# Ariens Compact 24 won't start in second season.



## jfl

I bought an Ariens Compact 24 (900021) last year. It was a mild winter in Maine so only needed it about 8 times. At the end of last season, I shut off the gas supply and ran it until it stalled out (I use a small can of regular unleaded with Stabil at each fill-up - in both my lawnmower and snowblower so it stays reasonably fresh.

I waited too long to start it this and discovered a couple of weeks ago that it won't turn over. I changed the plug, drained out all the gas from the carburetor and primed in some Mechanic in a Bottle. Let it sit for an hour and then filled the tank with TruFuel. With electric start, it cranks but doesn't begin to turn over. When I take the plug out and hand pull there is a spark and the light goes on with the electric start. I put a couple of eyedroppers of TruFuel directly in the spark plug hole, closed it up and hand cranked. I heard a little 'pop' but didn't start.

I made the mistake of purchasing from Home Depot and have been told that their out of state warranty service will be a minimum of 4 weeks. I need a snow blower now, so purchased a Toro PowerMax 928 from a local dealer who is an authorized Toro service center (no Ariens warranty service in my area).

I'll have the Toro dealer take the Ariens when they deliver the Toro (they work on small engines, but only factory warrantied for Toro and Stihl) and clean and possibly replace the carb (non-warranty of course). If it works, I'll either try to sell it at a big loss or maybe keep it as a backup for the Toro. Frankly I wasn't thrilled with the Ariens on packed snow and had to disengage a wheel for maneuverability which caused traction problems. The Toro looks like its big brother and has power steering.

I've contacted Ariens repeatedly throughout this for suggestions and they've been no help, other to say that if I have it worked on by a non-authorized service center, I may void my warranty. Very helpful. So better to have nothing for a Maine winter.

Lessons learned: 

1) Always buy from a local dealer who is an authorized service center for your brand. 
2) Always make sure your machine starts early (September) so you have time to do something about it 
3) Use TruFuel and get a new bottle of Stabil each year. The Toro dealer says high octane gas is ok, but once burned...

I've since read a number of posts about this model being a hard-starter. My brother-in-law had a late model Ariens that had an engine failure just after the warranty expired. Wish he told me about that before I bought mine.


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## GoBlowSnow

Shouldn't be hard to start at all. Just prime twice or three times, turn choke to full, pull cord, and bam. Let it sit for about 30 min or so and go out and try to start it again. If no go, I'm betting the carb is gummed up. Do you have starting fluid? Try any of that in the spark plug hole? I know you said you put gas or that tru fuel crap or whatever it is, but starting fluid is completely different. If I lived closer I'd come over to help and might have even bought it off of you for whatever you paid for it, maybe minus a hundred or two. It's a good machine. I like you learned my lesson about purchasing from a local dealer instead of a retail outlet. Costly mistake. None of the manufacturers, can really be of anymore help if there is not a service dealer nearby that you can take it to and to whom they can work with. That being said, you have to wonder what Ariens is doing that makes dealers out there not want to carry and work on the Ariens line of products as they are some of the best out there. Toro and Honda are everywhere, do they offer better incentives to their dealers? I'd love to hear.


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## Cardo111

Some interesting comments/issues. Congrats on the new Toro, hope it serves you well. I personally have had good experiences with Ariens customer support. I am not sure what Sta Bil you are using, I would stick to either Marine Sta-Bil or Star Tron enzyme fuel treatment these 2 are tried and true for preventing ethanol issues.


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## New_HondaHS35

You didn't try very hard. Did you use the wall plug in electric start feature. It was probably flooded.

Did you try removing the plug, using starting fluid in the cyl ?


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## Motor City

It really isn't Arien's fault you left gas in it over the summer. Theirs a lesson learned here. Don't do this to the new Toro, or it will do the same thing to you, next season. You can go all thru this forum, and the same thing is happening to other people with other brands. Carb problems are pretty rampid this season.


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## AbominableSnowman

jfl said:


> I've contacted Ariens repeatedly throughout this for suggestions and they've been no help, other to say that if I have it worked on by a non-authorized service center, I may void my warranty. Very helpful. So better to have nothing for a Maine winter.
> 
> Lessons learned:
> 
> 1) Always buy from a local dealer who is an authorized service center for your brand.
> 2) Always make sure your machine starts early (September) so you have time to do something about it
> 3) Use TruFuel and get a new bottle of Stabil each year. The Toro dealer says high octane gas is ok, but once burned...
> 
> I've since read a number of posts about this model being a hard-starter. My brother-in-law had a late model Ariens that had an engine failure just after the warranty expired. Wish he told me about that before I bought mine.


Sorry to hear. I had similar problems (although not resulting from the same cause) with a Compact 24 that turned out to be carburetor related and required multiple trips to the dealer for service. In the end, we got the thing running, but the level of service from both the dealer and Ariens wasn't the glowing first class experience many on here have had. And, although I wouldn't necessarily call it a "hard starter," it never did run very smoothly without surging. Even the dealer couldn't get it quite right. Just a lemon in a bushel of apples, I suppose.


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## CO Snow

Did you remember to turn on the gas valve?


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## matto

Motor City said:


> It really isn't Arien's fault you left gas in it over the summer. Theirs a lesson learned here. Don't do this to the new Toro, or it will do the same thing to you, next season.


I don't get it. A lot of folks here have said they leave gas in their machines all summer as long as they use stabil. 

Both dealers I work with told me to do the same as well.


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## bad69cat

First uyou have to be careful what gas you put in. Anything with alcohol in it will tend to pull water into the fuel system...... avoid it if you can. Second, if you use fuel with alcohol in it - you have to use the correct stabilizer and even then it's no guarantee for long periods of time. Once the fuel absorbs water - your pretty much done until you get it out of the carb/tank. If you leave it sit long enough with water things start to corrode and then trouble starts. SO, the long and short of it is avoid alcohol or run it out of gas at the end of the season and don't let it sit. Fuel formulations these days do not do well over 6 months or so...... they break down fast. Keep 'em clean and you wont have troubles!


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## sscotsman

matto said:


> I don't get it. A lot of folks here have said they leave gas in their machines all summer as long as they use stabil.
> 
> Both dealers I work with told me to do the same as well.


That is the old common wisdom..now out of date, but not everyone knows it is out of date yet.
Its really changed a lot in the past 5 to 10 years or so..

Now it is MUCH better to drain the gas completely every Spring, and leave it empty until Fall..
Its because of the 10% Ethanol added to most gasoline..its horrible stuff for small gas engines.
Stabil wont help..

If you can, see if you have a gas station near you that sells ethanol-free gas:

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

and get gas that for your lawn mowers and snowblowers..its MUCH better for them.

So yeah, what it boils down to is that the poor-starting this time, after a summer sitting with "bad gas", is technically "your fault"..
even if you didn't know you were doing anything wrong...and the fault of the gas, not a defect with the machine itself.

I just checked the owners manual, and it does say to use a "quality fuel stabilizer" for long-term storage, and it does not mention draining the gas!
That's poor advice IMO..
They probably assume the average user wont know how, or wont want to be bothered, to drain the gas, so the "general purpose" recommendation is "add a gas stabilizer"..but its MUCH better, these days, to drain the fuel completely for storage..Ethanol in gas is a major problem, its causing many many lawnmowers, tractors, and snowblowers to not start. That's our Government screwing things up..

IF you can find the Ethanol-free gas, and you are sure that is what you have, *then* its probably ok to just add stabil and keep the gas in the tank for the summer..
But I do that, I use ethanol-free gas with Seafoam added, and I *still* drain the gas for the summer! 

Your snowblower was probably fine..it was just the gas.
and yes, the exact same thing can happen next Fall to your new Toro, if you dont drain the gas in the Spring.

Scot


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## matto

My point is that it's a controversial topic and no one can seem to agree. 

How can you guys be telling someone it's their fault a snowblower won't start when he followed the advice that both the manual and dealers are giving? 

That just makes absolutely no sense.


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## jfl

Thanks for all the comments. 

To be clear, I didn't drain the gas out of the tank at the end of last winter, but I did run it with the gas knob off until it stalled out. Until now, I've never heard any recommendations to drain the entire fuel system. 

Yes, I removed (and replaced) the spark plug, and yes, I used both hand crank and electric start, and yes the gas was turned on.

I use the standard Stabil long term storage (red) when I fill up my gas supply, but don't replace it every year. I may start doing that. When I bought the Ariens, the snow blower sales person was adamant that I buy 'StarTron' enzyme fuel treatment (blue/green), so I've been adding that as well. I'm going to get recommendations from the Toro service people tomorrow (stopping in to pick up a set of 5'' bolts for the augers, just in case). Whatever they say to do, I will do on both machines.

Last year was my first snowblower. Before that, it was just me and a shovel, but I'm getting older. I've owned lawn mowers for many years and never had to take any special effort getting them to start season to season. Just added stabilizer to the gas each year. Are snowblower engines that much more finicky. Seems like something you can't rely on. It will be interesting to find out what the problem was. The dealer has recommended that I have them pick up the Toro each fall and give it a complete work-over. I know that seems like it's self-serving, but I'm inclined to do it for peace of mind. Certainly cheaper than buying a new one each year!


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## sscotsman

matto said:


> My point is that it's a controversial topic and no one can seem to agree.
> 
> How can you guys be telling someone it's their fault a snowblower won't start when he followed the advice that both the manual and dealers are giving?
> 
> That just makes absolutely no sense.


I agree..
it doesnt make sense..and the manual and the dealer are both in fact giving poor advice.
its not *wrong* advice, because it _might_ be ok to just add stabilizer for summer storage, maybe, if you are lucky.
but its worse advice than draining the tank!

"who's fault" is subjective..
you can say its the manufacturers fault for giving bad advice.
you can say its the dealers fault for giving bad advice.
you can say its the Governments fault for forcing us to use gas with ethanol.
you can say its the owners fault for not draining the tank..even if they didn't know they should...that one is logically a stretch, although it is still "technically correct".

I blame the manufacturer the most, for giving poor advice in the owners manual.
they should at least make mention of both storage methods..
They can say adding stabilizer _might_ be ok, but its risky, and the better method would be to drain the tank and carb of gas.
Im surprised they dont actually say that, to protect themselves..there could be political or legal reasons why they dont.

But the "root cause" is definitely the gas, there is no question about that.

Scot


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## jfl

One other thing:

As mentioned, I purchased TruFuel (grey can, no oil) and refilled the Compact 24 with it after draining out all gas by removing the bolt at the bottom of the carb bowl. Didn't work, but I suppose the damage was done. Will wait for the diagnosis to come back.

It's expensive, but I can't see any downside to using TrueFuel going forward (no ethanol free gas stations near me). The Toro dealer balked at the idea due to expense, but if that's the only downside I think it's worth it after this year's experience as it seems to take bad gas out of the equation. Does anyone else use TruFuel ($20/gallon)? It has a 2 year shelf life after opening and longer before opening. I'm still planning on adding stabilizer. (Also as mentioned, I tried Mechanic in a Bottle. Anyone successfully used this for a gunky carb and if so what was your technique?

The Toro dealer also sells and services Stihl chainsaws. I bought one from them 3 years ago which I filled with regular gas and Stabil, and then didn't have a chance to use it until this December (was using an electric). I drained out all the gas and added Stilh Motomix (a 50-1 no ethanol premix which this dealer does recommend). It choke started on the second pull and I used it to cut half a tree up. Stihl guarantees Motomix for a 10 year shelf life for unopened cans, two once opened. I know the chainsaw is a two cylinder vs. four, but I thought 4 cylinders engines were more robust. I'm confused.


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## matto

Using TruFuel + stabilizer just prior to seasonal storage seems like a nice compromise. 

I just bought two snowblowers and a Stihl backpack leaf blower and I use them all only occasionally. Now I'm paranoid I'll never be able to start them. Ugh.


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## Vermont007

jfl said:


> ". . . I know the chainsaw is a two cylinder vs. four, but I thought 4 cylinders engines were more robust. I'm confused . . ."


I think you're meaning *2 and 4 Cycles*; NOT Cylinders . . . . aren't you ?


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## jfl

Sorry, mistyped cylinder instead of cycle. Meant two stroke - (two piston strokes per power cycle vs four). I realize that it would be impractical for a SB to be a 2 stroke in terms of engine torque. Off topic anyway as I don't believe Stihl plans to make any 2 stroke snowblowers. My questions on TruFuel and MIB still hold if anyone has direct experience. Thanks.

Addendum: Stopped off at local Toro dealer/service center today. Recommendation is: since I store my blower outside year round (on a deck with cover when not in use) to use TruFuel. No stabilizer is required if using TruFuel (per Toro dealer). Was told that regular gas will always have problems with outside storage. Either TruFuel or 'racing fuel' is required to prevent gummed up carbs in my situation. Expensive but no alternative in their view. The part about not using Stabil I don't understand. If the problem is partially due to moisture, I'd think Stabil would help. Must be some reaction to the ethanol. I should add that one end of my house is about 30 feet from the ocean at high tide and we have a lot of fog. (This is all very complicated. Glad I can throw crappy gas in my truck and it still starts every time I turn the key.)


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## Motor City

Do not use racing fuel,, as recommended by the dealer. It will cause problems. And Stabil sucks, to be frank. The better products are Startron, PriG and I've heard the Briggs & Stratton product is good, and or Sea Foam. If you have a marina near you, I think they usually have ethanol free gas. You need to run it dry at the end of the season. And some carbs a a bolt that goes at an angle, to drain the bowl the remaining gas. Beleave it or not gas now, has a shelf life of only about 6 months. And it starts turning bad.


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## New_HondaHS35

jfl said:


> One other thing:
> 
> As mentioned, I purchased TruFuel (grey can, no oil) and refilled the Compact 24 with it after draining out all gas by removing the bolt at the bottom of the carb bowl. Didn't work, but I suppose the damage was done. Will wait for the diagnosis to come back.
> 
> It's expensive, but I can't see any downside to using TrueFuel going forward (no ethanol free gas stations near me). The Toro dealer balked at the idea due to expense, but if that's the only downside I think it's worth it after this year's experience as it seems to take bad gas out of the equation. Does anyone else use TruFuel ($20/gallon)? It has a 2 year shelf life after opening and longer before opening. I'm still planning on adding stabilizer. (Also as mentioned, I tried Mechanic in a Bottle. Anyone successfully used this for a gunky carb and if so what was your technique?
> 
> The Toro dealer also sells and services Stihl chainsaws. I bought one from them 3 years ago which I filled with regular gas and Stabil, and then didn't have a chance to use it until this December (was using an electric). I drained out all the gas and added Stilh Motomix (a 50-1 no ethanol premix which this dealer does recommend). It choke started on the second pull and I used it to cut half a tree up. Stihl guarantees Motomix for a 10 year shelf life for unopened cans, two once opened. I know the chainsaw is a two cylinder vs. four, but I thought 4 cylinders engines were more robust. I'm confused.


how does just putting true fuel into the tank do anything at all??

you have to run that through the carburetor.

you also didn't try starting it by using starting fluid in the plug hole.


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## LouC

I agree with several points; one being I don't buy from any big box store or on line; I patronize power equipment companies and do better that way. It's their job to set it up for you and make sure it runs right in the first place.
Next, ethanol. Well I have a boat I store at home but it sits on a mooring all summer and its salt water. All we have is 10% ethanol gas. I always dump out the big water seperating filter and have never seen water in it ever. 10+ years. Engine always starts on the second or third attempt after a 6 month lay up and no one drains a 44 Gallon boat tank.
Why is it such a problem for small engines?
Small engines = small carbs = small jets. If the gas evaporated in the bowl it can leave behind deposits that will clog them easily. Not a problem with the Rochester Quadrajet on the boat. What I do is run all of them about every 3 months if I have not drained them . This has worked well for me over 10+ years of ethanol use (EPA totalitarian demands we can have only this, when its been proven not to help air quality) . 
So if you can drain do so, if not start it every 3 months and use marine stabil (blue stuff).
If you are mechanically inclined I advise to learn how to clean small engine carbs. You will save a lot of money over time. I've got 9 small engines, 5 --4 stroke And 4 --2 stroke.


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## drmerdp

Phase Separation is the enemy. Thats why fuel stabilizers are necessary. It happens with pure gasoline, and happens way worse with ethanol blended fuels. GOOGLE PHASE SEPARATION.

For starters I cant believe stabil still sells that red junk. Use the blue marine stabil or the enzyme star tron stuff. I'm not convinced SeaFoam is as effective as a stabilizer. As for gum and varnish dissolving seafoam its very effective.

Personally only use 93octane fuel and everything gets marine stabil! Definitely want the higher octane for my 2stroke machines. Plus octane is reduced in older fuel so starting at 93 leaves me with more available octane if i let my gas sit for a while.

Now I store my fuel for no more then 6 months, and i usually have 20 gallons of gasoline on hand incase of a power outage. (generators) Properly stored fuel can remain safe and usable for a year. Stabilizer companies will claim longer but i wont take that chance. 

As for dealers and manufactures recommending storing a machine with fuel in the gas tank and running the carb dry... its a proven method that works if done properly. 

First, the fuel has to be fresh when treated with stabilizer. 

Second, the fuel tank should be 100% full. condensation forms on the walls of the tank that is exposed to air. If the tank is full of gas the condensation does not form, and it limits the moisture to only the ethanol thats already in the fuel mixture. (alternatively, an empty gas tank wont condensate)

Third, Shutting the fuel valve and running the carb "dry" does NOT run the carb dry. It leaves the fuel bowl low and nearly empty. Over time the residual fuel evaporates but still leaves a thin layer of residue in the fuel bowl. After a couple of years the thin layers accumulate into a coating where pieces can break free and get sucked into the main or idle fuel circuits clogging the jets and causing running issues. Thats where using seafoam regularly help to dissolve the varnish buildup before it becomes a problem

Its work owning gas powered equipment, nothing is maintenance free and its up to the operator to do their due diligence and take care of the machine. I own or maintain 26 machines for myself and family. It can be a b**tch.


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## matto

drmerdp said:


> Third, Shutting the fuel valve and running the carb "dry" does NOT run the carb dry. It leaves the fuel bowl low and nearly empty. Over time the residual fuel evaporates but still leaves a thin layer of residue in the fuel bowl.


Is there even any point in running it "dry"?


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## LouC

Well if the carb has a drain screw in the bowl, which most do, you can run it dry, and then remove the screw, it will make less of a mess that way and is about the best you can do. Many small engine carbs have a single bolt in the center, that if you remove will allow you to totally drain it and as long as you have a shut off valve, you can shut it off to keep fuel from siphoning back into the carb. 
I have been lucky, I have not had problems with water in the fuel, or phase separation (this would be a night mare in the boat, if the tank was full... 44 gallons!)
As I said before, if you can, drain em, if not run em every 3 months. Doing this I rarely have had a problem with any one of my 9 small engines. The Toro, is the one I have had to take apart a few times. The old school carbs on the Briggs engines, only once in all this time have I had to take apart and clean. The diaphragm carbs on the 3 Echo 2 strokes I have, same thing, only one time did I have to take one apart and clean it out. They get used a lot. The Briggs powered pressure washer and lawn vaccum, not much.

BTW, stabilizers do not really prevent phase separation. What caused that more than anything is either, an ethanol mix that is higher than the mandated 10%, which does happen, or storage with a leaky tank gasket that allows water in, if machines are stored outside. Stabilizers are supposed to prevent oxidation of fuel and degradation of the fuel additives that allow easy starting. Storage in damp, humid climates is a problem for ethanol fuels. It will attract moisture right out of the air and when it gets to a certain level, both the alcohol and water will separate out from the fuel, leaving a lower octane fuel in the tank. It is possible on some engines to carefully pump out that lower level of water, but its still problematic.


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## Blosumsno

Motor City said:


> Do not use racing fuel,, as recommended by the dealer. It will cause problems. And Stabil sucks, to be frank. The better products are Startron, PriG and I've heard the Briggs & Stratton product is good, and or Sea Foam. If you have a marina near you, I think they usually have ethanol free gas. You need to run it dry at the end of the season. And some carbs a a bolt that goes at an angle, to drain the bowl the remaining gas. Beleave it or not gas now, has a shelf life of only about 6 months. And it starts turning bad.


Interesting you mentioned the B&S treatment being good because I have some and it's supposed to treat for up to 3 years . Plus it seems they use detergents, metal de-activator, and corrosion inhibitors judging by the advertising.


I think part of the problem is in some parts of the country, as where I am, the storage period for snow blowers is usually from mid March to early/mid January (around 10 months or so) but for mowers only about 4 months or mid Nov. to April.


That said I haven't had much trouble with storing my Snapper in a shed with gas in it but it's a 2003 model so maybe the jetting is a little richer and less prone to orifices plugging up plus I've used Ethanol Shield in the past, don't know if it's any good.


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## cranman

Gasoline uses Benzine to help the gasoline "catch fire" easier. After a few months the Benzine evaporates out of the fuel and it goes stale and won't fire. If you get the engine started on ether, it will continue to run. I always leave stabilized fuel in the small engine, then when I go to use it, add fresh fuel, and it usually starts....if not a sniff of ether, will start it, and then I just keep it running until I can add more fresh fuel. Draining the carb is always a good idea, and leaving the bowl nut a little loose so condensation doesn't occur. YouTube has a video showing how to freshen stale gas by bubbling propane into it. The gas absorbs the propane and allows it to start a small engine again.


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## GoBlowSnow

I'm not too sure about running it dry anymore. dries up the seals/gaskets. then it leaks when you pour new fuel in. I just treat it with Stabil 360 and will run the engine every month for a few min.


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## Cardo111

This Turned out to be a long and growing thread with some good info and many suggestions/opinions. I have a hedge trimmer that I ran dry years ago where the plastic fuel pick up line hose in the tank dry rotted away after a couple of years of not using it. I have usually run my engines dry for storage for many years now, less of a concern with the 2 cycle engines that use the fuel mix that includes a stabilizer (however I always pre-treat my pump fuel right after buying it with Star Tron before mixing with 2 cycle engine oil). This year for the first time in over 20 years of owning snowblowers, I left the tank nearly filled up. This was based on the advice of a member on this forum who said he is a small engine mechanic and that the LCT fuel tanks are made of a cheap "pot metal" that is prone to corrosion if left empty. I use Star Tron, have been for years and so far it has served me well. Prior to about 8 months of storage I ran the engine with the nearly full tank of fuel for about 2-3 minutes then turned the fuel shut off switch, let the engine stall out. I store my OPE in a garage or a shed. This year I used my machine once so far, it started up after a few pulls.


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## jfl

The Ariens 24 that started this thread came back from the shop. The problem was indeed a gummed up carb. They cleaned and ran it for an hour. Cost was $35. The dealer (who's a Toro/Stihl authorized repair center, but works on all small engines) said that they don't use Stabil, instead recommending StarTron - but that's what I was using on the Ariens (I use Stabil red on everything else but switched to StarTron based on the recommendation of guy at Home Depot who sold me the Ariens). I just picked up some Stabil marine and may try that. Regardless, I'm going with TruFuel no-ethanol fuel from now on. Worth a little extra $ in my view after this experience. If I had a garage to work in, I'd learn how to clean out the carburetor, but not doing that outside in the winter.


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## BeerGhost

35$ for a carb cleaning was a deal.


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## BeerGhost

Over the weekend I picked up a low hour like new Ariens compact 22.
Carb was all gummed up would only run on choke.
Dumped a 1/4 bottle of gummout carb n feul injector cleaner into the tank of bad gas.
Let it run , about a beer later it started to clean out took it off choke ran out the rest of the nasty old gas. Another tank of gas n shot of cleaner ill drop the carb bowl n see how it did.


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## GoBlowSnow

Look forward to hearing about the results, Beer.


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## Mike C.

Motor City said:


> It really isn't Arien's fault you left gas in it over the summer. Theirs a lesson learned here. Don't do this to the new Toro, or it will do the same thing to you, next season. ...


Interesting.I have four blowers that I use over the course of the winter.I do absolutely nothing different to mine every year than the original poster did and mine always start and run.

I don't see how the OP did anything wrong.He left stabilized fuel in the tank and ran the engine until the carb was dry.I think his blower is just being a PIA-they do that sometimes.:angry:

As far as the comment that Sta-bil sucks:Well everyone's entitled to their own opinions,but I can't agree with that.I just drained 1 1/2 year old,Sta-bil treated,gas out of my portable generator and replaced it with fresh.I burned the old gas in my blowers and they ran just fine.


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## GoBlowSnow

food for thought, but today with temps in the upper 50s and Chinook winds blowing all over the place, I took it upon myself to clean up my yard a bit. Lots of raking. Lots of pine needles and leave bits and what not. But because of the strong winds, and partially because of being lazy, I decided to pull the lawn mower out and suck and chop everything up into the mower bag. Much easier and faster. I had run the tank dry in the mower the last time i used it back in November. This is a new mower. No primer, just a choke on the throttle lever. After adding fresh fuel, it was a major PITA to start. And when it did start, it ran like crap for the first 10 seconds. Then finally smoothed out and ran normally. I attribute this to having run the thing dry and not leaving gas in there and in the carb. I poured enough fuel (treated with Stabil 360) into the tank that I'll be letting it sit for a few months until I need the mower again come April. I look forward to seeing how well it will run/start come then. I just don't like the idea of running things dry anymore. On the older snowblowers (techumseh powered) I've seen a number of the ones I worked on where they were run dry and when it came time to add fuel, they ran like crap with many leaking from the carbs due to the cracked seals/gaskets.


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## Beacheshome

I'm also in my second season with a compact 24, 900021, the exact same model and I'm having the same problems with getting it started and I've also had the same surging problem that so many talk about. I've taken the carb apart and cleaned it but it still will not start. At the highest point of the weekend, I managed to got her running for about 10 minutes, but she died as soon as I tried to engage the auger. Now it won't start at all and just sputters and dies under full choke. I guess I'm about to find out how Home Depot in Canada handles service and warranty for Ariens products. It's shocking how little information Ariens provides in their product manuals and on their website. I thought I'd done quality research on this purchase, but I'm not so sure right now. Excuse me while I go shovel this god damned snow that's been falling all weekend.


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## Fat City

I use StarTron Enzyme fuel stabilizer . The enzyme chemistry keeps alcohol from turning to water . STA BIL is a different chemistry, which isolates water, keeping it from being picked up by fuel inlet. I won't knock StaBil, but I'll tell you, my JD 111 was running like cr*p . Drained fuel line, and a teaspoon size lump of red gel appeared. After that, fuel was clear. Reconnected line, ran great . I therorized the StaBil trapped so much water, the gel entered the fuel line .
People who use StaBil don't have Carb problems in their Snow Throwers, or their Lawn Mowers . Those that don't have problems with both . I agree, go with the Marine [ Green ] stabil for today's fuels . 

I learned about StarTron in a motorcycle magazine . I realize motor cycle owners want the best protection possible, as M C carbs are expensive . When Star Tron was the one product recommended, I started using it, that was many years ago, and I still recommend, and use it .


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## rod330

LouC said:


> If you are mechanically inclined I advise to learn how to clean small engine carbs. You will save a lot of money over time. I've got 9 small engines, 5 --4 stroke And 4 --2 stroke.


I agree completely. The last straw for me was paying my Stihl dealer nearly $100 to clean / rebuild and replace the fuel line and filter on my string trimmer about 4 years ago. Since then, I realized there's absolutely no magic to removing, disassembling and cleaning carbs and jets. There's an abundance of knowledgeable folks on this forum (and others) as well as YouTube videos to get you started. 

You've received a lot of excellent advice here but I'll add one more bit with respect to the Ariens Compact 24 with the LCT engines. I found the idle jet on LCT engines to be problematic with surging at idle. The engines ran perfectly at higher RPMS. It's a very simple procedure to remedy and here's a good video:


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## tadawson

Honda calls that the pilot jet in thier carbs, and due to it being plastic, I have had one shrink due to years of being in gasoline and cause a surge in my mower. It wasn't dirt (ran tne orifice with a fine wire and appropriate drill size) so I chose to replace rather than drill it out, and it's been probably close to 10 years, and never surged again. I think this guy is somewhat clueless and arrogant in calling that a defect, since size is due to EPA regs, not choice by LCT (unless his machine is new) . . . But, I would have rather it been a brass part myself . . .


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