Stihl 362 - Coil Already?!?!

[PJF1313]

Evening Ladies and Gents.....


At work, we purchased (on my recommendation) a 362 in late January/early February of this year. It has seen moderate use from then until early/mid April; along with other Husquies.

This past week, a T-storm rolled trough, and got a 40 or so foot Oak. (Needless to say, a good scrounge for me ;-) the heck with kiln dried stuff, this had all the water instantaneously boiled out of it - bark and shards atleast 50 yards around ) They tried to get the Stihl running, but couldn't, so they grabbed a couple of Husquies, the chipper, and the stump grinder.

After changing the air filter, plug, fresh gas; I couldn't get it running. Yanked the plug again, thinking maybe I flooded it, and put a fresh one in - still (Stihl?!) nothin'. Took the second plug out, was "wet", so I'm getting fuel. Blew it off with compressed air, the tried a "spark test." NOTHING! Dang!! Made sure the switch was right (run area) and pulled a few more times. Stihl nothing I can see/smell fuel from the plug hole; so it's getting that; moved the switch from "run" to "choke" and still nothing as far as spark.

Now I'm looking like a double Azhat!

First - recommending a this saw for the use it'll get

and

Second - even I can't get it running! WTF

Brought it down to the dealer that we bought it from on Monday, Stihl waiting for an "answer and cost"



Now, to all you trouble-shooting people -

Is there anything I missed?? I can take being a DumbAzz - hey you forgot to check so and so. Let me have it!! That's the only way I'll learn!


Thanks for any input/sarcasm....

 

[smokinj]

Its at the dealership under waranty so once they say what wrong then we can go from there. I had issue with the 361 at frist but for now let them earn the money! %-P

 

[Captain Hornet]

These coils on the small horsepower engines can die whenever they want. I bought a new Sears Craftsman garden tractor with the Briggs 18 hp engine. It had a one year warranty and the coil died a week after the warranty was expired. Sears said that it was my problem and tough. They would have fixed it if I had bought the extended warranty but all they did was piss me off. Put a new coil on it and it ran just fine and has been trouble free for the last four years . There coils actually have trigger transistor's in them that work with a capacitor discharge. I think that when the engine shut down the heat cooks the electronics and well kill it if there are any weak parts. As explained to me. David

 

[heat seeker]

I think that when the engine shut down the heat cooks the electronics and well kill it if there are any weak parts. As explained to me. David

That's one reason I idle my machines for at least 2 or 3 minutes after working them. Everything gets a chance to cool down while I use the leaf blower to blow the debris off the mower.
My grass trimmer's book specifically states to idle the engine for a couple of minutes to avoid cooking the electricals.

 

[PJF1313]

Just an update to the post.

I went and picked up this morning. Runs better than new - they must have also adjusted the carburetor while they had it in the shop.



So the damage was :

Bad coil.

No $$ - under warranty.



Just lost use of the saw for a week. They didn't have another, and the holiday weekend took another day for shipping to them. And throw in my days off, in the middle of the week.

It did have a little workout after I got it back to the shop. Had a T-storm roll through last evening, and brought out to the guys in the field to "field-test" it right then and there. I'll get the report back tomorrow morning from them.

I'll let everyone know tomorrow what else the broke on it. I know the chipper went down on them, but a "quick" fuel filter change, and bleeding, got it running again.

Thanks Jay, Captain' and Ht. Seeker for your input!

Jay - I hope this is the last time this saw will see the dealers hand; and I mean that in a good way!

 

[smokinj]

Just an update to the post.

I went and picked up this morning. Runs better than new - they must have also adjusted the carburetor while they had it in the shop.



So the damage was :

Bad coil.

No $$ - under warranty.



Just lost use of the saw for a week. They didn't have another, and the holiday weekend took another day for shipping to them. And throw in my days off, in the middle of the week.

It did have a little workout after I got it back to the shop. Had a T-storm roll through last evening, and brought out to the guys in the field to "field-test" it right then and there. I'll get the report back tomorrow morning from them.

I'll let everyone know tomorrow what else the broke on it. I know the chipper went down on them, but a "quick" fuel filter change, and bleeding, got it running again.

Thanks Jay, Captain' and Ht. Seeker for your input!

Jay - I hope this is the last time this saw will see the dealers hand; and I mean that in a good way!

That is rare to see that saw go down....

 

[rustynut]

hi all,
Just wanted to share this with you
Stihl has opted to use a new engineering trick which might save them a few penneys
They have machined the keyway (the key) between the flywheel and the crankshaft from the flywheel.
Now ordinarily saving $$$ is a good thing but the flywheel is aluminum and the keys have traditionally
been made of steel, and for a reason. I'm usually pretty good at finding these types of problems but
never suspected this. Aluminum key instead of steel and it broke. The flywheel rotated slightly around the
crankshaft and messed up the ignition timing. This causes the spark to occur at
a time other than when it is supposed to occur. This one had me stumped ! I took it in and spent the 25$
to have it diagnosed. Filed a keyway into the flywheel and installed a steel key instead of scrapping the
unit and it has worked fine since. All of my yard equipment is Stihl and i'm still convinced they make
good stuff. This has bothered me and i figured that sharing this info may persuade them to rethink this practice.
If nothing else you all may save from scrapping your tools. This repair was easy to do but took a bit of patience.
Rustynut

btw- it was an instant shut off from high rpm...........i dont do that anymore

 

[MasterMech]

hi all,
Just wanted to share this with you
Stihl has opted to use a new engineering trick which might save them a few penneys
They have machined the keyway (the key) between the flywheel and the crankshaft from the flywheel.
Now ordinarily saving $$$ is a good thing but the flywheel is aluminum and the keys have traditionally
been made of steel, and for a reason. I'm usually pretty good at finding these types of problems but
never suspected this. Aluminum key instead of steel and it broke. The flywheel rotated slightly around the
crankshaft and messed up the ignition timing. This causes the spark to occur at
a time other than when it is supposed to occur. This one had me stumped ! I took it in and spent the 25$
to have it diagnosed. Filed a keyway into the flywheel and installed a steel key instead of scrapping the
unit and it has worked fine since. All of my yard equipment is Stihl and i'm still convinced they make
good stuff. This has bothered me and i figured that sharing this info may persuade them to rethink this practice.
If nothing else you all may save from scrapping your tools. This repair was easy to do but took a bit of patience.
Rustynut

btw- it was an instant shut off from high rpm...........i dont do that anymore

Manufacturers use aluminum keys on flywheels (Especially mowers) to help avoid bending the crankshaft if it were to come to a sudden stop. The key in your machine did it's job and while you may have saved an expensive flywheel, I'd be looking for another aluminum key.

 

[rustynut]

MM,
Makes sense for a mower type situation where a sudden stop could occur.
Mine was a blower and no sudden stop occured ? Never was it used as a vacumn
where it could have jammed.
The machining of the key from the flywheel crank hole was such that it was a weak
point where the key attached to the flywheel due to a slight undercut probably required for
machining. Could also have been an impurity in the aluminum producing a weak point ?
Had it have been a standard key slot on both the flywheel and the crankshaft
with an aluminum key this breakage would not have occured. Just had a class on this new practice
of incorporating features and if it had been done correctly probably would have been fine.
Anyone else probably would have tossed the blower and bought a new one.......for the cost of a key.
Just stuck in my craw....
rn

 

[oilstinks]

Had that happen to a keyway on a really old backpack blower. Had gas fire and compression but no combustion. If i got both thats the first thing i check now.

 

[rustynut]

os,
Thats why i'm sharing this info.........
Ordinarily this would not have occured without a sudden shock to the system.
IMO this is a defective practice being used by Stihl to save a couple of penneys.
Anyhow that was my fix without the expensive repair or scrapping out the unit.
Might should have reassembled using an aluminum key but don't plan to tear it
down again to replace it as it should never see a sudden stop resulting in a destroyed
crankshaft. You are right on with the fuel, spark and compression.......just got to fire
at the correct time !
This was the only problem i've had with any of the Stihl products over the years.
BTW............i'm lovin the new 362
rn