Stihl 038 AV Chainsaw??

[Greg1959]

Last fall I was out clearing some fence rows and came across a Stihl 038 AV chainsaw that I had forgotten and left there for 12 to 13 years ago.

Anyway, I was bored today and wanted to see if I could get this thing to run. When I found it I had soaked the cylinder with ATF to free the piston and rings. Chain and bar were rusted together so I just discarded them.

I have great compression but no spark. Cleaned the flywheel and EI module contact points plus all the grounding contact areas.

All I can think is left is the EI module is bad, (can they go bad?) or a faulty ignition switch.

I'm going to bypass the ignition switch next.

BTW, Plug is good.

Thanks, Greg1959

 

[Formerly PaMike]

Man,life must be good for you. I cant afford to just forget a $700 saw...

 

[Tom from Buckeye Lake]

An old timer once told me, "There are two things you never lend, your wife and your chainsaw, they both come back screwed up".

How could you misplace/forget something so important ?

I mean the saw

 

[Randy Shoe]

I would almost bet my first born the problem is the ignition switch.

 

[Greg1959]

Tom from Buckeye Lake- Where I live there has always been a lot of stealing goin on. You have to have someone on premises 24/7 to reduce theft.

I just assumed someone stole it.

Dang, I just think of the stories I could tell you...

For instance, rented a unit out to a family. Come to find out, the guy also bought a place a few miles away.

He took all the doors and fixtures from my place and installed them in his "new" home.

Nothing I could do because I could not prove that his doors and fixtures came from my unit.

 

[60 acre hillside]

Back in the early 60's I had such a poor saw I would just leave it in the woods. I would pour fuel through the exhaust and it would always start.

 

[Determined]

I have the same saw and 9 out of 10 times if it won't start it is the plug.
It will look just fine but not do its job under compression.

 

[missouri massey man]

I have an 038 Magnum II purchased new in '92ish... It has a lifetime warranty on the module. When it was about 6 years old, it went dead as a box of rocks and they (Stihl dealer) just forked over a new module no questions asked. You may ask if your particular 038 was covered with the same module warranty.....