Strikemaster Solo won't start

[uffdapete]

I bought a new Strikemaster Solo late last February (after my Laser Mag was stolen :-( and used it approx a dozen times last season before winterizing it according to the manual.

This year I filled it with fresh non-oxy, mixed 40-1 before going out for the first time in early December. It had been cold (-15) for a few days but it's stored in a garage that stays around +15-20. I wanted to start it before the first time out to make sure everything is a go. It didn't start and hasn't started all season except 1 time unless it's in the house for a half hour to warm up. Then it starts first pull. The time it did start it was around 0 and it had been in the cold for 10 minutes. It took 40+ pulls and it seemed like it might have been flooded. I'm not sure on that one cause I got frustrated, went to borrow another auger and my friend got it started.

I thought there might be a little moisture in the tank from condensation so put in a small amount of iso-propyl. It still won't start unless it's in the house or brought from a warm house into a warm vehicle.

I would just take it in to an authorized service place under warranty but the closest one is 80 miles so that means going without for a couple weeks and putting on 320 miles.

Guessing there are enough Solos out there that somebody else might have experienced the same thing. I haven't attempted any fixes other than the iso. Ideas... before it goes to the doctor?

[gonehunting]

Check the wires on the on/off switch to make sure connections are good or there is not a crimped wire. May want to change the plug just to eliminate that problem also. Be careful not to flood.

[Surface Tension]

Did you vent the gas tank by opening the gas cap.

When you bring it into a warm place the fuel expands.

This will create pressure in the gas tank.

If the vent on the cap isn't working gas can be pushed past the inlet valve inside the carb.

So be sure to vent the tank when you bring it into a warm place.

When you bring it outdoors, the opposite happens and the gas tank will have a vacuum.

There is no way fuel can be pumped into the carb with this condition.

So again vent the gas tank.

Over time that vacuum applied to the inlet valve, specifically the needle and seat can cause undo wear. That needle is getting sucked up hard into the seat. Even after breaking the vacuum that needle and stick in the seat. Result no fuel allowed into the carb. Next step is bring it into the house to warm up and what happens.

Pressure builds up in the tank. Enough so that is pushes against the inlet valve and pops it free again. As you can see the practice of bringing engines from cold to warm and warm to cold creates a set of circumstances with unfavorable results.

We can assume that when the cold fuel and gas tank when exposed to warm humid air condensates inside the gas tank. If your using oxygenated fuel that isn't a big problem. Non oxygenated fuel and that moisture can be a problem.

For all those reasons I leave my auger outside in the cold.