Snowblower Lesson (long)

[Steve Schlumpf]

We have had non-stop lake-effect snow for the last couple days and it is not suppose to leave until late Tuesday night. Well, sure enough, needed to make a run to the store - which meant I had to snowblow the drive first.

No big deal - nothing like snowblowing to get your day started! Wheeled the snowblower out of the garage, checked gas, put on full choke, primed and gave it a pull on the starter. Usually it starts 2nd pull - but today it didn't. Great!

Primed it again and pulled some more. Nothing… I wonder what the problem is? Checked everything over, primed it again and pulled - a bunch of times. Nothing.

Well, if it's flooded, I should smell gas - and I don't. So, pushed it back in the garage and grabbed the shovel and got to work. Shoveled off the front walk and decided that was way too much work and pulled the snowblower back out of the garage.

Same routine - same result - only by this time I had pulled the starter at least 50 times and I was starting to lose a little of my zip! So, much to my disappointment, I pushed the snowblower back into the garage and grabbed the shovel.

About that time my wife, Colleen, opened the back door and asked if I had checked the gas cause it sounded like it wasn't getting any gas! Yeah, Thanks Hon! I know it isn't getting any gas - but why? Must be a blockage in the fuel line!

So I grabbed a bunch of tools and decided to pull the line and find out what in the heck was causing the problem. Now, understand, I am getting covered in snow from the storm and have to remove my gloves to work on the fuel system. I was not a happy camper with the situation at the moment - so cooling off was probably a good thing!

Decided to be smart about it and see if there was ice inside the tank first. I know - how would you have ice inside the tank? But, what the heck - it was worth checking before pulling everything apart! Popped the cap……

The worse part about finding the problem was knowing sooner or later I was going to have to go back inside and let Colleen know that she was right. No matter how many times you pull the starter - it won't start without gas.

Just thought I would share my lesson before I head to the store!

Oh, I had checked the gas level before attempting to start but it was snowing hard and not the best of lighting. I saw the reflection of the fuel and figured I was good to go. Yup… good to go!

Have a great day!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Oops!

[curtis rosche]

at least you figured it out. i heard once at the local hardware store, a lady had bought a blower and she took it home, she came back the next day asking why the blower wouldnt start and was also amazed at how little gass it took. after the guys in the back took a look at it, they couldnt stop laughing. she hadnt taken the little plug out of the opening that seals the tank till the owner gets it.

[Brian Effinger]

Now that sounds like something I would do, so I guess I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[Jim Becker]

This is the internal combustion equivalent of the age old electronics troubleshooting initial question, "Is it plugged in".... D'oh!!

[Aaron Berk]

I was in high school and driving a 74 International Scout 2 that had a "known" bad gas gauge. Catch the key word there? I knew the gauge didn't work. My normal routine was to put 5 or 10 bucks in the tank every other day or two just to keep from getting stranded on the road.

Well one day I drove home and parked the Scout and the next morning (Saturday) I went to go hang with the friends. Well the Scout started and sputtered a bit then died. So like any brilliant teenager would do, I ran back in the house to get my Dad (that guy knows how to do any thing). After assuring my Dad that the Scout was broke and I needed his technical help he agreed and grabbed some tools and opened the hood.

We went through EVERYTHING. Plugs, yup good. Wires, yup continuity. Coil, yup voltage. Points, yup no carbon. ........ you know the list. All the things to check when you know there's fuel.
Well after awhile we dumped some gas in the carb and fired it up for a second and then dumped a little more in. Hummm, must be a fuel pump issue...... well after testing the fuel pump my Dad gives me this awful glare and some kind of guttural growl/humph noise and tells me to get the jerry can off his jeep and dump it into my tank.
ummmm thanks Dad.
Being a teen, I wasn't as grateful and utterly ashamed of wasting all my Dads time to help me figure out I was out of gas as I should have been. But looking back man what a dope I was.

Can't wait till MY boys grow up


All things considered... Glad you got your major snow blower repairs taken care of

[Belinda Barfield]

Steve, as a man you have those great problem solving skills that come in so handy in life. I think men just inherently like to "fix" things and are always up for a good challenge. Unfortunately, that sometimes leads to overlooking the obvious.

[Jeff Bower]

While in college my wife's car wouldn't start. She called a mechanic to have it towed in. He called an hour later and said, "That'll be $55, $50 for the tow and $5 for the gas I put in it".

Glad you can laugh about it now Steve!

[Jason Roehl]

If you don't recognize this, you really need to watch the movie, "Sling Blade":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-tCIRJH9p0

[Chris Damm]

Steve Steve Steve some things you should keep to yourself! Harvey's in the UP isn't it? We are so far behind in snowfall down here that my snowplowing funded fun fund is really hurting. My revenues are 90% behind last year which had an average snowfall.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Chris - what's the point of doing something stupid if you can't share it with your friends?

I know what you mean about lack of snowfall - we have been hurting also. At least it snowed a few days ago and gave the area a nice base for the U.P. 200 race! Still, temperatures have been spring-like the last few days getting close to 30*. Makes the run fairly tough on the dogs!