If your Husqvarna chainsaw stalls at idle, it has a problem with the carb kit. There are a few other minor issues that may cause stalling the engine. Don’t freak, the troubleshooting is pretty simple and you can do it yourself. But, if the saw is under warranty period, it is wiser to have it fixed by the dealer.
The chainsaw has a small engine that generates enough power to cut through. The engine has several supportive parts that contribute so it can perform. These parts are ranging from tiny seal/gasket to the carb kit. But, the contributions they offer are important and we need each of them in good working condition.
There is no perfect machine in the world that runs without producing trouble. A chainsaw is not an exception here. But, to get the best out of your chainsaw, you need to maintain and troubleshoot it when necessary. In this article, we will be discussing the probable reasons and required troubleshoot process. Read the article carefully to learn the troubleshooting procedure of your Husky!
Why Does Husqvarna Chainsaw Stall at Idle?
A chainsaw engine has three basic modes, i.e. working, idle, and stop. We need the idle mode to be activated when we take a minor interval between two cuts. The idle mode is important as it disengages the engine from running the saw chain. Thus, it helps the engine to relieve some torque and saves fuel/electricity. Moreover, the idle mode increases our safety chain by disengaging the saw chain.
The chainsaw stalls at idle mode if the combustion chamber doesn’t get an appropriate fuel supply. By the term “appropriate” we mean that both over or undersupply of fuel may cause the stalling. Several interlinked parts contribute to pass the fuel into the combustion chamber.
As a result, one or more parts of this series may fail the combustion chamber to get the required fuel. So, we need to check each of them to figure out the faulty one. After figuring out the faulty part/parts, we will decide whether we need to replace it.
Steps of Correction if Husqvarna Chainsaw Stalls at Idle
Broken Clutch Spring
The chainsaw has a clutch plate that ensures the transformation of the engine from idle to working mode and vice versa. In the clutch plate, there is a spring that ensures that the modes (idle & working) remain in the assigned position. The spring gets the command from the clutch plate. If the clutch spring gets broken, your chainsaw has no way to retain the idle position and eventually stalls.
So, you need to check the clutch spring to see its condition. If the spring gets broken or its tension gets decreased, you need to replace the clutch spring. If the clutch spring is ok or you replaced it with a new one, but the chainsaw stalls, move on to the next step.
Faulty Spark Plug and Arrestor
The spark plug is the only part that supplies the required spark to the combustion chamber. If the spark plug fails to provide necessary sparks at idle mode to keep alive the engine, the engine will stall. So, it is important to have the spark-plug in working condition. Furthermore, there is an arrestor that helps the combustion chamber to arrest the spark coming from the spark plug. Like the spark plug, the arrestor also needs to be in working condition.
Locate the spark plug and spark arrestor on your chainsaw. Take out the spark plug and arrestor to see whether they are in good working condition. The arrestor is a pretty transparent layer of carbon clothing. If it is in good condition, you will be able to look through it. If it clogged, clean it using alcohol. Check the spark plug for carbon blockage. Clean the spark plug with kerosene. If the spark plug or arrestor or both are not in good condition, you need to replace them.
Place both the parts into their respective positions. Give your chainsaw a functional test run. If it still stalls at idle, move on to the next step.
Faulty Muffler Bearing
Generally, a gasoline chainsaw produces loud sound/noise during operation. To minimize the loudness and to save the environment from sound pollution, modern chainsaws are equipped with a muffler bearing. The muffler bearing is positioned into the muffler of the chainsaw exhaust. A faulty muffler bearing, in most cases, partially clogged the way through which exhausted air comes out. Thus, the engine cannot pass through the exhausted hot air and eventually dies.
So, you need to take out the muffler bearing. Visually check the bearing and the guide rails of the exhaust. Clean the bearing and the path of the exhaust. If the bearing is worn out, replace it with a serviceable one. Now, give the chainsaw a functional run to see whether the problem persists. If the problem remains, move on to the next step.
Problem with the Fuel Filter
Inside the fuel tank, there is a fuel filter in the top edge of the fuel transferring pipe. The job of the fuel filter is to filter the fuel and supply dirt and dust-free fuel into the combustion chamber. If the filter is bad, the combustion chamber gets bad fuel. Furthermore, a clogged fuel filter may supply little to no fuel into the chamber. As a result, at the idle mode, when your chainsaw applies minimal torque, the engine stalls/dies.
Take out the fuel filter using drift or plier. Visually check for its serviceability. If you think the fuel filter has an issue, change it with a new one. After that, place the fuel filter into the fuel tank.
Problem with the Air Filter
For the combustion to take place, it is required to get air supply. The air filter has the same job as the fuel filter does. The only difference is that the fuel filter purges the fule while the air filter purges the air. So, with the time, the purgation job of air filter stores sediment on the filter. As a result, the tiny holes on the air filter becomes clogged. Thus, the filter becomes unable to supply enough and pure air into the combustion chamber.
Therefore, you need to check the air filter of your Husqvarna chainsaw. Take out the air filter from its bay. You need to unscrew 2 to 4 screws to get the air filter out of its bay. Check the physical condition of the air filter visually. Clean the air filter by blowing air. After that, clean the air filter using kerosene. If the air filter is worn out, then consider buying a new air filter.
As you have checked both the fuel and air filter, it is time to give a functional test run of your chainsaw. If the problem persists, move on to the last and complex step of the troubleshooting.
Faulty Carb Kit
The carburetor plays the ultimate role to run your chainsaw engine. It ensures that the combustion chamber gets the required air and fuel supply. The carburetor mixes the air and fuel ratio and supplies it to the combustion chamber. Depending on your chainsaw throttle position, the carburetor increases or decreases the supply of the mixture. A faulty carburetor may oversupply or undersupply the mixture to the combustion chamber. If this is the case, you need to rebuild the carb kit.
Use a wrench and a screwdriver to take out the carburetor. It is difficult to say whether the carburetor is serviceable or not by just checking visually. All you can do is clean the carburetor and tune it. Place the carburetor into its bay and give another functional run of the engine.
If the problem remains, you need to buy the carb kit for sure. The carb kit will cost around 25$. The kit comes with fuel and air filter, and a spark plug. So, if you suspect the problem with the carb kit, just buy the carb kit instead of buying an air or fuel filter separately.
Conclusion
There might have some other reasons that cause the Husqvarna chainsaw to stall at idle. But, we have discussed the most frequent reasons along with their troubleshooting approaches. If your chainsaw is an aged one or its price is anything below 150 bucks, we have something to tell you. The old saw won’t be young in any means. So, you won’t get the performance you used to get.
Typically, Husqvarna is the top-level brand and costs proportionately. But, if your chainsaw isn’t a pricy one, you should try to fix it on your own. Because the repairing cost added with the cost of the parts may cross the cost of buying a new chainsaw.
Anyways, we hope that our coverage on “Husqvarna chainsaw stalls at idle” was a bit helpful for you. We are eager to hear from you. Let us know your feedback using the comment box below. Happy troubleshooting!
