10 Husqvarna Snowblower Start-Up Issues
In the aftermath of a snowstorm, a snowblower is essential for safely exiting your driveway or continuing down the sidewalk. If it won’t start, you may have to resort to using a snow shovel.
A Husqvarna snowblower won’t turn over if there isn’t enough air, gasoline, or spark. Possible causes include a dirty spark plug, a blocked fuel line, a dirty carburetor, a damaged fuel cap, a broken recoil, or an incorrect choke setting.
Keep reading to learn about further snowblower-starting-preventing factors. To avoid injury, the spark plug wire must be disconnected before any maintenance is attempted.
Your Husqvarna snowblower won’t start because of this:
- Inappropriate Starting Technique
- There is no more gas in the tank.
- Wasted or Expired Fuel
- Flawed Gasoline Stopper
- Damaged or contaminated spark plug
- Blockage in the Fuel Line
- One Must First Prime the Engine
- Carburetor is covered in grime
- A Faulty Spark Plug
- Cracked Reload
Table of Contents
Problems Starting Your Husqvarna Snowblower: Causes and Solutions
1. Incorrect Husqvarna Snowblower Starting and Operating Procedure
Since you only use your snowblower after a snowstorm and it spends most of the year sitting, it’s simple to forget how to start it. Make sure you are starting the snowblower according to the correct methods.
SOLUTION:
Before moving on to troubleshoot your beginning issue, make sure you are performing these actions to start a Husqvarna snowblower:
- Turn on or leave the fuel shut-off valve open.
- Ensure that the safety key is in the switch. Make sure the toggle switch on your snowblower is turned to the on position.
- Set the full choke on your snowblower.
- Turn the throttle all the way up to full.
- To keep your snowblower running once it has begun, adjust the throttle to let more air in.
If you don’t turn off the choke after the engine has warmed up, it will splutter and eventually turn off, rendering your snowblower useless.
2. Why Your Husqvarna Snowblower Won’t Start If the Fuel Tank Is Empty
An empty gasoline tank is the most obvious cause of your snowblower not starting. I only bring it up now because, occasionally, the troubleshooting stages skip the most obvious causes.
A defective fuel gauge that fails to show that the gasoline tank is empty is another possibility.
To make sure you have enough fuel to start and operate the Husqvarna, check the tank. Check for a fuel leak if you think you are using more fuel than usual.
SOLUTION:
To ensure that you use the proper fuel, ascertain whether your snowblower has a 2-cycle or 4-cycle engine. Making a mistake here might lead to serious engine issues.
- 4-Cycle HusqvarnaSnowblower Engine: Fresh gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher should be added to the tank. Select a gas that has no more than 10% ethanol.A 4-cycle engine is used by the majority of modern snowblower models. You will have a port to fill with oil and a another port to fill with fuel. If you are unclear of the engine type of your snowblower, see the operator’s manual.
- 2-Cycle HusqvarnaSnowblower Engine: Fill to the manufacturer’s suggested oil to gas ratio with an oil and gas mixture. A single fill port for both gasoline and oil is a sign that you are using a 2-cycle engine.The fuel-to-oil mix ratio might be printed on your fuel cap. You should consult your owner’s handbook if you are unclear about the sort of engine you have.
3. Your Husqvarna Snowblower’s Starting Issue May Be Due to Bad or Old Gas
Within 30 days of purchase, gas begins to deteriorate and break down. It makes no difference if this fuel is kept in a gas can or the fuel tank of your snowblower.
It is possible that using outdated gas in a snowblower is the cause of the snowblower not starting. A snowblower is negatively impacted by old gas.
Old gas might eventually leave behind varnish and gooey buildups that can harm fuel system components or cause blockages.
Avoid using gas that has a lot of ethanol to lessen the harm that gasoline does to your Husqvarna snowblower. Small engines should not be run on ethanol. Use only gas with an ethanol percentage of 10% or less as a result.
To prevent your gas from degrading so quickly and to lower moisture, use a fuel additive.
SOLUTION:
- Utilizing a fuel siphon pump, remove the old fuel. To stabilize the fuel and clean the fuel system, apply new fuel and a fuel additive.
- I use a substance called Sea Foam to keep the fuel system clean.
4. Your Husqvarna Snowblower Won’t Start Due to a Bad Fuel Cap
A faulty fuel cap could be to blame if you were able to ignite your snowblower but then it suddenly stopped functioning. There are openings in the snow thrower’s fuel cap that allow air to circulate.
Helps equalize the air pressure within and outside the tank.
When the vent in the cap becomes obstructed or malfunctions, the gasoline tank will develop a vacuum, which will prevent any fuel from escaping. Due to a lack of fuel, the vehicle cannot be started.
SOLUTION:
- Remove the cap to allow air into the tank to check for a blocked fuel vent if the Husqvarna snowblower won’t start.
- If the snowblower now starts, the issue might be the fuel cap.
- By switching out the fuel cap and letting your snowblower run for a bit to reproduce the issue, you may further prove that the fuel cap is the cause of your issue.
- It’s time to get a new fuel cap for your snowblower if it eventually sputters, turns off, and won’t start until you open the cap and let air into the fuel tank.
5. Your Husqvarna Snowblower Won’t Start With a Bad Spark Plug
The spark plug is an essential part of the vehicle’s upkeep since it ignites the mixture of gasoline and air in the cylinder to kick off the combustion process. The snowblower can now function normally.
Possible reasons for the spark plug failing to produce a spark include the plug being damaged or fouled, the gap being too large, or the spark plug wire connection being loose.
SOLUTION:
- A charred electrode, a fractured porcelain insulator, or symptoms of carbon buildup should all be looked for when you remove your spark plug.
- If the spark plug is damaged or too dusty to clean using a wire brush, replace it with a new one.
- Ensure that you gap them in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Even if you bought the spark plug with the gap already set, it’s a good idea to verify the gap.
- Install the spark plug and check the connection of the spark plug wire (boot).
6. Fuel Line Blockage Makes Your Husqvarna Snowblower Unstartable
Deposits from used or unclean fuel can clog fuel lines and reduce the amount of fuel that can flow through them.
Your Husqvarna snowblower won’t start or run slowly if you don’t have enough fuel.
SOLUTION:
- You can check for blockages by turning off the fuel supply first with the shutoff valve or by crimping the fuel line with hose pinch pliers.
- Select a length of the line to examine, then sever it just in front of the fuel tank.
- Drop the hose into the fuel storage tank. After that, you need to activate the fuel supply to make sure the fuel line is functioning properly.
- If you find that the gasoline line is clogged and isn’t supplying the vehicle with adequate fuel, you will need to remove the blockage.
- Turn off the gas and disconnect the line from the snow thrower so it is no longer fueled.
- After disconnecting the fuel line, spray carburetor cleaner into the tube to loosen the obstruction.
- Compressed air can be blown into the line to dislodge the obstruction. Repeat the process of spraying carb cleansing into the line and blowing air through it until the clog is gone.
- If the gasoline line is too clogged to clear or is too dry and brittle to work with, you should replace it with one of the same diameter and length.
7. A dirty carburetor prevents the start of your Husqvarna snowblower
A carburetor is used in a snowblower to control how much gas is combined with air in the engine cylinder to create combustion. Old gasoline also has a negative impact on this component.
The varnish and deposits left behind by used fuel might build up and obstruct the fuel jet or stick various parts of the carburetor.
If this occurs, your Husqvarna won’t be able to start since it won’t be able to function properly to receive the gas it needs.
Take the carburetor apart, then clean it with carburetor cleanser.
SOLUTION: How to Clean a Husqvarna Snowblower Carburetor in Steps
- Reduce carbon buildup by misting carb cleaning. In the air intake, spray some carb cleaning. Check to see whether the engine will start. We need to access the carburetor if your snowblower starts up but then won’t continue to run.
- Get pliers, screwdrivers, sockets, and ratchets ready so you can disassemble the carburetor without damaging any components.
- Take a picture to aid in assembly. Nowadays, the majority of individuals have a useful camera on their phones. It’s a very excellent idea to take a picture of the carburetor so you have a reference if you forget how to put it back together after disassembling it.
Make sure to take a picture of the linkage and springs being reinstalled on the carburetor.
- If your snowblower has one, remove the choke cord and throttle cable.
- Take care not to overstretch the springs as you slowly remove them. To remove the springs, you might need to slightly rotate the carb. At this point, be careful not to rip the gasket. This is the gasket that connects the carburetor to the engine block.
- From the float bowl, remove the bottom screw. Inside the carburetor, gasoline is kept in the float bowl. Have a rag ready to capture the gas because it should be filled with gas.
- Take care not to harm the o-ring surrounding the bowl as you remove it. Precaution: Avoid getting any chemical, including carb cleaner, on the o-ring. You won’t be able to reuse it since it will stretch out.
- Check for plugged holes in the stem. This stem, which has perforations in it, swings downward from the carburetor’s center. Old fuel can be used to block these holes so that fuel cannot be drawn up to the jet.
Take a thick wire and use it to clear out the holes if they are clogged. Use a flashlight so you can see what you’re doing better. After cleaning the holes, rinse them with carb cleaner.
- Check the carburetor for a buildup of hard, white crust. This whitish accumulation is made up of ethanol and other fuel additives. The white power substance needs to be removed as much as you can. It’s quite difficult to get everything out. Now that the carburetor is clean, reassemble it.
- Reassemble it in the opposite direction from how you took it apart. When putting the carburetor back together, keep in mind to refer to the photo you took of it to ensure that all of the pieces are put back where they go.
- Before you turn on your snowblower, add fresh fuel that has fuel stabilizer. Fuel should be poured into the tank and given time to fill the carburetor’s bowl.
Activate the engine. Pull the rope if you are beginning with a pull cord. It might not start on the first draw, but after a few pulls, it should start and continue to run.
8. Your Husqvarna Snowblower Won’t Start Due to a Bad Electric Starter
When you press the start button, the motor on your snow thrower won’t spin.
Verify that the snowblower’s power cord is securely plugged into the wall. If the vehicle still won’t turn over, there may be a problem with the starter switch or motor.
You should also check to see if your snow thrower requires a safety key. If so, make sure the key is inserted into the lock.
SOLUTION:
- In order to ensure that the starter switch is functioning properly, a multimeter test must be performed. Swap out that switch if it’s broken. In addition to the standard electric starter, a recoil starter is recommended for manual starting of your snow thrower. Use this method until the electric start problem is fixed.
9. Your Husqvarna Snowblower’s Engine Must Be Primed to Start
Priming is the process of moving fuel from the fuel lines to the carburetor in an automobile that does not have an electric starter.
Priming the snowblower is required for ignition, however if the carburetor is overfilled with fuel, the snowblower won’t start.
SOLUTION:
- If the snowblower’s engine won’t turn over without priming, try pressing the primer bulb a few times. By doing so, petrol can more easily enter the engine’s carburetor.
- Do not over-prime the engine by putting too much petrol into the carburetor.
10. Your Husqvarna Snowblower Won’t Start Due to Bad Recoil
Instead of using an electric starter, many snow blowers use a recoil mechanism. Pulling on the starter rope won’t get your snowblower going if the recoil’s pulley or spring is broken.
SOLUTION:
- A new spring or restringing the recoil might help. If your recoil doesn’t work because the clips or pulley are broken, it’s best to just replace the entire recoil system.
Stop wasting money on Husqvarna Snowblower Starter Fluid and use this instead.
The starter fluid is typically the first thing people seek for when their equipment won’t start. This is not at all something I advise.
In fact, I dislike starting fluid so much that I forbid it in the repair facility due to the harm it can bring to the engine.
The chemical in starter fluid is quite dry. The dry chemical can harm internal engine components because it is so dry and contains no lubricant.
READ: Don’t Use Starter Fluid on a Snowblower: Use This Instead