Chainsaw Repair

Husqvarna - Stihl - Poulan - Jonsered - Dolmar chainsaws and more => Dolmar Makita => Topic started by: Berk on November 30, 2014, 06:05:11 am

Title: DCS340 Hard to start hot
Post by: Berk on November 30, 2014, 06:05:11 am
Hi!

Recently I was given a 2nd hand Makita DCS340 as a gift, It's pretty good for what I need (general garden use and a bit of firewood making) but, after running for a while, once it's properly warmed up, it becomes impossible to start.

I'm pretty sure I'm not flooding it, it just needs time to cool down, then starts happily, I've somewhat worked around this by leaving it in streams between uses to cool it down (obviously, keeping the muffler out of the water) which seems to mitigate the problem rather, though is obviously not ideal by any stretch.

So, any ideas what might be causing this and if there's any affordable way to fix it?

Cheers
Title: Re: DCS340 Hard to start hot
Post by: 660magnum on November 30, 2014, 08:41:32 am
Coil is bad?

Check for spark at the spark plug when hot?
Title: Re: DCS340 Hard to start hot
Post by: Nathaniel Vansickle on November 30, 2014, 08:47:11 am
Start with basics. Does it have compression? Compression is higher on a cold motor.  Check spark when it is hot and won't start. Coils break down when they get hot and have weak or no spark
Title: Re: DCS340 Hard to start hot
Post by: Berk on November 30, 2014, 09:10:11 am
Compression is fine, there's no major issues, aside from being a bit weedy. an the hot start thing.

I'll have to check the spark next time I get it properly warm, Looking for the coils, it seems price wise I might be as well off selling this and buying something a bit bigger?
Title: Re: DCS340 Hard to start hot
Post by: Berk on December 03, 2014, 06:23:08 pm
Well, after doing a bit of reading around these parts, I ripped the muffler apart last night, removed most of the restricty crap, and it started happily every time I needed it to today, even after putting 3 tanks of fuel through it with no downtime aside from chain love.

So, take from that what you will.

Oh yeah, it doesn't bog down any more either, even using the full length of the 14" bar, so that's nice.