Why Your Poulan Pro Chainsaw Starts, Runs, and Dies

A chainsaw’s engine might stall for a variety of reasons. If it suddenly stops working, you should verify that the choke lever is set properly and that there is no fuel restriction.

When air, gasoline, and spark are insufficient, the Poulan Pro chainsaw will start and then stop working.

This could be because of a number of different issues, including an incorrectly adjusted choke, a clogged air or fuel filter, a choked fuel line, a malfunctioning fuel tank vent, a blocked spark arrestor, a dirty carburetor, a faulty ignition coil, or a clogged cooling system.

If you want to know more about the possible reasons why your Poulan Pro chainsaw stops working, read on! Never attempt to repair a chainsaw without first turning it off, waiting for the engine and muffler to cool, and ensuring that all moving parts have stopped.

Before attempting any diagnosis, repairs, or use of the equipment, be sure to read and fully understand the operator’s manual. If you don’t feel confident in your ability to make the repair or if you lack the necessary expertise or experience, you should get some help from a professional.

What Could Be Causing Your Poulan Pro Chainsaw to Start, Die, and Stop Running?

An Incorrect Choke Setting

The Poulan Pro’s engine requires the choke to be engaged in order to start when the air intake is cold. With more gasoline and less air in the cylinder, the engine can run richer when it’s cold.

If you want to keep your engine running after it has warmed up, you need to make sure the choke lever or knob is in the “off” position.

The engine will not start if the choke is not set correctly.

Solution: Check the location of the choke lever. Start a chilly engine with FULL CHOKE and a warm engine with RUN.

A Poulan Pro Chainsaw with a Clogged Air Filter

Your Poulan Pro chainsaw’s air filter is a maintenance component that needs regular cleaning and inspection. Its function is to protect the engine from premature wear caused by dirt and sawdust entering the carburetor throat.

The typical homeowner should check their air filter several times each year and clean or replace it as needed.

Filters can become clogged with dust, sawdust, and other material if routine maintenance is neglected. The accumulation may get so great that airflow is impeded via the filter.

If this occurs, the chainsaw will become inoperable.

Check the air filter to see if it’s in decent shape and clean it if it’s unclean. When the filter becomes too dirty or is damaged, it should be swapped out for a new one.

Cleaning the air filter on a Poulan Pro chainsaw:

• The air filter cover must be removed.
• Take out the air purifier.
• Dust and grime should be removed from the air filter’s housing. Keep the air filter free of dust and debris.
• Use a mix of mild detergent and water to clean the filter.
• The water should be clear after rinsing.
• Do not install the filter until it has dried completely.
• Put back the sanitized filter. If the existing filter is excessively dirty, damaged, or fails to seal correctly, a new one should be purchased and installed.

Before reinstalling a freshly cleaned FOAM air filter, check the handbook to see if it has to be oiled.

Poulan Pro Chainsaw with Blocked Cooling System

The engine’s air intake is utilized to prevent the engine from overheating and shutting down. Keep the engine at an optimal temperature by clearing junk from the air intake and cooling fins.

Remove the spark plug and let the engine cool down before proceeding. To clean the outside of the cylinder and the engine cover, remove the cover.

You should clean the chainsaw’s air intake and exhaust, as well as the pawls on the flywheel and cooling fins on the cylinder. Put the engine cover back in place.

Keep the chainsaw’s exterior, including the starter’s air intake, clean.

A Poulan Pro Chainsaw with a Clogged Spark Arrestor

Poulan Pro chainsaws have a spark arrestor located off the muffler to prevent sparks and hot exhaust particles from flying out of the saw.

The spark arrestor protects people from injury and fires that could arise if sparks from the heated substance ignited nearby rubbish.

Carbon accumulation on the spark arrestor screen can impede airflow, leading to an overheated and eventually dead Poulan Pro chainsaw.

Regular inspection and cleaning of the spark arrestor screen is required.

First, you need to disconnect the wire from the spark plug and let the muffler cool down. The muffler’s spark arrestor screen must then be removed.

Metal brushes are ideal for cleaning the screen. If the screen is severely soiled, broken, or has holes, a new spark arrestor screen should be installed.

Running your chainsaw at full power on a regular basis will help prevent carbon from rapidly accumulating on the spark arrestor. Carbon accumulation is exacerbated when a chainsaw is allowed to idle or run at low speeds for extended periods of time.

An Outdated Poulan Pro Chainsaw and Stale Fuel

A lack of fuel is a common cause of chainsaw breakdown and failure.

Varnish and sticky deposits left by old fuel can choke fuel components and reduce the amount of fuel reaching the engine. The saw may then turn off as a result.

Always use fresh fuel with a low ethanol concentration in your Poulan Pro to minimize fuel-related issues. You should use a 40:1 or 50:1 (depending on the model) blend of gasoline and oil for the fuel.

Some advice on choosing and maintaining fuel:

• Do not use stale gas. After only 30 days, the quality of your fuel may start to decline.
• Your 2-cycle Poulan Pro chainsaw requires a gas-to-oil ratio of 40:1 or 50:1. Model-specific ingredients are used.
• Choose gas with an octane value of 89 or above and no more than 10% ethanol.
• Add in some high-quality 2-cycle oil that has been approved by ISO-L-EGD and JASO M345 FD.
• The gasoline must be stabilized. Add a fuel stabilizer, such as Sea Foam or STA-BIL, to your gas tank to keep it from degrading prematurely. The fuel system will be cleaner and less likely to collect moisture if you use these products.
• The effectiveness of the stabilizer in 2-cycle oils can range anywhere from 30 days to 2 years, so it’s up to the user to figure out how long they need.

The fuel tank needs to be emptied. In a gas can, combine new unleaded gas with 2-cycle engine oil to make fuel. Clean up the gasoline system by using a fuel stabilizer.

The Sea Foam or STA-BIL product line is reliable and effective. Put it in the gas tank as instructed.

Turn on the chainsaw and let it run for a while so the mixture may travel through the engine. Continue inspecting the fuel filter, fuel line, carburetor, and fuel tank vent if the engine is still not receiving enough fuel.

Your Poulan Pro Chainsaw’s Fuel Filter Got Clogged

To prevent harmful debris from entering the fuel system and damaging the engine, a fuel filter is installed. Inside the fuel tank is a little cylinder-shaped component called the fuel filter.

You may locate it where the gasoline line meets the tank. If you don’t replace your filter on a regular basis, dirt will build up and prevent enough gas from reaching your carburetor.

Check the filter and change it out if it’s dirty. If I start using it frequently, I like to replace it every year.

Poulan Pro chainsaw fuel filter replacement:

• To prevent dirt from entering the fuel tank, start by wiping around the cap.
• Before replacing the old filter with a new one, make sure you mark its location inside the tank.
• Using a bent wire or a pair of needle-nose pliers, carefully remove the filter from the tank.
• After you’ve removed the filter from the tank, you can grab the fuel line with one hand and the filter with the other.
• Put a replacement gasoline filter in the line.
• Incorporate the fuel filter within the tank itself.
• Put the gas cap back on.

Poulan Pro Chainsaw with a Blocked or Punctured Fuel Line

Old fuel’s gummy residues might plug the fuel line, preventing fuel from flowing. If the chainsaw’s fuel line becomes blocked, you can remove it and clean it.

The clog can be removed by spraying carburetor cleaner into the line. The next step is to use compressed air to blow out the obstruction. As many times as necessary to clear the obstruction.

If the blockage cannot be removed or if the gasoline line is dry and damaged, a new fuel line of the same diameter and length must be installed.

Repair any punctured lines as well. If the gasoline line on a chainsaw is damaged, air can enter the fuel system and cause the cylinder to operate poorly.

Poulan Pro Chainsaw with Blocked Fuel Tank Vent

Poulan Pro chainsaws require a vent in the fuel tank to allow air to enter the tank to replace the fuel that is used.

If the tank can’t vent, pressure will build up inside and a vacuum will form, blocking fuel from reaching the carburetor.

The answer is to check for a clogged fuel vent and replace it if you have a Poulan Pro chainsaw. The gasoline cap may also serve as the chainsaw’s vent depending on its design.

It could be a little component permanently fastened to the top of the gas tank.

The Carb on Poulan Pro Chainsaw Is Filthy

Your Poulan Pro chainsaw won’t fire up without the carburetor properly blending air and gasoline.

It’s possible for the chainsaw to stop working due to clogged passages or malfunctioning tiny components. The fuel in a Poulan Pro carburetor can become bad after a while.

The problem could be solved by cleaning or rebuilding the carburetor. If this doesn’t fix it, you’ll need a new carburetor.

A Poulan Pro Chainsaw’s Carburetor Requires Fine-Tuning

Changing the RPMs at idle and full throttle may require adjusting the carburetor. The carburetor features a set of adjustment screws for just such a purpose.

You are not free to make any and all carburetor modifications you like in Poulan Pro. To perform these modifications, specialized equipment will be required. This is because if the carburetor is adjusted too much, it can cause engine damage.

Contact your neighborhood Poulan Pro service center if the carburetor issues persist.

A Poulan Pro Chainsaw with a Faulty Spark Plug

If the spark plug is unclean or damaged, the chainsaw won’t start. A lack of consistent spark could render the saw inoperable.

Check the spark plug’s tip for damage. If the spark plug is very black, has shattered porcelain, or has a burnt electrode, it has to be changed.

If the spark plug is only somewhat filthy, you can try cleaning it with a wire brush and reusing it. If I can avoid it, I will replace it.

It’s a cheap maintenance part but crucial to the proper functioning of your Poulan Pro.

Check the space on the spark plug and make sure the wire is properly attached. If you need to make further repairs, remove the spark plug first.

Poulan Pro Chainsaw with a Bad Ignition Coil

After you’ve made sure the spark plug is fine, it’s time to make sure the ignition coil is working properly.

In order to start and maintain operation of your chainsaw, electricity must flow from the coil to the spark plug.

The coil’s winding can come unwound and cause a short when it becomes too hot. When there is an irregular spark, your Poulan Pro chainsaw will lose power, run slowly, or cease entirely.

A defective ignition coil will not be able to supply the spark plug with an adequate voltage, therefore replace it.

Poulan Pro Chainsaw Engine Compression

It’s possible to have a lack of compression when drawing the starter recoil rope. Poulan Pro chainsaws can’t be kept running when their compression is too low.

Possible causes include damaged pistons, worn crankshaft seals, and worn piston rings.

The best course of action is to have your chainsaw checked out and serviced by a professional small engine technician, Poulan Pro service center, or engine dealer.