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Petrol Hedgetrimmer - Engine Damage?

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sfby | 08:26 Thu 21st Aug 2014 | Home & Garden
6 Answers
In a senior moment I miscalculated the ratio of petrol / oil for my hedgetrimmer (should have been 50:1, but ended up more like 10:1). I did get it started, but it would only idle with the choke out, and would die whenever I tried to use it. Once I realised my mistake, I emptied the fuel tank & replaced with the proper mix, and got it working properly for a while, but once I'd let it cool down, couldn't get it started again.

Question is - am I likely to have done any damage to the engine by letting it idle for 10 mins before realising my error?

Supplementary query - any suggestions for getting rid of the incorrect mix I took out of the tank (about 700ml)? Can't pour it away anywhere, or use it in anything else at that mix...

TIA
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Have you looked at the spark plug? Check for lots of carbon, clean it and try again. Doubt that you've done permanent damage.

The fuel can have petrol added to it to return to the correct one to fifty mix. Do you need help in calculating that?
I always used to find that mixing two stroke was a pain in the proverbial, that is until I found that I could buy small pre-measured bottles that you can just add to a 5lt can of petrol and its job done! no calculating required.
These small throw away bottles (that I buy are produced by Stihl).

As for what to do with the your dodgy fuel mix, maybe you can contact, Environmental services, at your local council, who should be able to help.
Good luck.
Just add 2.9 litres of unleaded to the 700m @ 10:1...you should have a 50:1 mix.....ish
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Thanks all for your help - my 10:1 figure for the fuel that came out was only a guesstimate, as there was already some correct mix in from last time I used it, so TBH it could be any ratio - probably best to chuck & start again
just add a little of the incorrect mix in each refill, it will soon go and as the mix isn't an exact science you won't do any harm. Otherwise stick it in an old petrol car on top of a full tank of fuel, you'll not notice !
Just add the incorrect mix to your car's gasoline (ooops... petrol) tank...

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