Karcher K2 Pressure Washer refuses to Run Tear Down and Investigation
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2020
- Our K2 has been reliable for about 4 years and then it suddenly refused to show any signs of life. We take it apart and have look inside to see if we can find out what is wrong.
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THIS WORKED FOR ME:
My Karcher K2 suddenly stopped working, even though in great clean condition and about 14mths old. I tried following a number of UA-cam videos advising to flush/run water through the K2 (while powered OFF) for approx' 10mins in order to `get rid of an airlock causing the fault`.
I tried this about 12 times over various days, but to no avail. With the main yellow cover removed, as well as the white casing inside opened & removed, I used a multi-meter and got no continuity from the switch wires. I then noticed underneath the main switch area there was a little fine TRIP-SWITCH with a tiny spanner-like shape (commonly used as a service-symbol).
Using a small point of the multi-meter (or a fine screwdriver) I carefully pushed the switch down, which then gave me a good reading from the multimeter. I then reassembled the unit, connected the water hose and hey-presto, it's now working like new again. I would imagine this could be a common cause on most Karchers - a simple but discreet trip-switch.
Great info. I didn't spot that. I still don't know why mine packed up but is spontaneously starter to work and has worked ever since.
This worked for me! Thank you
@@AlexHumberstone1998 Excellent, I'm glad to hear. Hopefully it doesn't keep happening, otherwise it may indicate there could be a leak.
FIXED IT..Pressure switch dirty.
Thanks for the video and to all commenters. It game me most of the clue to fixed my K2 . Mine needed the little pressure switch to be cleaned. It was sticking in the off position and so there was no power when the main on/off switch was turned. For those who don't know the on/off switch slots into it the pressure switch, its a little white piston with a spring behind it. To fix mine ...remove the detergent connection ( twist 90 deg)...take out the pressure switch/spring and gaskets. Cleaned the gunk of it, greased the stem, reassembled and now the K2 is back to life. Happy days!
Good job.. Mine is still going.. Like and subscribe if you can. Thanks.
yeah, I think it's what is talked about in this video: ua-cam.com/video/7GQh-_OHOgk/v-deo.html
Thank you so much I followed your instructions and my katcher wasn't turning on but now it's working perfect again.
All the way from South Africa thank you so much sir you gain a follower 🙌🙌
you are welcome.
Great fix mine was exactly the same I used the day before went to use today and nothing. Just about to buy a new one and came across this video. Don't know what the problem was. Just saved me 150.00. thanks
Glad it helped.
Other than getting the hose connector turned around (watch out for that one), the machine is simple to put together and use ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxfQauTxLT0JLSvqkq10rD79TU4k0Vz8zP . And very nice, too. I'm surprised at the power-it's more than we'll ever need, and we've not even used the most powerful setting yet.I've cleaned off a dirty concrete porch to get it ready for sealing, started to clean siding, and I know this pressure washer will be terrific for cleaning tools this fall.The only issue we had is we had turned around the hose connector, and it leaked. Once it was on correctly, though, we had no problems with the connection. Just remember that the end with the green knob goes towards the hose. It's obvious now what we did wrong, but not necessarily obvious at the time.
Sure is
Same problem as yours (K2 Compact so same insides), turn the switch nothing, did the run water through it trick, nope nothing so after watching your tear down I took it apart. tested the switch was fine, brushes fine but no power on the live. turned out it was actually the moulded plug that was faulty! Cut the plug off and one new plug later and power restored so thanks for the pointers as it helped no end.
Great job, Good info thanks.
Love that you've started going out of the workshop on exotic locations and that you've managed to drag Mrs Smoke away from her yoga.
She does come in very useful!
The fault is related to pressure be logical it has to be related to pressure because it has to shut the unit off when gun not pressed otherwise it would explode under pressure.Right then when the gun is NOT pressed pressure builds up inside the chamber and a shutoff plunger pin is forced out which is connected to the main mains switch.Sometimes this pin sticks and does not operate correctly sometimes it may stick in sometimes it may stick out the result is pressure washer may not turn on or off.The pin is part of the cylinder block assembly you may be able to spray a bit of WD40 to free it up sometimes however the pin breaks off to get to the pin make sure the mains is turned off and the plastic covers are removed from either side of the assembly then looking at the front of the switch assembly you will see it is held in position by sticking out plastic lugs either side with a screw driver lift these outwards and at the same time pull the switch assembly up you will then see the pin.The reason why this guy’s pressure washer continues to run is because the water has not been turned on and it needs the water on to build up pressure inside the cylinder in order for the pin to operate and turn the supply off .if replacing the cylinder head assembly to fix the problem do so with the assembly standing vertical as it is full of gear oil regards John
Exactly
Yes it's usually the pressure pin sticking that stops the motor running. Use Silicon spray though, not WD40. WD40 will attack the plastic parts.
It's a bit wordsaladry
But mate! I this is the right direction!
Although I think he's giving away the right solution, I think he's talking about a different model when he talks about the disassembly process. I found out this video ua-cam.com/video/7GQh-_OHOgk/v-deo.html in which this sliding pin problem is tackled at 14:10 on a Karcher K2 model.
Thank you very much for this video I was about to buy another karcher machine but I tried your method and it worked the first time, thank you sir I saved nearly £100 which I couldn’t afford but I needed a machine god bless you sir
Glad it helped
thanks. worked. thumbs up
Great stuff. Thanks for watching.
The pressure switches tend to get scaled up and get jammed
Good tip. Mine has worked ever since the episode in the video.
Hi, My Karcher K2 stopped working, totally dead. I took off the casing and checked it out with a multimeter. The switch is working just fine. When it's in the on position there is power getting to the motor, but it's not spinning. The brushes were in the right place, clean and not too worn. Any ideas? Thanks
It could be something stuck in the pressure cut-out switch that cuts power to the motor when full pressure is reached. If for any reason it is stuck open the motor wont run. You can check this with a muti-meter. With no pressure it should be closed. Inspect the power cable for nicks and and check the fuse in the mains plug. Good luck.
Hi had exactly same issue. A close look at mine revealed that the white encasement had slightly changed shape (heat?) fouling the impeller by microns. I ran it with the encasement open and the impeller filed down the fouling part of the case. Reassembled and all fine…karcher didn’t respond to a service request…
Great tip. Thanks.
Thx for your video
I fixed mine
In my case, it was the switch, it's the c shaped leaf spring inside the switch got sticky
I opened the case and cleaned it a bit
It works again 😁
Good tip. Thanks.
Thanks mate your vid gave me the idea to kick my k2 really hard and worked like a charm 👍
Great to hear!
Same problem here so I watched the video and thought i'd just read the comments in case there was a top tip, low and behold here it is...i gave mine a "tap" with a hammer and the magic was done! Thanks lads!!😅
Thank you! Your vid inspired me to open mine up and also made me suspect it was that flimsy on off mechanism ie the plastic t shape (inside) not being rotated by the black nob (outside). I think that may have even been your mystery problem here?
Anyway. Thank you! My wife and I also enjoyed your banter with the camera operator haha
Thanks. The feel of the outer knob on mine was OK before disassembly. The unit is still going strong in spite of being hit by a car. I still don't now what caused it.
Cheers for vid: mine needed partial disassemby and a calibrated thump with a screwdriver handle to make it go.
They do get temperamental. I'll thump mine next time..
@@razenby Yes, thinking about mine: the fault only appears after releasing the trigger i.e. pressure build-up, so it suggests my pressure switch is sticking. I may get round to ripping the switch apart, or maybe I'll just carry on thumping. Reminds me of 405-line B/W TV sets when I was a kid ;-)
I have the same problem with the karcher pressure washer and it not turned on so whot you do you have to fidel with switch all run water through it with it turned off and not trigger gun for 5 minutes then turned back on and works as .
It is strange. Mine does that from time to time... However I haven't investigated it further...
Thanks I hope mine starts up again like yours did😅
good luck
Mine isn’t producing back pressure so constantly runs but with no pressure. Any idea what would be the cause.
Usually a stuck valve or a sheared off drive spindle where it goes into the pump. Check the filter at the input isn't blocked....
There is a pin that pushes the switch contacts apart to turn it off when the pressure builds up when the trigger is released. This pin stays wedged up after a few years use. Just push it back down again and spray some silicon spray on it to loosen it up again. It's only a temporary fix though and time to chuck it away if you dont want to bypass the switch completely.
Thanks for the info. Mine is still working. Fingers crossed.
yes, exactly. If it helps anyone, I found out this video in which this problem is tackled: ua-cam.com/video/7GQh-_OHOgk/v-deo.html
I just borrowed my brother in law's K2 and plugged the water in and tap open plugged .then plugged electric plug in got a mini spark noticed the karcher had been left in on position.checked and changed 13 amp fuse it was fine not blown but unit won't start.any ideas?
Difficult to say. It should matter if the switch is on- the motor should just run so unlikely that plugging in whilst the switch is on did any damage. I had a pressure washer that did exactly that when first used after winter. The water had frozen and seized the pump. You could take it apart and first check that the motor turns OK by hand. If it does then check the cable.
@@razenby I have sorted it,think the issue lies with a temperamental switch.thanks for the reply,all the best.
I have to give the pressure switch a shjarp tap with a screwdriver o get it to work. But if I stop using th lance, it won't restart until given another tap...
See other comments - someone wrote that some lube applied to the pressure switch might cure this.
I Have the same problem. Is it Switch or Brushes as I still have the same problem.
If the brushes look good then it is likely to be the pressure switch has a bit of crap in it that has come down the hose. I noticed after I made the video that the filter mesh on the input had gone. Obviously dropped by someone. I am pretty sure that it was debris that came up the pipe. The motor should cut in when the pressure valve is below target pressure. My son said it was playing up cutting in and out when it shouldn't be which points to the same problem. It is OK now. Whatever it was has been flushed out.
Mine was burnt contacts on the power switch I just sanded clean the contacts and now working properly.
Good to know. Thanks for the tip.
I have the same machine, it is leaking and the motor is continuously running, regardless. Any advice?
It could have frozen. The Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) often split near the high pressure outlet feed. If it has split then it is toast. I have tried repairing my neighbours with JB weld. It held up for a few uses and then let go. Best have a look and locate the leak. It could be a failed O ring that could be easily replaced.
Just a thought, not sure if it will help with your unit, but I have the K5.80M, around 14 years old now. It has a 'spill valve' that can stick (especially after winter storage), and cause a motor running fault, but with no useful pressure at the lance. I dismantled the unit and located (and removed), the spill valve and applied some quality silicone grease to the top (not the bottom), o'ring seals, and it started working straight away. Another possible cul[prit is a faulty capacitor, but this fix for the cost of a tiny amount of lubricant easily saved me a hefty repair bill where the repair agent would have probably charged me for a new spill valve when it was not really needed. Another culprit of a running motor without useful pressure could be a faulty capacitor which is fairly easy to source and replace yourself. Just some random thoughts from a would-be have-a-go diy'er. If you google your unit's model number with the text string 'parts diagram' and check the images that come up, you should be able to locate these parts. PS - You'll most likely need a torx set of screwdrivers from 15 up to 30, as Karcher seems fond of these. Hope that's useful. :-)
The problem with your karcher is the pressure relief valve is sticking. This is located below the pipe for the soap feed. The piston needs removing and lubricating.
Yeah, exactly. But I wouldn't say it's a pressure 'relief' valve. It's more like a plastic spring-loaded sliding pin that's underneath the soap suction hose coupler. And yes, its function is to turn the motor on or off once the trigger gun is depressed or released.
In this video ua-cam.com/video/7GQh-_OHOgk/v-deo.html at 14:10 they show and lubricate this plastic sliding pin.
@@sierushop this valve is activated by a level of pressure caused by no loss of pressure through the lance when the lance leaver is released. I would only lubricate the valve with silicone grease. The rest of the switch should be dry as the grease here will pickup dirt causing it to stick and the nylon is self lubricating anyway. I repaired my k2 by just lubricating the white plastic valve. Hope this helps.
@@michaelroche6298 Thanks for your reply. I made a comment on this because when I looked up 'pressure relief valve' on pressure washers, I found something else.
Thanks for the info, Mine has worked faultlessy ever since whatever got stuck in the contacts was dislodged, If it happens again I will check and report.
in my case found a pressure sensor was stick and put some oil from the pipe that suck the soup and then worked fine
Good tip. Thanks.
I've tuned mine on but there's less pressure coming out of it. Please help me
Have you checked that the filter in the water input is clean?
Yes I have
Its clean
You were missing the relevance of the small section immediately adjacent to where the white plastic switch gear is. That can lock in the small recess and keep the power off. you reset it when you dissasembled.
sorry I cant upload a picture, but look at the video T 6:30 and note the diagonal plastic piece . next to the switch i.e. at teh intersection of the lines along your two thumbs. That diagonal piece is making and breaking the AC power contacts. In some circumstance it will lock in to a notch and then the power cant come on Maybe its a cheap pressure thing, or something current driven but it seemd to be the source of my problem
good luck everyone THese machines are prone to fault
Thanks, interesting. I will check it out.
Aaqrrghhh... mines just stopped working all 2gether... it's only been used 2 or 3 times.. At 1st the pressure started going funny...so I took out apart + gave it a shake about. Then I tried turning it on 2 c if it helped but didn't go on at all!! Wtf..help me
Have you checked the inlet filter isn't blocked with debris that has come down the inlet hose? That happens quite a lot...
Just opened mine up and 2 brushes have broken off completely. Does that mean I need a new motor? Cheers.
You should be able to get replacement brushes. There are many sizes and shapes but can easily be changed.
@@razenby I actually meant 2 segments off the commutator had broken off, not the brushes so I've ordered a new motor anyway see how it is once I've fitted it. Cheers
Water does not come out at all from my K2 ,I cleaned the filter but nothing still
Check the mains fuse in the plug and inspect the power lead for damage. Probably he trip needs resetting in the unit. There on plenty of videos on how to do this.
@@razenby The pump works when I plug it in and the fan works and everything but no water is sucked in.
My sons K4 has given up, the internal mains pressure switch spring has rusted and snapped, Karcher do not sell the spring separately, you have to buy the whole assembly including wire and plug all for a spring not much bigger than a biro spring but stiffer that costs about 10 to 20p, any ideas where to get one from ??
Springs are widely available. You will have to search around for a the correct or similar spring. Do you know if this is a common problem? I could whip the spring out of mine and publish its characteristics or get some made. I know springs - a lot of the mechanisms I designed had springs in them.
If it goes don't mess 😊
I agree... Still working so far...
Switch . I’ve had that before
If it goes again Ill take a close look at the switch.
The field windings don't have any resin coating on them. Overtime vibration will cause them to short out. Apply some apoxy coating on the field windings. Electrical engineer, red seal certified!
What is a red seal?
What's "apoxy"?!
🤣🤣🤣@@frfr335
I hate self fixing faults, you just know it will give up the ghost when you most need it!.
That switch had to be suspect.
They are annoying. I was expecting the fault to recur but the PW is still going strong and has had a ton of use since I made this the video.
Mine is leaking oil and and it a is running but not pumping water
Did it get frozen?
SOUNDS LIKE MINE, SAME MODEL
It was weird fault. Something was lodged in - probably a foreign object from the hose. The unit in the video just failed to power up whatever I did. Once we took it apart and fiddled with the switches it started to work and is still working 18 months later. The motor cuts out when the pressure is achieved so I assume that some hard object got stuck ion the pressure valve.
My soap dispenser on my watch isn’t working is there a way of unblocked?
Check the pipe isn't kinked and the filter is clear, The soap is only drawn in when you are in low pressure squirt mode. (Turn lance head so it spurts like a hosepipe and not a pressure washer)
The brushes become sticky when not used, sometimes a little tap free them up. I bet if you removed the brushes there will be a build up of crud in there, cheaply made tbh mate...
It is used every week and wast last used a few days before it refused to work. Watch this space.....
It probably didn't run because of the tripped air if you let the water run through the machine machine gir a few minutes it pushes out the tripped air and you will run
No, this model runs even if not connected to water.
Just repaired my Karcher k3 the plastic cylinder head split leaking water, it’s 4yrs old so 4 seasons of just washing patio. Cost £50 for head and elbow but head is same part number not modified so same problem is going to happen. In my naivety I thought karcher was German but looking at everyone’s faults it just Chinese plastic shyte !
Good info. Thanks. Mine is still working ...
Working on a metal table electric
Yes with 30 years of experience as an electrical design engineer working and debugging designs with deadly voltages and here I am!
Same here. Flimsy on off switch stuck in off position. Wonder how many people don’t strip it down and buy a new one instead… shitty design.
They aren't bad for the money. The tragedy is that a lot get scrapped due to minor problems.
Just bump it on the ground
Your Misses has a lovely voice.
Thanks.