372XP quit while cutting a few times yesterday

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malk315

Running Saws for Therapy
Joined
Dec 12, 2011
Messages
336
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553
Location
Lancaster, Massachusetts
While helping my brother on a tree job yesterday my 372XP starting misbehaving by just quitting while in the cut.
It was quite hot and humid. Bought the saw new in 2012 from reputable dealer (Chapel Tractor in NH).
I'm a weekend warrior so not a great amount of use.

I've changed the filter not too long ago and kept the old one as it's not very dirty anyway (nice to have spare).
Haven't gone to look at anything yet like plug or cylinder and actually not sure what to look for hence this post.
Filter area is quite clean.

It doesn't sit with gas in it for long periods. When it will sit for more than a few weeks I drain and run it til it quits so it's sitting empty. It gets most of its use in cold months.

I haven't had it tuned as it seems just as powerful as ever and tuning not required. When it quits I can start it back up and keep going.
A couple times I let it sit and used the other saw for a bit and went back -- would still quit in the cut at full throttle after several a few more minutes of cutting. First time it happened I thought it was out of gas -- filled it up and then it kept happening so I know it wasn't empty tank.

I hear you guys talk about an "impulse" valve or something like that. Wondering about that... or tank vent I hear about. Seems fuel related.

I'm too afraid of wrecking it to tune it so I will bring it to the dealer to go through it. My fear is them not being able to reproduce the problem -- probably needs to run through some wood and warm up before this happens.

One more thing -- it first happened when "noodling", I was cutting a spruce but in half so we could feed it to the chipper (well not totally noodling but more like trying to "mill" it in half cutting w/ bar perpendicular to normal cut to slice down the wood like a mil). Have to dog in and pressure a bit as it doesn't cut nearly as well through the grain as opposed to normal cuts. This probably made it run hotter than normal, but the bar wasn't excessively hot when I checked it near clutch cover and also cool on the other side where the air injection vents are (and those weren't obstructed either).

Serial plate says 2011 on it and this is a 372XP X-torq model.

Hoping dealer will find a root cause but wanted to run by you for ideas to give them.
 
I'd be concerned about the piston/cylinder. If the tune was on the lean side, and you beat on it more than usual, you may have scored it. Pull the muffler and check or have the dealer do it
 
Will check or have it checked out. Hope it's not scored. It still seems to have plenty of power even after the episodes of it quitting. I think it 4 cycles at WOT if you pulse it w/o being in wood but I'm certainly no expert.
I'll probably take it in next weekend and have the saw guy at Chapel have a look.
 
So, things that will cause a saw to work cold and die hot:
Low compression
Bad coil (unlikely in a 2012)
Tank venting issues (somewhat unlikely here).
 
You know -- when refueling once there may have been suction relief on the fuel cap when I unscrewed it -- I remember now that being odd. In fact it was when it had quit the very first time and I thought it might have been out of fuel -- went to fill it and one of the two caps (probably the fuel) seemed to have suction relief when getting it off I just remember it being weird like that. Didn't pay attention too much as I didn't know what I was looking for -- just thought I had emptied the tank as I was quite a bit through that tank.

So a tank vent thing might be possible. After filling it up it quit probably 5 or 6 more times and we were done for the day. I never really let it cool much when it quit on some occasions -- just started up and kept going. Other times I grabbed another saw out of frustration.
I'll find out what's up. Thanks for the responses. If I screwed the saw up, I'll be getting it fixed and be more careful to get it serviced or start learning to do it myself. My brother has a guy local to him he uses. Just recently he had a piston+cylinder put in on a straight gassed 346XP (was not us who straight gassed it!) yielding another 346XP in the stable that runs great...
 
I had a Bad coil on My 1999 394XP, It ran great until it was "Heat Soaked", and then it *Sometimes* quit, or Failed to Re-Start, and sometimes it would run a bit ragged for a second-then quit. If you checked it for spark (plug on barrel in shade), It DID flash a weak spark, but not enough to light the mixture in the saw. After allowing the saw to cool for up to an hour, It would start and run just fine, Until it got Heat-soaked again.
Just to be sure, I got the saw "Heat Soaked", and then pulled the starter cover, Sprayed the coil with "Electro-Freeze" (Circuit board tester-like Freon, or Keyboard duster turned upside-down) And that "proved" it was the coil since it made a nice hot spark and then started right up. The coil was between 4 and 5 years old and I remember going "OUCH!" when the best Disco price I could get for an OEM replacement (in '03) was like 75 Bucks...Been working fine ever since, 11 Years and going strong.
What you describe doesn't sound like a coil, but the chill test is a good way to find electronics that quit when the heat is on, but then work when the part is allowed to cool and "contract"
 
They were a week out for service so I called today -- they spent some time on it I don't remember everything he said but I believe it had 150 or 155 PSI compression (I think he said they like to see 160 but were fine w/ what they got) and no wear issues they were concerned about.

He said several things I don't remember everything, but I think it boiled down to they want to do a leak test for the low end (waiting for a kit they use to come back from the other shop) and if that passes they will test the coil as it could be the coil. That's all I've got... I'm thinking tomorrow they will let me know what's next. Oh and they said they found a bit of debris in carb throat, filter wasn't super dirty. Maybe when I changed filter something got in but I'm pretty careful. Sounded pretty thorough.
 
I had my 353 act up on a hot an humid day one year...you stated that above. The next day it was fine. I'm sure it will work out for you.
 
If you suspect the fuel vent. Just crack the fuel cap open a bit and run it like that and see if the stopping problem goes away. A plugged vent would account for it quitting after a while. A collapsing fuel line could act like that also.

Other things I'd be looking at is the fuel filter in the tank and the fuel screen inside the carb.
 
Thanks for the ideas. It seems the shop knows what they are doing which was important to me being first time using for an issue. Bought the saw there and heard they were good. I think he said most times he sees this it is related to a low end leak that gets problematic when warm... Coil was the second thing. If they nail it ill be happy. I think they will continue to be goto guys for me given how they are handling... They were honest on being a week out and tracked only 30 mins checking / reproducing using wood out back etc. Thanks!
 
Dealer called today saw passed lower end leak test. When putting back together they noticed the fuel line seemed worn or possibly collapsed where it is routed (around or through a bracket or something) so they replaced it. They ran it a bunch and everything is good. They thought the fuel might have been a bit lousey too. I'll find out next outing but real test will be another hot/humid day. Thanks for the info -- always good to hear ideas and knowledge on here. Glad it wasn't a wrecked cylinder but a fuel issue. I'm hoping someday I can start messing with saws tearing down and learning how to repair etc. I've rebuilt small engines before and was a gearhead as youngin but hi tech is what pays my bills and funds my habits w/ saws. So for now I have to rely on others. Glad to give the dealer the business and get piece of mind the saw is still right. I will be using them again for issues as they were quite thorough about it and seem to know what they are doing -- don't always get that these days!
 
Many 365/372XT's have most likely the worst fuel lines every put on a newer Husqvarna saw. The factory installed lines you are lucky to get a year out of in my experience.
They soften right up and collapse under vaccum. This is purely a batch problem in the manufacturing of the fuel line, for identical replacement hoses 9same part number and line markings) perform like they should.

Usually the collapsed part is in the tank, outside of the tank the line acted and passes vac/pressure test as it should.
 
Got the saw back this morning. Old fuel line where it goes through tank has good gouge -- see picture.
If the clunk w/ screen moves around to right position inside tank, I could see it would make the collapse area even worse and pinch off.
If I bend in my hand you breathe on it wrong and it can collapse at the spot w/ gouge.
I'll need to learn to change myself as maybe every few years the line could end up like this where it enters tank.

Started the saw and triggered a few times -- seems to four cycle a bit more a WOT and RPMs don't seem to sing up as high so maybe a bit richer.
Not sure if they messed w/ carb -- I understand very little adjustment w/ stock limiters anyway. If fuel can flow better, I could see it not leaning out as much.

Glad to learn about this and maybe will help others.
Won't be able to try in wood til September probably. I have to travel to Japan for a couple of weeks for the day job.

fuel_line_clipped.jpg
 
I was thinking too that when everything heats up the line could get that much softer and even more prone to collapse -- especially as the saw tries to vacuum fuel to the carb.
 

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