Honda Generator Won't Stay Running

[PinHead]

Sounds like it's about to blow up. I'll give ya 50 bucks for it.

[Puppet]

Check the fuel pickup line. Goes from inside the tank to the carb. Your problem sounds incredibly similar to a small engine problem I recently had. Did pretty much all the things you did, but it never got just right. The rubber pickup line had started deteriorating in the tank and wasn't drawing enough fuel...

That's where this systems becomes a pain for access. The line doesn't run directly from tank to carb. The gravity fed line (with fuel filter) runs straight down to the petcock directly behind the on/off switch. Haven't been able to get to the connection on the petcock. Then another line runs back up into a fuel pump. Haven't gotten to either end of this line. Then a 3rd line runs to the carb. This line is easy to access and was one of the first pieces I cleaned. Have to almost completely dismantle to get to the bottom of line 1 and both connects on line 2.

[Garandman]

Necrothread!

Loaned my nephew an EU2000i. Last summer he told me it wasn’t running so I brought it home - he’d gotten a larger unit in the meantime.

Started on choke but would not run at all with choke off - sure sign of clogged fuel jets.

Followed a video on YouTube and sure enough, all the jets were blocked. Also discovered the float bowl was not drained: he wasn’t aware that was a thing.

Poked out the passages, cleaned everything in an ultrasonic cleaner, and viola’ - started second pull as always.’






https://photos.smugmug.com/Machines/..._0630-1280.mp4

[Garandman]

Video I used.

[TheIglu]

I drain the bowl of the snowblower every time I use it. Just shut the gas off and let it idle for 1-2 minutes till it dies.

I do the same with my cheap Champion generator, but my Honda EU3000 doesn't have a fuel cut off. I wish they all did.

[Stoneman]

I drain the bowl of the snowblower every time I use it. Just shut the gas off and let it idle for 1-2 minutes till it dies.

I do the same with my cheap Champion generator, but my Honda EU3000 doesn't have a fuel cut off. I wish they all did.

I do that with just about all my small engines. If it doesn't have a petcock, I drain the carb via the drain screw. Even though my gas is all treated in those. Well, except for the lawnmower...

[PurplePackage]

I started putting sta-bil in my gas cans 20 years ago and haven't had to deal with my jets clogging ever since then. Small engine owners love this one weird trick.

[RandyO]

my little Cricket Toe Hoe has a Honda GX160 motor in it, when I bought it, it had been sitting several years, started right up and ran good till I refilled the gas tank and 10% ethanol solvent loosened years of crud, but guess what, buying a brand new $26 Genuine Honda carb, was quicker and cheaper than fussing with the one that was on it

[e30addict]

I don't drain shit. I start using Marine Stabil in the fuel towards end of season and carry on with life.

[LuvDog]

I use marine stabil or startron but I still shut of the fuel and/drain the carb at the end of every season for yard equipment and every time I use my generator

[Garandman]

I drain the bowl of the snowblower every time I use it. Just shut the gas off and let it idle for 1-2 minutes till it dies.

I do the same with my cheap Champion generator, but my Honda EU3000 doesn't have a fuel cut off. I wish they all did.

There should be a clear plastic line from the float bowl, with a valve opened with a straight blade screwdriver.

[Garandman]

my little Cricket Toe Hoe has a Honda GX160 motor in it, when I bought it, it had been sitting several years, started right up and ran good till I refilled the gas tank and 10% ethanol solvent loosened years of crud, but guess what, buying a brand new $26 Genuine Honda carb, was quicker and cheaper than fussing with the one that was on it

Extraordinary deal. OEM carb for EU2000i (99cc) is $150.

The Chonda carbs are in the $25 range.

[RandyO]

Extraordinary deal. OEM carb for EU2000i (99cc) is $150.

The Chonda carbs are in the $25 range.

I don't think my Honda dealer sells Chonda, had to order it, GX160 has several carbs depending on application, I can imagine a generator/inverter has a more complicated carb, being controlled by the electrical draw rather than a simple throttle cable

[obsolete]

I don't use enough fuel in most of my stuff so it just gets hot gas. It's expensive but worth it for no hassle. Leave blower and weed eater are on over 10 years of no issue and never draining fuel since I switched.

[Jim]

I don't use enough fuel in most of my stuff so it just gets hot gas. It's expensive but worth it for no hassle. Leave blower and weed eater are on over 10 years of no issue and never draining fuel since I switched.

i can grab an empty 5 gallon VP pale at the track and bring back some 90 ethanol free fuel on my way north if you need it. i've been doing that all year when at the tracks in the south.

[Garandman]

I don't think my Honda dealer sells Chonda, had to order it, GX160 has several carbs depending on application, I can imagine a generator/inverter has a more complicated carb, being controlled by the electrical draw rather than a simple throttle cable

You are right, on eBay OEM carbs are now $30-50.

For reference, the EU2000i holds 0.42 quarts of oil.
You check level with the dipstick screwed out.
There seems to be both high and low oil level sensors.

This is where you drain the float bowl.

[OneCheekRider]

The simplest solution for me was to move somewhere warm and use all my small engines & motorcycles year-round

[e30addict]

The simplest solution for me was to move somewhere warm and use all my small engines & motorcycles year-round

Simple, but not cheap

[Point37]

I do that with just about all my small engines. If it doesn't have a petcock, I drain the carb via the drain screw. Even though my gas is all treated in those. Well, except for the lawnmower...

I don't drain shit. I start using Marine Stabil in the fuel towards end of season and carry on with life.

^^^these...if it doesn't have a shut off i try to install one...i use seafoam in all my gas cans and fuel mixes when i go to fill up...chainsaw gets trufuel though

[zxme]

I TruFuel everything and probably for the last 10 years I’ve had zero problems

[RandyO]

I TruFuel everything and probably for the last 10 years I’ve had zero problems

I found that VP is less expensive

[zxme]

I found that VP is less expensive

If you use enough of it and buy the bigger cans, I usually store with the half a can in the lawnmower, half a can and the generator same with snowblower and motorcycle

[RandyO]

If you use enough of it and buy the bigger cans, I usually store with the half a can in the lawnmower, half a can and the generator same with snowblower and motorcycle

I started buying 5 gal of VP 50:1 when I started chainsaw milling, ripping a 32" wide slab off a 16 ft white pine log can take a full tank, fair amount of bar oil too, get into hardwood, and your refilling the tank before you finish the slab. just for my chainsaws, everything else gets pump gas, gen w Tecumseh, toe hoe w Honda, neither has seen anything but pump gas. Sometimes I fill my UTV from a can at home too, but normally I just drive it to the gas station in town, as I have street registration for that

[Jim]

I started buying 5 gal of VP 50:1

i bought a 5 gallon pale of it at the track for $60 back in 2021. it's almost empty now.
i use a 5 gallon pale of C9 for any 4 stroke equipment at home.

[obsolete]

i can grab an empty 5 gallon VP pale at the track and bring back some 90 ethanol free fuel on my way north if you need it. i've been doing that all year when at the tracks in the south.

That's a great idea and an awesome offer but I'm further north now and not conveniently. Haha.