# Predator 3500 not starting



## DanoA (Feb 14, 2021)

Mine set for a while and now won’t start . I did not treat the gas before storing. I have drained gas and put new treated gas back in and still no luck. I took the little screw out at bottom of carburetor and sprayed cleaner in it and still no luck. Disconnected low oil sensor and that did not work. Changed plug, but one in it looked fine. I’m no mechanic so I’m lost. When the plug is out I don’t smell much fuel on it. What is the thin metal plate behind air filter? It has three hours of run time. Thanks for any help.


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## Browse Deweb (Jan 16, 2021)

Most of the videos I have watched on generator troubleshooting related to hard starting had to do with carburetor issues. If the fuel was not ethanol free and sat for more than 3-6 months, the tiny pinholes inside the carb may be plugged. You may need to take it apart and soak the parts it in an ultrasonic cleaner with an appropriate cleaning solution. If you're not comfortable with disassembly and cleaning, some carburetor's aren't too expensive and you might be able to just pick up another one on E-ba, etc.. Another option would be to just bring it in for repair, but then you're paying for labor and parts upcharges which can get expensive.

I bought the Honda with fuel injection, so mine doesn't have a carb. I only use ethanol-free fuel and I run it every month or so. After 3-4 months, I run the generator dry, put the remaining fuel in the car and get fresh ethanol-free fuel for my gas cans. The generator has always started on the first try.

I'm sure there will be other folks here who can help you with more specific instructions, or they may have other ideas to help get the thing started.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

Here's a link for a new carb at Amazon. There are several there, $20-40 which will be cheaper than taking to a shop. If you're comfortable changing carbs. Flush out the tank and gas line, replace fuel filter if it has one. You don't want to put on a new carb only to have it get gummed up from residue in tank or filter or gas line. Keep gas tank full to avoid condensation and add Stabil or equivalent fuel preservative. If you have a gas can for spare gas, keep it full with added preservative as well. Every year put unused gas in your vehicle and replace so you're ready for outages.









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## PLX (Nov 22, 2020)

Spray some starting fluid into the carb thru the air filter or spray into the spark plug hole to see if it will fire 1st. If so you may be able to get it to run long enough to get some sea foam into the carb to clear the blockage. I'd try this before replacing a carb to be certain it's a blockage issue & not something else.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

IME use carb and choke cleaner, starting fluid is too volatile.


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## Predator (Sep 19, 2017)

How long did it sit unused?
Was it stored in a climate controlled garage or outdoors?

Without proper care (fuel stabilizer and water protection) problems can arise in as little as a week or two.

"Normally", what happens is the volatile components in the fuel in the carburetor evaporate, leaving the complex hydrocarbons and other compounds added to gasoline at the refinery
leaving a gummy blockage in the small jets and passages.

If moisture has entered, aluminum oxidation can quickly erode the internal aluminum structures inside of the carburetor.

depending on how long it sat and where, you can sometimes clear this blockage if enough fuel still passes to allow combustion.

However, most often it requires removal of and manual cleaning of the carburetor. On this unit that is extremely simple.

If the carburetor is damaged from moisture, a suitable replacement is readily available on ebay and other web sites.

Going forward, it is essential that you use a fuel stabilizer. I highly recommend using ethanol free gasoline with Stabil Marine 360 (Blue).
It has a unique compound that literally coats the internal surfaces of the carburetor to protect against damage. I am quite amazed at this myself.
This provides up to 2 years of protection. However, it is also recommended to run your generator for 5 minutes every 3 months to drive out moisture and keep
lubricants properly distributed.

Good luck


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