One important step you failed to mention is to remove the idle mixture screw. Many times that's where the restriction is at, the only way to clean out any stuck debris is by removing it. It's the brass screw with a spring around it and is underneath the aluminum cover with a slot for a flathead screw driver which you must remove it in order to remove the idle mixture screw. It's held on with Loctite so don't try prying it off or you'll snap off the brass idle mixture screw. You need to heat it up with a small torch for a few seconds (Bic flame torches work great) but it'll quickly melt the aluminum if you're not careful. Before removing idle mixture screw, make sure to tighten it until it bottoms out while counting the number of turns because it needs to be set back in the exact same position. If you forgot to do this, it's 1-1/2 turns.
@@dadsworkshopbykipplabrie7982 It's an air/fuel mixture screw for the low speed jet, not an idle speed adjustment. CCW richens it, CW leans it out. With this type of mower in particular with a blade clutch, it uses the low speed jet with no load on the engine (blades off) so you'll notice more of an impact with a clogged low speed jet than a traditional mower where the blades are spinning whenever the engine is running. Yes, you can just try blowing out the low speed jet with carb cleaner and see if that fixes it, but in my experience, that doesn't always fix it and it needs to be disassembled completely.
Wish I saw this $50 ago (minimum charge at ripoff repair shop). They tried to tell me I needed new carburetor. Now I'm up and running, no surging, Thanks!
Thanks for the video! This looks like my exact problem. Bought this mower last August and used it just a few times. I was disappointed because the thing is so new and my previous HONDA mower never had this problem. I wish they would leave good enough alone already.
Thank you so much! 8 month old pressure washer was doing this exact thing at idle. Under load it was fine. Took carburetor off and did as you suggested and she now idles smoothly! Had a heck of a time getting the screw off but finally got it. Went to a Big Box store and got a set of welding nozzle tip cleaning brushes for $7 and used them to clean the pin hole and did the main nozzle too. Super easy and would not have known how to correct this issue without you!
How did you get that pilot jet screw off? I haven't been able to budge mine. Might try heat next and if that fails I'll cut a slot for a flat blade screw driver.
You recommend checking the autochoke mechanism in step one. Mine did NOT work properly. I had to replace (Honda 16620-Z8D-305 Thermo Wax Assembly) and the autochoke mechanism returned to normal. Your tips on disassembly/re-assembly and jet cleaning were very helpful and initially fixed my problem, but the problem came back in my case. Premium gas made no difference. Thanks for all the conversation helping all us DOY people save $$.
Thanks for the video. Fixed my brand new lawnmower in 20min and now I know what's been wrong with my Honda pressure washer for the past 10yrs. Will be fixing that next.
you nailed it, for every 200 videos I watch I may drop a like and rarely comment. Honestly he does, the perfect mix of information, charisma and jokes. My man I bought this mower today and appreciate your honesty and delivery style!
This did the trick, under 10 minute job. I removed the carb (take note of what hole the linkage rod and tiny spring go for reassembly - take pics prior to disassembly) I used carb cleaner, then compressed air at 30 psi. My new mower started doing this 3 weeks/mowings into it. Thank you for this video!
So I bought a Dewalt pressure washer this weekend with a Honda GCV200 motor. After setting it up and point the provided oil inside of the motor I filled her up with premium gas and wanted to test out the brand new unit. It took me 4 or 5 pulls to get the engine running but once it started up it immediately did this exact same surging while idling. When I pulled the trigger and sprayed water it ran decent. As soon as I let off it began to surge again. I'm going to go ahead and follow this video and clean up the Carb tonight. Very happy about this video!
Thank you!! Fixed our issue! Bought the same Honda Mower 5 or so months ago from Lowes. Used it a few times. From the beginning it was doing the up and down RPMs. Now it will try to start then stall out. Drained the gas that we left in there for a few months thinking Bidet's 15% ethanol must have gathered some friendly neighborhood water. Put new gas in it and it started and ran but still did the up and down RPMs. Week later it wouldnt start. Drained the gas and put fresh gas in. Still wouldn't start. Then we found your video! -Took the carb off -Removed that screw which must be installed at the factory by Popeye with a 500Ft lb torgue gun????? ruined the phllips threads by hand using a craftsmen #2...had to get my Dewalt impact screw driver with all my weight to get it to break loose. Did they use an aluminum screw or something??? -Blew 30psi air into the hole, a bunch of gas leaked out. Did not use carb cleaner, nor any cleaning implements. Just used 30psi air. -Reassembled incorrectly once as is required for all do it yourself at home projects -Crossed fingers, stood behind objects in case it blew up or something....pulled the fun cord and.......IT STARTED AND RAN better then it did brand new!!
10 months later and the mower is not starting again. After about 50 pulls it starts for 1 second then shuts off. Guess Honda designed these new mowers to require a full carburetor clean every season to discourage owning lawns? Either way, I wish I had returned it when it first had issues. Going forward, once I decide to rage quit having to fix my new mower every season, I will make sure to research the other brands thoroughly before making another expensive mistake.
Now every time we run this mower we have to "clean the carburetor" (meaning try to overcome this inherent design flaw probably caused by regulation). By the way we use ethanol free gas so no idea how the carb could continuously gunk up...
The same general fix works on older HRX 217 mowers, as well. Surging is a common problem with them, too. I could not help but notice how much simpler it is to access and service the carburetor on this newer model Honda mower. Sweet! Thanks for the video.
I got a brand new 2022 HRX HYA model before the inflation price hike. If you do any type of scalping for a new lawn establishment (thus generating lots of dust and dirt clouds), just be ready to deal with a "surging on idle" symptom and clean the carb.
@@mattb9664 I never scalp a lawn, but I always check the air filter for dust build up. I add a good quality fuel system cleaner to my mower gas and also use TrueFuel for every third tankful of fuel. I always store the mower over winter filled with TrueFuel. No surging problems since I have been doing this. No carb rebuilds, either.
@@mattb9664 I scalp my lawn once a year too. I usually cut it at 3” but will take it down to 2” when I power rake and aerate. Then I like to fertilize and top dress with some peat. I have an HRX217 that is close to 10 years old. It does this surging thing when I first start it up but it goes away after about 30 seconds. It has done it since new so I always thought it was normal. Lol
This is the best video on TH-cam for how to clean carburetor, especially surging engine. My pressure washer with the Honda GCV160 engine surging problem fixed. Thanks so much.
I've had this exact mower 3 years. Power assist failed almost instantly. I've now cleaned the carb with Seafoam directly into the hole, used a guitar string to try and break out crud, as well as a pipe cleaner, and finally compressed air that showed it coming out the tiny jet in the back of the carb. Still doing it. I also checked the choke setup. It opened and closed as it should. Completely at a loss.
Thank you "Daddy" this was a good fix, although I took a short cut and had to execute the repair a second time to fix it. The first time I did not remove the pilot jet screw; Cleaned everything with all 3 tools; (Carb cleaner, pipe-cleaner and mild compressed air) and when reassembled and started the mower, it continued to surge. A second tear-down and removing the pilot jet screw was the key. A trick others might find useful when attempting to remove "stuck fasteners" such as this little pilot jet screw which I encountered, is to impact the screw head first with some force. In this situation I used the end of a 1/4" x 6" long socket extension and a hammer to apply a few "love-taps" to the head of the screw from multiple angles and the screw came right out. Your instruction to verify the "auto choke" feature is working properly was pretty cool too (closed when cold and open when the motor is warm) Thank you Daddy!👊
LOL!!! Thanks for watching. So many viewers struggle with that stubborn pilot jet screw. I always try help but the actuality is their not using the correct “removal” tool. Thanks again and it sounds like you know your way around a shop.
Thank you so much. My Honda’s carb is so old it doesn’t have a pilot screw- or one that I could finely. So I simply sprayed the carb cleaner in the hole you suggested. After that I started the mower and it still ran terrible. I let it warm up and now the problem is gone! Thanks again!!
Now, if we can just get that mulch door to work lol. I was sleuthing around to see if anyone had that problem and stumbled upon this, and I'm glad I did. Mine surges until it gets warmed up, usually settles down after a few minutes. I figured it was normal and attributed it to the auto choke system. But yeah... I haven't bagged clippings the past few mows and while I give her a nice dusting off cleaning after every mow, the next time I bagged I was surprised to see how much got trapped in the void between where the bag mounts and the mulch door. It was compacted like a brick filling the entire void lol. Thanks for the video Kipp
Worked for me. I had mistakenly thought I had a problem with the main jet, took the thing apart and cleaned everything but I still had the problem, stumbled on your video and fixed it in 5 mins. Cheers.
Thanks Ram K! Be sure to check out our video about battery powered lawn mowers so you don't have to deal with clogged carburetors in the near future. Thanks for watching and always open to help.
For me, I celebrated the fix too early. I discovered that the surging would return as soon as the engine had warmed up and the auto choke was fully open. Could watch/hear it happen with the air filter off. So I dismantled the carburetor fully and cleaned all the parts. Fixed the surging problem. What I discovered as a separate issue, however, was that there was no GASKET for the carburetor float bowl, which caused fuel to be leaking even though the float system was working fine. I've never taken the carburetor apart since buying this mower brand new - I think they forgot to put one in and I'd just not noticed the leak before!!
This was great. I'm a little pissed, I replaced my old walmart mower with a new Honda. Never once had a problem with my walmart mower, after 1 year I have to fix my carburetor on my honda. Kind of wishing I had kept my $50 mower.
Landon I totally understand your frustration. There’s a huge gap between $50-$400 and we both expected better. This engine is new to Honda and I think some changes with the carburetor are coming. I have never had any problem with their older model engines but that’s why I’m a Tech and not a engineer LOL. Thanks for watching.
Ugh… mine was surging like this for a while and I figured it was just the fuel… then the other day I got into mowing, stopped after 5’ to adjust the height of the mower deck and now the damn thing won’t stay running! It just sputters for 5-10s like that and quits! Sure hope this is the fix as I’ve tried spraying quick start in the carburetor and pretty much everything else I can think of. Hate to think this will be routine maintenance for this mower but I appreciate the video! Fingers crossed!
Thanks a gazillion! I have a 5yo HRX217, that has been doing this for 2 seasons. I replaced the thermowax twice and it ran a little better for a while and got me through after taking it to a shop, and even they didn’t fix it. Spent an hour cleaning the carb and it purrs like a kitten again! I do wish you’d shown how to manage this on the motor, just for reference. I was a little nervous about taking it off and could have used a little more guidance there too. Afraid of gas leaking you know… Instead of a sewing needle I used a single strand of heavy gauge wire about half the diameter, to make sure it didn’t get stuck. Thanks again!
Followed your steps to the letter. She now purrs again! Pilot screw was a bear to break loose but that was the only hitch. Thanks a ton for the guidance!
Thanks so much for your video. Three week old mower conked out! Honda motor savvy hubby could not figure it out! Smart wife(me) found your video. Hubby watched it and 20 minutes later mower worked great! You are awesome😊!
Wow! Wow! I took off the air filter and moved the housing out of the way. Slid the carb out a bit and had great access to the screw on top. The screw was on tight! Spayed in there with the straw( watch out it squirts back out) then squirted on the aft hole in the side of the carb. Waited a few minutes, reassembled it. Pulled the cord and bam! Works like a champ! Thank you so much for the video.
Thank you for this i have watched ten videos of these carbs having issues. And no one else addressed this particular jet. Thanks now i can fix my mower.
Thanks for the overview! Finally got mine corrected on the 4th attempt. HRX217 had mowing load just fine, but surging would start after it was warm and just idling. My pilot jet screw was totally over torqued (almost purpose, since the screw head is soft) on a 6 month old 2022 unit, and I had to use small vice grips to remove it. Sprayed it out a couple times along with all the circuits. Also used a piece of wire to clean out that jet hole, even though cleaner was flowing through. Not sure if the limiter cap screw is adjustable since it breaks if it's overturned, but make sure to note where it's turned before taking anything apart on the carb for cleaning. I had to turn my to the right in order for it to idle without surging on the last cleaning attempt. Main jet and bowl...all that was totally clean since I condition my small engine fuel. Again I abused my new mower during scalping and dead lawn rip out with massive dust clouds in prep for the new lawn I now have growing in. 😀👍
My HRN 216 has over 1 full season of commercial residential mowing I use it for my small lawn care business and have never had 1 issue whatsoever with it. Had to replace the wheels this year but other than that basic maintenance oil changes, air filter and spark plug.
Hi I’m not a complementary type of guy that you have to give credit where credit is due your instruction sure did help I cannot get the screw off but I did spray the carburetor cleaner throughout and it started right up thanks 🙏 and keep it up, click or not it’s people like you that make this world a better place ☮️
i plan on attempting this repair on my 3 year old HRX mower with the auto choke in the next couple of weeks. I will let you know if I am successful. Thank you for the video.
Say Kipp, I appreciate the useful info you provided. My Honda GCV 170 was surging nonstop. After cleaning the jet and areas you discribed, it now works perfect. That save me much needed dough. Thanks again.
This was the MOST PRODUCTIVE VIDEO EVER for me . Thank you so much for showing and explaining the fix for the surging problem . After a few carb cleaner shots and some compressed air my mower is now working as new !
Thanks so much for this tip, Kipp. I have a Black Max lawnmower (approximately 14 years old) with an automatic return choke on the GCV160 engine. It started to surge on me recently after running reliably for 13 years without ever having to remove the carb to clean it - which I did last week. My carb has a slightly different design than the 2020+ MY Honda engines. In order to clean the pilot jet with carb cleaner I needed to shoot the fluid through the main air jet port (I don't understand why). Then, and only then, did the carb cleaner squirt through that super tiny orifice in the center of the pilot jet port after removing the phillips head screw. I removed the carb from the mower to do this. To my surprise and relief, the surging is completely gone and the mower runs almost like new again.
Thank you so much for this video. Had this surging issue on a brand new GCV170. Followed your steps regarding the pilot jet cleaning and the problem is gone! Now a subscriber.
Thanks a ton for making this video. I initially overlooked this jet and suffered for a while. Once I blew it out my mower worked like a charm. Much appreciated…
After watching your video I tried it with my GCV190 lawnmower since it was surging and wow! It worked! Very thoroughly explained video.I appreciate your time in making this video for those of us that are not mechanics by trade, thank you very much sir 🙏
Fixed it! Great video and explanations. I tried the lazy fixes first - change oil, new gas, seafoam, but no luck. I figure the next step was a complete teardown of the carb so was resigned to just taking it to the shop. The great angles and steps in the video were easy to use, and it got the Honda running like new.
Just wanted to let you know your video was helpful and I was able to fix the issue of my mower surging with some carb cleaner and your instructions. Would not have known a single thing about any of this without being able to research this and see a great instructional video. Thank you.
I'll give credit where it's due. This fixed my mower. I didn't remove the carb just slid it back far enough to get that tight ass Phillips screw out hit it with carb cleaner then air now she runs like a champ. Thank you!
Thanks for the great video. I cannot get the Philips head screw off and stripped it. In the process I ended up taking off my float bowl and tore the gasket. How specific is the gasket for the this carb GCV170 vs one for the GCV 160?
My neighbor bought this mower last week and hated it, so she gave it to me! I have to say its the best mower I have ever owned. And this video was fantastic right on man thanks!
My Honda is 8 months old, and I just stored it for winter with all the right fuel steps, I am very OCD. The thing was surging this spring. I followed all steps from video and still surging with no fix. As it was back together with just the paper air filter removed, I ran the carb cleaner can near the intake port in the small hole on the right as it was running and it cured it. I think the problem is the lack of paper filter fuel filter. On all my old machines, I installed paper filter fuel filter and it would start like a charm come spring. I use the oversized sit down lawm mower MTD ATLAS Style filters. #endrant.
Worked to fix my issue. Thanks! I wonder why these are having issues. Mine only went a season and a half of once-a-week mowing of less than 3/4 of an acre.
Thanks so much .... I was about to take the 1 year old Honda mower to the local shop. At the last minute decided to check TH-cam and luckily found your video. I had to clean carb 3 x's because there was an orange colored casing inside. But now works perfectly ..... Thanks Again !!!
I’m going to like this before even tackling this. I literally just bought this exact model a few months ago, and you called it: fresh, stabilized fuel! Hopefully I don’t have to do this every single year!! Thank you!
Thanks for comment Mr. T! Some of my fellow Lexus techs have had success running and little bit of "Sea-Foam" in the gas tank. I'm guessing it helps dissolve any kind of debris that build up in the carburetor especially those tiny pilot jet passages. Thanks for watching Mike.
@Mike T Bought this mower in March took it back end of June got an exchange same mower used it 3 times same thing happened not working on a new $450 P.O.S myself. Taking it back FINISHED WITH HONDA MOWERS.
@@stephenvaughn8171 Bought mine at home depot used it one time and rough idle now 4th time using will not even start using ethanol free gas! $600 mower and it is such trash! Home Depot will not take it back or help me at all!
@@shortythefrenchie Your going to have to take it an authorized repair shop and wait two weeks for the Honda warranty to fix it. Big headache for an expensive mower.
I just used your instructions and was able to get my parents mower working. Had to do it twice but now it works flawless. Thank you for the detailed video
I have a Honda power washer with this problem. I was concerned that I need a different pilot jet as I am at about 6K feet elevation. I'll try this first. Thanks for the video!
Hi Kipp, great video! Thank you! I couldn't believe my two month old Honda mower (same model) was having this problem. My Honda cars and van have been great vehicles to own with amazing reliability. My new Honda mower had me worried. Like other folks, I've had Craftsman mowers for decades and never had to remove the carburetors for any type of service. Your video helped me get my Honda mower running smoothly again. Thank you! In addition to your fix, I installed a fuel filter between the gas tank and the fuel cutoff valve. Hopefully this will prevent future, similar problems. This mower is a pleasure to use - when it's running properly.
No kidding. I had an underpowered Craftsman mower for years but wanted something with a little more power. I thought I was getting something a little better with my Honda, but buy, was a wrong. I think I'm going to have to go back to B&S engines.
@@davidchapman2979 Well, it seemed to, until the first time I used it this year. It was right back to surging again. Another TH-cam video showed a guy putting Mechanic in a Bottle in his. I thought, why not? 10 minutes later and the surging was gone. My Honda mower never started on the first pull until after this year's annual service. I changed the oil, air filter and most importantly, the spark plug. Now it always starts on the first pull. The original plug was bad.
Thank you! First video I found that described my issue and went directly to the problem. I used carb cleaner and a needle pin and my mower hasn’t run this smooth since I bought it!
I've regretted buying this P.o.s. since day one. I have replaced the thermawax coupler three times. It started running as you described, and after blowing out the jet, it's running as it should. Thanks for the informative video. I will never buy another Honda product again.
I’ll have to figure out how to remove the Phillips screw. It stripped on me and can’t get it off. I’ve tried cleaning it and replacing the gas, once I get it cleaned it works for like 1 mins then It starts surging again. I also ordered carburetor Brussels to try and clean it. Update: had to order a new carburetor, but Before I installed it I losen the screw and now my lawn is cut! Great video. Keeping the old carburetor for spare parts.
Screw was super tight. Tried WD40, vice grips, a small butane torch to heat it, power tools, etc. no way it was going anywhere without stripping the screw. Purchased a new carb, fixed it right away. Have had the mower 1 year. Planned obsolescence on Hondas part? I like the mower but never had this issue on old Toro with a B&S engine over an 8 yr period.
Thank you so much. I was disappointed that my one year old Honda mower that I spent $400 on was already having problems. This fixed it but still frustrated that a new mower has this problem. I've never had to do this on the craftsmen or toro mowers I've owned in the past. At least it was an easy fix.
Thanks for video. Worked after 2 tries. First attempt I couldnt remove the stupid jet port screw so just cleaned front hole, but didnt work. Second atttempt I read others comments about the jet port screw being a bitch to get off and I finally got it with a small vice clamp. Sprayed into both jet port and front but still didnt see any carb fluid coming out back side. Got my compressor going and blew the holes out and finally was seeing carb cleaner on back end port. Put it back together and ran like a champ
Thank you thank you thank you. Your video was spot on. Mower was surging and didn’t know why. Saw your video and I be damn the valve was sticking. Thanks again. Happy mowing.
This was an excellent video, that was exactly my problem. At first I didn't believe there was a clog since carb spray was coming out of all the holes like he said, but I took a metal bristle off a metal wire brush and poked it into all the holes and low and behold it runs perfect now. The screw on the top of the carb was a pain to get off.
This fixed my Honda after I was able to remove that incredibly stuck pilot screw. Almost stripped the screw head, had to put the carb in a vise and use an impact driver to remove it.
Mine don't run at all but I feel it's still clogged. I'm going to clean mine out. The float part works.which usually fixes other mowers. Thanks for the know how in cleaning clogged carbonator. 73 P S I just took mine apart but couldn't remove the screw it's on too tight and I don't want to strip out the head I cleaned out the gasoline chamber where the float is and removed the brass screw in the center but I don't know if I put it back right I need to look up the diagram. The mower runs now but don't idle right. I can cut grass and the power drive works, in other words the mower don't stall. If I cannot get that screw out I will just buy another.carburetor. I like the mower and the price was right because it was given to me. Thanks again I learned how to fix minor problems with these auto choke mowers. I have another mower that don't run and probably the carburetor is clogged somewhere. 73
I got a brand new 2022 HRX HYA model before the inflation price hike. If you do any type of scalping for a new lawn establishment (thus generating lots of dust and dirt clouds), just be ready to deal with a "surging on idle" symptom and clean the carb.
Just bought a brand new HRN216VYA. It surges exactly as your demo mower does. I took it back to the dealer, who, not surprisingly, told me it was running "to specs". I swapped the thermo-wax; didn't help. I'll try the carb cleaning. Thank you.
Genius, thanks for the help. This video is perfect. I bought my HRN 216 at the end of last summer and only mowed once with it. Started it up last week and had this exact problem. Carb cleaner worked just as you described. I was so pissed that this essentially brand new mower was doing this. Now I know at the end of the season I’ll need to shut off the fuel and run out the gas in the carb so it’s dry going into the winter. (At least I think that should work)
One more thing you should mention because this happens A LOT: Be very careful not to over-torque those two bolts holding the carb assembly in place or the choke linkage will get hung up causing the engine to sputter and run too rich on every cold start until the thermo-wax element kicks in and forces the choke open. The gaskets get squished and the plastic housing binds the linkage preventing the choke from unloading when the engine is started cold. The engine will sputter and spew black smoke until the thermo-wax element takes over, then once it cools down it all happens again. I’ve seen this happen on a number of Honda engines and I finally figured what’s causing it. If it happens try doubling up on the air box gaskets to increase the linkage clearance, ease up on the torque and use BLUE (not red!) Locktite on the carb bolts.
Great point. I put the box back on and it wasn't getting tight. I took a picture before I did anything and put it back with the same threads showing. I would have been over torqued easily if it were not for this comment.
I did exactly like you said, I did take the carb off. I have never did any like this before so I give you all the credit…great video, it’s running great by the way👍
Merci Monsieur Labrie (French: topographic name from l'abri 'the shelter', or a habitational name from a place named with this word) I too am a little put off because I too, only bought this mower from Lowe's a few months ago, and I'm still making payments, and I'm having this problem. My previous mower was a Husky, that I bought from Tractor Supply, here in South Texas, and it worked fine for six years. What gives? Kipp, I love you man! Thanks for this excellent knowledgeable and well edited video. I will first finish cutting the lawn, then either return this mower, (I have 90 days.), or follow your most thorough instructions. I like that I can engage the mowing blades, and I like the rear-wheel drive. It is expensive for having this problem, so soon after I bought the mower. What happened to, "Honda produces great products"? Fast forward a few hours: I was not able to take the PILOT JET screw up, the Philips head stripped. I did spray carbonator spray in the other hole mentioned in your video. No go, this didn't fix the problem. I returned my Honda mower, HRN216VKA engine GCV170, to Lowe's. The manager was kind enough to return it. I bought it on August 12, 2021 and returned it on October 23, 2021. Beware, Lowe's no longer has a 90 day return policy, they now have a 30 day return policy, since the beginning of 2021.
So I could not get the screw to break loose without stripping cross-point. I instead sprayed the other jet openings you showed. Put it all back together and mower ran great. However, you knew this was coming, it started to idle rough again and fuel was flowing through the port inside the barrel. Any ideas? I am going to try and find the port brushes to see if some trash is maybe gummed up in the port.
The assembly of the lawn mower could be done without any problems th-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend I just puzzled something about the red strange “key”. However, it quickly turned out that this creates a kind of contact bridge between battery packs and lawn mowers. An additional backup as a father of a 1 year old nephew is great!! :-)
AWESOME video and information! Just fired up my brand new Honda with a GCV170 I purchased last Fall that I never used until now, gas in it from dealer. Fired right up, but It surged just like shown in this video. Did the cleaner in the carb as shown and it did the trick.......runs nice and smooth now.....Thanks so much!
Nice video! That little screw on top is in there tight…. and is now stripped. My fault I suppose? It should have been an easy removal but it won’t budge. Going to have to find a replacement.
Great video! I have the same model that started surging. However, the screw on the pilot jet is so tight that when I started to remove it, the screw top started to strip. Any suggestions?
I would spray “WD-40” and let it soak for a hour or safely safely apply heat/torch to try and free it up. The last restore is to use a small hand impact. I believe there are aftermarket carburetors for this engine that bypass the pilot jet screw all together. Thanks for watching.
@@dadsworkshopbykipplabrie7982 I watched your video on replacement carburetors. Is that what you mean by 'aftermarket'? I considered trying the experiment but have no experience with small engines. Is it dangerous to work with these things if we do something incorrectly?
Great video. Got a used Honda but after mowing for 15 min this issue came up. After cleaning it it like shown it worked like new. Well that's after I figured out I put the gasket on backwards and forgot to put the screw it. Keep up the good work
Thanks for the video. My screw was tough too. Got a screwdriver that fit perfectly and tapped it on top. I really had to bear down on it but it came out. Used compressed air and torch tip cleaner to clean it. Put it back together and it seems to be running fine. Thanks again
Fantastic video. Thanks so much for this concise write-up. When it started surging I was pretty sure the carb was gummed up but wanted to check out a video to see exactly how to go about it. Yours was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate it!
Absolutely Scott! I’m here to help and educate. We’re currently reviewing a new Toro battery powered lawnmower for this very reason, soon fuel related problems will be a thing of the past. Thanks for your support.
@@dadsworkshopbykipplabrie7982 Thanks again! With noise restrictions and batteries being more capable and the prices coming down, I imagine you’re correct. I love my gas stuff, but I’ve got no issue with it. 👍🏼
Warning: that auto jet screw is made out cheap ass metal and tightened by a giant. stripping it was fun. UPDATE: I used a drill bit extractor, cleaned the jets and now she purrs! Thanks for the concise video!
Took it out to use for the first time since last summer, and I had the exact same problem. This fixed it! I didn’t have carb cleaner so I used what I had: aerosol 99.99% isopropyl alcohol and 30psi air from my air compressor. Worked like a charm.
Hey man thank you I bought mine brand new and out of the box was surging bad. Sure enough you were right! Jet was clogged somehow and has ran perfect ever since!
Thanks so much for posting this. I have this exact model and had only used it one time. The second time, it began surging. With your help and some carburetor cleaner, it's working perfectly now! Appreciate it!
Thanks Kipp!!! OK, so I had a problem with my Honda mower. Hard to start, would eventually stay running but not much power. It would take a few tries but eventually I could engage the blades and it would keep running. Engaging the blades actually helped to keep it running but limited power through heavy leaves. Followed the steps here, I cleaning the carb with cleaner and now my mower is back to running like new, thank you so much Kipp!!! My engine is the GCV200
Great video. My 10 month old mower is this exact model, and after throwing out a gallon of stabilized fuel because I thought the fuel was bad, this gem of a video fixed my surging issue. You sir are my hero. I subscribed. Please keep up the good work!
Same thing to me. These Honda motors are trash. I thought I was getting something well engineered and built... especially for the money, but nope. When it comes to small engines, I think I'm going to have to go with B&S...
Very helpful video. Thanks a lot. Helped me to resolve exactly the same problem with my relatively new and little used HRN536 with the GCV170 engine. I never had this problem with the old Hondas. Whether this is an ethanol issue or whether the new idle jets are more prone to clogging I don't know. I could not unscrew the idle jet - it was fast, but carb cleaner and ultrasonic cleaning did the trick. Thanks again
I have this same mower. My problem is that I can't get it started AT ALL. Ive cleaned the carb several times. I've tried starter fluid and I've replaced the fuel and spark plug, but still can't get it to turn over. It ran 2 weeks ago, but now it just sputters. I am at the point where I'm ready to just replace the carburetor but I am having trouble finding the right replacement. Does anyone happen to have any info on the replacement carburetor? Also, great video. Very informative and you have very good camera presence. Sorry for the rant, I'm just frustrated...
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One important step you failed to mention is to remove the idle mixture screw. Many times that's where the restriction is at, the only way to clean out any stuck debris is by removing it. It's the brass screw with a spring around it and is underneath the aluminum cover with a slot for a flathead screw driver which you must remove it in order to remove the idle mixture screw. It's held on with Loctite so don't try prying it off or you'll snap off the brass idle mixture screw. You need to heat it up with a small torch for a few seconds (Bic flame torches work great) but it'll quickly melt the aluminum if you're not careful. Before removing idle mixture screw, make sure to tighten it until it bottoms out while counting the number of turns because it needs to be set back in the exact same position. If you forgot to do this, it's 1-1/2 turns.
Thanks bud!
I don't think he failed to mention it; I think he didn't mention it because in most cases, like mine, it's unnecessary.
This a fixed throttle. You can't adjust the throttle on this style carburetor.
@@dadsworkshopbykipplabrie7982 It's an air/fuel mixture screw for the low speed jet, not an idle speed adjustment. CCW richens it, CW leans it out. With this type of mower in particular with a blade clutch, it uses the low speed jet with no load on the engine (blades off) so you'll notice more of an impact with a clogged low speed jet than a traditional mower where the blades are spinning whenever the engine is running. Yes, you can just try blowing out the low speed jet with carb cleaner and see if that fixes it, but in my experience, that doesn't always fix it and it needs to be disassembled completely.
lol ok bud@@weeeves
Wish I saw this $50 ago (minimum charge at ripoff repair shop). They tried to tell me I needed new carburetor. Now I'm up and running, no surging, Thanks!
Used the mower once in 3 months and the god damn thing is doing this. I’m bringing this thing back. Thanks for the video!
I actually fixed it thanks this video. It only took about 8 minutes. Thanks again.
Thanks for the video! This looks like my exact problem. Bought this mower last August and used it just a few times. I was disappointed because the thing is so new and my previous HONDA mower never had this problem. I wish they would leave good enough alone already.
Thank you so much! 8 month old pressure washer was doing this exact thing at idle. Under load it was fine. Took carburetor off and did as you suggested and she now idles smoothly! Had a heck of a time getting the screw off but finally got it. Went to a Big Box store and got a set of welding nozzle tip cleaning brushes for $7 and used them to clean the pin hole and did the main nozzle too. Super easy and would not have known how to correct this issue without you!
How did you get that pilot jet screw off? I haven't been able to budge mine. Might try heat next and if that fails I'll cut a slot for a flat blade screw driver.
You recommend checking the autochoke mechanism in step one. Mine did NOT work properly. I had to replace (Honda 16620-Z8D-305 Thermo Wax Assembly) and the autochoke mechanism returned to normal.
Your tips on disassembly/re-assembly and jet cleaning were very helpful and initially fixed my problem, but the problem came back in my case. Premium gas made no difference. Thanks for all the conversation helping all us DOY people save $$.
Thanks for the video. Fixed my brand new lawnmower in 20min and now I know what's been wrong with my Honda pressure washer for the past 10yrs. Will be fixing that next.
Good job Greg! you got this. Thanks for watching.
You've got an incredible screen presence and you know what you're talking about. I hope you make many more videos.
Thanks brother, means a lot
you nailed it, for every 200 videos I watch I may drop a like and rarely comment. Honestly he does, the perfect mix of information, charisma and jokes. My man I bought this mower today and appreciate your honesty and delivery style!
This did the trick, under 10 minute job. I removed the carb (take note of what hole the linkage rod and tiny spring go for reassembly - take pics prior to disassembly) I used carb cleaner, then compressed air at 30 psi. My new mower started doing this 3 weeks/mowings into it. Thank you for this video!
Thanks for watching Urban.
So I bought a Dewalt pressure washer this weekend with a Honda GCV200 motor. After setting it up and point the provided oil inside of the motor I filled her up with premium gas and wanted to test out the brand new unit. It took me 4 or 5 pulls to get the engine running but once it started up it immediately did this exact same surging while idling. When I pulled the trigger and sprayed water it ran decent. As soon as I let off it began to surge again. I'm going to go ahead and follow this video and clean up the Carb tonight. Very happy about this video!
Thank you!! Fixed our issue! Bought the same Honda Mower 5 or so months ago from Lowes. Used it a few times. From the beginning it was doing the up and down RPMs. Now it will try to start then stall out. Drained the gas that we left in there for a few months thinking Bidet's 15% ethanol must have gathered some friendly neighborhood water. Put new gas in it and it started and ran but still did the up and down RPMs. Week later it wouldnt start. Drained the gas and put fresh gas in. Still wouldn't start. Then we found your video!
-Took the carb off
-Removed that screw which must be installed at the factory by Popeye with a 500Ft lb torgue gun????? ruined the phllips threads by hand using a craftsmen #2...had to get my Dewalt impact screw driver with all my weight to get it to break loose. Did they use an aluminum screw or something???
-Blew 30psi air into the hole, a bunch of gas leaked out. Did not use carb cleaner, nor any cleaning implements. Just used 30psi air.
-Reassembled incorrectly once as is required for all do it yourself at home projects
-Crossed fingers, stood behind objects in case it blew up or something....pulled the fun cord and.......IT STARTED AND RAN better then it did brand new!!
Hell yeah! Thanks for comment.
I have been trying to get that pilot screw loose for days! Won't budge. Feel you on the Popeye with a 500ft lb torque gun big time.
10 months later and the mower is not starting again. After about 50 pulls it starts for 1 second then shuts off. Guess Honda designed these new mowers to require a full carburetor clean every season to discourage owning lawns?
Either way, I wish I had returned it when it first had issues. Going forward, once I decide to rage quit having to fix my new mower every season, I will make sure to research the other brands thoroughly before making another expensive mistake.
Now every time we run this mower we have to "clean the carburetor" (meaning try to overcome this inherent design flaw probably caused by regulation). By the way we use ethanol free gas so no idea how the carb could continuously gunk up...
@@_Wake_Up_If_U_Can did you ever take your mower into a shop and find out what the problem was?
The same general fix works on older HRX 217 mowers, as well. Surging is a common problem with them, too.
I could not help but notice how much simpler it is to access and service the carburetor on this newer model Honda mower. Sweet!
Thanks for the video.
I got a brand new 2022 HRX HYA model before the inflation price hike. If you do any type of scalping for a new lawn establishment (thus generating lots of dust and dirt clouds), just be ready to deal with a "surging on idle" symptom and clean the carb.
@@mattb9664 I never scalp a lawn, but I always check the air filter for dust build up. I add a good quality fuel system cleaner to my mower gas and also use TrueFuel for every third tankful of fuel. I always store the mower over winter filled with TrueFuel. No surging problems since I have been doing this. No carb rebuilds, either.
@@jerrystark3587 scalping 1" for lawn renovation that is. Never during normal mowing!
@@mattb9664 👍👍
@@mattb9664 I scalp my lawn once a year too. I usually cut it at 3” but will take it down to 2” when I power rake and aerate. Then I like to fertilize and top dress with some peat. I have an HRX217 that is close to 10 years old. It does this surging thing when I first start it up but it goes away after about 30 seconds. It has done it since new so I always thought it was normal. Lol
This is the best video on TH-cam for how to clean carburetor, especially surging engine.
My pressure washer with the Honda GCV160 engine surging problem fixed.
Thanks so much.
Fixed my honda HRN216VKA... Thanks for sharing this... you saved me 100 dollars by avoiding the repair shop.
Hell yeah Aaron! Good job!
I've had this exact mower 3 years. Power assist failed almost instantly. I've now cleaned the carb with Seafoam directly into the hole, used a guitar string to try and break out crud, as well as a pipe cleaner, and finally compressed air that showed it coming out the tiny jet in the back of the carb.
Still doing it.
I also checked the choke setup. It opened and closed as it should. Completely at a loss.
Sorry for the negative reply, I got a can of carb cleaner, gonna try again. This was an excellent video, I neglected to say.
Thank you "Daddy" this was a good fix, although I took a short cut and had to execute the repair a second time to fix it. The first time I did not remove the pilot jet screw; Cleaned everything with all 3 tools; (Carb cleaner, pipe-cleaner and mild compressed air) and when reassembled and started the mower, it continued to surge. A second tear-down and removing the pilot jet screw was the key. A trick others might find useful when attempting to remove "stuck fasteners" such as this little pilot jet screw which I encountered, is to impact the screw head first with some force. In this situation I used the end of a 1/4" x 6" long socket extension and a hammer to apply a few "love-taps" to the head of the screw from multiple angles and the screw came right out. Your instruction to verify the "auto choke" feature is working properly was pretty cool too (closed when cold and open when the motor is warm) Thank you Daddy!👊
LOL!!! Thanks for watching. So many viewers struggle with that stubborn pilot jet screw. I always try help but the actuality is their not using the correct “removal” tool. Thanks again and it sounds like you know your way around a shop.
Thank you so much. My Honda’s carb is so old it doesn’t have a pilot screw- or one that I could finely. So I simply sprayed the carb cleaner in the hole you suggested. After that I started the mower and it still ran terrible. I let it warm up and now the problem is gone! Thanks again!!
Now, if we can just get that mulch door to work lol. I was sleuthing around to see if anyone had that problem and stumbled upon this, and I'm glad I did. Mine surges until it gets warmed up, usually settles down after a few minutes. I figured it was normal and attributed it to the auto choke system. But yeah... I haven't bagged clippings the past few mows and while I give her a nice dusting off cleaning after every mow, the next time I bagged I was surprised to see how much got trapped in the void between where the bag mounts and the mulch door. It was compacted like a brick filling the entire void lol. Thanks for the video Kipp
You’re exactly right! I noticed the debris build up as well, wasn’t sure if the bag would even lock into place.
Instructions were just spot on. I have an HRR216 older model but I did just what you described and the surging is gone. Appreciate your post.
Worked for me. I had mistakenly thought I had a problem with the main jet, took the thing apart and cleaned everything but I still had the problem, stumbled on your video and fixed it in 5 mins. Cheers.
Easiest tutorial and direct answer to a direct question. THANK YOU!
Thanks Ram K! Be sure to check out our video about battery powered lawn mowers so you don't have to deal with clogged carburetors in the near future. Thanks for watching and always open to help.
For me, I celebrated the fix too early. I discovered that the surging would return as soon as the engine had warmed up and the auto choke was fully open. Could watch/hear it happen with the air filter off. So I dismantled the carburetor fully and cleaned all the parts. Fixed the surging problem. What I discovered as a separate issue, however, was that there was no GASKET for the carburetor float bowl, which caused fuel to be leaking even though the float system was working fine. I've never taken the carburetor apart since buying this mower brand new - I think they forgot to put one in and I'd just not noticed the leak before!!
This was great. I'm a little pissed, I replaced my old walmart mower with a new Honda. Never once had a problem with my walmart mower, after 1 year I have to fix my carburetor on my honda. Kind of wishing I had kept my $50 mower.
you probably didn't shut the fuel off before storage.
@@norge696 shut it off after every use and completely drain the tank in the winter and run the carb dry.
Landon I totally understand your frustration. There’s a huge gap between $50-$400 and we both expected better. This engine is new to Honda and I think some changes with the carburetor are coming. I have never had any problem with their older model engines but that’s why I’m a Tech and not a engineer LOL. Thanks for watching.
Ugh… mine was surging like this for a while and I figured it was just the fuel… then the other day I got into mowing, stopped after 5’ to adjust the height of the mower deck and now the damn thing won’t stay running! It just sputters for 5-10s like that and quits! Sure hope this is the fix as I’ve tried spraying quick start in the carburetor and pretty much everything else I can think of. Hate to think this will be routine maintenance for this mower but I appreciate the video! Fingers crossed!
Thanks a gazillion!
I have a 5yo HRX217, that has been doing this for 2 seasons. I replaced the thermowax twice and it ran a little better for a while and got me through after taking it to a shop, and even they didn’t fix it.
Spent an hour cleaning the carb and it purrs like a kitten again!
I do wish you’d shown how to manage this on the motor, just for reference. I was a little nervous about taking it off and could have used a little more guidance there too. Afraid of gas leaking you know…
Instead of a sewing needle I used a single strand of heavy gauge wire about half the diameter, to make sure it didn’t get stuck.
Thanks again!
Followed your steps to the letter. She now purrs again! Pilot screw was a bear to break loose but that was the only hitch. Thanks a ton for the guidance!
Hell yeah!!! Thanks for your support Darryl.
Thanks so much for your video. Three week old mower conked out! Honda motor savvy hubby could not figure it out! Smart wife(me) found your video. Hubby watched it and 20 minutes later mower worked great! You are awesome😊!
Thank you Mrs Carolyn
Wow! Wow! I took off the air filter and moved the housing out of the way. Slid the carb out a bit and had great access to the screw on top. The screw was on tight! Spayed in there with the straw( watch out it squirts back out) then squirted on the aft hole in the side of the carb. Waited a few minutes, reassembled it. Pulled the cord and bam! Works like a champ! Thank you so much for the video.
I can't get this mother fucking screw out ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
This vid saved me so much time and probably money. Dealer assured me this wouldn’t be a warranty fix and took all of 10 mins to do. Thanks!!!!
Thanks for watching I’m here to help
Thank you for this i have watched ten videos of these carbs having issues. And no one else addressed this particular jet. Thanks now i can fix my mower.
My dude, you got this Matthew. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the overview! Finally got mine corrected on the 4th attempt. HRX217 had mowing load just fine, but surging would start after it was warm and just idling. My pilot jet screw was totally over torqued (almost purpose, since the screw head is soft) on a 6 month old 2022 unit, and I had to use small vice grips to remove it. Sprayed it out a couple times along with all the circuits. Also used a piece of wire to clean out that jet hole, even though cleaner was flowing through.
Not sure if the limiter cap screw is adjustable since it breaks if it's overturned, but make sure to note where it's turned before taking anything apart on the carb for cleaning. I had to turn my to the right in order for it to idle without surging on the last cleaning attempt. Main jet and bowl...all that was totally clean since I condition my small engine fuel.
Again I abused my new mower during scalping and dead lawn rip out with massive dust clouds in prep for the new lawn I now have growing in. 😀👍
My HRN 216 has over 1 full season of commercial residential mowing I use it for my small lawn care business and have never had 1 issue whatsoever with it. Had to replace the wheels this year but other than that basic maintenance oil changes, air filter and spark plug.
I have heard of other people having to replace the Honda’s wheels. The wheels should not have to be replaced after a year. Not after 10 years either.
Hi I’m not a complementary type of guy that you have to give credit where credit is due your instruction sure did help I cannot get the screw off but I did spray the carburetor cleaner throughout and it started right up thanks 🙏 and keep it up, click or not it’s people like you that make this world a better place ☮️
Thank you for the answer to the problem! I've cleaned the carburetor already, but I must have missed the pilot circuit.
Thanks for watching glad to help eddiesheeran579!
Fixed mine. Started it placed a bag over the carb inlet forced the trash through. Runs likeca champ. Great video.
I tried cleaning carb multiple times and 'Mechanic in a Bottle'... the bag over intake was the only thing that worked. Thanks!
i plan on attempting this repair on my 3 year old HRX mower with the auto choke in the next couple of weeks. I will let you know if I am successful. Thank you for the video.
Say Kipp,
I appreciate the useful info you provided. My Honda GCV 170 was surging nonstop. After cleaning the jet and areas you discribed, it now works perfect. That save me much needed dough. Thanks again.
This was the MOST PRODUCTIVE VIDEO EVER for me . Thank you so much for showing and explaining the fix for the surging problem . After a few carb cleaner shots and some compressed air my mower is now working as new !
Thanks for the kind words Ted.
Thanks so much for this tip, Kipp. I have a Black Max lawnmower (approximately 14 years old) with an automatic return choke on the GCV160 engine. It started to surge on me recently after running reliably for 13 years without ever having to remove the carb to clean it - which I did last week. My carb has a slightly different design than the 2020+ MY Honda engines. In order to clean the pilot jet with carb cleaner I needed to shoot the fluid through the main air jet port (I don't understand why). Then, and only then, did the carb cleaner squirt through that super tiny orifice in the center of the pilot jet port after removing the phillips head screw. I removed the carb from the mower to do this. To my surprise and relief, the surging is completely gone and the mower runs almost like new again.
Thanks for watching and your support Juneeyore82!
Thank you so much for this video. Had this surging issue on a brand new GCV170. Followed your steps regarding the pilot jet cleaning and the problem is gone! Now a subscriber.
Hell yeah! I’m here to help
Thanks a ton for making this video. I initially overlooked this jet and suffered for a while. Once I blew it out my mower worked like a charm. Much appreciated…
After watching your video I tried it with my GCV190 lawnmower since it was surging and wow! It worked! Very thoroughly explained video.I appreciate your time in making this video for those of us that are not mechanics by trade, thank you very much sir 🙏
Fixed it! Great video and explanations. I tried the lazy fixes first - change oil, new gas, seafoam, but no luck. I figure the next step was a complete teardown of the carb so was resigned to just taking it to the shop. The great angles and steps in the video were easy to use, and it got the Honda running like new.
Hell yeah Micheal you got this bud!
I see you've got guides for belts, blades and more - definite subscribe. Keep up the good fight!
Just wanted to let you know your video was helpful and I was able to fix the issue of my mower surging with some carb cleaner and your instructions. Would not have known a single thing about any of this without being able to research this and see a great instructional video. Thank you.
This video alone deserves subscription
I'll give credit where it's due. This fixed my mower. I didn't remove the carb just slid it back far enough to get that tight ass Phillips screw out hit it with carb cleaner then air now she runs like a champ. Thank you!
Thanks for the great video. I cannot get the Philips head screw off and stripped it. In the process I ended up taking off my float bowl and tore the gasket. How specific is the gasket for the this carb GCV170 vs one for the GCV 160?
My neighbor bought this mower last week and hated it, so she gave it to me! I have to say its the best mower I have ever owned. And this video was fantastic right on man thanks!
I'd love to be your neighbor. Glad I bought mine pre-covid. Was $400. now its $100 more.
@@victortrinidad2180 Wow I didnt know that, thanks!
My Honda is 8 months old, and I just stored it for winter with all the right fuel steps, I am very OCD. The thing was surging this spring. I followed all steps from video and still surging with no fix. As it was back together with just the paper air filter removed, I ran the carb cleaner can near the intake port in the small hole on the right as it was running and it cured it. I think the problem is the lack of paper filter fuel filter. On all my old machines, I installed paper filter fuel filter and it would start like a charm come spring. I use the oversized sit down lawm mower MTD ATLAS Style filters. #endrant.
Worked to fix my issue. Thanks! I wonder why these are having issues. Mine only went a season and a half of once-a-week mowing of less than 3/4 of an acre.
Really well made video. The close-ups were fantastic. Thank you.
Thanks so much .... I was about to take the 1 year old Honda mower to the local shop. At the last minute decided to check TH-cam and luckily found your video. I had to clean carb 3 x's because there was an orange colored casing inside. But now works perfectly ..... Thanks Again !!!
Hell yeah!
I’m going to like this before even tackling this.
I literally just bought this exact model a few months ago, and you called it: fresh, stabilized fuel!
Hopefully I don’t have to do this every single year!! Thank you!
Thanks for comment Mr. T! Some of my fellow Lexus techs have had success running and little bit of "Sea-Foam" in the gas tank. I'm guessing it helps dissolve any kind of debris that build up in the carburetor especially those tiny pilot jet passages. Thanks for watching Mike.
@Mike T
Bought this mower in March took it back end of June got an exchange same mower used it 3 times same thing happened not working on a new $450 P.O.S myself. Taking it back FINISHED WITH HONDA MOWERS.
@@stephenvaughn8171 Bought mine at home depot used it one time and rough idle now 4th time using will not even start using ethanol free gas! $600 mower and it is such trash! Home Depot will not take it back or help me at all!
@@shortythefrenchie Your going to have to take it an authorized repair shop and wait two weeks for the Honda warranty to fix it.
Big headache for an expensive mower.
I just used your instructions and was able to get my parents mower working. Had to do it twice but now it works flawless. Thank you for the detailed video
I have a Honda power washer with this problem. I was concerned that I need a different pilot jet as I am at about 6K feet elevation. I'll try this first. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for finding me. Have fun on that dirt bike bud.
Hi Kipp, great video! Thank you! I couldn't believe my two month old Honda mower (same model) was having this problem. My Honda cars and van have been great vehicles to own with amazing reliability. My new Honda mower had me worried.
Like other folks, I've had Craftsman mowers for decades and never had to remove the carburetors for any type of service.
Your video helped me get my Honda mower running smoothly again. Thank you! In addition to your fix, I installed a fuel filter between the gas tank and the fuel cutoff valve. Hopefully this will prevent future, similar problems.
This mower is a pleasure to use - when it's running properly.
No kidding. I had an underpowered Craftsman mower for years but wanted something with a little more power. I thought I was getting something a little better with my Honda, but buy, was a wrong.
I think I'm going to have to go back to B&S engines.
Did installing the fuel filter help? I'm having so much trouble with mine.
@@davidchapman2979 Well, it seemed to, until the first time I used it this year. It was right back to surging again. Another TH-cam video showed a guy putting Mechanic in a Bottle in his. I thought, why not? 10 minutes later and the surging was gone.
My Honda mower never started on the first pull until after this year's annual service. I changed the oil, air filter and most importantly, the spark plug. Now it always starts on the first pull. The original plug was bad.
Thank you! First video I found that described my issue and went directly to the problem. I used carb cleaner and a needle pin and my mower hasn’t run this smooth since I bought it!
Thanks for finding me.
Fixed ! Had to do it twice, and after compressed air seemed to clear it up. Runs great now ! Appreciate yah !
I've regretted buying this P.o.s. since day one. I have replaced the thermawax coupler three times. It started running as you described, and after blowing out the jet, it's running as it should. Thanks for the informative video. I will never buy another Honda product again.
I’ll have to figure out how to remove the Phillips screw. It stripped on me and can’t get it off. I’ve tried cleaning it and replacing the gas, once I get it cleaned it works for like 1 mins then It starts surging again. I also ordered carburetor Brussels to try and clean it.
Update: had to order a new carburetor, but Before I installed it I losen the screw and now my lawn is cut! Great video. Keeping the old carburetor for spare parts.
Trying to get that damn screw off right now and not strip it.
I stripped the screw as well 🤷♀️
@@lesliecram2415 me too..
Where did you order the carburetor?
Thankyou so much. She's running like a champ again. The mower only has 5 hours on it.
Screw was super tight. Tried WD40, vice grips, a small butane torch to heat it, power tools, etc. no way it was going anywhere without stripping the screw. Purchased a new carb, fixed it right away.
Have had the mower 1 year. Planned obsolescence on Hondas part? I like the mower but never had this issue on old Toro with a B&S engine over an 8 yr period.
Mine stripped… fortunately, Home Depot tool rental employee was able to break it loose & I replaced w/M8 hex head
Thank you so much. I was disappointed that my one year old Honda mower that I spent $400 on was already having problems. This fixed it but still frustrated that a new mower has this problem. I've never had to do this on the craftsmen or toro mowers I've owned in the past. At least it was an easy fix.
Couldn’t agree more. You would think that some of the $400 would go towards research and development.
Thanks for the video, so glad I came across it in the small engine repair section. Cheers
I'm here to help thanks for watching John and thanks for the comment.
Thanks Kipp, I have the same mower with the same problem. Did what you said, now it runs perfect again.
Thanks for video. Worked after 2 tries. First attempt I couldnt remove the stupid jet port screw so just cleaned front hole, but didnt work. Second atttempt I read others comments about the jet port screw being a bitch to get off and I finally got it with a small vice clamp. Sprayed into both jet port and front but still didnt see any carb fluid coming out back side. Got my compressor going and blew the holes out and finally was seeing carb cleaner on back end port. Put it back together and ran like a champ
Thank you thank you thank you. Your video was spot on. Mower was surging and didn’t know why. Saw your video and I be damn the valve was sticking. Thanks again. Happy mowing.
This was an excellent video, that was exactly my problem. At first I didn't believe there was a clog since carb spray was coming out of all the holes like he said, but I took a metal bristle off a metal wire brush and poked it into all the holes and low and behold it runs perfect now. The screw on the top of the carb was a pain to get off.
This fixed my Honda after I was able to remove that incredibly stuck pilot screw. Almost stripped the screw head, had to put the carb in a vise and use an impact driver to remove it.
Good job! Thanks for your support lorddyvim.
Thanks for posting this. Second time I used my new mower this happened. Glad I found your video,it was an easy fix. Great video 👍🏻👍🏻
Mine don't run at all but I feel it's still clogged. I'm going to clean mine out. The float part works.which usually fixes other mowers. Thanks for the know how in cleaning clogged carbonator. 73
P S I just took mine apart but couldn't remove the screw it's on too tight and I don't want to strip out the head I cleaned out the gasoline chamber where the float is and removed the brass screw in the center but I don't know if I put it back right I need to look up the diagram. The mower runs now but don't idle right. I can cut grass and the power drive works, in other words the mower don't stall. If I cannot get that screw out I will just buy another.carburetor. I like the mower and the price was right because it was given to me. Thanks again I learned how to fix minor problems with these auto choke mowers. I have another mower that don't run and probably the carburetor is clogged somewhere. 73
I got a brand new 2022 HRX HYA model before the inflation price hike. If you do any type of scalping for a new lawn establishment (thus generating lots of dust and dirt clouds), just be ready to deal with a "surging on idle" symptom and clean the carb.
Just bought a brand new HRN216VYA. It surges exactly as your demo mower does. I took it back to the dealer, who, not surprisingly, told me it was running "to specs". I swapped the thermo-wax; didn't help. I'll try the carb cleaning. Thank you.
Did that end up working for you? I’m running into the same boat with mine. Did an oil change, swapped spark plugs, new air filter, still sputters.
@@stevemiller2418 Yes, the carb cleaning cleared the problem up.
Easy fix, thank you. Perfect video. I didn't completely remove my carb to clean it out. Well done.
Genius, thanks for the help. This video is perfect. I bought my HRN 216 at the end of last summer and only mowed once with it. Started it up last week and had this exact problem. Carb cleaner worked just as you described. I was so pissed that this essentially brand new mower was doing this. Now I know at the end of the season I’ll need to shut off the fuel and run out the gas in the carb so it’s dry going into the winter. (At least I think that should work)
I understand your frustration, As a consumer when you spend $500 on name brand outdoor power equipment you expect it to work. thanks for watching.
Same, used my mower once last week, started it up today, and here I am. Everyone said Honda made the best mowers........not so sure anymore
One more thing you should mention because this happens A LOT: Be very careful not to over-torque those two bolts holding the carb assembly in place or the choke linkage will get hung up causing the engine to sputter and run too rich on every cold start until the thermo-wax element kicks in and forces the choke open. The gaskets get squished and the plastic housing binds the linkage preventing the choke from unloading when the engine is started cold. The engine will sputter and spew black smoke until the thermo-wax element takes over, then once it cools down it all happens again. I’ve seen this happen on a number of Honda engines and I finally figured what’s causing it. If it happens try doubling up on the air box gaskets to increase the linkage clearance, ease up on the torque and use BLUE (not red!) Locktite on the carb bolts.
Great point. I put the box back on and it wasn't getting tight. I took a picture before I did anything and put it back with the same threads showing. I would have been over torqued easily if it were not for this comment.
That’s on a HRX 217 the HRN 216 doesn’t have that
Doesn’t have the thermo wax element
I did exactly like you said, I did take the carb off. I have never did any like this before so I give you all the credit…great video, it’s running great by the way👍
Amazing! Phew- saved me a small engine repair bill. Thank u!
Merci Monsieur Labrie (French: topographic name from l'abri 'the shelter', or a habitational name from a place named with this word) I too am a little put off because I too, only bought this mower from Lowe's a few months ago, and I'm still making payments, and I'm having this problem. My previous mower was a Husky, that I bought from Tractor Supply, here in South Texas, and it worked fine for six years. What gives? Kipp, I love you man! Thanks for this excellent knowledgeable and well edited video. I will first finish cutting the lawn, then either return this mower, (I have 90 days.), or follow your most thorough instructions. I like that I can engage the mowing blades, and I like the rear-wheel drive. It is expensive for having this problem, so soon after I bought the mower. What happened to, "Honda produces great products"? Fast forward a few hours: I was not able to take the PILOT JET screw up, the Philips head stripped. I did spray carbonator spray in the other hole mentioned in your video. No go, this didn't fix the problem. I returned my Honda mower, HRN216VKA engine GCV170, to Lowe's. The manager was kind enough to return it. I bought it on August 12, 2021 and returned it on October 23, 2021. Beware, Lowe's no longer has a 90 day return policy, they now have a 30 day return policy, since the beginning of 2021.
Wow! Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching.
So I could not get the screw to break loose without stripping cross-point. I instead sprayed the other jet openings you showed. Put it all back together and mower ran great. However, you knew this was coming, it started to idle rough again and fuel was flowing through the port inside the barrel. Any ideas? I am going to try and find the port brushes to see if some trash is maybe gummed up in the port.
I have the same problem with loosening the screw. Don't know what to do.
@herbertchang8472 I used my milwaukee Impact driver and came off easy...
Your technique worked...mower is running perfectly now. Thank you.
Thanks for finding me and thanks for commenting. Mowing season is almost here!!!
This save me the price of a new carb. Thank you very much!!!!
Thanks for the post! Huge help, took my carburetor off and used carb cleaner. Runs like a champ now
Sweet! I’m here to share.
The assembly of the lawn mower could be done without any problems th-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend I just puzzled something about the red strange “key”. However, it quickly turned out that this creates a kind of contact bridge between battery packs and lawn mowers. An additional backup as a father of a 1 year old nephew is great!! :-)
AWESOME video and information!
Just fired up my brand new Honda with a GCV170 I purchased last Fall that I never used until now, gas in it from dealer. Fired right up, but It surged just like shown in this video.
Did the cleaner in the carb as shown and it did the trick.......runs nice and smooth now.....Thanks so much!
You’re welcome Big Mick
Nice video! That little screw on top is in there tight…. and is now stripped. My fault I suppose? It should have been an easy removal but it won’t budge. Going to have to find a replacement.
Great video! I have the same model that started surging. However, the screw on the pilot jet is so tight that when I started to remove it, the screw top started to strip. Any suggestions?
Im having the same issue and im so puzzled what to do cause its the only part that doesnt come off
I would spray “WD-40” and let it soak for a hour or safely safely apply heat/torch to try and free it up. The last restore is to use a small hand impact. I believe there are aftermarket carburetors for this engine that bypass the pilot jet screw all together. Thanks for watching.
Same damn thing happened to me...
Same thing happened to me.
@@dadsworkshopbykipplabrie7982 I watched your video on replacement carburetors. Is that what you mean by 'aftermarket'? I considered trying the experiment but have no experience with small engines. Is it dangerous to work with these things if we do something incorrectly?
Great video. Got a used Honda but after mowing for 15 min this issue came up. After cleaning it it like shown it worked like new. Well that's after I figured out I put the gasket on backwards and forgot to put the screw it. Keep up the good work
Thanks for the video. My screw was tough too. Got a screwdriver that fit perfectly and tapped it on top. I really had to bear down on it but it came out. Used compressed air and torch tip cleaner to clean it. Put it back together and it seems to be running fine.
Thanks again
Thanks for finding me!
Fantastic video. Thanks so much for this concise write-up. When it started surging I was pretty sure the carb was gummed up but wanted to check out a video to see exactly how to go about it. Yours was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciate it!
Absolutely Scott! I’m here to help and educate. We’re currently reviewing a new Toro battery powered lawnmower for this very reason, soon fuel related problems will be a thing of the past. Thanks for your support.
@@dadsworkshopbykipplabrie7982 Thanks again! With noise restrictions and batteries being more capable and the prices coming down, I imagine you’re correct. I love my gas stuff, but I’ve got no issue with it. 👍🏼
Warning: that auto jet screw is made out cheap ass metal and tightened by a giant. stripping it was fun. UPDATE: I used a drill bit extractor, cleaned the jets and now she purrs! Thanks for the concise video!
Took it out to use for the first time since last summer, and I had the exact same problem. This fixed it!
I didn’t have carb cleaner so I used what I had: aerosol 99.99% isopropyl alcohol and 30psi air from my air compressor. Worked like a charm.
Thanks for the video, went from no start at all to working like a charm.
Hey man thank you I bought mine brand new and out of the box was surging bad. Sure enough you were right! Jet was clogged somehow and has ran perfect ever since!
Good job Steven!
Thanks so much for posting this. I have this exact model and had only used it one time. The second time, it began surging. With your help and some carburetor cleaner, it's working perfectly now! Appreciate it!
Did you take the carburator off the chassis or you applied cleaner with the carb installed?
Thanks Kipp!!! OK, so I had a problem with my Honda mower. Hard to start, would eventually stay running but not much power. It would take a few tries but eventually I could engage the blades and it would keep running. Engaging the blades actually helped to keep it running but limited power through heavy leaves. Followed the steps here, I cleaning the carb with cleaner and now my mower is back to running like new, thank you so much Kipp!!! My engine is the GCV200
Great video. My 10 month old mower is this exact model, and after throwing out a gallon of stabilized fuel because I thought the fuel was bad, this gem of a video fixed my surging issue. You sir are my hero. I subscribed. Please keep up the good work!
Thank you so much Micheal!
Same thing to me. These Honda motors are trash. I thought I was getting something well engineered and built... especially for the money, but nope. When it comes to small engines, I think I'm going to have to go with B&S...
Good video. I put a fuel filter on mine the day I bought it. Anyone know what the part number is for the GCV170 engine is?
Thank you for the video! Our is leeking gasoline after the clean, what did we did wrong? Thank you very much.
Thanks for your support Hector.
Thanks for the VERY useful information! I'll check back after using your procedure.
Very helpful video. Thanks a lot. Helped me to resolve exactly the same problem with my relatively new and little used HRN536 with the GCV170 engine. I never had this problem with the old Hondas. Whether this is an ethanol issue or whether the new idle jets are more prone to clogging I don't know. I could not unscrew the idle jet - it was fast, but carb cleaner and ultrasonic cleaning did the trick. Thanks again
I have this same mower. My problem is that I can't get it started AT ALL. Ive cleaned the carb several times. I've tried starter fluid and I've replaced the fuel and spark plug, but still can't get it to turn over. It ran 2 weeks ago, but now it just sputters. I am at the point where I'm ready to just replace the carburetor but I am having trouble finding the right replacement. Does anyone happen to have any info on the replacement carburetor?
Also, great video. Very informative and you have very good camera presence. Sorry for the rant, I'm just frustrated...