Karcher 2500 PSI Pressure Washer - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

I have a Karcher pressure washer w/ a 5hp Honda engine. It only will run while the choke is pulled out and only runs at about half the rpm's. When the choke is pushed in.. it coughs, sputters and shuts off. Can you tell me how to fix this....

Just bought one of these for $100 on craigslist with out knowing anything. After 5 mins of use the pressure was varying all over the place and the pump binding up to the point white clouds of smoke where coming from exhaust. After tons of online research w/o success I just figured I had nothing to loose so I tried my own fix and now I have over 3 hours of solid use stripping old paint from house with out a single issue. All I did was 1 ) Remove the black screw off tube pointing up on water pump. ( was caked with gritty oil deposits) cleaned out old oil. 2) Used red hot nail to put single hole threw center of top 3) Re- Install tube 4) Took a Manual 8" Multi Sports Ball Air Pump with Inflation Needle and removed the top to poor in Oil then re-sealed ( I used old Mobile 1 0/20 synthetic from my last oil change ) 5) Injected oil with pump threw center hole, you will feel the pressure build up and then feel and hear the oil rushing threw to the pump 6) I placed a Plastic Round Cap Roofing Nail threw the hole to help keep out water. Simple fix but it saved my $100 investment as the pump now is running strong with great pressure!

Carburetor float is stuck and flooding the engine. Replace the carb. STEP BY STEP HONDA GCV 160 CARBURETOR CLEANING THE CORRECT WAY

i did and thanks - just picked up one that does the same thing and i plan to take your advise

Thank you Jerr

did you forget to shut off the fuel before moving your pressure washer? It sounds like the engine is flooded. Honda GX engines are famous for flooding with the fuel valve left on when moving. Or did you store it in a tilted position? Take the spark plug back out and pull the pull rope a few times...you should see the gas that flooded ejected from the plug hole. Once you feel you got all the gas out, replace the plug. You may want to check your oil and make sure it isn't full of gas now also. If it is good, or you have changed your oil then start it up....It should not have the resistance anymore and should start just fine. Good luck

leaving fuel in a bowl will cause corrosion in the jets and jam the needle and seat operation take the carby off the machine and go to a shop that can overhaul the unit

Try cleaning air filter, excessive dirt build up, over oiled filter, next check wire harness kill switch etc. fuel pump,

check out www.pressureparts.com

G-day Mate.

Did you check if the igniters? they may be cloged up with ****. Unscrew the Sight glass on top of the boiler and run the machine (in cold or hot mode, doesn't matter, as the igniters are running all the time) and see if there are working, you should take them out anyway and give them a wipe with a rag as general maintenance item, and when you put them back in there should be about 5mm gap between them.


Less common reasons for the boiler to not work
- Faulty fuel solenoid valve, (You should hear a click sound about 5 - 10 seconds after you pull the trigger)
- Dirty fuel filter,


Take a look at those simple things and let me know if its any of these.

I have a Karcher HDS 750 1989 Year model

This machine just keeps going, it's had a fairly tough life but it has stood up to it all,

i hadent spent anything on it until about 6 months ago when i purchased a new fuel pump for it as the old was wasn't pushing 170PSI to the Disiel injector it had slowly droped 70psi, and it doesn't create a hotter burn in the boiler, but still very good for a 19yr old pump,

other than that thats all it's needed, it's still going strong to date
Very robust machine.

my e-mail is [email protected]

Cheers Matt.

Pull starter rope wheel is Jamming against casing usually some lube n check for ware will fix it

Dear Sir, I understand that the engine seem jammed. Removing the spark plug was a good idea. This indicates that the engine cannot turn. The only reason I think this happens, because the pump is jammed. If with some method you separate the engine from the pump, you will for sure find out if the pump is jammed. Also you can release the pressure from the pump, if you have access to its valves and remove them. So trying to pull the cord with no load from the pump is the next thing you should do, with a few methods I have explained. Regards, M.G.

If you have not flushed all air out of hoses prior to starting motor this may be the first symptom. If the water pressure from the spigot is competing with the clothes washer, shower etc. there may not be enough pressure to supply the demand of your pressure washer. A gauge attached to the spigot can give you a gallons per minute reading or take a five gallon bucket and time how long it takes to fill the bucket. ie: if the bucket fills in 2 minutes you have 2.5 gallons per minute. You may need this much to get un-interupted pressure for a 2400- or 2500 unit. Most residential properties are pipe sized from 3/4" pipe at the water main spigot at the front of the house down to a 1/2" pipe size at the rear of the house to maintain pressure.

have your spark plugs as well as any O2 sensors checked

No much explanation is given, regarding the fault and the model number. But a general answer will be to check the idle speed of the engine. Also try the machine with the gun removed. If it continues the fault....it is from the engine....if the fault stops, it is from the pump. These are very simple guidelines. By simple elimination, one can at least detect from where the fault is actually happening. Regards, MG.

honda jets thread into the main venturi where the float bowl bolt goes. you jut need a blade/ flat screwdriver to thread it out. becareful they are only brass and thread it out and the emulsion tube should come out as well fairly easily. you may need to look inside the throat of the carb and just push the nozzle tube out. plus under the plastic idle adjustment screw there is a black plug and thats the idle jet,

You can eliminate the motor by unbolting the pump from it and then if it will start the problem is with the pump or the unloading valve.If it does not start with the pump removed then you check for spark and get the carb cleaned or have a kit put in it.If it does start then check to see if the pump turns freely,if so disassemble the unloader valve and clean and lube it so that the pump and motor can relieve the pressure it needs to when the trigger is not engaged,if the pump can't be easily turned by hand then then pump needs to come apart,dealership should do this.

spray some lube on the pull start and check for oil or oil mix

dirty carb , clean carb, install a fuel cut off valve ( or start using it if you already have one) when you are done washing, turn off the fuel valve and continue spraying water until the engine stops. That will empty the carburetor bowl and the carb will stay clean until you want to use it again.

the best way eo go is to measure the mounting screwa of all items,(pumps. engine and all it's fittings,that's the way i would go with this

It sounds like you either have a clogged nozzle or one that is too small for your pump. At lower speeds the pump is pumping less gpm. So your unloader valve does not cycle. Then when you go to full power. The engine is running faster and pumping more gallons per minute. The nozzle is too small or clogged and so the bypass opens and closes ( surges) Try a new nozzle that is the right size for your machine.