# Excel Pressure Washer / Honda 5.5 Engine Won't Keep Running



## edbmoney

hello. i have an excel pressure washer, the VR2522 , 2500 PSI, with a Honda Engine which I believe is the 5.5 HP Honda Overhead Cam engine.
the machine is 2 yrs old, and has been used 4-5 times. the last time it was used was about a year ago, and now when i go to start it, it will
start after a few pulls but after about 10-15 seconds the engine stalls out. i changed out the gas and found some sediment in the fuel, so wondering
if that caused a clog somewhere? the oil is full, but looks pretty black; still it hasn't been used that much so i can't imagine it's an oil thing? also,
the water line/hose was hooked up and on so the water was flowing. any ideas of what the problem could be and possible 'fix?' thanks for your 
help.


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## justin3

Make sure the fuel shut off valve is turned on, if it is then i would suspect a dirty main jet in the carburetor.


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## edbmoney

yeah, it's turned on. 

is there an 'easy' way to get at the carb and clean out the main jet? i'm not familiar with small engines like this, but have worked on cars so i am handy. any good place i can find a diagram/steps to do what you're suggesting? thanks for your help.


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## sluggermike

My guess is that it is a clogged carb as edbmoney just posted. The carbs are pretty simple, unlike one you might find in a car. Just make sure, if you are not familiar with this engine, that you take a lot of pictures of the carb and linkage while you are taking it apart. I have a digital camera that I use all the time. I found that it is better take more pictures than less since they don't cost you anything to down load. I also have a dedicated area and lots of zip lock bags to put the parts in. It makes it a lot easier to reassemble you if place similar in the same zip lock bag. It's also helps if you get distracted and can't put it back together right away.


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## edbmoney

dumb question, i know..... but where is exactly is the carb located? looking for a diagram of sorts, if anyone knows of a good site. again, i know i sound like i'm not mechanically inclined if i have to ask that question, but i'm a car engine guy; never worked on small engines like this before. thanks for the help. i'm assuming, though, once i take it apart, i can just spray some carb cleaner to clear things out? thanks.


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## sluggermike

The carb is located at the end of the gas line from the gas tank, or in some cases it sits on top of the gas tank. I hope you are not try to put me on, because I am trying to be helpful. If you don't have any carb cleaner that has a strainer that you dump in a can, you might try using aerosol carb cleaner that you use for car engines. I would recommend use compressed air to blow out the openings and jets in the carb.


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## edbmoney

slugger - nope, i'm not trying to put you on. i truly don't have the experience working on these types of machines, so really just wasn't sure. really. gotcha on where to look, etc.... yeah, i've got that aerosol carb cleaner i use on my car; i'll give that a shot. thanks.


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## pyro_maniac69

wait, you had the water on when you tried to start it? you aren't supposed to do that, you are supposed to start the engine with the water shut off, than after it has started, you than go and turn the water on


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## sluggermike

According to the instructions I have for my gas powered pressure washer, your must turn on the water first and get all the air out of the line before starting it. If you run it without the water on, I believe you will burn the pump out. I've noticed that if it starts to run and then stops when it is cold, you must release the water pressure by pulling the trigger on the wand; otherwise, there is too much pressure in the line making it almost impossible to pull the starter rope. I always release the pressure even if it only fires once.


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## edbmoney

slugger is correct; you're supposed to have the water turned on before you start it. that's what i did. if you don't have the water on, then the engine isn't getting cooled.

and yeah, i turn the water on, pump the spray gun to release the pressure, then the flywheel is "loose" and ready to pull start. all of that is fine. but after it starts i move the choke to run position and after sounding good for about 10-15 seconds, the engine just cuts off.


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## 30yearTech

edbmoney said:


> slugger is correct; you're supposed to have the water turned on before you start it. that's what i did. if you don't have the water on, then the engine isn't getting cooled.


The water does not cool the engine, the engine is air cooled. The water helps cool and lubricate the pump, and if run without water for very long, can cause pump damage. Simply starting and running the engine for a few seconds with out water pressure should not have any adverse effect on the pump. If you want to run and test the engine without the pump, there are usually only four mounting bolts to the engine from the pump housing, and the pump should slide off of the engine crankshaft.


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## dawgpile

As 30YT indicated, the water is there to cool the pump. But..keep in mind that merely turning on the water is not sufficient to cool the pump while the engine is running. If there is no water flow, after a period of time, the water can overheat and cause the pump to fail by popping a seal. I've seen worse! I just did a pump replacement where the original broke two bolts(part of the pump, not mounting bolts!) due to an overheating condition. Many pumps these days have 'thermal overloads' which will open and relieve the pressure(based on temp). Typically the lower end units don't incorporate this as it adds cost. If you check out the sites that sell replacement pumps, you'll see references made to these thermal protection devices.

Again, as 30YT said, this only comes into play if you are running the engine for more extended periods of time without pulling the trigger on the wand and letting some water flow through! Testing the engine without water flowing for a few minutes is typically not long enough to cause damage!


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## pyro_maniac69

as 30yr and dawg said, I've seen it alot, we had a rental powerwasher at work that people kept bringing back because they said it wouldn't start, we brought it in the shop, hooked the water up to it, turned the water on and than tried to start it, it would run for a few seconds and die, we shut the water off, released the pressure from it through the wand, started it without the water on, let it warm up for about 15 seconds, turned the water on, never died.

What I think happens is when you try and start it with the water on, you actually got an air bubble inside the pump, and when you start it, it just locks the pump up from the pressure


thats just my guess on it though


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## shortlid

Can you change the oil in your excel pump? Mine locked up and it wa sthe pump that was recalled and bad!


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## sluggermike

I always run water through my pressure water before starting the engine. I run it long enough to get all the air out of the line which I believe avoids getting air bubbles in the pump. That's my two cents on the subject.


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## edbmoney

pryro - interesting.....yeah, maybe i'll give that a shot. i'm doing everything according to the manual. 1) turning water on, 2) releasing pressure from the spray gun, 3) starting her up.....then 10-15 seconds later she dies. if i truly can't do any damage if the water's not running for a minute, then maybe i'll start her up first, see if she runs, then turn the water on. sure hope it's not a major issue here. with a 10 month old running around my house, i don't have the time to tinker with projects like this like i used to. LOL. thanks.


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## 30yearTech

Perhaps we have gotten a little of track with the debate of "water on vs water off". 

Have you done anything to your carburetor yet?? This does sound like you have an issue with your carburetor.


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## edbmoney

i have not done anything to the carb yet. it sounds like there's debate between this being a carb issue (clog?), and a pressure issue (water on vs. off when starting). if it's not a harmful thing to do, then perhaps I'll start it up (after releasing pressure from the gun) without the water running, and then once the engine is on, i'll cut the water on, and see what happens. If that doesn't work, then I guess I'm breaking down into the carb. Course, I was going to check the fuel line, too before I break into the carb.


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## 30yearTech

Well I really doubt that its an issue whether the water is on or off, my pressure washer will start and run either way. I would try it both ways just to make sure. Let us know what you figure out.

Best of Luck.. :thumbsup:


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## edbmoney

well, i ended up draining the carb over the weekend and the fuel that was in there had some sediment in it. added fresh fuel, then actually set the choke in the middle, started up pretty quickly, then ran just fine especially when i had a load on it via depressing the spray gun......good to go ...for now..... thanks for all ya'lls input.


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## justin3

I believe most pressure washers now have a pressure release valve built in so that when you start the pressure washer, the pressure wont build up and stall out the engine.


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## pyro_maniac69

probably, but the chance of one of those failing is defiantly there


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## Rentahusband

Sounds like this is a Carb issue. If you found sediment in the bowl then there is a good chance some of this sediment has made its way into the tiny passageways of the carb and is causing an obstruction. Varnished fuel may also be an issue. My suggestion is to have the carb soaked to completely clean it to peak performance. I would also change the crankcase oil, this is recomended after a designated break-in period. If it has been 2yrs I would change it. Cheap insurance. Keep us posted.
Dean


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## Idmason60

I see he found the problem. I have a similar model and had the same problem. It would run and quit after 2 or 3 minutes or maybe even 15. I cleaned the carb,tank but the problem continued. I finally replaced the plug and that was the fix. Plugs can really be a hidden sneak attack on these engines also. The old one looked clean and was gapped properly but just would not work more then a few minutes before it failed. So don't leave plugs out when you have stopping for no reason after a few minutes.


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## stuzuki

turn the water on ,keeping the handle squeezed start the washer and see if that makes a difference


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## wthansom

I have the same problem. I did exactly what pyro_mania69 sugguested, turn off the water hose then start engine. It worked! However, it worked for approximately 10 mins. So, I waiting about 15 secs and started the engine again and it worked.... for 10 mins. Any clue on this problem? Thank you, guys.


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## phillipmc

wthansom try running without fuel cap on


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## john98626

*Excel 2500 pressure washer*

My pressure washer starts up and runs great until I release the handel then it dies. As long as I keep it open for continuous spray it runs great. Can anyone help me with why it dies when I try to just idle the pressure washer


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