new Nissan 4hp failure

sailorjackson

Recruit
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
1
A month ago I opened the box on a new Nissan 4hp. I ran it at low speed for 45 minutes as part of the break-in period. Next time I ran it, 4 weeks later, it would not idle. It needs to be constantly run to keep it going and will not run at a normal idle RPM. This is not just an idle speed adjustment.

Nothing in the manual about this. Where do I get warranty service on something like this? I got it mail order from Cabelas and the Nissan manual says the dealer should have filled out the warranty. That certainly didn't happen.

Jackson
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Re: new Nissan 4hp failure

Welcome. Why don't you just contact Cabela?
 

pvanv

Admiral
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
6,579
Re: new Nissan 4hp failure

Welcome to the world of buying mail order: No warranty card filled out, no PDI, no discussion with the customer about operation of the motor. This is an instance where a bricks-and-mortar dealer may have served you better, by giving you a PDI (pre-delivery inspection) and counseling you on the proper use of the motor. For your nearest "real" servicing dealers, see http://www.nissanmarine.com/search/index.html They should be able to help you, and (depending on the date of sale) may be able to do that PDI at no cost to you.

It sounds like you have a problem in the low-speed circuitry of the carb. While there could possibly be a bit of manufacturing debris in the fuel system that was accidentally left there by the factory, odds are (since it ran well initially) that you did not run the carb dry at the end of your previous session. That is critical on any modern carbureted 4-stroke (of any brand), as the EPA now requires emissions so low, that the passages are so narrow, that today's poor gas tends to varnish up those passages as it evaporates. The rule is to run the carb out at the end of every day. That way, there isn't any fuel in those passages to varnish up. After a week or 2 of sitting with fuel in the carb, the damage is done. In most instances, a thorough carb cleaning (requiring complete disassembly of the carb and a 4-hour soak in carb dip) will correct the problem. Of course, damage caused by poor fuel is typically considered operator abuse, so the work may not be covered by warranty.

Also, always run fresh fuel. If you expect that the gas may sit for 30 days, add a good stabilizer, such as K-100, to help delay fuel spoiling. While that won't help varnishing, on these small internal tanks, it can help the fuel stay fresher longer.
 
Top