# Honda 2000 only runs with full choke on



## Chris C

I've got a Honda 2000 generator that will only run with the choke on. I've taken the carb down 5 times and cleaned it.............thinking maybe I'd missed something. I've used carb cleaner and Sea Foam on every orifice I can find. I've pulled the idle speed jet and cleaned it. Pulled the fuel filter and cleaned it. Can't think of anything else to do..................but am fairly certain I can't afford to take it somewhere to get it running. It's up to me, but I'm at a loss. Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## Chris C

Okay, I've just cleaned the muffler and spark arrestor screen. Screen was NOT clogged, but cleaned it anyway. Muffler had a lot of carbon in it, which was mostly cleaned out after soaking in the gasoline. Started up the gennie and nothing had changed. It still runs fine with the choke on and dies immediately after turning it off. I haven't any idea where to go from here.


----------



## RedOctobyr

Welcome to the forum! (from another recent newcomer)


Which 2000W Honda? The red EU2000i inverter unit? 



If so, I have one of those. Mine needed partial choke to run smoothly, when I bought it. I cleaned the carb in an ultrasonic cleaner, and it ran great after that. These engines have a fuel pump. It's possible that your fuel pump could be having trouble, though I'm not sure if that would give these symptoms. A somehow-still-dirty carb seems like perhaps a more likely cause. 



Will it run for a while on full choke? Like several minutes, for instance? 



It's possible you could have an intake air leak, such as around the body of the carb, where it mounts to the engine. One way to test is to spray something flammable (like carb cleaner) around where the carb meets the engine, while running. If the engine sound suddenly changes, then you have a leak there, and stuff is being drawn into the engine. An air leak can make the engine run extra-lean, which adding choke would help counteract. 



Though, note that the EU2000i uses an electric-motor driven throttle. So spraying liquid (like carb cleaner) on that little motor is probably not a great idea. I've heard of people using an unlit propane torch, and cracking the torch's valve open, to provide a flammable gas, and moving the torch tip around the engine, to listen for the engine sound changes that indicate you're drawing that fuel into a leak. Obviously, this sort of test needs to be done carefully, and preferably quickly, as you don't want to be providing a lot of unburned flammable gas around a running engine.


----------



## Chris C

Yes, it's the EU2000i Inverter.


It will run for hours with the choke on..........but turn off the choke and it shuts the motor down as fast as turning off the motor switch.


I checked for leaks with the motor running while spraying carb cleaner all around the carb. No change in engine speed. 



I'm beginning to question the fuel pump. I'm not a mechanic, so have nothing to reference it against, but when I disconnected the fuel line from the carb and turned on the motor switch, (which turns on the pump) I only got a trickle. I'd have thought it would have been a little stronger stream, but what do I know?????


I'm at my wits end, but can't afford to take it to a "shark" for repair. Oh, and pulling my hair out has also proved fruitless!!!!!


----------



## RedOctobyr

I don't think the fuel pump is electric. I believe it's actuated by vacuum pulses from the engine. Regardless, there's no battery, so even if it is electric, there's nothing to run the pump when the engine isn't turning, regardless of how you set the motor switch. So I wouldn't expect fuel flow when the engine isn't running. 



I guess you could mostly disconnect the line from the fuel pump, to the carb. Start the engine, then pull the line off the carb's intake, and see if fuel comes pumping out (aim it into a container, of course, and/or quickly shut off the engine). The engine will stall once it uses up the fuel in the carburetor bowl, of course, but you could see if the fuel pump is keeping the gas moving. 



Is the carburetor's float height correct? And is the float still sealed? The float should not have any gas sloshing around in it. These are a stretch, admittedly. If the float had gas in it, I'd expect you'd be running rich, not lean. But kind of thinking out loud, trying to think of what else it could be. 



For the tiny openings in the carb, did you just spray them with stuff, or did you also actually run something through them? People sometimes use the wire from a bread wire-tie, for instance, as a "pipe cleaner" for the openings in the carb.


----------



## Chris C

Of course, you are correct. I didn't think the fuel pump through. (no battery, no juice to run the pump!) I'll try your idea of disconnecting the line and running it to a small container when I start the engine to see if there is enough flow.


Float in the carb is fine. No leaks in it, so no fuel in it. 



I sprayed the carb cleaner until I saw it coming out of all the holes in all the jets, etc. I'm going to tear it down tomorrow and use my propane torch tip cleaners in the holes just to make sure. I've torn that carb apart so many times I could do it in my sleep or after downing 10 Martinis!


----------



## Chris C

Can anyone tell me the correct size of the o-ring that goes on the Pilot Jet on the Honda EU2000i? Mine was pulverized when I pulled it out to check and see if the jet was clear. The only thing I can find is a complete replacement Pilot Jet that includes the o-ring. Could that o-ring have anything to do with the engine malfunctioning? (I don't understand it's function)


Well, I started the engine (with the choke staying on) and pulled off the fuel line. I had a solid steady stream of fuel coming out of it, so the fuel pump is not the culprit. Still not enough fuel getting to the carb to fun without the choke.


----------



## Chris C

Decided to bite the bullet and go buy a carb gasket kit, air filter gasket and carb gasket, along with a pilot jet. Of course, I couldn't find any of that anywhere in my area so had to order them.


Came home, dismantled the carb one more time and put it in PB Blaster to soak until next Thursday when the parts are supposed to be in. If I've missed any clogged spots in the carb, the PB Blaster should clear them out. after soaking that long. My patience is running thin, I must admit.


----------



## RedOctobyr

Good luck! It seems reasonable that a disintegrated o-ring could allow extra air, thus making you run lean. 

I don't know whether soaking in PB Blaster that long will cause problems, but it seems possible for it to attack plastic or rubber, etc. I'm not sure if be comfortable soaking the whole thing for that long. I'd probably clean it, install the new parts, and see how it does. I'm hoping the new o-ring, plus other seals, will fix your issue. 

Good luck!


----------



## Chris C

There's no plastic or rubber in the PB Blaster, so I'm not worried.


----------



## Chris C

*Victory!!!!!* 

Picked up my parts today. Put everything back together...................and as I peck out the words on my keyboard, the genny is outside running like a top 

I've already listed all the parts I replaced, so I won't go into that again. Suffice it to say I think the culprit was the Pilot Jet's o-ring. (least expensive item to replace.........of course!) So I'm "back in the saddle again" with the generator.

Thanks for all the help, suggestions and comments. Believe me, I learned a whole lot about this generator I never knew before. The gain in knowledge was well worth all the angst and time spent.

I guess I can cancel my appointment with the "shrink" now!


----------



## RedOctobyr

Awesome, congrats! With fuel stabilizer to keep the carb clean, hopefully it will stay reliable going forward. When I know I won't be using mine for a while, I open the carb drain to empty the bowl, to avoid fuel-degradation issues. It needs around 10 pulls to start again the next time, as the fuel pump needs to refill the bowl, but to me it's worth it, knowing that the carb is basically dry during storage.


----------



## Chris C

Well, that's something I'll be doing diligently in the future. Easier to do that than go through all the [email protected] I've experienced with this mess. At least I gained some knowledge along the way.


----------



## Chrisby

I found this post after I this model for a year and it started doing the same thing...it had maybe 2 hours on it! Guess I'll rebuild the carb, but c'mon man! Two hours in it and a year old??


----------



## tabora

Chrisby said:


> I found this post after I this model for a year and it started doing the same thing...it had maybe 2 hours on it! Guess I'll rebuild the carb, but c'mon man! Two hours in it and a year old??


It's all about the maintenance, especially it you don't run it frequently to keep the fuel flowing. Stabil and non-ethanol gas if available are the way to keep any small, infrequently used engine happy. It's not the machine, it's the quality of the fuel over time.


----------



## iowagold

Chrisby said:


> I found this post after I this model for a year and it started doing the same thing...it had maybe 2 hours on it! Guess I'll rebuild the carb, but c'mon man! Two hours in it and a year old??


yup basic carb jet clean should get you back up.
it is the plastic low speed jet located under the idle screw.
or buy a new carb.
click here for the honda 2000 section
on that page you can get the bare carb for less than 50.00 shipped!!
nice to have a spare!!
also an ultrasonic clean unit is nice to have for all small engine repairs.
if you have a fleet they are worth the bucks!!
click here for the ultrasonic page

there are hidden passages that are hard to clean on these carbs.
the ultrasonic unit does the trick!!
or you can send the carb over and i can run it here in the BIG high power clean unit i have.
shipping runs 30.00 for both ways...
you are better off doing the new carb right now unless they get in short supply.
or are one of the super expensive carbs like on the yamaha gens.
some of those are over $200.00!! wow!

basic generator 101 stuff.
drain all of the fuel out of the system before setting or long term storage.
when you do run the gens.
use no ethanol fuel!
that stuff is bad period..
stabile and seafoam work! use them!
we use 2x on the staibile for longer term storage and it works!!
click here for the fuel additives page


----------



## IBcaptain247

Chris C said:


> *Victory!!!!!*
> 
> Picked up my parts today. Put everything back together...................and as I peck out the words on my keyboard, the genny is outside running like a top
> 
> I've already listed all the parts I replaced, so I won't go into that again. Suffice it to say I think the culprit was the Pilot Jet's o-ring. (least expensive item to replace.........of course!) So I'm "back in the saddle again" with the generator.
> 
> Thanks for all the help, suggestions and comments. Believe me, I learned a whole lot about this generator I never knew before. The gain in knowledge was well worth all the angst and time spent.
> 
> I guess I can cancel my appointment with the "shrink" now!


Do you have the part # of that pilot oo-ring?


----------



## iowagold

they just have the orings in the 12.00 gasket set
GASKET SET 16010-ZM7-D01
Honda Power Equipment 16010-ZM7-D01 - GASKET SET : PartsFish.com
or buy just the 
pilot jet.
*JET SET, PILOT (#35)
99204-ZE0-0350 16.72 each*
Honda Power Equipment 99204-ZE0-0350 - JET SET, PILOT (#35) : PartsFish.com

or get the whole carb for 50.00 like in post 16
if it were me
just go the new carb.


----------

