I ( a small 50ish woman, with modest mechanical skills) bought myself a Mantis mini tiller, with the 2 stroke engine. I assembled it last night, using the instructional dvd included, and it all went just fine. I put the proper gas/oil mixture in, and following the instructions, started it up and tilled a bit just to say I could! Tonight, I attempted the same amazing feat, and flooded the engine. This wasn't terribly surprising, in my experience with lawn care equipment, but I was disappointed. Anyone have any cool tricks or suggestions for me to be able to start this beast consistently and easily. I did spring for the fast start model, which makes this even more ironic. I will note that I have NOT gotten it to start YET this evening. I plan to just leave it be until maybe tomorrow, to let the gas evaporate and try it again. (It was too hot to till anyway, damn it.)
posted by LaBellaStella
on May 16, 2013 -
10 answers
My 1998 Volvo S70 has been making an audible whirring/grinding noise when driving and braking. It's intermittent (though lately, it's been happening daily), unable to replicate reliably, occurs when driving at slower speeds (less than 35 mph), and occurs multiple times within the first 15 minutes or so of turning the car on and driving. No dashboard lights have shown up and the mechanic can't replicate the problem or figure out what's happening. What's going on? (additional details inside)
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posted by lea724
on May 16, 2013 -
6 answers
I seen this oil at home depot called "Powermate Non-Detergent 4-Cycle Engine Oil - 10W30" my oil knowledge is at a beginner level but I thought multiweight oils were a emulsion. How do they make a 10w30 oil if there is no detergent in it?
posted by john123357
on Apr 29, 2013 -
7 answers
My 2005 Honda Civic 5 Speed has a recent history of being serviced. (More inside.) Now it idles at 1200 rpms. The shop says to call them on Monday if the car hasn't adjusted back to normal. My question is: really?
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posted by little_dog_laughing
on Apr 13, 2013 -
9 answers
A few months ago, my car's check engine light came on. They fixed it, it came back on again, they fixed it again, and now it's back on. I'm looking for possible explanations so I'm more prepared when I take it back yet again.
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posted by misskaz
on Mar 29, 2013 -
33 answers
All the literature on the
Salamander from Fahrenheit 451 has been burned. Where can I find more information about the Salamander that was built for the 1966 film?
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posted by boba
on Dec 7, 2012 -
2 answers
Serpentinebeltfilter Some coolant, not a ton of it, leaked from the water pump, got on the serp belt and another, both of which are pretty new. The shop, which has not been impressing me at all, alleges that both need to be replaced because the coolant got on 'em. Some measure of evidence on the Internet that belt damage is quite rare even when belts are doused with coolant (and I never got a low-coolant warning so it wasn't a staggering amount). What say you?
posted by ambient2
on Nov 10, 2012 -
7 answers
Help me prepare for "Geo for Good Down Under" at Google HQ Australia. Details on my spatial tech knowledge inside.
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posted by micklaw
on Oct 23, 2012 -
2 answers
My 1998 Nissan Sentra GXE (1.6L) has been acting up for the past few weeks, in decreasing degrees of severity. After a varied set of problems and repairs, the engine now hesitates at random, more often when idling than when driving. It sounds like it's about to die completely and then returns to normal in a second. What the heck is going on?
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posted by summerteeth
on Sep 14, 2012 -
12 answers
How important is Google PageRank in relation to the updates in recent months with regard to Google Panda?
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posted by MrMerlot
on Sep 12, 2012 -
6 answers
Where can I find information about the engine specifications of a car down to its manufacturer and model number?
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posted by jacobw
on Aug 23, 2012 -
5 answers
My car is doing something kind of alarming, intermittently. I'd love to get some guesses as to whether I need to see a transmission specialist or not before I take it somewhere.
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posted by restless_nomad
on Jul 24, 2012 -
12 answers
Our car – a 2003 Honda Civic DX stick-shift – has started to make a rattling/ticking/whirring noise when it accelerates. Can we still safely drive it?
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posted by scruss
on Jun 19, 2012 -
13 answers
[DifficultGiftFilter] My fiancé is one of those techie guys (software architect/developer) who already has all the latest gadgets and is generally hard to shop for. However, one of his most prized possessions is a beautiful little stirling engine. What are some other cool little machines that he might appreciate?
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posted by paralith
on Dec 15, 2011 -
26 answers
Catastrophefilter. Auto shop just called, say Subaru has seized engine. Baffling, because no warning signs. ~$5,000 for new one. Options?
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posted by Alaska Jack
on Nov 28, 2011 -
27 answers
What size of truck engine is ideal to pull a twin axle boat trailer (we have a Supra wakesurfing boat)...does Toyota make a viable option?
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posted by AegeanBlue
on Nov 25, 2011 -
13 answers
Partly on AskMe's advice, I bought a 2006 Miata. Got a good deal and love it, including the exhaust note. Road, tire and engine noise are part of the deal, I know, but they're louder than I'd like. Can you suggest fixes?
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posted by fivesavagepalms
on Nov 19, 2011 -
9 answers
What's a reasonable price for having the engine of a 2004 Jeep Liberty replaced in Northern New Jersey?
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posted by thudthwacker
on Sep 28, 2011 -
10 answers
Considering buying an old pickup truck (Hilux), and teaching myself how to maintain/repair it. Where to begin?
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posted by MetaMonkey
on Sep 3, 2011 -
9 answers
Car geeks: I'm having trouble identifying
this knock [.MOV on Dropbox] in the engine of my 1991 Dodge Spirit. It sounds a bit like a clicking sound, except it turns out to be a wheeze when it gets worse. I've just replaced one of the valve rocker arms because it turned out to be broken. I also Do you know what might be causing this?
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posted by koeselitz
on Jun 5, 2011 -
18 answers
Are there resources on the internet where I can find information about what's under the hood of my car? I just feel that being a man and all I should have a good idea of what I'm looking at when I pop the hood of my car. I just want to learn the basics and maybe get a better idea of how stuff works under there. I have a Honda and a Toyota, and I know things are built differently under there, but if there's anything specific to those two then that would be preferable.
posted by fiestapais
on Apr 21, 2011 -
14 answers
Are you an automotive engineer? Do you design engine control module firmware? Do you know or love someone who does? How is that firmware actually written?
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posted by TheNewWazoo
on Apr 9, 2011 -
17 answers
I have a 1982 kz750 LTD (inline 4) with stock parts. For about the last three months, the engine RPM has increased 1-2k when i apply the clutch. Additionally, over the course of about an hour, the idle RPM will increase to around 3.5k.
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posted by casconed
on Jan 13, 2011 -
9 answers
My 2005 VW Golf 1.9 litre TDI has started making an odd noise. It doesn't start until maybe 5 seconds after having started the engine and appears to be loudest around the area near the alternator.
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posted by Transparent Yak
on Dec 12, 2010 -
7 answers
2000 Toyota Camry is having engine overheating issues - what is causing them?
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posted by abdulf
on Nov 5, 2010 -
21 answers
How often, and for how long, should I turn over my car's engine in order to preserve the battery?
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posted by Biru
on Sep 6, 2010 -
21 answers
2001 Toyota corolla (75k) makes a whirring/grinding noise which is clearly coming from the passenger side of the engine compartment. Noise stops when actively turning the steering wheel. Noise is present when idling and moving forward. It's also getting louder from day to day.
Any thoughts? I'll be taking it to a mechanic but mine is closed for the holiday weekend. Can I safely keep driving this?
posted by jz
on Jul 2, 2010 -
9 answers
Is there a program to search a document in a program that does not have a search function?
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posted by esnyder
on Jun 4, 2010 -
8 answers
Can a used car dealer reprogram the engine computer to suppress error codes from the check engine light?
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posted by buzzv
on May 26, 2010 -
4 answers
My daughter's car ruptured a radiator hose. I replaced it, and now it's not running properly. Help!
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posted by doh ray mii
on May 13, 2010 -
19 answers
To SEO people out there ... is it possible to manipulate a small business website to push the business up Google's rankings and get it onto the first page of results?
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posted by chairish
on Apr 27, 2010 -
22 answers
PracticalSkillFilter: Looking for ways to quickly/systematically learn practical diesel engine repair, basic electronics, fiberglass or woodworking techniques in/near Raleigh NC.
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posted by DetonatedManiac
on Apr 3, 2010 -
4 answers
I have a 2000 (~30,000 miles) Ford Mustang Convertible. Other than the engine it is in good condition.
Is it worth getting a new/rebuilt engine?
(I am in the Minneapolis, MN area)
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posted by santogold
on Feb 1, 2010 -
7 answers
