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

My new (this season) Ariens 8526 works well and I love it.  But (you knew there was a 'but' coming up), twice now the motor has stopped for no apparent reason.  It just shuts down.  I then check the gas tank.  There is gas.  Both times I pushed it back to the garage and decided to try to start it.  Both times it started on the second pull and proceeded to run just fine while I finished the job.  Any ideas about whats happening?  As long as it restarts, I don't consider it a 'showstopper' type of problem.  But I would like to know why it shuts down. 

The fuel that is in the tank now is about a month old and it has stabilizer in it.

All input is appreciated.   

Thanks Marshall.  The cap is probaby it.  Each time I took the cap off to check fuel level, which then vented it.

My cap has a rubber piece in the center on the inside.  I don't know if anything is missing, or if it should look different than it does.

But at least I feel better knowing what's going on.  I'll check one at the dealer or HD (if they still have any) to see what the cap looks like.

Thanks for the help.

Wheels,
It has happened twice. We have only blown 3 maybe 4 times. Is it something you could repeat if wanted to? Or it just bit you twice for no reason, but you used it other times with no problem? What did the dealer say? You did end up buying from Jim Lyons, right?

No sense not trying the cap first. Try to get the latest and greatest 2005 cap. Snowshoveler indicated they were different/better in some way.

hi Wheels...

upon examining your gas cap ,you said your cap has a rubber mounted inside.

there are 2 different caps.

so ill try to describe both,the old version has the rubber held on with an aluminum washer shaped disc

the new style has no aluminum disc the rubber is held on by a mushroom in the cap itself.

your machine could have either one on it .

please discribe yours a bit better.

later chris

Wheels wrote:

Hi Wheels,

It sounds like you have the newer gas cap already.  The newer caps, visually, have a rubber gasket piece on the underside with a little nipple in the center of it.  I don't know if overtighting them can cause them not to vent. 

I would not usually ask a stupid question about oil, except my friend, who should know better, just ran the log splitter engine out of oil. 

Wheels wrote:
Anytime Wheels! I had an old push mower that it happened to all of the time, it's the first thing that comes to mind anymore when I here this kind of engine happening.

Wheels,
The easiest way too know if you have a cap problem is too remove the fuel line from the tank with the cap on. (Put a container under it.)
If you have a venting problem.....it may drip a couple of shots of gas for about 3 seconds...but then it will stop flowing completely.
If you then loosen the cap and get fuel flow...then you can be sure you that have a cap venting problem.

Thanks Lint, I'll remember this method. 

Robmints - I probably used it three times.  So one time it did not shut down.

Yes I did buy it from Jim Lyons and no I haven't talked to him about the problem yet.  The second failure was just yesterday.  I'll run it past him when I get a chance, but I think this cap venting is the problem.

Snowshoveler - I looked inside my cap again.  I don't see any aluminum piece on the inside.  Just the rubber nipple shaped protrusion on the inside.

When I put the cap back on just now I did not tighten it as much as usual.  We'll see what happens, but it probably won't snow again.

I have the 8526 myself and had two unexplained shut down.  Each time I removed the cap and all is well.  I have the gas cap with the rubbber insert, if you look closely at the rubber flat side, you will see channels if you may, that allow the gas to vent from the center to through these channels to the outside.  I think the problem is when you tighten the cap and close off these channels in the rubber then you have the vent lock problem.  I think dealers and or Ariens should make a note to let customers be aware of this.  Do not over tight the gas cap and you shall be ok, providing of course you have the new cap design.

Neil