How to Repair a Gas Trimmer

Gas trimmers often have starting trouble. If they start easily, you’re lucky, because at times, they just won’t start at all. If it does start easily, put it down to good maintenance. But if you experience problems with your gas trimmer, you know you need to do a thorough maintenance job on your trimmer. Here’s how to go about it:

Kinds of problems: Problems usually encountered with gas trimmers relate to its faulty engine. Alternatively, it can also have a blocked air filter or exhaust port. Or the trimmer needs to be oiled and its air passages or cooling fins could be blocked. Finally, it’s not uncommon for its battery to be faulty.

How to repair a gas trimmer: First, clean the air filter. A good and clean air filter keeps the dirt and debris away from the combustion chamber. However, if it is dirty, it will block he air from entering the combustion chamber. As an example of a small engine, a gas trimmer must always bear the correct air-fuel ratio before it is switched on.

Next, pull out the sparkplug wire from the spark plug. Using a sparkplug tool, unscrew the sparkplug. If it is more than a couple of seasons old, replace it, but if it is new, check for wear and tear. Use a cloth rag to wipe off the electrode end of the plug. Once it is spanking clean, if you find it looking good and working well, look out for the gap, using a gapping tool.

This should be not more than 0.020 and 0.032 inches, depending on the model of the trimmer. Now, reinstall the sparkplug. If it is damaged, get a new one. Now, reinstall the plug and attach the sparkplug wire once more.

Now, empty the fuel tank into a known storage container for fuel. Take an eight-inch piece of metal wire and put into a hook and place it in an empty fuel tank. Now, pull the tube that is attached to the fuel filter to the far end of the tank. Check to see just how clean it is, using a nonflammable solvent. If you find it not damaged, replace it, but if it is damaged or very dirty, it’s time to replace it.

Now, pour fresh and unused stabilized fuel into the tank because stale fuel will be a deterrent to the engine starting smoothly. Besides, if fuel is not stabilized with an additive every 30-90 days, it will expire, but if done correctly and periodically, it can last for a year. Now, try to start the engine. If it still doesn’t, let your dealer take a look at it.

How to deal with some gas trimmer problems: If you find your trimmer is blunt, replace the blades. Check its cutting head and if you find some parts damaged, replace them.

If your gas trimmer refuses to work, dive into the manual and then examine all the controls to see if they have been set correctly. Next, examine the small engine that gives energizes the unit.