Husky 550 xp dies mid cut?

[ChipChecker83]

Hey guys new to the site but I've been stalking threads for years. That said I need help with a saw a bought from a member. It's a 2013 model 550xp. Only blows 110psi on compression gauge but starts and seems to cut well. For the first 10-15 minutes anyway. I was blocking firewood tonight when the saw started to act up. After 10-15 minutes the saw started to die mid cut. I don't mean bog out or loose power. It would literally just stop all rotation of any part. Like it lost spark. I could pull it over immediately and it would restart again. After repeating this 6-7 times I decided enough was enough. Tore it down tonight and everything looks fine-cylinder and piston are shiny . Any idea's? At first I thought ignition module or coil? Any help would be great.

 

[Pud]

We had one that did a similar thing , the wires from the coil to the carb chaffed between the starter housing and carb and if you pulled up on the handle while cutting they must have been earthing on the crankcase and would cut out ... Mite be worth a look

 

[ChipChecker83]

Thanks Pud! Sound reasonable. I'll check that. Is there a good solution?

 

[Pud]

We just heat shrinked it

 

[Agrarian]

Vapor lock? - it has been hot in the northeast recently. I would expect vapor lock would prevent the saw from immediately restarting though. To rule it out, you could crack the gas cap when it starts acting up and see if it performs better.

 

[ChipChecker83]

I thought maybe at first it may be vapor lock. But it shows no signs of acting funny before it happens.it continued to act weird even after I pulled the gas cap off and put it back on.
I pulled it all apart today and checked all electrical connections. Nothing glaringly obvious. No sign of shorting or wires stripped or pinched. I'm starting to wonder if AT has a thermal cut off for the ignition if it gets too hot?

 

[Agrarian]

I thought maybe at first it may be vapor lock. But it shows no signs of acting funny before it happens.it continued to act weird even after I pulled the gas cap off and put it back on.

Yeah it didn't sound like the right symptoms for vapor lock. I've never owned a saw with a computer cause I don't want any saw smarter than me - it was a big leap for me to go with electronic ignition . Another possibility with the fuel system is for the gas line to collapse under high vacuums and I would guess that heat could cause it to collapse easier. Any chance your fuel filter needs replacing? That could also cause a weak fuel line to collapse.

110 psi is very low for a pressure reading, do you trust your gauge? I read several posts saying that below 130 on a modern saw deserves a ring change but I can't see how that would give those symptoms.

 

[weedkilla]

Yeah it didn't sound like the right symptoms for vapor lock. I've never owned a saw with a computer cause I don't want any saw smarter than me - it was a big leap for me to go with electronic ignition . Another possibility with the fuel system is for the gas line to collapse under high vacuums and I would guess that heat could cause it to collapse easier. Any chance your fuel filter needs replacing? That could also cause a weak fuel line to collapse.

110 psi is very low for a pressure reading, do you trust your gauge? I read several posts saying that below 130 on a modern saw deserves a ring change but I can't see how that would give those symptoms.

The 10mm plug often makes people use an adapter on their gauge - this increases effective combustion chamber volume and gives these sorts of readings on 550's.
If you don't have the correct gauge for these saws, you just look for scoring and ignore the numbers.

 

[ChipChecker83]

That's exactly what I thought. The piston and cylinder are clean. Rings good. I trust the gauge. I tested it on one of my other saws and it blew 175 lbs. close enough to tell something funny is going on. If a fuel line is collapsing I would assume the saw would bog or act "numb" . Like I said earlier it stops dead in its tracks. I appreciate all the ideas though. Thank you.

 

[weedkilla]

I had a saw do something similar - until I cleaned all the filth out from around the coil. My guess was overheating coil.
You've tried all the things I thought of apart from I once made a saw stop doing weird stuff by cleaning all the built up filth from around the coil.
That was one of those times where the magic of brake cleaner in a pressure pack "fixed" a saw.

 

[ChipChecker83]

I haven't run it since pulling it all apart yesterday. It may be fixed. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Disc Golfer]

Well, it must be my time now to own a lemon.

After reading this thread I thought wow I'm sure glad my new 550xp only has the dreaded bog and stall off idle.....until I got it back from the dealer.
Now, a brand new saw with not even two tanks of gas run through it has the bog off idle, or dies, AND is now dying mid cut just like the OP was referring to.

Never in my life have I has any machine just STOP completely let alone a two stroke engine at wot. Crazy.

A question for the experienced AT saw owners out there or dealers, how many times back to the dealer will it take to sort this or be returned my money for the purchase?

The saw was purchased just ten days ago.

Currently, my new MS180 is running circles around a brand new Husky 550xp, (xtra problems).

 

[svk]

Bring it back to your dealer. It should neither bog or have cutting out issues.

Keep bringing it back until it doesn't have issues or they give you a different saw.

 

[Disc Golfer]

Thank you sake, I'm not sure if either one of my dealers are up to snuff, so I'm hoping for the best and in the meantime out of work because of it.

In two more businesses days I will have lost more than the overpriced cost of the saw in lost time at work.
Now I know why guys have 5-7 saws laying around.

 

[Disc Golfer]

Thank you svk, dang spellcheck

 

[Westboastfaller]

Not to many things will do that and start right away other than a wire that shorts in a certain position as mentioned. If it's starving you would at least have to choke it. If coil wire is damaged and wet it won't start rigjt away, same as if it had a wet pack around some coils. Impulse is a possibility. Not sure how they react on that model. A tight bearing wouldn't start right away either. or clutch drag.
Water does sometimes but with water and a loose wire you are going to have your share of stumbles too.
I would change the plug first then detach the on off after you checked the on/off wire or any generated system if it exists with such model?
I've put on magnetized flywheels and clipped the wire down and covered them but came back to give me issues like that.
I'm at 95% electric and 5% vacuum (impulse) I guess they are all electronic now. Don't own, so therefore I don't know anything about 'new'

We'll see

 

[svk]

Thank you svk, dang spellcheck

No problem. I like drinking sake.

 

[romad10]

Only blows 110psi on compression gauge but starts and seems to cut well.

just throwing this out there... If you are at 110psi when cold it will never run when its warmed up. Put the ring in the cylinder and measure the end gap with feeler gauge... you might have several issues going on..

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Thank you sake, I'm not sure if either one of my dealers are up to snuff, so I'm hoping for the best and in the meantime out of work because of it.

In two more businesses days I will have lost more than the overpriced cost of the saw in lost time at work.
Now I know why guys have 5-7 saws laying around.

That sucks! I don't know about you, but I'd have a hard time trusting a saw that pulled that kind of crap right off the bat, even if the dealer says they fixed it. An off idle bog and dying mid cut!? I thought about a 550xp when I bought my 261, and I decided that unless i lived right next to an outstanding dealer like @spike60, I didn't want to try one out. I know a lot of people love them, and I hope your saw turns out not to be a lemon.

 

[Disc Golfer]

I had high hopes after my last two Huskys ran for 25 years flawlessly.

Haven't gotten the 550 back from the service shop yet, for the second time in two tanks of gas total since purchase, I know he's tied to doing what Husky warranty department tells him to fix next.
He told me last time he had a 550 do this, Husky made him replace the carb after several go arounds and finally got a good one that ran as it should.

I'm over it though, replaced it with a MS 250, carberated model, it runs good, starts first pull after warm, no monkey business. I don't have time to screw around when it's time for work.

Whenever the 550 is over it's hiccups I'm selling it and not looking back. A lemon is a lemon is a lemon. Never again!!
Yes the 550xp will run circles around the ms250 when running, but the ms250 has blasted through 6 tanks now flawlessly and I have confidence it will get me through my work weeks.

Husky can take their AT POS and shove it up their warranty disclaimers and their run around "fixes".