HELP! Echo PB580T suddenly stops then won’t restart

[Gunns]

I have an Echo PB580T backpack blower 3yrs old. It starts ok, 3 pulls, and runs fine. It starts and runs fine any where from as much as an hour or so and then sometimes as little as 5min. It then suddenly stops without any warning like it would if it had run out of gas when it burbles and cuts in and out before it dies. It’s just like I’d turned it off with the kill switch. I highly suspected the possibility that the kill switch was shorting out. I did a continuity check at the switch and it checked open when in the on position and closed when in off. I checked for spark with a spark tester with the kill switch on run and off and both resulted in a good bright spark. This didn’t make sense to me. I’d expect no spark if the kill switch was in the off position. When running the blower performs just like the day I bought it. I did a compression check and the compression was 100psi. I pulled the muffler to eyeball the piston and ring through the exhaust port and it looked fine. The air cleaner, gas tank vent and spark arrestor are clean. Spark plug checks fine nice hot blue spark. If allowed to sit for a while it’ll start up normally. Could it be a bad ignition coil? Still don’t understand why I get a spark when the kill switch is in run mode as well as stop mode. It’s never been run on straight gas either!

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

Has anyone experienced the same issue or knows of a form that addresses backpack blowers?

 

[cus_deluxe]

it can be a pain, but sounds like you really need to check for spark when it quits on u. also, just to be more sure id take carb off amd look at intake side , 100 psi seems a touch low even for a blower, but idk for sure.

 

[Gunns]

Thanks. I’ll check

 

[FergusonTO35]

Two strokes seem to have an absolute floor for compression where they will not run at all. Seems like it's around 80 psi for most of them so I would think 100 would be fine. If the ignition checks out, then I would try a squirt of fuel mix directly into the bore of the carburetor. The spark may still not be strong enough to ignite under compression, or something is causing the timing to veer off. If adding fuel doesn't at least make it try to start, then I would immediately hook up a compression gauge and see if something is causing it to suddenly drop. If compression is still at least 100, then I would go further into the ignition. A vacuum test would be good too, as leaks can do all kinds of weird things.

 

[Gunns]

Thanks FergusonT035! I've pretty much tried everything. There's still a year on the warranty. I purchased it at Home Depot. I tried to drop it off with their rental/small eng. tech. but he wasn't there today. I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Well then, I would let them handle it! And don't let up until it works properly.

 

[Gunns]

Well then, I would let them handle it! And don't let up until it works properly.

Exactly!

 

[hotajax]

Do you still have problems? I had this issue. Was a PIA.

 

[FergusonTO35]

My PB-250 once in a great while loses RPM for a few seconds while running at WOT. It's so uncommon that I don't think I could really figure out what it is until it gets alot worse.