Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Hi there,

I have a Honda HS521 snowblower that starts easy/well, but after a minute or so runs rough, backfires and eventually dies.

I can keep it going by moving the choke in/out to keep smoothing how the engine runs, but even that will only work for a short time.

I have replaced the plug, used clean gas etc.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks.

first thing to check is see if the fuel tank cap is venting properly, do this by loosening the cap or removing it then see if the same problem occurs. also check that the fuel tank is clean & there is no debris blocking the fuel flow out of the tank,  then pull the fuel line off to check you have good fuel flow to the carb.  if so equipped be sure fuel filter isnt plugged also.
check that carb mouning bolts  are tight so that it cant suck air from the outside. & last if none of the above helps, probably your going to need to tear down the carb and give it a good cleaning.

Thanks for the tips. I'll take a look at what you suggest and give it a try. Could it also be that the idle is a little low ?

the  idle set too low should only result in the engine dieing when throttled down. you indicated by choking it it runs better, so in reality your richening an other wise lean condition. i neglected to mention check that the carb is adjusted properly before tearing the carb down for a bath. If the engine was running ok previously and no "tinkering" was done with carb adjustments than its a good bet its simply a dirty carb & a good cleaning and readjustment will solve your problem. check your manual for proper high and low speed adjustments.