Your Powerstroke pressure washer is experiencing an issue? Try the simple actions from the tables below. If it’s just a minor problem, you’ll need several minutes to resolve it. In case the issue is too serious, or you don’t have the tools to repair the appliance, you may need some help from an experienced service engineer.
Powerstroke PS141912 Pressure Washer Troubleshooting
| PROBLEM | POSSIBLE CAUSE | SOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure washer does not start when trigger is depressed | Power cord not connected to power source | Connect the power cord to a live 120V AC, 60 Hz AC receptacle. |
| Switch is off | Turn switch on. | |
| GFCI is tripped | Press reset button on the GFCI plug. | |
| House/shop circuit breaker is tripped Water pressure in hose | Reset house/shop breaker. Make sure pressure washer is connected to an individual branch circuit only. If using an extension cord, make sure it is heavy enough to carry the current of the pressure washer. | |
| Squeeze trigger to relieve water pressure. | ||
| Pump doesn’t produce pressure | Inadequate water supply Spray wand leaks | Provide adequate water flow. |
| Nozzle is clogged Pump is faulty Air in line | Check connections and / or replace wand. | |
| Water inlet filter is clogged or dirty | Clean nozzle. | |
| Contact authorized service center. | ||
| Squeeze trigger on spray wand to remove air from line. | ||
| Remove the water inlet filter, rinse with warm water, then replace in unit. | ||
| Machine doesn’t reach high pressure | Diameter of garden hose is too small Water supply is restricted | Replace with 3/4 in. garden hose. |
| Not enough inlet water Hose is leaking Kink in hose | Check garden hose for kinks, leaks, and blockages. | |
| Open water source full force. | ||
| Replace hose. | ||
| Eliminate kinks in hose. | ||
| No detergent | Detergent tank is empty | Add additional detergent to tank. |
| Water supply is inadequate or clogged | Check garden hose for kinks, leaks and blockages. | |
| Wrong nozzle is attached | Attach blue or black soap nozzle. | |
| Wand leaks | O-ring needs replacing | Replace o-ring. If this does not correct the problem, contact your authorized service center to purchase a new wand. |
Powerstroke PS80944 Pressure Washer Troubleshooting
| PROBLEM | CAUSE | SOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
| Engine fails to start | No fuel in tank | Fill tank |
| Spark plug shorted or fouled | Replace spark plug | |
| Spark plug is broken (cracked porcelain or electrodes broken) | Replace lead wire or attach to spark plug | |
| Ignition lead wire shorted, broken, or disconnected from spark plug | Contact authorized service center | |
| Ignition inoperative | Press the primer bulb 3 times (5 times if starting for the first time). | |
| Unit is not primed. | ||
| Engine hard to start | Water in gasoline Weak spark at spark plug | Drain entire system and refill with fresh fuel |
| Contact authorized service center | ||
| Engine lacks power | Dirty air filter | Clean or replace air filter |
| Detergent fails to mix with spray | Detergent injection hose is not properly submerged | Insert injection hose into detergent storage bucket |
| High pressure nozzle attached | Use low pressure nozzle (black) to apply detergent | |
| Pump doesn’t produce pressure | Low pressure nozzle installed Inadequate water supply Spray wand leaks | Replace with high pressure nozzle |
| Nozzle is clogged Pump is faulty Air in line | Provide adequate water flow | |
| Check connections and / or replace wand | ||
| Clean nozzle | ||
| Contact authorized service center | ||
| Squeeze trigger on spray wand to remove air from line | ||
| Machine doesn’t reach high pressure | Diameter of garden hose is too small Water supply is restricted | Replace with 3/4 in. garden hose Check garden hose for kinks, leaks, and blockages |
| Not enough inlet water Wrong nozzle is attached | Open water source full force Attach the high pressure nozzle |
Powerstroke PS80903B Pressure Washer Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Is the engine running at full speed? | Move the throttle control to the FAST. |
| Is the low pressure nozzle connected to the wand? | Switch to a high pressure nozzle. |
| Is the water inlet or filter screen blocked, clogged or damaged? | Disconnect the garden hose from the water inlet; clean the water inlet and filter screen. If screen is damaged, remove damaged screen, insert new screen. |
| Is the high-pressure hose leaking? | Check the O-rings. If damaged, remove old O-ring with a small flathead screwdriver, and replace with new one. |
| Is the spray gun leaking? | Replace the pressure washer spray gun with a new one. |
| Could the nozzle orifice be obstructed? | Shut off the engine; purge air from the pump; remove the orifice from the adjustable nozzle or remove the spray tip from the nozzle extension; clean the orifice or spray tip using the wire tool from the maintenance kit. |
| Is the supply water temperature over 100° F? | Provide a cooler water supply. |
| Is the supply water pressure and flow rate adequate? | Test the supply water using a pressure/flow-rate gauge. If the supply water does not produce a minimum of 20 PSI and 4 GPM (25 PSI and 7 GPM for POWER flow+ models), look for an alternative source that can provide adequate pressure and flow. |
| Is the pump oil level low? | Add oil to the pressure washer pump. |
| Is the pump faulty? | With the high pressure hose removed from the pump, attach the garden hose and turn on water. Water will flow through the pump, now turn on the engine; the water flow should increase in pressure and length from where it exits the pump. If this does not happen there is an internal pump issue. If this does happen then there is likely a clog in one of the attachments; high pressure hose, gun, wand, or nozzle. |
Powerstroke PS171433 Pressure Washer Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure washer will not start. | No fuel. | Add fuel. |
| Faulty spark plug. | Replace spark plug. | |
| Pressure washer will not start; | Low oil level. | Fill crankcase to the proper level. Place pressure washer on a flat, level surface. |
| Pressure washer starts but runs roughly. | Choke in the wrong position. | Adjust choke. |
| Spark plug wire loose. | Attach wire to spark plug. | |
| Pressure washer gallops. | Engine governor defective. | Contact the help line. |
| Unit does not reach high pressure. | Water supply is restricted. | Check hoses for leaks, blockage, kinks. |
| Garden hose is too small. | Replace with 5/8 in. garden hose or larger. | |
| Garden hose inlet filter is clogged. | Remove garden hose, clean filter and rinse out. | |
| Not enough inlet water. | Turn garden hose water on full force. | |
| Spray pressure varies from high to low. | Poor inlet water supply. | Turn garden hose water on full force. Check hose for leaks, blockage, or kinks. |
| Garden hose inlet filter is clogged. | Remove garden hose, clean filter and rinse out. | |
| Spray nozzle is obstructed. | Remove particles with small wire rod | |
| Pump is sucking air. | Check all hoses and fittings, make sure they are securely tightened down and fastened. Turn off engine and purge pump by squeezing trigger gun until a steady stream of water flows. | |
| Low pressure detergent wash is not functioning properly. | Detergent is too thick. | Dilute detergent |
| Spray wand has high pressure quick connect nozzle installed. | Detergent only works with low pressure quick connect nozzle (black). | |
| Detergent hose is not connected to the pump housing. | Check connection. | |
| Spray nozzle is obstructed. | Clean nozzle and remove debris. | |
| Filter on detergent hose is clogged. | Clean with warm water or replace. | |
| Chemical Injector valve (inside pump) partially blocked or stuck. | Quickly pull and release the gun trigger 4-5 time to clear the chemical injector valve. | |
| Detergent tube not connected to the brass fitting on the pump outlet. | Install detergent tube to detergent injector inlet near pump outlet. | |
| Garden hose connection leaks. | Loose fittings. | Tighten. |
| Missing/worn-out rubber washer. | Replace rubber washer. | |
| Spray wand leaks | Spray wand not properly attached. | Tighten all connections. |
| Can’t pull recoil | Pump will build pressure with each pull. | Pull gun trigger after 2 pulls of recoil, to release pump pressure. |
Powerstroke PS80943 Pressure Washer Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| My Pressure Washer Is Running Very Rough | Do you have a hot water and cold-water outdoor faucet? The #1 reason why a pressure washer begins to run rougher than usual is that the inlet water is too hot. Make sure to use cold water to get the best results. Even if you don’t have a hot water faucet, water that has been trapped in a hose with sunshine coming down on it can warm up enough to cause this problem. |
| Not having enough air entering the inlet plumbing or having a stuck inlet can also cause the same problem. It comes from the other side of the equation – after all, you need to have air and water to create pressure! Make sure these are all working properly and be sure to check your discharge valves as you investigate. You’ll also want to check on the air filter of your pressure washer and replace it if necessary. | |
| If everything looks fine and you aren’t using hot water, then there’s a good chance that you’ve got mechanical damage within your crankcase. That’s not a problem you can generally repair at home | |
| My Pressure Washer Is Leaking | One of the most common issues in pressure washer repair is a worn out seal. There are numerous seals that are distributed throughout the design of the pressure washer and any one of them may fail spontaneously to create a leak. It isn’t just water that can leak either. Oil leaks are also very common. Make sure that you check your seals at least twice per year and quickly replace ones that appear to be worn out. |
| Sometimes leaks can be caused by worn out packing or plungers that are broken or scored. This tends to happen after at least a season of use, but heavy users of their pressure washer may see this problem creep up on them even sooner. You’ll need to replace the damaged seals as you find them. | |
| The seals of the pressure washer are also bound by the laws of physics. They expand and contract based on how hot or cold the weather happens to be. High humidity weather can actually cause a pressure washer to begin leaking, especially when it comes to keeping the oil and water separate from each other | |
| My Pressure Washer Is Pulsating | This issue is almost always caused because of a dirty inlet or discharge valve. Make sure that you clean these out thoroughly after 5 or 6 uses, especially if you are pressure washing wooden materials. Even hardwood will splinter at times when high-pressure water streams are encountered. These small splinters then clog up the system. |
| You may also have a stuck plunger for a wide variety of reasons. If your inlet and discharge valves are clean, then the plunger is the likely the cause of the pulsating, especially if you have low pressure while this is happening | |
| My Pressure Washer Just Shut Off | The modern pressure washer is designed to make sure that you don’t damage the engine or any of the mechanical components if you manage to forget some basic maintenance. There are two primary reasons why a pressure washer will shut off: it has run out of fuel or it has run out of oil. |
| A good practice to get into the habit of doing is to check the oil levels of your pressure washer every time you plan to turn it on. Do this even if you have just filled the oil reserve up. This will help you discover any leaks that might have developed over the life of the equipment or flaws in its manufacturing process if you’ve just purchased it. | |
| The one catch to this process is that once you place fuel and oil into a pressure washer to check if it will work, you can no longer ship it back due to current laws. You will need to have it serviced locally. | |
| Some pressure washers will also shut off if their thermostat reaches a certain threshold. You will see this happen more often when you use the equipment in a confined area where there isn’t enough air to cool the engine down. This may also happen on hot and humid days. You will need to allow the pressure washer to cool down for at least 30 minutes before restarting the engine | |
| My Pressure Washer Won’t Start | If you know that you’ve got fuel in your pressure washer and that you’ve got oil in it too, then the next thing to check is the primer pump. You will need to pump the fuel primer for the engine 6-7 times on the first start-up of the season and 2-3 times for every other start-up. If you don’t get a good start from the first 3 or 4 pulls, then you’ll flood the engine and need to let it sit for a few minutes. Run the choke on full, pull a couple of times, and then gradually pull the choke off as you get the engine going. |
| Some pressure washers today are electric and won’t start either. This is typically because the power supply attached to the equipment isn’t adequate. Some older homes may only be wired for 60 amps and if your refrigerator and dryer is already running at the same time, there just might not be enough juice to fire that equipment up. Take some of the load off the electrical system and you should get a successful start. | |
| You may also need to check your electrical panel and replace older fuses that may not be capable of supporting your new equipment |