10 Causes of ECHO String Trimmer Start-Up, Stalls, and Failure

A string trimmer is the best tool for giving your lawn a neat, manicured appearance. It works wonderfully for trimming grass in tight spaces, around obstacles, along borders, and near water features. To get you back to cutting the grass, let’s figure out what’s wrong with your trimmer and fix it.The ECHO string trimmer can start and die when airflow is impeded due to clogged air filters, clogged spark shields, clogged cooling systems, or incorrect choke settings; limited fuel due to clogged fuel filter, filthy carburetor or clogged fuel lines; or lack of spark due to faulty spark plugs.

It’s important to turn off the string trimmer’s engine, wait for it to cool down, and make sure nothing is moving before you touch it. You should strictly adhere to the instructions in the ECHO operator’s manual regarding safety.

Before diagnosing, repairing, or operating, make sure you’ve read and understood all of the safety instructions in the equipment’s operator’s manual. If you lack the knowledge, experience, or physical ability to complete the repair safely, you should seek the advice of a professional.

Why Does an ECHO String Trimmer Start Then Stop?

• Faulty choke setting
• Air filter clog
• Cooling system plugged
• Fuel that is too old or too bad, or an incorrect fuel mixture
• Fuel line clog
• Fuel line clog
• Faulty fuel tank vent
• Clogged carburetor
• A clogged or failed spark plug
• Spark arrestor screen clogged

Ten Causes of Your ECHO String Trimmer Dying After Starting

Faulty Choke Setting

The ECHO string trimmer has a choke lever. To limit airflow, this lever must be moved into the “choke” position. In order to get a cold engine going, you need to close the choke and use more fuel.

If you want to keep your engine running after it has warmed up, you need to move the lever to the open position. The ECHO trimmer will sputter and die if the choke isn’t set properly.

Air filter clog

When use it more frequently than the typical homeowner, you should change the filter more frequently than once a year. It’s not enough to just change the air filter; it needs to be checked and cleaned on a regular basis.

A clogged air filter reduces airflow and can be avoided with regular maintenance. Your ECHO will stop working if the engine isn’t taking in sufficient oxygen.

If air filter is very filthy, torn, or soaked through, you should get another one. Do not run the trimmer without a filter, even if you just need to get the job done.

Doing so risks contaminating the engine with dirt, which could lead to costly repairs.

Clean the felt air filter on an ECHO string trimmer:

• Take off the air filter and its cover.
• Wash the air filter housing and cover clean.
• Remove the dirt from the air filter with a brush.
• Substitute the dirty filter.
• Reassemble the air filter cover.

If your model uses one, clean the ECHO foam pre-cleaner filter:

Simply rinse the pre-cleaner with water and a little dish detergent to get it looking like new. Squeeze out any remaining water after a thorough rinsing. Ensure the area is dry before proceeding. AVOID putting oil in the pre-filter.

Since the type of filter used varies from model to model, the specific procedure for cleaning the air filter in your ECHO string trimmer should be found in the product’s user manual.

Cooling system plugged

To prevent damage to the engine, the blower can turn off if it becomes too hot. The ECHO engine needs a constant supply of cool air flowing around it to function properly.

Get rid of the grass cuttings, dirt, and debris that may be blocking the vents and radiators that keep things cool. To do so, turn off the engine and wait for the spark plug to cool.

Cleanse the cylinder’s exterior and the engine cover by removing them. Remove the engine cover and cleanse the cylinder fins. Maintaining a clean blower ensures that cool air can flow freely around the engine.

Fuel that is too old or too bad, or an incorrect fuel mixture

It’s important to regularly refill the gas and oil in your ECHO string trimmer for optimal performance. Damage to the carburetor and engine can result from using the incorrect fuel or a fuel mixture or from letting gas sit in the trimmer for an extended period of time.

ECHO string trimmers call for a 50:1 mixture of gas and oil. Premium 2-cycle oil that is certified to ISO-L-EGD and JASO M345 FD should be blended with unleaded gasoline with a minimum octane rating of 89 and a maximum ethanol content of 10%.

The 2-cycle engine oils Power Blend and Red Armor are available from ECHO.

Trimmers are more likely to malfunction when operated with gas that contains a high concentration of ethanol or when the gas-to-oil ratio is incorrect. ECHO string trimmers with small engines shouldn’t be run on fuel with a high ethanol content.

Never put more than 10% ethanol in your gas tank. The best option is fuel without ethanol, but it will cost you more.

Damage to the engine can occur if the wrong kind of oil or too little oil is used. It is dangerous to use straight gas in your ECHO string trimmer. Doing so will guarantee the trimmer’s destruction, necessitating a new purchase.

We say this since gas can start degrading within the first 30 days after acquisition. New fuel can be preserved for a longer period of time without deteriorating if a fuel stabilizer is added to it. Problems associated with using old gas can be mitigated by using a fuel stabilizer.

Bear in mind that some 2-cycle oils also function as a fuel stabilizer. If you buy an oil that claims to have a stabilizer in it, make sure you check the label to know time period that stabilizer actually works.

It will maintain stability for 30 days to 2 years. Fuel stabilizers that last for two years can be found in ECHO’s Red Armor oil.

More about: ECHO String Trimmer

Fuel filter clogged

There is a tiny filter inside the gas tank that prevents foreign matter from clogging the fuel system. Specifically, it is connected to the fuel line’s end. If the filter isn’t changed frequently enough, it can become clogged.

A clogged filter can prevent your ECHO from starting by restricting fuel flow. Whether it’s been a year or less since you last swapped out the fuel filter, it’s time. If you’re using it professionally, you might need to substitute it every three months.

Substitute an ECHO fuel filter:

• Avoid having dirt and debris fall into the tank by wiping the area around the fuel cap.
• You need to take off the top.
• Take out the fuel tank’s filter. To recover the filter, simply use an untarnished, curved wire.
• Take the filter out of the fuel line after you’ve taken it out of the tank. The retaining ring must be protected at all costs. You should still use the ring on the gas line.
• Insert the fuel filter’s male connector into the gasoline line and tighten the retaining ring to secure the line to the filter.
• The fuel filter should be returned to its home inside the tank.
• Make sure the gas cap is in place.

Fuel line clog

Old fuel can leave a deposit that can build up in the fuel lines and prevent a steady supply of fuel from reaching the engine.

Find a blockage in your gasoline line? Try loosening it with carburetor cleaner and then blowing it out with compressed air.

New fuel lines should be installed if the old ones are broken, dry, or otherwise damaged.

Faulty Fuel Tank Vent

There must be openings in the ECHO fuel tank for air to circulate. In the event that the vent becomes blocked, a vacuum will develop inside the fuel tank. Due to the vacuum, gas can’t escape the tank. The trimmer won’t work if there isn’t enough gas.

It’s possible that a clogged fuel vent is to blame if fuel is not reaching the carburetor despite the use of a high-quality fuel filter and the absence of obstructions in the fuel lines. If you put your ECHO string trimmer on a flat surface, you’ll be able to see if this is the case.

You can get the trimmer going by releasing the fuel cap and letting some air into the tank. Don’t let any gas escape the tank. You should substitute the fuel cap while the trimmer is still running after it has started and is running.

Keep it running for a while longer to see if you can cause the same issue. If it sputters and dies with the cap on but fires right up once you take it off, the fuel tank vent is likely clogged.

Substitute a new duct for the fuel tank’s opening. This tiny piece can be located on a fuel line leading from the tank.

Clogged carburetor

If you want your ECHO string trimmer to work, you need to make sure the carburetor is set up properly. Blockages in the channels can prevent the tiny parts from doing their jobs.

This can lead to an insufficient mixture of fuel and air, resulting in a string trimmer that runs poorly or dies altogether. In some cases, a clean carburetor is all that’s needed to get it back in action.

If cleaning the carburetor doesn’t fix the problem, rebuilding it if you needa (Whether or not carburetor rebuild kits are commercially available) or substitute it.

If you need a string trimmer and are thinking about replacing the carburetor on yours, you might want to look into how much a brand-new ECHO would cost instead. It may be more cost-effective, time-efficient, and environmentally friendly to invest in a brand-new string trimmer, depending on its age, model, and price.

A Clogged or Worn Spark Plug

An intermittent spark from a spark plug that is dirty or worn can be the cause of an engine shut down. Take out the spark plug and check its condition.

A darkened tip, a burned electrode, or a cracked porcelain indicate that the spark plug needs to be replaced. Try cleaning it with a wire brush if the dirtiness is minimal.

Make sure the electrode gap satisfies ECHO’s requirements. After checking the spark plug’s condition and making sure the gap is correct, substitute it. The spark plug wire shouldn’t be reconnected until the problem has been fixed.

Spark Arrestor Screen Clogged

On the ECHO trimmer’s muffler, you’ll find a tiny metal screen. Installing this safeguard will prevent burns or fires caused by hot exhaust material erupting from the trimmer.

The buildup of carbon on the screen can reduce airflow. Your string trimmer will lose power and stop working.

It’s necessary to remove a wire from a spark plug. It is necessary to take off the hood and the tailpipe. on most ECHO models to gain access to the spark arrestor screen. A wire brush can be used to clean spark arrestor screens after they have been carefully removed.

A new spark arrestor screen should be purchased if the old one is either too dirty to clean effectively, damaged beyond repair, or has a hole in it.

Get in touch with your neighborhood ECHO dealer if you can’t seem to track down the spark arrestor screen or if the issues with your string trimmer persist.