Transporting; Taking Care Of Unexpected Problems - Honda GCV145 Owner's Manual

Fuel
Depending on the region where you operate your equipment, fuel
formulations may deteriorate and oxidize rapidly. Fuel deterioration
and oxidation can occur in as little as 30 days and may cause
damage to the carburetor and/or fuel system. Please check with
your servicing dealer for local storage recommendations.
Gasoline will oxidize and deteriorate in storage. Deteriorated
gasoline will cause hard starting, and it leaves gum deposits that
clog the fuel system. If the gasoline in your engine deteriorates
during storage, you may need to have the carburetor and other fuel
system components serviced or replaced.
The length of time that gasoline can be left in your fuel tank and
carburetor without causing functional problems will vary with such
factors as gasoline blend, your storage temperatures, and whether
the fuel tank is partially or completely filled. The air in a partially
filled fuel tank promotes fuel deterioration. Very warm storage
temperatures accelerate fuel deterioration. Fuel deterioration
problems may occur within 30 days from keeping the fuel in the
fuel tank, or even less if the gasoline was not fresh when you filled
the fuel tank.
Fuel system damage or engine performance problems resulting from
neglected storage preparation are not covered under the Warranty.
Draining the Fuel Tank and Carburetor
See Figure 18, page A-5.
Gasoline is highly flammable and explosive.
You can be burned or seriously injured when handling fuel.
• Stop the engine and let it cool before handling fuel.
• Keep heat, sparks, and flame away.
• Handle fuel only outdoors.
• Keep away from your vehicle.
• Wipe up spills immediately.
1. Drain the fuel tank and carburetor into an approved gasoline
container.
2. Turn the fuel valve lever to the ON position and loosen the
carburetor drain bolt by turning 1 to 2 turns counterclockwise.
3. After all fuel has drained, tighten the carburetor drain bolt
securely, turn the fuel valve lever to the OFF position.
4. If you cannot drain from the carburetor, drain the fuel tank into
an approved gasoline container using a commercially available
hand pump. Do not use an electric pump.
Operate the engine until it stops from the lack of fuel.
Engine Oil
1. Change the engine oil (see page 4).
2. Remove the spark plug (see page 5).
3. Pour a teaspoon 5–10 cm
4. Pull the starter grip several times to distribute the oil in the cylinder.
See Figure 4, page A-2.
5. Reinstall the spark plug.
6. Pull the starter grip slowly until resistance is felt. This closes
the valves, and protects them from dust and corrosion.
7. Coat areas that may rust with a light film of oil. Cover the
engine to keep out dust.
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of clean engine oil into the cylinder.
Storage Precautions
If your engine will be stored with gasoline in the fuel tank and
carburetor, it is important to reduce the hazard of gasoline vapor
ignition. Select a well ventilated storage area away from any
appliance that operates with a flame, such as a furnace, water
heater, or clothes dryer. Also avoid any area with a spark-
producing electric motor, or where power tools are operated.
If possible, avoid storage areas with high humidity, because that
promotes rust and corrosion.
Keep the engine level in storage. Tilting can cause fuel or oil
leakage.
With the engine and exhaust system cool, cover the engine to keep
out dust. A hot engine and exhaust system can ignite or melt some
materials. Do not use a plastic sheet as a dust cover.
A nonporous cover will trap moisture around the engine, promoting
rust and corrosion.
Removal from Storage
Check your engine as described in the BEFORE OPERATION
CHECKS section of this manual (see page 1).
If the fuel was drained during storage preparation, fill the tank with
fresh gasoline. If you keep a container of gasoline for refueling, be
sure it contains only fresh gasoline. Gasoline oxidizes and
deteriorates over time, causing hard starting.
If the cylinder was coated with oil during storage preparation, the
engine will smoke briefly at startup. This is normal.

TRANSPORTING

If the engine has been running, allow it to cool for at least 15
minutes before loading the engine-powered equipment on the
transport vehicle. A hot engine and exhaust system can burn you
and can ignite some materials.
Keep the engine level when transporting to reduce the possibility of
fuel leakage. Turn the fuel valve lever to the OFF position.
See Figure 1, page A-2.

TAKING CARE OF UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS

ENGINE WILL NOT START
Possible Cause
Fuel valve OFF.
Choke open (applicable types).
Control lever is not in proper
position (applicable types).
Flywheel brake lever in
ENGAGED position (applicable
types).
Out of fuel.
Bad fuel; engine stored without
treating or draining gasoline, or
refueled with bad gasoline.
Spark plug faulty, fouled, or
improperly gapped.
Spark plug wet with fuel
(flooded engine).
Fuel filter restricted, carburetor
malfunction, ignition
malfunction, valves stuck, etc.
ENGLISH
Correction
Turn lever to ON position.
Move lever to CLOSED position
unless the engine is warm.
Move lever to proper position.
Move lever to RELEASED
position.
Refuel (p. 3).
Drain fuel tank and carburetor
(p. 6).
Refuel with fresh gasoline
(p. 3).
Gap or replace spark plug
(p. 5).
Dry and reinstall spark plug.
Take engine to your servicing
dealer, or refer to shop manual.
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