# Ariens Snow Blower problems



## Flightsport

Last winter I bought an Ariens snowblower from Home Depot (I know, but it was over $300 cheaper than our local dealer and then add a military discount...). It ran great last winter. I stored it for the summer in my shed and added Stabil to the fuel. It started up first pull this winter. However, I find two problems that I need help with.

1. After warm-up, when reducing the choke, the motor begins to run very rough and will only stay running on half choke. Additionally, the motor always back fires when shutting down. It seems the engine might be running too rich. Not sure what the problem is. Is this a home owner level tweak or should I bring it in?

2. Also, perhaps even more annoying than the above: After fueling it at the beginning of the season (topped it off), it now reeks of gasoline. So much so that I cant keep it in the garage where I want it. (garage is under the house in half the basement). I have run the motor for over an hour, hpping this would help evaporate any fuel that may have dripped during the top off. I've also scrubbed the motor down with an orange based degreaser. No help. Suggestions?

See video of my snowblower here:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XwkpHptFO0&context=C3b7e731ADOEgsToPDskKf5gOEk_tU0M4CAIlh52m0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XwkpHptFO0&context=C3b7e731ADOEgsToPDskKf5gOEk_tU0M4CAIlh52m0[/ame]

Could the two issues be related? Any help would be appreciated.

Below is a link to a picture of my snowblower, minus the better headlight I guess Ariens put the crappy, flimsy headlight on the compact models plus the Deluxe 28. Would much prefer the "in dash" design, as seen below:

Deluxe Series 28 in. Two-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower (921022)-921022 at The Home Depot

Mike, Plymouth, MA


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## Country Boy

I am an Ariens certified tech, and I work at an Ariens dealer (about 6 blocks from the Ariens factories). What most likely happened is that your carburetor is gummed up and the inlet needle is no longer seating. Most likely its not a warranty issue because it would have been caused by bad fuel. I had a few this year that had similar problems, and I had to pull the carb, disassemble and soak it in cleaner, then reassemble with a new needle and seat. Its best to store these units without any fuel, or if you want to leave fuel in it, put Sta-bil in it, then let it run a couple minutes, then shut off the fuel and let it run dry. Modern fuels have over 358 additives in them, mostly for smog reduction. Add in ethanol (if you have it in your area) and you have a noxious brew that only has a shelf life of about 30 days. Sta-bil helps a bit, but it doesn't work perfectly either. If you can, purchase high test (93 octane here) fuel with no ethanol. Don't purchase more than you can use in 30-60 days. Don't store units with fuel in the carburetor. If you must use ethanol blends, only use E-10, and use a product like StarTron or Marine Sta-Bil which have enzymes that help keep the ethanol from ruining your fuel system. Using blends greater than E-10 is illegal in small engines, and will probably just ruin your engine anyway.

If you feel comfortable disassembling the carburetor, then I'd fix it myself. If you aren't, or think it might be warrantied, then take it to a Briggs & Stratton authorized dealer (the engine is warrantied by Briggs, not Ariens).


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## Flightsport

Country Boy! Thanks very much for the help with this. You may be right about the gum from the fuel, but in just ONE season?? I ran thing thing maybe a half dozen times last winter. Would that be enough to gum up the needle? The gas around here (Mass) took 5 seasons to kill the carb in my Toro lawn mower, also a Briggs I think. Would this also affect the over powering gas smell? Also, you mentioned the cap/air vent might affect the choke, but would the bad carb float also explain the inability to run with choke off? Thanks for the tips!

A country boy can survive!


Mike, Plymouth, MA


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## Country Boy

If you can't run it with the choke off, then the main jet is most likely plugged up with varnish, dirt, or deposits from the fuel. Fuel can gum up a carb in no time, as I have found out at work. We had a customer purchase a new chainsaw in May of last year and buy a new gas can, oil, etc at the same time. He filled the can up on the way home, and by September, his new saw wouldn't start, and when it did it ran like crap. I pulled the carb, only to find it filled with a white goo that was plugging up the jets and had damaged the main nozzle. The goo was from the ethanol and moisture from the air reacting with the aluminum, causing accelerated corrosion. Had to replace the carb on that one, and he now dumps the fuel out between uses (it spends a lot of time sitting).

The modern engines are running so lean to meet emission standards, that they simply can't handle dirt and bad fuel like they could years ago. The passages are so tiny and the jets so small that the slightest foreign substance in there can cause issues, even a single drop of water. That, and I personally think that they are using cheaper materials to build the carbs these days (never had an old carb corrode like the new ones do). I have a box on the shelf in the shop where I have been collecting carbs that were replaced last year, and its pretty much full now (about the size of a workboot box). If you want to help protect yourself, make a habit of turning off the fuel when you are done blowing snow. Let the unit run for about 3-5 minutes at mid idle to melt any snow or ice on the engine and to dry it off, and then shut the fuel off and let it die. Top off the tank when it cools down, and then its ready to go for the next storm. Part of the reason snowblowers have such a problem with moisture in the fuel is because they tend to sit a lot, and because they tend to operate in very wet environments. Winter is a bad time for condensation to form, especially when you have a partial tank of fuel. The temperature in winter varies, and that causes condensation to form in your fuel tank in the air space above the fuel. If the tank is full, condensation doesn't form.

The overpowering gas smell is most likely caused by the carb running over. You may not see it because the air box that surrounds the carb has a bottom that catches the fuel and lets it evaporate before it reaches the ground. I bet if you pull the top cover on the air box you will see fuel pooled in the bottom. You can take the top off by removing the two screws (or thumbscrews) on the top between the muffler and choke control. Then, carefully pry the choke knob straight up and off (the shaft is plastic, so don't bend it too much side to side). You can then lift the cover off and to the side, but be careful of the wires hooked to the key switch and the hose going to the primer button. That will get you access to the air box and the sparkplug when you want to change it. You'd probably be best off bringing the unit into a shop this time as its still under warranty. That way, if it would be something like a faulty needle or something, they can warranty it and get it taken care of. If the unit wasn't under warranty, I'd just tear it apart and fix it myself. I doubt that it will be a warranty issue, however.


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## Flightsport

Country boy. Thanks again for the great advice. I am bringing the unit up to a Briggs repair station tomorrow. Hoping its warranty work, as the gas issue eating the carb jets, wouldn't be covered under warranty. I should have mentioned, the issue of the engine not being able to run with the choke off, and the back-firing at shut down, is how it has always been, since picking it up at home depot. The gas smell is new this season. Let me know if you have any other thoughts. Mike


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## Country Boy

Its possible there is a problem with the carb that was there day one. I've seen small bits of plastic from the tank get into the carb from time to time when I set up new machines. Only had one out of 50+ new ones this year with a running issue, only one last year as well. We run every single machine that leaves our dealership to make sure it is working properly before it gets to the customer. That's one good reason to buy it from a dealer over a box store. I don't fault you for wanting to save $400, but personally, I'd have seen if the dealer could at least meet halfway to that price. Was that a new machine or a "refurbished" one? We had a guy last year with an Ariens snow blower that had issues with the drive, only to find out it had no warranty because it was sold, broke, was returned, fixed by Home Depot, then resold as refurbished. Ariens only warranties the unit to the original purchaser, and once a unit is registered, its locked to that name. You have to watch out for that with Home Depot.

Hope you get your blower back soon and get to have fun with it again! When they are running at peak performance, they are really fun to operate. I finished setting up an Ariens tractor and blower that we are selling on consignment and I decided to play with it a bit in the snow. I was pulling in 40" x 10" of snow at a pretty good clip, and the tractor barely even grunted. The snow was flying over 50' across the back parking lot into the neighboring house's backyard. I had to force myself to park the tractor back in the warehouse because I had a few other blowers to get out today. The girls up front were laughing at me tooling around in the lot with it.


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## ewstan

I have a two year old Ariens Model 920013 Compact 22E with the Subaru SX17 engine. While searching for the source of a strong gas smell I found that the hose from the primer button was not connected to the engine. There is a small brass tube fitting in the end of the hose that appears to fit into a small hole in what I believe is described in the IPL as an insulator IPL Fig. 6, item 540. Would appear that the brass fitting should be attached to the insulator.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks,
ewstan


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## mhaygreen

removed post


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## brainos

I have also some problem when i use first time. Than talk to my friend. He is expert about this. So talk with expert.
snöslunga


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## hollaswe

I think you should contact with the service provider if it is in the date of warranty. Or you can repair it from an experienced snow blower repair man.


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## Mrossik

I have a Aries TS824 snowblower that is giving me trouble. It runs fine and has plenty of power while on level ground, but if the right side is elevated by a hill, it stalls out. If I turn and go back the other way with the left side elevated it runs fine. It has fresh gas, new oil, and new spark plug. 
I would really appreciate any advice on what I should check next. 
Thank you in advance for any reply
Mike R.


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## Flightsport

hi. Take the carb off. break it down into as many components as you can. use an egg tray to hold parts. Then bathe all parts in Gumout carb cleaner. Spray out the carb body, all micro ports, etc. Make sure the carb float still works (sit it in a bowl, make sure it floats). Replace the carb gasket if there is one. Usually, with fuel issues like this, taking apart the carb, then putting it all back together works wonders. Good luck. Mike


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## Mrossik

Thank you I will give that a try 
Mike


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## z445guy

Hi everyone, to help eliminate storage problems with your small engines , true usein the ethanol free stuff to store your equipment I been doing it this way for a few years and no problem , my two stroke stuff I run try fuel all year and no problem at all with anything


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## Charlene Devens

My husband ran our Ariens 30 deluxe for a bit and then it died... we are getting a big storm tonight... he thinks he is missing a piece of plastic that enables the motor???? does that sound right? THANKS for your help


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## pogobill

Hmmmm..... There is a piece of plastic that would be sort of a key that may need to be pushed in to start the engine. It is there so you can shut the machine down by pullin out the Plastic key and It shorts the electrical to make the engine quit. You might get by with poking a piece of plastic, or a couple of toothpicks into the slot to get it going.
It may look something like this. If your husband knows it's missing, he may know where it goes. My blower is not an Ariens, but I think they are all similar. My key fits into a slot in close proximity to the choke and throttle. A plastic drinking straw may even work, or a prong off a plastic fork!


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## Charlene Devens

pogobill said:


> Hmmmm..... There is a piece of plastic that would be sort of a key that may need to be pushed in to start the engine. It is there so you can shut the machine down by pullin out the Plastic key and It shorts the electrical to make the engine quit. You might get by with poking a piece of plastic, or a couple of toothpicks into the slot to get it going.
> It may look something like this. If your husband knows it's missing, he may know where it goes. My blower is not an Ariens, but I think they are all similar. My key fits into a slot in close proximity to the choke and throttle. A plastic drinking straw may even work, or a prong off a plastic fork!


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## Charlene Devens

He said now it isn’t getting a spark. He isn”t sure if it is suppose to have the plastic piece or not so he no longer thinks it is that. Any ideas why it isn’t getting a spark? Thanks!!


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## Charlene Devens

Charlene Devens said:


> He said now it isn’t getting a spark. He isn”t sure if it is suppose to have the plastic piece or not so he no longer thinks it is that. Any ideas why it isn’t getting a spark? Thanks!![/QUOT
> 
> It is a deluxe 30 model


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## dozer966

If the plastic key is missing you will not get spark. This is the purpose of that key . It cuts the spark to shut it off. Ither do as pogo suggest or find the one wire that goes to the key slot and disconnect. Make sure it doesn't touch enny other metal. You can wrap it with electric tape and to shut it off yoy can turn the choke on or remove the tape on the wire and touch a metal surface till it is off.


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## pogobill

Because the plastic "Key" is missing. You need to read the suggestions. The key is there for a reason, to allow the machine to produce a spark. If it's gone, as you believe, you will not get a spark.
You should be able to pick up a new key at your dealer, or order one (or two) online. Here is the part number, (951 10630), seems most snowblowers use the same one these days. Just type this part number into your web search and it will come up, or call a local fix-it shop and give them the number, they should be able to fix you up.
Good luck!


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## andyvh1959

All this discussion make me feel better about my older Ariens 824. It doesn't have the drive issues of newer models.It doesn't all the lean running issues of the newer models. In the spring I run it dry of the whole gas (never E10 or God NO E15). I bought it used three years ago for $400 when my old beast of a 60's vintage snowblower with an 80's vintage Tecumseh Snow King I rebuilt finally quit after working it really hard in an 18" wet spring snow storm. 

Come winter, soon here in Green Bay I fill it with fresh whole gas. Check the oil. Lube it up and put it to work. A good friend of mine worked in Tech Support at Ariens for 40+ years, and he said before he retired a very high percentage of tech support calls were all about fuel related issues. Thank you E10.


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## Bob Driver

Huh.... We're still mowing down here. If we get 2" of snow coming our way, the "talking heads" on the local TV stations get all buggy-eyed and start declaring it the onset of the apocalypse. We start drinking heavily and by the next day when we've all sobered up and the hangovers are gone, so is the snow. If we're playing a drinking game while watching the weather..... "Accumulation" counts as one shot, "Blizzard" is a double shot followed by a panicked "Oh Crap" 

The last time I had to "clear" snow down here, it was the front porch steps and I did it with an electric leaf blower because the wife wouldn't let me use her new kitchen broom


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## Massmik

New here, I have a 3 year old Airens delux 28. My issue is that i can turn it left and right but it will not go forward or backward. Any ideas? Thank you


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## andyvh1959

So, your Ariens snowblower has the auto-turn function? Is it a 2016 or newer model? The 2016 and later auto turn models work well (I've read), but the older models have tracking problems. If yours is older than 2016 I suggest reviewing some of the many youtube videos that detail how to adjust the system. You have to adjust the system on a level surface and with equal tire pressure. If the surface you are clearing has significant slope or slant to the side that may cause the snowblower to track to the downhill side. 

My Ariens 824 is a 2008 model which does not have the auto-turn system.


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