Stihl 015AV runs unsmooth then dies

[jnicosia]

Hello,

I just inherited a Stihl 015AV chainsaw from the previous owner of my house. He said that it ran irradically. So I drained all the fuel and refilled with fresh mix (40-1). Checked the sparkplug and airfilter. Both were in great shape. Plug had little to no carbon on it. Compression seems decent judging from the resistance to the pull cord. It started right up after about 5 pulls. Ran for 10 seconds and cut off the choke and it continued to run well. After about 2-3 minutes the saw eventually starts to not run as smoothly when it gets hot, then cuts out and will not re-start until it cools off. Once it cools off it starts right up ! The saw has always been a homeowner saw and does not have a ton of hours on it (original bar)....although a 015AV is probably from like 1981 or so ?

Any ideas on how I can fix this ? I am thinking it may be the coil ? The owner took it into a high dollar place back in 2002 and they told him it was not worth fixing.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks,
John

 

[TimberPig]

Check for spark when it cuts out. If you have no spark, then you likely have a bad coil. If you still have spark, you may have a seal that is leaking once it warms up. I would bet the coil is bad though.

 

[jnicosia]

I had heard that Stihl had a lifetime warranty on the coils for some years. Any way to know if this saw was in that range ? Also do any of you Stihl experts know if Stihl still makes parts for this model (015AV) or will it be a used adventure ?

 

[Chris J.]

I bought a used 015 with a bad coil a while back (there's a thread here at AS). The seller told me that the Stihl shop said the coils were no longer available, and they couldn't help him. Sedanman, a Stihl mechtech, made a post here also saying that some? most? 015 parts are obsolete. I found a coil on ebay, but haven't gotten around to trying to install it. Aparantly the 015 cases can be tricky, & my mechtech skills aren't that good. Hope this helps in some way.---Chris J.

 

[Lakeside53]

Sounds like fuel... and "sounds" like it's just getting too rich to work when hot.

If you squirt in some gas after it dies, does it fire? Do you have spark after it dies?

Obviously, the carb may need to be kitted.

First though try the saw with the gas cap loose - you may be not venting and as the pressure in the tank drops, the carb can't pump anymore. (leans out and dies).

I assume you dug out and replaced the the fuel filter ?(thought the side, NOT the tank). Be careful, the hose on the 015 breaks very easily.

.
If you have no spark immediately after it dies, but it comes back, then check the points capacitor. Not high on my list, but I've seen this happen.

 

[16gauge]

What Lakeside said...the clue is that it runs hot before it dies. If the fuel filter (or if it has a screen in the carb) is lightly plugged with sawdust of all things it just might act this way. Squirting mix in the carb after it dies would help greatly with the diagnosis.

Not a Stihl or any other kind of saw tech but if you keep trying to eliminate this or that you will eventually find the problem...maybe good news, maybe bad but the "high priced dealer" is probably trying to sell you a new saw.

 

[Lakeside53]

What Lakeside said...the clue is that it runs hot before it dies. If the fuel filter (or if it has a screen in the carb) is lightly plugged with sawdust of all things it just might act this way. Squirting mix in the carb after it dies would help greatly with the diagnosis.

Not a Stihl or any other kind of saw tech but if you keep trying to eliminate this or that you will eventually find the problem...maybe good news, maybe bad but the "high priced dealer" is probably trying to sell you a new saw.

I work for a high-priced-dealer (not paid like one) ... It's tough to work on these old saws and bill out shop rate of $58 plus tax while making the customer happy... if it's a nice saw, and we like the customer (just be nice to us!), often we'll just take them home (the saws) and work on them at "home rates"... The 015 is a simple cute saw, but can be a pain to get just right if it's been sitting in a dust corner for 15 years. It's a couple of hours to tear down the saw, boil the carb in an ultrasonic cleaner, rebuild it, dig out the fuel lines etc etc.... Most 015L owners don't want to spend $125-150...