wasn't spinning freely. I hit it with some penetrating lube and eventually worked a few big splinters out of it. My bar does have grease ports, so I greased it up put it back on the saw and it started on the first pull.

I really love the saw, but it left my in a lurch yesterday. Is this normal? Would a stuck nose sprocket cause the saw not to start? Or is it really that big a deal to run out of gas mid cut? Or might there be an actual issue with my saw? This is my first real saw, before this I had only used garage sale Poulans and Craftsmans. So user error is certainly possible.

 

[rothenbj]

Did you ever figure out the problem. I have the same saw and the same issue.

 

[Kevin Weis]

I have a 445 and never had a problem like that. Have had it about 7 years and well used.

 

[MPM5]

check the fuel line. I had this problem with my husky for a while. Finally noticed that the fuel line was molting (? .. for lack of a better word) around the end of the fuel filter. Almost like it had gotten hot, partially melted, and the inner lining was pulling away from the fuel line around the nipple.

Anyway, pulled the filter off, snipped the line back about 3/4" and reconnected it. Works so much better now.

 

[AlbergSteve]

next would be the coil breaking down when hot.

What he said...