karcher washer problem

[inafix]

Hi guys, I picked a Karcher 499m washer up the other day in the hope it may work.It looked in good shape but nothing happens when I tried it ie no power,any ideas what could be wrong please.

[paddywak]

First check the obvious, the fuse in the plug,damage to the cable, connections and the on/off switch. I've never looked at a pressure wash but is there a pressure switch so that you have to have the water ? You say you picked it up in the hope it would work but if it had been dumped it's probablly a hopeless case

[Iggle Piggle]

get a multimeter on the pins of the plug and check there is a reading with the switch on and no reading with switch off, if there is a reading with switch on, take unit apart and check the motor turns and is not siezed.
best help I can offer.

[Vagrant]

Not an expert, but have you got water connected? My Kaercher behaves as if it's dead when there's no incoming water.

[woodchopper]

Karcher should be spelt JUNK - sorry to be rude - they have a switch that sensors the pressure being altered when the trigger on the lance is depressed - it usually seizes up and needs to be stripped every now and again and lubricated - dont ask me what the switch is called - i dont know - i do know were it is located and how to strip it as I have had to do on my fathers karcher. The switch is a plunger type and acts directly on the on/off swiotch inside the machine. The tube that the plunger is located inside is made of alluminium which corrodes and so seizes the plunger.

[BertiWooster]

woodchopper

You must be mistaken - ther'e brilliant according to those people on the shopping channels

[buildersmate]

Karcher make a wide range of models, from budget to professional. I don't think it is fair to say they are all rubbish - if you hire one from a commercial operator it will be a Karcher in most cases and these people aren't renown for buying useless equipment for their businesses. The issue is that the cheaper models are built to a lesser standard and have relatively modest pressure. The Shopping Channels conveniently forget to mention this.

[woodchopper]

BM is right - i have no experience of the professional Karcher washers so I wont comment on those - but the cheaper ones for general diy are scrap - I have repaired at least 6 karcher washers ove the years and yet the one I purchased ( must be getting on near 20yrs now - jesus, I'm getting old ) has never given me trouble at ever - the make is KEW now known as ALTO. Several owners of them I have met and they say the same.

[MalcolmY]

I've got a Karcher pressure washer and it is absolutely wonderful!
If you haven't got the manual for yours you can use this link: http://www.karcher.co...or/k4/K%20499%20M.pdf

[inafix]

Hi guys,thank for all your advice,I have taken it to a repairer who as charged me £10 to open it up and he will let me know if it is worth repairing.I will let you know the outcome.

[trimbojd]

OK, I read everything here as exactly the same thing happened to me. For the record I am using a rainwater tank for my water supply (low pressure pump), i have an inlet Karcher filter fitted and bought my Karcher 499M in 2003. I was washing my car and all of a sudden the unit simply stopped working. I checked the water feed pressure from my rainwater tank and the water tank pump had stopped working. I re-started the water pump and pressed the nozzlle of the water gun and voila it worked straight away! I have always loved using this equipment and it has always been 100% reliable...