# Stihl MS362 problems



## callan (Nov 24, 2013)

Hey Everybody,

I'm having some issues with my 362, and quite honestly, have had them since it was new. I kept hoping they would resolve themselves after a good break-in period, but I'm way past that now. Sorry in advance for the long post, but I figure the more information the better.

Problems with the saw
-The saw starts just fine when it is cold, but after running a while, especially in 90+ degree weather it is really hard to get started. I have to put it in the shade for a good 15-20 minutes to let it cool down sometimes.
-If you hop on the throttle, without easing into it, it will blubber out and die. You have to put extremely light pressure on the throttle, and slowly rev it up. This happens even after the saw is fully warmed up.
-It sometimes seems as though the chain or sprocket is stuck. One guy told me I had a bent bar, because just after starting it, the chain does not always move freely. I have tried new bars and chains with the same result.
-The saw bogs down very easily in all types of wood. Sometimes it will bog down, and then die. If this happens on a hot summer day, I have to let the saw rest in the shade before I can restart it and continue working (a real pita).

About the saw
It is a Stihl MS 362, bought brand new in April of 2012. I run a 20" Stihl bar with a Stihl Rapid Super chain. I use Premium unleaded with up to 10% ethanol added (can't find anything else around here). I am at high altitude (6,000 feet), but the carb is supposedly adjusted accordingly. I can get it running pretty good if I fiddle with the carb a little bit, but it seems to only last about 15 minutes, and kind of reverts to how it was running before. BTW, it has nothing to do with how sharp the chain is, or if the rakers have been properly filed. That has been accounted for.

I took it back to the dealer a couple times, and they adjusted the carb, told me it might be the ethanol content in the fuel that I was using, and basically said nothing was wrong. Although I have run other 362's with none of these issues, I took them at their word, because I'm not really a mechanic. After no improvement, and over a year of use, I called Stihl, they gave me a different dealer to take it to. They ran a "Stihl Engine Check", cleaned everything, replaced the spark plug, re-adjusted the carburetor, and sent me on my way. Of course, they had me test it out at the shop, and it seemed fine, but after I got it on the job site, it was quickly back to it's old ways.

Is there a chance that I just got a "lemon" from the factory? If I can't find any answers, I guess I'll sell it and try to get another one. I'm at my wit's end. Any help or advice is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!


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## 7sleeper (Nov 24, 2013)

Retune the carb at your worksite.

7


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## AKDoug (Nov 25, 2013)

Here is the deal, and if you don't have much experience be careful. Your saw is most likely running too rich. The heat and altitude results in air that has less oxygen available than air at cooler temps and lower altitude. When running at high altitude and high temperature, you will need to lean your saw's mixture to get it to run correctly. It might only take as little as 1/8 turn clockwise on the H and L screws to get things corrected. It is lined out in your owner's manual and there are numerous threads on tuning here and elsewhere on the net. There are times that a dealer may be operating at a lower altitude, or different temp, and that makes it hard for them to tune a saw for you. There is also the chance your dealer has no clue too  I believe your chain and power issues are directly related to your tuning issues.

Oh, and one last thing. Pull the screen out of your muffler and see how clean it is. It's the single screw on the muffler, then it slides out.


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## z71mike (Nov 25, 2013)

Sounds lean to me. Overheating then cooling down in the shade to run normal again. 

I agree with tuning at the job site.


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## XSKIER (Nov 25, 2013)

Is the dealer at a different altitude than you? Over 90° at 6K feet, I'll bet your fuel is boiling. Try trufuel, after looking for cylinder scoring.


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## VASAW (Nov 25, 2013)

TOO HOT!!!!!!!


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## Andyshine77 (Nov 25, 2013)

Sounds like the saw may be down on compression. Pop the muffler off and have a look at the cylinder.


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## callan (Nov 25, 2013)

Lol Doug, most of the time I feel like the dealer has no clue what they're doing When I took it in, they said it was probably the fact that my chain was dull. Yeah, thanks for the observation, I just got finished cutting into a tree with a damn brick in the middle...not the problem. 

Thanks for the replies, and here are a few more clues. Most of my frustration lies in the fact that the saw bogs down and dies when I am cutting, and the fact that I have terrible throttle response. I do retune at the job site, but it seems to come out of tune very quickly. I have cleaned the spark arrester, should I totally remove it? The dealer is at the same altitude as me, and supposedly a gold certified stihl repair shop which just completed a stihl engine check. I'm assuming that the cylinder was checked, but if I wanted to do that myself, Andy, what exactly would I be looking for?

Is there something that would cause the saw to come out of tune after 10-15 minutes of cutting? My 044 runs like a champ, in the same conditions, and never comes out of tune.


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## z71mike (Nov 25, 2013)

If it won't hold a tune, you may have an air leak somewhere. Start with a pressure/vac test.


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## AKDoug (Nov 25, 2013)

I would have bet it was a lean problem if it wasn't for the temp and altitude. It still could be a lean problem like an air leak, but that shouldn't happen after 15 minutes of run time. Any leaks should have been found if the tech did the engine check correctly.

To check the front of the piston/cylinder for scoring you simply have to remove the muffler and look.


Sent from my iPhone on tapatalk


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## AKDoug (Nov 25, 2013)

Btw. To eliminate fuel as the issue, buy or ask the dealer to give you, a can of Motomix.


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## callan (Nov 25, 2013)

Ok, I'll check the cylinder, and I'll find some fuel with no ethanol. If neither of those get me anywhere, can I complete a pressure/vac test myself? I'm assuming it requires a special tool or machine.


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## firefighterwolf (Nov 25, 2013)

Not getting enough fuel.

Dies when you hop on the throttle = too lean on the L adjustment.

Bogs in a cut = too lean on the H adjustment.

Undoubtedly the saw was adjusted at the factory to meet EPA requirements. Probably screams like a banshee at wide open throttle with no load.


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## z71mike (Nov 25, 2013)

callan said:


> Ok, I'll check the cylinder, and I'll find some fuel with no ethanol. If neither of those get me anywhere, can I complete a pressure/vac test myself? I'm assuming it requires a special tool or machine.



Yes, special tool. For now, you can just have the shop do the test. Which they probably should have done already when you brought it there the first time. But you mentioned they were sub-par, so that's no surprise.


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## AKDoug (Nov 25, 2013)

firefighterwolf said:


> Not getting enough fuel.
> 
> Dies when you hop on the throttle = too lean on the L adjustment.
> 
> ...


 Remember that with high altitude and high temps the saw would run richer than the factory setting. Not to say it wasn't screwed up from the factory, but that should have been discovered during the tech's engine check.


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## wilsonishere (Nov 25, 2013)

It sounds like you have a fuel tank vent issue. I would check it for defects or dirt plugging it up. I have fiddled with saws that have the same issue as yours and that was the culprit. It is often over looked and when not working has big consequences.


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## callan (Nov 25, 2013)

Thanks wilson, I'll check that out too!


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## firefighterwolf (Nov 25, 2013)

AKDoug said:


> Remember that with high altitude and high temps the saw would run richer than the factory setting. Not to say it wasn't screwed up from the factory, but that should have been discovered during the tech's engine check.


Agreed...it will run richer at higher altitudes. However, the OP said that the saw was adjusted (presumably leaned out) to make up for that.


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## AKDoug (Nov 25, 2013)

That's one of the hardest things to teach my customers. What's in tune today may not be right tomorrow, especially when we regularly see temps drop 40F in one day. Hence my enthusiasm for m-Tronic saws.

BTW OP, check and make sure your winter/summer shutter is in summer mode. I haven't seen it make that much difference but you never know.


Sent from my iPhone on tapatalk


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## Andyshine77 (Nov 25, 2013)

Definitely vac/pressure test the saw, if you have an air leak the top end is likely not in the best shape. Did anyone remove the plastic limiter caps on the L and H for full adjustment? I've seen a few carbs where the screws would spin from vibration during use.


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## cowroy (Nov 25, 2013)

Like Andyshine77 said, pull the muffler and take a look. If it looks good, check compression. Another fella on here just had the same problems you are describing. He tried everything under the sun including several different carbs, new carb kit, fuel and impulse lines, pressure and vac tested, and was just about to let it go for parts. He had done a compression test but thought it was ok at around 135psi, I think. Put a new set of rings in it and it jumped to 150psi and it ran like a new saw. Good luck and let us know what you find.


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## callan (Dec 3, 2013)

Hey all, thought I would check in and let everyone know what's going on with my 362. I didn't end up pulling the thing apart, except for the spark arrestor. I've pulled the spark arrestor before, and tried cleaning it with a blow torch (as I saw recommended somewhere) to help solve my problems...to no avail. But now, I've just pulled it out and left it out. I had a big job the last 2 days, and the saw ran like a champ. In fact, it ran better than it has ever since i bought it brand new. Not sure if that really was the root of the issue or not, but I'm really happy with it now. Also, it is cooler here now, so that may have something to do with it as well, not sure :/ If it starts acting up again, at least I have this thread with tons of tips on where to start troubleshooting. Anyway, thanks to all for the great advice!


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## apattie (Dec 22, 2013)

This will not be any help with fixing the problem, but just need to vent... I also have a ms362 bought it new and am now on my third carb. I am beginning to think that this saw is a lemon. Last carb dealer said was a bad welsh plug, but only had that carb on it for maybe 10 months. Dealer tried to get Stihl to warranty it but they refused, so another $150 into this saw. I think the next step is to change brands and I am currently looking at a husky 562.


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## apattie (Dec 22, 2013)

callan said:


> Hey all, thought I would check in and let everyone know what's going on with my 362. I didn't end up pulling the thing apart, except for the spark arrestor. I've pulled the spark arrestor before, and tried cleaning it with a blow torch (as I saw recommended somewhere) to help solve my problems...to no avail. But now, I've just pulled it out and left it out. I had a big job the last 2 days, and the saw ran like a champ. In fact, it ran better than it has ever since i bought it brand new. Not sure if that really was the root of the issue or not, but I'm really happy with it now. Also, it is cooler here now, so that may have something to do with it as well, not sure :/ If it starts acting up again, at least I have this thread with tons of tips on where to start troubleshooting. Anyway, thanks to all for the great advice!




Sorry didn't see your post, happy you finally fix it!


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## BKrusher (Dec 22, 2013)

apattie said:


> This will not be any help with fixing the problem, but just need to vent... I also have a ms362 bought it new and am now on my third carb. I am beginning to think that this saw is a lemon. Last carb dealer said was a bad welsh plug, but only had that carb on it for maybe 10 months. Dealer tried to get Stihl to warranty it but they refused, so another $150 into this saw. I think the next step is to change brands and I am currently looking at a husky 562.


Ya very frustrating there... If it was new then any brand should be taken care of by the dealer. Good luck.


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## donnymirage (Jan 29, 2016)

What is all the talk of H and L screws on an m tronic carb. Thought they were electronic and auto adjusting. Obviously it cant compensate for bad fuel, plugged fuel filter, dirty air cleaner, plugged fuel vent, or worn mechanical parts. All of which could cause the problem. If it remained fixed when you try it in the heat again I bet that spark arrestor is retaining too much heat in the engine. Any one mod there muffler on one of these saws. Curious as to how much fuel the M tronic can deliver when mods are done.


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## pioneerguy600 (Jan 29, 2016)

donnymirage said:


> What is all the talk of H and L screws on an m tronic carb. Thought they were electronic and auto adjusting. Obviously it cant compensate for bad fuel, plugged fuel filter, dirty air cleaner, plugged fuel vent, or worn mechanical parts. All of which could cause the problem. If it remained fixed when you try it in the heat again I bet that spark arrestor is retaining too much heat in the engine. Any one mod there muffler on one of these saws. Curious as to how much fuel the M tronic can deliver when mods are done.



You should have read the thread, not all MS362`s are M tronic, that would be a MS362- C-M, the early versions were strato saws with an adjustable carb.


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## donnymirage (Jan 29, 2016)

pioneerguy600 said:


> You should have read the thread, not all MS362`s are M tronic, that would be a MS362- C-M, the early versions were strato saws with an adjustable carb.



That's why I asked the question. I thought when they went to the 362 from the 361 the M tronic was adapted then. I stand corrected.


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## Stump Surgeon (Jan 30, 2016)

z71mike said:


> Sounds lean to me. Overheating then cooling down in the shade to run normal again.
> 
> I agree with tuning at the job site.




Doesn't sound like a fuel issue, but if you want a bulletproof fuel, consider Aviation gas.
I started using aviation fuel (100 LL) 25 years ago in my chainsaws (Stihl & Husqvarna) when falling timber. AvGas gives excellent power and does not seem to go bad like Gas Station pump gas. I have left a saw sit for months with AvGas in the tank and it will fire right up and run fine. All I can say is since switching to AvGas I have had a lot less problems with my chainsaws.
Brian O


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## mountainlake (Jan 30, 2016)

Seems like a auto tune issue, no matter how you tune it it's going to retune itself (lean on this saw). Steve


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## Cjbuchholz (Nov 14, 2020)

Exact same problems here . . . Won't restart when saw is warm and outside temp is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so. Picked up an old 038 AV Magnum II and no issues. Have taken the 372 C to two repair places, one an authorized Stihl dealer with a great reputation, no help. Seems to be a common issue if you check other forums.


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