Using the pressure washer when it just stopped without warning, it was if someone had just pulled the plug out. Left it for about 40 mins and tried again but the motor sounded as though it was stuck and not delivering any pressure.
It sounds like a motor capacitor burned up. Alternatively, a wire could have vibrated loose from the capacitor. Look, but do not touch the capacitor(s), as they can hold a charge that can hurt -- or even kill you.
The trick is to be certain they are discharged before handling. To do this, use a screw drive with a well insulated handle and touch the top of the capacitor where the wires are. The metal blade of the screw driver should touch both sides of the capacitor at the same time. Then, if there is any charge being stored, you will see a pop and that's it -- it is not discharged.
You can buy a new capacitor at any place that sells AC and Refrigeration supplies. Take the old one with you so they can match the microfarad capacity. Just venturing a guess here, but if you want one that fits perfectly back into place you may have to order it from Karcher (because those units are built in Europe I think).
2. The motor may have shorted (gone bad). If that has happened, perhaps you have some warranty. Electric motors are generally warranted a little longer than the PW in general. With Karcher, I don't know. If there is no warranty on the motor, it may be better to buy a new pw than to replace the motor.
3. The problem could be a mechanical issue with the pump/unlooader. However, I would think this would be the least likely scenario.
If what I've given so far doesn't get you rolling in the direction of being resolved, please followup here. I'll be watching. And if it does get you moving in the right direction, please take a sec to rate me. Thanks!
Don
Testimonial: "cheers mate. Your second solution was correct. The motor has had it unfortunately. Many thanks for responding and offring sound advice. "
I have a water cooled K5.140, barrel shaped karcher. Mine suddenly stopped working. Bit of a faff getting the casing apart but not beyond most competent car repairers. Once on the becnh look where the power cables enter the motor unit. Mine has a black box with clip on cover. Look between that and the metal of the motor/pump. There is a thin plastic toggle that will be stiff. WD40 on it and move the flat lever underneath it up and down with a flat screwdriver. This toggle and lever shuts off the power when the water pressure in the pump is high, so if it is stuck open you have no power to the pump. Took me less than 5 mins and a squirt of WD40.
SOURCE: I was using the pressure washer and it stopped
This problem, where the unit continually switches on and off when the handgun is closed, is quite common. Unfortunately it has at least six different possible causes, only two of which are easily checked.
The first thing you can do is look for leaks. Even the slightest leak will cause this pulsing because the unit gets up to pressure, switches off, loses pressure, switches back on again, comes back up to pressure, switches off... and so on. This repeated switching is not good for the motor and should not be allowed to continue for longer than necessary to observe what's happening.
So... 1. Does the handgun shut off completely, or does it drip? If it drips, it may simply be because a seal has failed. The handgun can be dismantled, checked, and any defective parts replaced; be sure to lubricate O-rings with silicone grease when reassembling. As a last resort, the whole gun may need to be replaced.
2. Are there any visible leaks at the high-pressure hose screw connections? If so, most likely an O-ring needs replacing - again lubricate the new one well with silicone grease.
3. If there are no visible leaks, either from the gun or from the connections, all other possible causes are internal within the cylinder head or control head of the pump. New parts will be needed and this normally calls for a professional repair, although it's not beyond the scope of a truly competent amateur.
I hope this helps. Any further questions, just ask! Please remember to rate this response.
SOURCE: my karcher pressure washer has lost its water power
I have the same problem. With mine I have to remove the tip that I am using then pull the trigger and then replace the tip and pull and pressure should return. I believe that one of my valves is sticking causing me to reprime the pump frequently. I am trying to clean or replace my valves to fix the problem.
I hope this helps.
SOURCE: Electric Karcher pressure washer surging when turned on
Dear firenutt681,
One simple thing you can do, is to check for leaks. Check if hose at machine is leaking. Check gun if it is leaking. You can also check if water still comes out of lance nozzel. These leaks however so small, will cause the machine to surge.
Another reason is due to a faulty SPILL VALVE. This spill valve( often called CONTROL VALVE) will contract when the gun is closed. When it contracts under the enclosed pressure it will switch off the machine by means of a Micro Switch. Now if this Spill valve is faulty it will loose its compression under pressure and puts on the micro switch again. This can be seen once in a while or more frequent, as in your case. I sometimes do service Spill Valves, but mostly I replace them with a new one. I do not know the model number of your machine, but normally you have to open the cover and you should spot the spill valve on the head. Most probably you see a thick wire or a cap containing the micro swith. If you find the micro switch, you have found the spill valve. Sometimes it is a bit hard to pull out the spill valve. Myself, in various Karcher models I remove the spill valve by trying to feed water and put on a bit the machine. In this way the spill valve will be spitted out.
Another reason which makes your machine surge, is leakage from from the detergent inlet.
If you do not see no leakages at all....then for sure it is the SPILL VALVE.
If you cannot do this job yourself or you do not find spare parts...you can continue using the machine as it is...but before closing the gun...switch off the electricity. I only recommend this in an emergency. You do this so that you do not leave the machine surging. This surge will for sure damage the electric motor and the capacitor (assuming it is single phase).
Regards,
Fulltech.
SOURCE: karcher pressure washer trigger problem
The wands that it will not run with would most likley have a little dirt in the tip of the nozzle. This would not allow the water to flow through in turn activating the pressure switch and shutting the machine down
Troy
SOURCE: new Karcher pressure washer won't start
replace the fuel carburetor filter and, or, your fuel tank filter
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