Eskimo Won’t Idle

Two days old, started it yesterday and it ran fine. Today it wont idle.

It will start with 4 or 5 pulls and just chug chug chug shaking real hard like its starving. Wont idle at all on choke. It will idle on run for anywhere from 5-30 seconds and then die. If I give it just a tiny little bit of throttle, just barely touching the lever, it will even out. If I let it back to idle it dies. If I give it full throttle it will run balls out without a sputter, and then as soon as I let it back to idle it dies.

Brand new non-oxy 91 gas, viper oil mixed 50:1. I pulled the plug and it has black oil on the plug but not sludgy so I know its getting oil.

If I prime it just once, it wont start for 7 or 8 pulls, and then it takes another 3 or 4 to get it to idle.

I’m going to let it sit for a while and then try it again I guess. Is it possible I over primed it today and flooded the filter? How do I take off the filter to check?

Sounds like the idle is just set too low. I don’t have my Mako near me or I would look at but I assume its as simple as an adjustment screw to turn up the idle. I always have to play with the choke and throttle with any cold 2-stroke so don’t expect it to idle right away without input from you. The good news is it runs fine WOT so you will be fishing this weekend! Get out and use it before you worry too much. It needs to break in.

With choke on, it wont even idle. It just turns over once. If I put the choke all the way up to run it will idle but jerk and spit and chug for a few seconds and die.

It does run fine at WOT, I just hope it wont bog down and die once a load is put on it.

typical cold start with mine: Choke on, prime, pull until it sputters. Sometimes you can catch it quick enough before stalling but then half choke so it keeps sputtering then work the choke off while feathering the throttle. After a good 30-45 seconds its warm enough to idle on its own.

as cheap as you got it 4 I’m not surprised

guessing U got something in the tank — clean out and blow air back of it — not in

Try adjusting the idle screw

“Wont idle at all on choke”

Mike is right…

I never use full choke to idle… I use full till it fires the first time…it will die and then I drop it to 1/2 choke and use a little throttle to keep it running for 15secs or so,drop it down to run and then it idles….

Small 2 strokes can be extremely cold blooded…

Good luck guy

I would follow the throttle cable to the carb. there you will find a screw where the cable moves the little carb lever most of them you just need to turn clockwise to up the idle. I would do this when it is running. I have a older eskimo earth auger and I will choke it until it fires then turn off choke otherwise it will flood every time and then it takes another 8-10 pulls.

look down through the black cover that holds the switch and choke, from the top, there is a philips head screw. turn this in (clockwise) and it will adjust the idle up, so when you let off the throttle, it keeps it up at idle speed. To start mine, I prime it good, full choke, pull to start typically 2 times, then choke down about half… might have to hit the primer bulb 1 or 2 times, but then after 20 seconds, choke off and happy drillin Once it is warmed up, do not choke it again

Check the throttle cable as others have suggested. I have an eskimo auger and it acts the same way. I only use the choke until it fires once and then switch it to run. I have never had any problems.

Another tip. When you are priming before starting, press the priming bulb until it is full. Then press a couple more times. I used to just fill the bulb and it would take anywhere from 5-20 pulls to start it. I tried pushing that primer bulb a couple extra times and now it fires on the first pull, every time. Good luck out there.

Okay I let it sit for a half hour or so after I posted this and then went to start it again. I left it on run, switch on, and 3 pulls it half started and 4th it started. Ran A LITTLE better, but only for about 30 seconds and then it started shaking and died. I restarted with two pulls and it idled at a noticeably higher RPM for a little bit, I gave it throttle and it came back down and idled. I hit the off switch and nothing. Kept running. Of course this scared the hell out of me so I rocked it back and forth and nothing, kept running. I revd it back up and let it down, and the switch worked.

I then went and got my new fishing license and did some errands, just came home right now and tried it again. No choke, 2 pulls and it started. Ran A LOT better, but still started to bog down a bit after 30-40 seconds of idling. By listening to the RPMS it is idling faster for the first 10-15 seconds and then slowly dying off, and if I touch the throttle lever just barely it will bring it back to where it started at and idle perfectly fine.

I think I need to adjust it a tad bit higher, but I’m pretty sure I flooded it the first time this morning.

Some people said while the auger is breaking in it may spin the shaft while idling. I’m FAR away from spinning the shaft. If I hit the throttle it takes a noticeably higher RPM to start to move the auger than what it is idling at.

Is the throttle adjustment screw the one at the end of the throttle linkage, Philips head with a spring on it?

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but I’m pretty sure I flooded it the first time this morning.

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Yep

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Is the throttle adjustment screw the one at the end of the throttle linkage, Philips head with a spring on it?

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I don’t have mine in front of me, but that sounds right. If I may ask you a question, why do you need your auger to idle for such long periods of time? The only idle time mine gets is a very brief warm up (10 seconds tops) and when I’m walking between drilling holes. And if my walk is going to be longer than 30 seconds, I will generally shut it off.

Since the auger is new to you, I will give you one more heads-up. If yours is like mine and has a screw on the fuel tank cap for an air vent, expect it to break/crack at some point. We are on our 2nd cap and have super glued both of them numerous times. We also take very good care of our equipment fwiw.

Thanks for the info, I just want to make sure it warms up before I give it WOT.

Mine has the new style gas tank, no vent. And yes, I thought about that and even tried running it with the gas cap OFF and it did the same thing.

Okay, I just turned the screw about 1/2 turn clockwise and it is running MUCH better.

Now I have a whole new problem. My on/off switch isn’t working. I switch it to off and it wont shut the auger off. I have to rock it back and forth 5 or 6 times for it to kill, the last time I had to put the choke on and bog the engine for it to turn off. And here’s the real kicker, with the switch on “off” I can pull the cord and start the engine

Look at the bright side. It could be stuck on off.

I guess, but what if I get on the ice and it wont turn off? then what do I do?

Worst case pull the plug wire.

Yeah I just thought of that.. a “duh” moment for sure. I guess its not a big deal, if it ceases to turn it off I’ll contact eskimo and pull the plug in the meantime.

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Worst case pull the plug wire.

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It will put a sparkle in you eye

check your wiring connections. if ok but motor still is inconsistent then get a new kill switch. they should provide one free under warrantee. i very seldom prime my auger i just use the choke till she pops then choke off and she will fire right up. the thing is under warranty run the pi$$ out of it. also with all that breakin proceedure routine, put a new plug in it.

I think I have it all figured out. The throttle adjustment helped a ton. It starts with one pull and idles great now. The kill switch is still functional, I just have to push it to off and then press down real hard on it and it kills the motor every time. I’m going to call eskimo on monday and see about getting a replacement switch under warranty.

I did test it, and if needed I can pull the plug wire to kill it no problem.

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Thanks for the info, I just want to make sure it warms up before I give it WOT.

Mine has the new style gas tank, no vent. And yes, I thought about that and even tried running it with the gas cap OFF and it did the same thing.

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Eskimo sells a vented gas cap for like five bucks.

Auger ran fantastic today! Chewed the 16-20″ of ice like it was nothing. Started up reasonably easy, never had to use the choke all day. Idled great with the throttle adjustment. Drilled probably 30 holes today and the clutch only slipped once (manual says it may slip for the first 2 hours of use).

On/off switch is a little touchy still. I have to push it to off and then push it a little further for it to shut off. I’m going to contact eskimo about a new switch monday.

I didn’t know which way to lay the auger, so I put it gas tank up, with the choke on, and it didn’t seem to flood anything. No gas leaks either. Transported it in a SUV and did not smell any gas.

I always leave my Eskimo gas tank down I did have a little leak when I used to leave it gas tank up just fyi

Man I’m really liking this auger! First of the day she’s a 1 prime 1 pull auger or just 4 pulls with the choke off. Throughout the day its a 1 pull auger.

I’m setting it gas tank up and not having any issues. Of course I have the self ventilating cap.. I tried gas tank down and it leaked a bit from the cap. I did it on the ice though, so no gas spilled on my sled… yet.

Still have to talk to eskimo about a new kill switch, but its working if I push it to off and then a little bit farther.

OK, going to bring up this old thread.

Recently acquired a very low mileage (one tank of fuel) Mako 43 that has a born on date of 2004, right when they switched to the Viper engine. This is a Viper engine of the non-EPA carb vintage. There is a single screw w/spring on the carburetor and I am assuming this is the high-speed jet? The other screw adjusts the throttle cable. From what I am reading here, this controls low speed RPM (idle)?

TYIA

My Shark is pretty consistent with priming. 3x, more than that, it floods out.

grpubl7 wrote:

OK, going to bring up this old thread.

Recently acquired a very low mileage (one tank of fuel) Mako 43 that has a born on date of 2004, right when they switched to the Viper engine. This is a Viper engine of the non-EPA carb vintage. There is a single screw w/spring on the carburetor and I am assuming this is the high-speed jet? The other screw adjusts the throttle cable. From what I am reading here, this controls low speed RPM (idle)?

TYIA

Screw with spring is idle air/fuel adjustment.Other one is for idle speed.High-speed jet is probably fixed,no adjustment.
Best to adjust air/fuel at coldest possible temps,that is what I had to do with my older Jiffy 30.