# Snowblower shuts off after 10-15 minutes



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Pull the shroud and check for rodent nest. They sometimes do an excellent job of restricting air flow across the head that the shroud is attempting to direct there.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> and I press on the auger level that's when it seems to want to shut off...


Ayuh,.... Look for chaffed wires, 'tween the keyswitch, 'n the motor,....

Unplug the wire, at the motor, 'n see if it'll run longer,...


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Sounds like you almost doing all the right things.
#1, Stabilizer does nothing to counter act the effects of ethanol fuel. Find a place that sell nonethanol fuel or at least add the additive.
Never ever use old fuel!
How old is this blower?
Pulled the bowl of the bottom of the carburetor to check for water and trash yet? While it's off lift and lower the float to see if it's shutting off the fuel flow totally.
If it's an older blower the exhaust muffler can be an issue, rusted out so there's no back pressure, causing a blockage, plugged up with carbon.


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

Thanks everyone,

Looks like I'll have to remove and clean the carb again, I saw in another forum that the coil could be an issue, might need to sand the contacts


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

It's probably 7 years old


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

Used the blower again this morning did 4 passes from one end to the other of our 70 foot driveway and it turned off, I cleaned off the cars and then started it back up and managed to finish the job and it turned off again by itself


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## Davejss (May 14, 2012)

I bought a brand new Ariens a few years ago, and it did the same thing from day one. It would start on the first pull, and purr like a kitten for about five or ten minutes, and then die. Sometimes it would start right up, other times you could pull it a hundred times. I brought it back to the dealer, and he said some BS about having to loosen the gas cap because it was getting "vapor locked". I told him that he was a nut job and that I wanted a refund. I finally got it, but not until things got ugly.
I still don't know what the problem was, but I'm sure it wasn't gas cap related nonesense.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Davejss said:


> I bought a brand new Ariens a few years ago, and it did the same thing from day one. It would start on the first pull, and purr like a kitten for about five or ten minutes, and then die. Sometimes it would start right up, other times you could pull it a hundred times. I brought it back to the dealer, and he said some BS about having to loosen the gas cap because it was getting "vapor locked". I told him that he was a nut job and that I wanted a refund. I finally got it, but not until things got ugly.
> I still don't know what the problem was, but I'm sure it wasn't gas cap related nonesense.


That's common with dealers when equipment is under warranty. Why they get up tight and attempt to determine what the buyer did wrong or in your case, other, I'll never know. Now we know why the box stores are attracting more as time passes and the dealers are betching as they gradually go down the tube.


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## curtd (Oct 25, 2013)

Yep, probaly is the coil. Another possibly is that the valve stems are not getting oil. So they enlarge inside the guides causing them to hang up. Another way an engine runs hot is it's running to lean. Any carb adjustments ? If it is overheating and happening for a while now i would check the head gasket


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

Would it make much difference from 5 w30 to 10w30 oil.

I think the previous owner was putting in 10.... But reading the book 5w would definitely be better for our cold ottawa winters

I cleaned the carb today... It looked pretty clean
I took the gas tank off but couldn't find the coil itself under the tank but did identify the starter cables... I'll sand them up and clean them with rubbing alcool then fire it back up....

I think I know where it is exactly but got lazy and didn't want to remove the shield between the gas tank.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Take it to the local Farm & Home store that has a small engine shop. The guys and gals that work in those shops, will have it up and running like new. Most likely it is probably the Carb. Or you have over done it on using the Seafoam.

I used my Snow Blower about 2 hours last year, just drained the gas out of it, and put in fresh, have had no issues. Never have had to use Seafoam in my 11 year old lawn mower. Just change the oil, plug and filter on it every other year. Runs like a champ every year.


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

I forgot to mention that when it's about to die... If I pump the primer bulb it stays on for another 10 minutes or so...then shuts off... I tried loosening the fuel cap and that doesn't help.


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## curtd (Oct 25, 2013)

Can you give us the model and serial number (the year doesn't help us) ?

You press the primer bulb and it works for another 10 minutes. This sounds like that by doing that you are somehow cleaning one of those tiny holes in the carburetor, but after a certain time elapses the engine dies, which to me sounds like a dirt in gas tank

1) Don't forget, certain carburetors have welch plugs. These will have to be removed to clean carb 100%

2) Carburetors also have a pin hole on the outside of their body. Just got to look around to find. Loosening up the gas cap was a good idea to eliminate vapor lock cause, so ensuring that this atmospheric pin hole is cleaned also will eliminate vapor lock cause also


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## del schisler (Aug 22, 2010)

chillz911 said:


> Would it make much difference from 5 w30 to 10w30 oil.
> 
> I think the previous owner was putting in 10.... But reading the book 5w would definitely be better for our cold ottawa winters
> 
> ...


is their a oil sencer on the motor ?? if so check oil level if ok , than take the wire off and i bet it will run fine, had this happen


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

No no sensor

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using diychatroom.com mobile app


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## jimn (Nov 13, 2010)

Sounds like it needs to have the carb rebuilt or replaced. Dirt, vibration etc. you could try closing the choke a little.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I think you said you checked the gas tank. Back in my teen years I had a 54 ford and lost the gas cap, I stuck a shop rag in the gas filler to keep trash out. The rag disappeared, I thought it blew out, it didn't it went down in the tank.

I would be driving along and the car would die, but it would crank right back up. Like to have never figured it out. The rag would get sucked against the pickup tube and kill the engine. When dead, the rag would drop off and it would fire right back up.

One thing I can think of right off hand is your gas line might be getting warm then collapsing. Also a bad coil will do like that also. But by pumping the bulb and it brings it back up, something is stopping the flow of fuel.

I thought of the gas cap also, on a boat fuel tank there is a vent screw, if it is closed it will cause a vacuum in the tank to the point it will not allow gas to be pumped out, starving the carbs.


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

I changed the coil recently...and I have the same problem. I'm going to try to use high test gas to see if it makes a difference...if that don't work I'll have to bring it in to get fixed


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

If running with the air filter try running without. Sometimes under winter conditions they ice over.


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## chillz911 (Aug 25, 2010)

Update-
Ran the blower with regular gas to empty the tank and added sea foam.
Used super or high test gas and now it works like a champ...Damm you ethonol gas you won...problem solved


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## WhatRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

get a can of marine stabilizer the green color, works wonders with the crap ethanol gas..


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## Davejss (May 14, 2012)

I started running premium gas with some Stabil in all of my small engines. No more carb problems at all.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

There's an adjustment screw on the bottom of the carb bowl. Play with it.


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