# Bad spark plug?



## echin1999 (Jan 25, 2016)

Hi. 

This morning I started my 3 year old Poulan Pro PR291E30 30-Inch 291cc for the first time this season. I couldn't get the blower to start via manual pulling. I resorted to the electric start - even though I ultimately got the blower to start that way, I had to press the ignition a bunch of times before the engine turned on. Once the blower started, it performed fine. 

After 15 minutes of use, I shut down for a few minutes, and later attempted to start again and ran into the same challenge - electric start reluctantly worked, and blower worked fine after.

Is this symptomatic of a bad spark plug? The other concern is i used older gasoline, albeit treated with fuel stabilizer, that i kept from last season. I'm thinking because the blower ran fine after the start, its not due to the gasoline though.

Thanks,
Ed


----------



## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

the plugs probably not bad but if i were you i would replace it with an ngk bpr6es. run the tank of gas thats in it through it and see if some fresh stuff helps


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I have heard that the older the gas is the harder it is to start. Though, I myself have used gas from the previous year.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

my brother text me last week to say his toro wouldn't start and how much would a new one cost. I told him to go get a gallon of fresh gas and mix his oil in with it ( he has a toro 2450 ) and put more gas in is tank. he did and the toro started for the first time this winter


----------



## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Just remember that when you start it cold, prime it 3-5 times or to where you see gas dripping from the carb, give it 3/4 to full choke if it is super cold out, or just 1/2 choke if it is 30 and above. If you do a warm re-start, you may still need to prime it once or twice and use some choke. That is normal. Check to make sure that the primer line has not rotted off or cracked off of the carb. That is very common now a days.


----------



## echin1999 (Jan 25, 2016)

update:

in the first of last week's storms, I filled the blower up with some fresh fuel, and the blower started pretty fast with the electric start. For the second storm, i attempted manually, and got it running on the first pull..

so.. i know now to not leave the gas in between seasons. I've done so for many years and this is the first time i have had trouble.. Perhaps the stabilizer I'm using is too old? 

anyway, thanks for all the advice.


----------



## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

Some of the "red" stabile does not work on ethanol blend fuel. There are ethanol specific labeled red color stabil but just use the marine grade stabil or the startron. Even with stabil I don't go past 6 months. 

It was a good year. Only three customers had issues with the first start. Each time I told them the gas sat too long even though it was treated. I put some of their gas on the ground and had trouble lighting it with matches. 

If we had ethanol free gas station on Long Island I would just use that for power equipment.


----------



## Zedhead (Jan 1, 2016)

Get yourself a separate gas can for your small engines only. Keep it filled with NonOxy fuel.


----------



## Rob711 (Feb 5, 2015)

I never change plugs, not saying this is good practice, just saying. My ten yr old Honda push mower gets the oil every other yr. Thats it.


----------



## firedudetl1 (Jan 26, 2016)

my local shop has ETOH free gas, however, I believe it's about $20/gallon -


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

There's a gas station not far away that sells ethanol-free gas. I think it's 110LL race gas? Last I looked (over the summer), it was about $10/gallon. Cheaper than TruFuel, but quite a bit more than regular gas, which was probably closer to $3/gallon at the time. 

I'm not thrilled about the idea of running leaded gas, though, especially when standing next to it and the fumes. 

So for now, I'm still running 87-octane unleaded with 10% ethanol, with Marine Sta-Bil.


----------



## Zedhead (Jan 1, 2016)

Up here in Northern Mn. Most gas stations carry 92 Octane Ethanol Free gas. They really need to carry it do to all the Boaters, ATVers, Snowmobilers, ect. 
They will drive right past a station that doesn't carry it. Thus losing a lot of sales.


----------



## Rob711 (Feb 5, 2015)

I'm not thrilled about the idea of running leaded gas, though, especially when standing next to it and the fumes. 
I'm with u on this red, but I don't think anyone puts lead in gas anymore.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Zedhead said:


> Up here in Northern Mn. Most gas stations carry 92 Octane Ethanol Free gas. They really need to carry it do to all the Boaters, ATVers, Snowmobilers, ect.
> They will drive right past a station that doesn't carry it. Thus losing a lot of sales.


You're lucky, then  The one gas station I mentioned is the closest to me with any ethanol-free by a fair margin.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Rob711 said:


> I'm with u on this red, but I don't think anyone puts lead in gas anymore.


I am far from an expert in this. But Wikipedia seems to say that at least 100LL aviation gas still has lead in it: ​
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avgas

An excerpt: 


> Avgas is currently available in several grades with differing maximum lead concentrations. Because TEL {tetraethyllead} is an expensive and polluting ingredient, the minimum amount needed to bring the fuel to the required octane rating is used; actual concentrations are often lower than the permissible maximum.


I don't know about race fuel. But I believe the lead also serves to boost octane? Higher octane would benefit aggressively-tuned racing engines, so perhaps it also contains lead. I don't know for sure, though.


----------



## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

Zedhead said:


> Up here in Northern Mn. Most gas stations carry 92 Octane Ethanol Free gas. They really need to carry it do to all the Boaters, ATVers, Snowmobilers, ect.
> They will drive right past a station that doesn't carry it. Thus losing a lot of sales.


I use that in my Snowmobiles. I have a 2002 Polaris XCSP 600 and with the ignition switch in Premium I need the higher octane plus my classic 1996 Polaris XLT touring has a Set of Thunderdome high performance heads on it with 135psi in each hole and a clutch kit too with Polaris silver blue helix spring in it so I always use the best gasoline available as well.


----------



## Johner (Dec 30, 2020)

Some hard starts I read sounds like a compression problem if having to flood, hard hand starts, check the valve clearance in over head valves, take a compression test, add a little oil or wd in spark plug take another test see if there is a difference. Had a leaf blower compression was 50 psi added a little oil and it shot up to 130 psi. Just something to check.


----------



## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

this is a thread that was dead 5 years 
when pull start checking compression it's always lower due to the automatic compression release built into the cam shaft holding the exhaust valve partly open and 50 pounds is average 
if you want the real reading do so using the eclectic starter .if you had used it and got 50 pounds a repeat with oil added means you have bad piston rings


----------

