The primer bulb in your saw helps your carburetor draw in fuel. This way, it helps ensure proper combustion so that the devices run smoothly.
So naturally, a cracked primer bulb is bound to concern you. However, how do we know that the primer bulb cracked?
What are the cracked primer bulb symptoms?
You need to look for cracks on the bulb and its outer ring. If cracked, the bulb won’t pop back after it’s pressed. The light on the saw will go off after the engine starts. Lastly, the device will sound like it’s sucking in air.
If you want to know more about these, we’d love for you to read our article below. We have discussed each of the symptoms in detail to help you out.
SKIP AHEAD
What Are the Symptoms of a Cracked Primer Bulb?
A cracked primer bulb may get tricky to detect unless it gets too late. However, there are a few symptoms to check for so that it doesn’t get too far.
1. Cracks/ Splits on the Face of the Bulb
For this, you need to inspect the primer bulb itself. Do you see cracks or fine hair-like splits on the bulb? If you do, then the primer bulb is cracked.
These cracks and splits can appear due to regular wear and tear with frequent use. They can also appear if your device suffered some sudden and heavy impact.
Maybe your saw fell unexpectedly or something fell over the saw. These cracks can let air inside the bulb. This later hampers the functionality of the device.
2. Damage on the Outer Ring of the Primer Bulb
The outer ring is what attaches the primer bulb to the body of your machine. Look for signs of damage on this outer ring. This can be in the form of cracks and indentations.
If the signs are present, your primer bulb is at risk. These cracks can result from overheating, prolonged use, or unexpected impact.
Cracks on the outer ring can make the primer bulb loose. If that’s the case, air can easily enter the carburetor. This will later cause trouble with combustion. Moreover, it won’t let your device run smoothly.
3. Bulb Refuses to Pop Back up after Being Pushed in
Under normal working conditions, the bulb pops back up once it’s pushed in. This is a sign that it has successfully fed fuel into the carburetor. Additionally, while pushing the bulb in, you should feel some resistance.
So, if you feel no resistance and the bulb doesn’t pop back up, it’s cracked. This also means that there’s a greater chance your carburetor will be flooded with fuel. So, the overall functionality of your device is at risk.
4. The Light Goes Off Right after the Engine Starts
This is a symptom you will notice while running your device. When it’s operational, there is always a light that goes on the device.
This light indicates that things are working. If your primer bulb is cracked and you don’t notice it, pay attention to this light.
If there is an issue with the primer bulb, the light should go off right after the engine starts. You should pay attention for the first 10 seconds. If the light goes off by then, the primer bulb is in trouble.
5. Sound of Air Being Sucked in
While running the saw, pay attention to the sound. Normally it should have a smooth and low sound of fuel entering into the carburetor. If the primer bulb is cracked, it won’t sound the same.
With a cracked primer bulb, it should sound like air is being sucked in as opposed to fuel. So think of the sound a new vacuum cleaner makes. It should be similar to that.
Too much air into the carburetor will throw off the combustion ratio. A specific ratio of air to fuel needs to be maintained so that combustion and operation remain smooth.
With too much air fed into the carburetor, the ratio will be thrown off. Due to this, the saw won’t operate well. Your saw may not work at all, release black smoke and essentially waste the fuel.
Is There a Way to Fix a Cracked Primer Bulb?
Well, yes there is. You can either see if troubleshooting the primer bulb helps. You can do this by inspecting the fuel and connecting lines to the bulb. If that doesn’t help, you can always go for replacing the primer bulb.
Unsure about which one to get? We have a couple of reliable options for you below. Any one of these will be a great replacement option for your saw.
While replacing the primer bulb sounds daunting, it isn’t. Make sure to cross-check for compatibility of your primer bulb to your saw.
With all that covered, we’re almost done with the article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can you run a chainsaw without a primer bulb?
Answer: No you can’t. Without the bulb, there is no control mechanism for how much fuel enters the carburetor. This way, your carburetor will remain flooded with fuel all the time and won’t function.
Question: Should a primer bulb have air in it?
Answer: Theoretically, you should only have air in the bulb when the engine isn’t running. The bulb should have fuel under running conditions.
Question: Is the primer bulb supposed to stay hard?
Answer: No it shouldn’t. Under working conditions, it will constantly feed fuel into the carburetor. When it’s doing that, there should be no hardness of the bulb.
Wrapping Up
Well, there you have it. Now you know all there is about cracked primer bulb symptoms. Good luck with your saws. We hope our advice gets your engines revved up and running smoothly in no time!
- How To Hide A Shed From HOA (5 Easy Hacks) - September 8, 2023
- How to Hang Tools in a Suncast Shed (7 Easy Steps) - August 31, 2023
- How To Hang Stuff In Resin Sheds (5 Easy Steps) - August 29, 2023