Honda HRX217 Thermowax Choke Actuator Replacement
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 เม.ย. 2017
- Replacing the thermowax choke actuator on your Honda HRX217 is actually pretty easy. You can buy the replacement thermowax on Amazon and replace it in about 10 minutes.
If you look inside the Honda HRX217 choke you can see the thermo wax needs replacement when it is stuck open despite the mower being turned off. This usually happens in colder weather on affected models.
Honda HRX217 parts are easy to get online so take your time and you can replace the thermowax yourself!
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I'm about to do this now for surging. The governor will not stay put. It's the last thing I can think of to change out. Spark, carb, lines and even pulled apart the muffler. I like the video. I have my fingers crossed.
Thanks! Exactly what I needed to see to take the choke out. Loved the torch demonstration to see how the thermowax actually works.
Thanks. I cleaned the carburetor, changed spark plug, installed new fuel lines, bought new carburetor, and then found your video and subsequently changed the thermo wax assembly. It is now running perfectly. Thanks and I wish I have seen your video earlier.
So glad my HRX has a manual choke.
nice video, great small repair! this video will help out the DYIer with a similar problem, thanks for sharing and taking the time to show
I bought my Honda because of their reliability but mine is doing this very same thing like many others. Should be a recall if it isn’t already. I am just going to fix it myself so I don’t have them try and screw me with BS about bad gas as I never use Ethanol or old gas. Thanks for the great simple video!
My Honda mower was surging also. After removing the carb , I removed the jet blew it out and cleaned everything with carb cleaner. Runs great now. Thanks for the Video.
awesome! nothing like fixing it yourself ;-)
My surged from day one so I don't think I need to clean the carb, I think the Honda engineer is the problem.
My old Honda hrx217 has the manual choke. I will love it and take care of it after dealing (in the business) with all the auto choke issues.
Soot you have a choke setting on the throttle, you probably don’t have this part in your engine?
Great video , Honda dealer told me that when starting a new Honda mower for its first time , let it run 10 minutes so that the wax thermo choke can seal properly .
They didn't tell me that, but it takes me longer than 10 minutes to mow the lawn so I'm covered =P
OMG , that is why the Japanese are so good, we have chokes that work off vacuum and engine heat activating internal springs but one that works off melting wax, genius.
Not so "genius" if the thing constantly needs to be replaced.
Nice how to vid. I actually close my fuel valve off and let mower run out of gas almost every time I am finished mowing. A mechanic friend of mine told me it helps prevent the carb from gumming up. Also when I start mine it does surge but not nearly as bad as yours did or for nearly as long... good luck!👍🏼
+mmacejko929 thanks! I'll keep an eye on it.
mmacejko929 Mine surged from new, "Donyboy73" had a fix using a welding tip cleaner to very minutely enlarging the jet size. He said they run very lean for California pollution standards.
Wayne Essar I played with it some more, its possible I didnt tighten it back all the way so the gasket seal didnt seal. its also possible it still had old fuel in it. after draining it and pulling the carb apart (it was super clean) and putting it back and new fuel it worked fine. but I'm not sure what part fixed it lol
Good news!
mmacejko929 i found the opposite on every carbed machine i ever owned. Draining fuel from bowl leads to stuck floats and fuel leaks from dried seals. Treat your gas with startron everytime along with top tier gas. I have not had a single carb issue in 2 decades doing this
Boss man you just saved my life god bless? Because Honda has a bad customer service line and these idiots at Nichols Equipment Jax Florida is full of shit they tried to make me think its the bad gas? Cleaned carb and same shit so I’m still under warranty so taking it back tomorrow ! Thanks again
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the very useful video. I have 2 of these HRX217 mowers and the older one just started acting up and running very rough recently.
dude, I think you solved my problem, thanks!
Good job kid have that unit 12 years, it a good one, however could break
3:30 Wo!
My mechanic says my car carburettor has a faulty Thermowax, I had no idea what it is, thanks for the video.
Hint: For future reference, it's not the spark plug. Back in the '50s I read that spark plugs never go bad in magneto systems. Most of my yard equipment dates to late '60s thru 80s and have their original spark plugs. I have had to replace some coils along the way.
Great video! Thanks for the demo
Thank you , your video was very helpful. I will replace my Thermowax Choke Actuator as you described and provide further feedback.
I open the fuel valve and let it fill carb b4 starting it. Know it’s been 7 yrs but did the surging stop?
Good video thanks from London England 👍😎🏴
"It" was happy to see you!
Mine would start but was not opening the choke, so it would bogg down. Had to reach in and push choke open.
That was an easy fix. Need to do that to my mower.
THANKS for this video
Does your restart quickly as your dumping the bag? I have one of these auto-choke Hondas and it starts on the first pull every time and runs great.
But when I shut it off to empty the bag and then go to restart it, it won't start. 😠 I have to let it cool all the way back down (25 mins or so) before it'll restart.
Seems like my auto choke is always on. But I'd think it'd eventually flood out if that was the case. Guess I should try replacing this silly part just in case.
Thank you for the video. I am going to order this part and try it. I live in a hot climate and from day one my mower would start on two pulls when cold, but then it takes five or six once I've emptied the catcher bag and have to start the engine while it's hot. I'm hoping this works for starting a hot engine as well as it works for you starting cold. I filled out the registration as soon as I brought the mower home. You would think Honda would have contacted me and let me know that they have fixed this issue but I never heard from them and their website has a problem and my computer will not allow access, reporting that it detects malware on the Honda site. So I'm kind of saddled with this mower for a while, but I would tell people there are better mowers at half the price. My other concern with this Honda mower is that it leaves so much in the grass, of course on the bagging setting, my inexpensive, previous mower would suck leaves out of the grass and leave the lawn looking very clean. You don't need a Bentley just to get yourself to the grocery store.
Since you don't have a truck to sit the mower on while working on it, I just put mine on the tailgate of the truck. Check about getting some milk crates set the front and rear of the mower on them while sitting on the floor and you will not have to lean over
Yeah I have a table in there I was thinking about using but then the camera angle might be hard and the lighting. Hopefully I won't have more pulling apart anytime soon to do lol. Although other stuff I always did on the picnic table when it wasn't raining!
Thanks for this. My problem is the choke wont shut off so it doesnt restart after its hot
What made you not take it back for warranty work??
I got my Honda HRX217HYA. Not starting easy. Bet this is the problem!
thankyou. someone explained and shown what it does. what was the systems? wouldn't start at all? I thought mine was the carb.
Yeah it wouldn't start at all. I then with my fingers would push the auto choke lever and it would move by was hard to move and got stuck. I could physically close the choke but then when it ran and stopped it would stay fully open.
My choke actuates but it has issues coming off choke? Possibly the return spring worn?
Any special trick to defeat the Honda bond to get the the wax piston out??
Heat, thinner?
It's wicked hard to get out.
I saw the screw method but that looks a little scary.
easy to replace but i have to continue replacing this thing all the time, is there any way to bypass this auto choke? also mine is a little loose when i put it in.
Do all GCV190 engines have this part? For the life of me, I can’t read the engine serial number and that’s needed to find the proper part number. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.
I believe so.
So I know that they recommend you put Loctite 5900 on the back third (or whatever the Honda equivalent is)....will not doing this (like you did) have a negative effect or not work as well?
I had no problems with it after
How does the wax push the pin out?
By the heat of the engine..its a wax at room temp and turns to a liquid when it warms up and then back to a solid wax once it cools down..very old tech but works. Hope this helps.
There is a spring inside the wax that pushes the pin up when the wax is heated.
@@kahvac Is it OK to pull out the pin?
@@mgomez5606 You can but you risk the chance of damaging it. its a very simple design if you pull it out i would have a new one to put in its place..they usually do not go bad dont spray any solvents or oils on it as you may damage it.
There's always that one neighbor that doesn't like to hear lawn mowers running... : )
My neighbor is fixing up an old car and is reving that engine all the time lol I don't think my mower upsets anyone
oh you talking about my son?? lol I'm slow
Haha happens to me all the time.
I bought the thermo wax and when I took off the air filter I noticed my HRX217 doesnt have this one. Mine looks different so maybe it the upgraded auto choke. My carb is closed when cold but still has trouble starting. Any ideas? Once it starts and warms up for a couple minutes it starts perfect?
I replaced this part and it didn't last 2 years. I got the part direct from honda. They are pretty inexpensive so get two
Is there a thermo wax acturator on a HRR216VXA
When you blow trouched it. Did it contract on its own or will it stay open until something pushes it back in?
A correctly operating one will go back in as it cools
@@GrassDaddy good to know. Mine, after it worked, I removed the carb and it didnt go back in but on the second try, i left the carb attached for a few mins and i guess the carb pushed it back in. But now i know if it stays open then i need to buy a new one.
Lol, I love AVE!!
That guy is awesome, my favourite TH-camr.
Great video bud!
"Keep your dyck in a vice"
hehe he has a ton of sayings I don't know how he does it.
Hey bud what is the link for the part
Nice Info. After hearing the engine how does the spark plug look? It sounds like it's not getting the correct spark either maybe because of this issue killed the plug.
+Dels Lawn Care I'll have to look at it, its a brand new spark plug so it should be clean
My Honda is surging like that and won’t stop doing it. Eventually shuts off. I pulled the carb and it was clean. The choke assembly seemed “stiff” to me. Im thinking I need a new choke (plastic piece). Im not sure if my engine has the thermawax. Suggestions?
Thanks for the vids!
Jim, any luck? My machine does the same, runs fine for 15-20 minutes, then just dies, cleaned the carb and always use fresh gas and the same thing keeps happening.
Chip Bott I’ve replaced the carburetor, the automatic choke and the thermwax and it starts and revs up and down and cuts off. I’m giving up finding out what’s up with it!
@@TwoCaptainsOneShiphave you replaced the spark plug? I was having same issue and found a number of threads from a google search that discussed the spark plug. Something happens to them and they work fine when cold but fail when hot.
I have a honda that wont start and choke is stuck open. It has a new magneto and carburetor AND spark.plug. wont start
I'm having this issue. My garage isn't heated and I live in Canada. I'm wondering if the cold cold weather is wrecking this part
When I replaced it the second time I think it was with their new version of the part and it has worked well since.
@@GrassDaddy ok thanks. I ordered the new part from Honda, hopefully its the new version. I was on Hondas website and I see they're using a new engine with a new and improved auto choke system. I'm guessing they might have moved away from this.
Its cheaper now to replace the whole carb than to buy new parts. The fuel we use destroys the needle which is $22.
Maybe but this isn't the carb ;)
Grass Daddy thats funny, because mine is.
Thermowax keeps staying out and prevents starting up any ideas why
Its holding the carb open. Take it out and see if it starts
is there only one type of thermowax actuator for the honda motor or different model numbers of the thermowax?
There is only one but supposedly they made it better
just saw a parts list that showed two different part numbers depending on if your engine was 160 CC or the 190 CC. (GCV160=Z1, and GCV190=ZY) Apparently from other comments on other videos this is a very common problem, but if you read the manual, it says to let it warm up for three minutes before using the mower. Kind of a pain, but my surging does almost disappear after a few minutes, just like his did. For whatever reason, I could not get mine out to replace it, so it's the original one, or about 7 years old.
mine is stuck and can't be removed :(
Where can I go to see if my mower is on the list of affected mowers?
I don't know if there is a list per say, the dealer I bought it from told me.
Grass Daddy got it thanks.
I know you made this video a while ago. How is your mower starting now? I bought a Honda HRX217VKA with a GCV200 ENGINE in March when Milwaukee temperatures were still cold, but I tested starting it and it took over five to start. Now with Milwaukee temperatures in the 80's and 90's this July, it still takes 2-3 times to start. I never had a problem with my seven year old Honda HRR216VKA. It started on first pull 99% of the time. I only bought the HRX217VKA because I wanted the speed control dial on the new Honda lawnmower. I have to wonder if it's this same problem with the hot wax choke system like you replaced?
Maybe I was spoiled by my first pull start HRR216VKA? I don't like the idea a 5 month old Honda takes 2-5 times to start and have to wonder how it will be in Fall temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees?
The Honda dealership told me they couldn't find anything wrong and it's normal for two or more pulls which I think is B.S.
I may buy the same part as you. Did you buy online at a parts website?
Thanks,
Don from Milwaukee
Pulls first start every time. If you open the air filter and look inside the choke should be closed. If it's open it's the thermowax. If that's not the issue I would replace the spark plug and get fresh gas with sta-bil added to it.
Grass Daddy, thanks for the advice. Even though the Honda HRX217VKA is only 5 months old, I have changed out spark plug and did change the oil after the recommended five hour break in and I always use sta bl in my high test gas. I DO PLAN on taking your advice to check butter fly choke. Besides your video, I saw two other TH-cam videos to include Donyboy 73 which I recommend for small engines. I really have a feeling it's that hot wax part that is defective. Do you remember the part number and where you bought it? If not, I think Donyboy 73 had the part number on his video? I will have to check.
Other than that, I like your videos along with your grass buddies Lawn Care NUT and Ryan Korr to name a couple.
I am a fan of Honda lawnmowers and had no problems with my HRR216VKA for seven years and I gave that to my son. Other than taking two or more times to pull start my new HRX217VKA, it runs good. When I bought mower in early March in 20 degree weather, I bet it was near 10 pulls to start it. I marked it up to cold weather, but now even at 80 plus degrees, it takes 2-3 pulls to start.
Again, thanks for the advice and I will check butter fly choke very soon. Milwaukee temperatures are in the middle 90's.........ICH! To hot for me to work on a lawnmower.
Don from Milwaukee
This is the one I purchased: amzn.to/2lA9fLR
@@GrassDaddy , Thanks GD. I just added to my Amazon wishlist. I think that maybe the problem, but I do want to take air filter off and check the butter fly to see if it's open or closed very soon. Maybe today before the weather gets to hot! Today near 90. Friday, 100 degrees is in forecast. Too high for Milwaukee, Wisconsin!
Thanks again.
Don from Milwaukee
@@GrassDaddy , I looked at butter fly and it looked closed, but I will try the hot wax part anyway. The Amazon cost was $12.95 I think, but I had $6.95 credit so it only cost me $6.00 so I ordered it. Since it's so easy to replace, I will. Can't hurt. Part should be here in a few days.
Thanks again for your replies.
Don from Milwaukee
0:47 ... does that "little thing" have a part number?
I don't have the partnumber but if you Google the title of the video it should come up. I don't even remember which site I bought it from it's been so long.
@@GrassDaddy the last digits of the new one is 305.
So what were the symptoms before you fixed it? Any video of that? Thank you!
It wouldn't start in the early spring because it was cold but stuck in the wrong position
I'm checking this video out, as my HRX217 often takes 4-6 pulls to run, whereas it use to only need one! I'll change this part, as well as pull the bottom off the carb and check for debris. I may take the tank off, and give the tank/hose a good cleaning, and I saw there is a 'filter' within the line coming out of the tank, that can be cleaned (blown out). Appreciate the video, thanks so much!
Did you ever try the EGO mower?? I love mine and never go back to gas mower....
Bruno Alves yeah it was pretty good I hope to do more videos with it this year! I just love the Honda!
Bruno Alves Wait until you need to replace the battery and say that.
RC Hobbyist Extreme haha exactly!
Bruno Alves hows that working for you nowadays?
Anybody have the part #?
The part number for the improved Honda thermowax actuator is: 16620-Z8D-842. This is for the GCV160 engine.
Love the Trump Sign in the back!! Keep the faith, brother!!
You've got mail.... classic
LOL the faces people make when I'm in public and it happens. They are like YOU STILL USE AOL???
@@GrassDaddy So the thermo wax part came in today and of course my HRX217 doesn't t have that part. My honda model is HRX2172VKA. Maybe it has been updated and unfortunately I must have e the only Honda mower that doesnt have it.
Could’ve listed the part number.
The part number for the improved Honda thermowax actuator is: 16620-Z8D-842
The carburetor has a drain bolt
If it does it again I'll try cleaning it out!
You can't out AvE AvE. No matter how hard you try.
+RDI Productions lol
All new*
GD, how do you get 10 mins to yourself to make these videos?
kchall5 haha that took 3 separate sessions to record.
good video, but music extremely annoying
👍🏾👍🏾
Seems like a bunch of BS when you pay so much for one. I'm thinking of that mower or a toro super rec. Just not sure what one
Yeah I mean they would do it under warranty but I wanted to do it myself. But I was frustrated too thinking new mower and already an issue. But since then no issues! (Plus they just launched a newer higher powered one)
@@GrassDaddy So it cuts nice and no other issues
@@kevinscott6372 yeah definitely
Those of us that work on small engines have hydraulic lift tables. Yeah working on the ground is a back breaker!
i dont get to the point here - so you "tested" and it worked- why to replace it than???
When I'm testing it I'm using extreme hot/cold but in use it's a gradual warm and cool. The problem was the old one would get stuck when it gradually changed temp.
@@GrassDaddy well, than my one is not broken than, because i remowed carb maybe 5 times, and it was inside, not expelled. so tjis hack wont fix everyones problem with crappy honda system- as i said, cleaned carb maybe 5 times, it only works for about5 minutes and starts surging. i spent all day analysing auto choke levers , and what i understud- is that such complicated system left withouth any adjustment possibilities for user????!!!!! i read somewhere, tat it matter few microns presise, and system wont work properly! the cord that connects carb and lever on right side is so easy to bend - and the whole system is fucked ! - what a piece of shit of engineering
Work on your camera movement, getting dizzy here watching.
Don't buy the damn auto choke! My mower is not even a year old and I already have problems with it. Absolutely horrible design.