Thanks POC I also have one of these I was given, it can be temperamental but does what I need it to one the day, rubber O rings out of the fix-it tap kits does the job for most of the external business :)
You remind me of my old dad in his day he would repair almost anything, dying trade these days good to see there are still some people who can still work on stuff👍keep it up.
Good honest vid as always, Agree these are built to a low cost, they use the same pump and pressure heads etc on there cheap and "expensive" models with the same common problems. Mine KS1010B £45 from B&Q had 6 years of use before it "pulsed". Cost of bits prohibitive so i still use it at a lower pressure and does the job. 10w-40 oil is ok in these also light gear oil till that plate below the pistons is covered. Also the water filter in the inlet pipe is easy to clean and should be checked regularly. Miss things that can be stripped and repaired these days. (sounding like my dad)
Thank you sir! The water leak is coming from the three piston O rings area. I'm thinking that some thick silicone grease in there will help, if it's still bad I'll get some replacement rings. Also the rings on those metal pistons might need it too. The 'oil bath' - I was thinking of replacing that - was wondering what grease it is but as it's so expensive I'll leave it. The thing is that the top of the pistons, one is rusty and that discoloration has gone onto said grease. I think it's likely ok though. Maybe a bit dirty looking.
Thanks for the info, this is my forth Karcher (should know better), same old problem leaking like a sieve took apart and re-assembled with new parts, still leaks, time for a Gerni!!! cheers
I have a karcher m50 and had no pressure, so I popped it open and where the oil is supposed to be was like dirty grease all over the swash plate. I guess this washer is done for? I read it takes 20w oil.
Is it possible that anybody can help me? Towards the end of the video it was mentioned that there is an oil bath. I suspect that this particular section also contains gears that step-up the motor torque so that the pump is able to produce enough pressure. My oil bath is leaking. First question is; are seals available for this section of the device? Second question is; what is the oil capacity of the (what I suspect is) the gearbox? Many thanks in advance.
Excellent video. My K3 000 is leaking. I dismantled it and found there is a hairy crack on the plastic housing. I have used some PVC cement to heal it. Not sure if it will work.
To be honest I think manufactures today want things to fail after a given time and they often have this failure time down to a fine art. I think they do this to ensure future sales. The days of things being made to last are almost over in every industry. I have lost count of the things I have bought that that have failed within weeks or months of the guarantee running out.
+InTheNameOfJustice From my experience the aim is not to make things that fail, but to make things that are as cheap as possible to produce. The result, however, is exactly the same.
Bruce Boschek I used to think the same way Bruce but I decided to look into it and found that 'planned obsolescence' is indeed real. Building a weakness into a product restricts its life and so necessitates its replacement. Today this is manifesting itself in many electrical goods such as digital TV's, for example. It is clear that manufacturers are using faulty capacitors in vast amounts of TV's. These blow after a short time and most people replace the set rather than try to have it repaired because of the high costs involved. The makers of the sets are well aware that the capacitors are faulty, but because they tend to blow (like a fuse) and not pose any great risk of fire, they are happy to go on using them. By outsourcing manufacture to other lands, they can avoid liability themselves. Of course, there are other ways planned obsolescence can operate also. This article lists some of them: www.economist.com/node/13354332 [Edit] Here's another article talking about the same problem: www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/mar/23/were-are-all-losers-to-gadget-industry-built-on-planned-obsolescence Finally, I remember the change over from Windows 98 to XP and finding that none of my old hardware, printers, scanners, cameras etc worked any more. As a result, I and millions like me, were forced to help fill landfill sites with equipment that worked fine but that we could not use. Worse, we had to go out and spend a fortune replacing it all. It was and still is, an outrage that Microsoft were allowed to get away with it.
It seems to be the very nature of things. I remember my father and others complaining about Bakelite being junk. Then more modern plastics being junk. I would take either over the stuff made today. Much of it can't stand long use or exposure to the elements even on clear warm days. Even new O rings can be of poor quality. I find that when it comes to quality it can and will get worse. Sadly 20 years from now today's junk may be thought of as pretty good even with it's faults. Only because everything is worse.
I must've been lucky, I just replaced the 'O' rings on the high pressure hose fittings and it cured the 'pulsating' on mine :-) As others are saying, it does help if you 'winterise' them to protect them from freezing.
Great video, although I recently replaced the top part of the manifold on my K4 full control. Put it all back together as per how it was built and now it doesn't seem to be working. Basically if I switch it on with the lance off (and connected to a water supply), the motor will quite happily run, however when I replace the lance and press the trigger, it won't run at all. I had an idea that it could be the flowrate of the water not being high enough when running through the lance to trigger the motor but not sure what would be causing that. Does anyone have an idea on what could cause this? I bled it for around 6-7 mins switched off with water running through however its not helped.
Bit late now I guess, but I'd say there's a fair chance the lance or pistol grip has a blockage. The only way these units switch off at all is by building up max pressure (unless the pressure spring was overly compressed in the past due to freezing). I would try a straightened small paper clip to the nozzle and run it with no wand on it at first, just the pistol.
My pressure washer kärsher k 4.99 is running and dosent pulse or anything but it is not making any pressure? Just a little bit. And i have check all the common reasons like waterflow and things but i dont know what the problem is? Do you know?
here's a thought for all you karcher-frenzing tinkerers: I suspect that those plastic parts might be vulnerable to frost. And today most people don't really mind low temperatures... so think about your storage place twice. All in all in my opinion todayss karcher models are of VERY poor quality. I just exchanged a part for 65€ just to realize theres another broken plastic part! >-( And yes: We know why they make them in plastic! All the best, gramps! Hope you're doing well.
Great video thanks took mine apart yesterday and managed to spill quite a bit of oil out. Would I be OK to add more in. Or should I tip it out and fill it again?
Could you possibly patch those hairline cracks by routing them out with a burr and then applying epoxy? Never saw one of those things in my life, but it might just work. Or not, then one has learned something. Or maybe run a soldering iron over them? Just throwing out crazy ideas.
Hi, I onve tried repairing a lance with a hairline crack: no type of glue nor plastic solder I tried worked over 3 minutes. It's not ABS, nor propylene, it might be a variant but definitely not a straightforward nor lasting repair.
I have used 3m marine adhesive/sealant to fix manifolds/pumps with cracks. They too were made of nylon/glass plastic. Sand,clean,apply and let dry 24hrs. Have a pool pump with a cracked housing running 3 years now. Good luck.
Things are absolutely made to fail. There are many products that can be offered as proof. Take farm tractors for instance. There are still many old farm tractors from the 40's and 50's in regular use today, and which have never been overhauled or rebuilt. How many of today's brand new farm tractors do you think you'll see in 75 years?
I own an electric Karcher power washer that has no pressure when you squeeze the lever on the wand. How do I troubleshoot and repair that? Where do I find parts for them?
The nozziels determine the back pressure (spring loaded O rings in pump) and I have come across problems where people have replaced the lance/wand and the washer has failed to work properly yet failed to make the connexion ! ! just a thought
My B203 will only work when the water is connected, trigger pulled then the power turned on. As soon as the trigger is released, it wont go back into pressure. You have to turn it off, pull trigger then turn back on! Any ideas? Thanks
I bloody hate karcher pressure washers! We have them come in all the time! They are cheap to produce and sold to a huge profit! But I will say a lot of the problems are due to the customer leaving water in them in the winter and they freeze!! They should be flushed through with anti freeze for the winter.
+Martin Smith Martin, you're absolutely 100% right about this!! Usually these pressure washers are just carelessly left in the garden shed during wintertime and just like car engines, they like anti freeze to keep them healthy. If you don't give this to them and let them freeze up, they crack. The crack closes after thawing and there is nothing to be seen afterwards. But in effect the heart of the pump has been irreparably broken and no amount of fiddling with epoxy or working with a soldering iron will cure this. Why?? The pressure is on the inside, up to 140 Bar and pushes the cracks apart...
POC I think your thumb was leaking. Most appliances today are made very cheap and cannot be expected to last very long. That could be on purpose. =(;-) Of course they don't sell them cheap. The price of a washing machine and dryer has gone sky high for example. If you find a good brand, if, then keep with it. Thanks for sharing.
"POC I think your thumb was leaking" the leak at his thumb was not the leak he was trying to show. The leak he was trying to show is in the plastic pressure housing a couple inches away, little water/bubbles, not fine misty spray.
Hi. I have rebuilt by K4 Full Control with a complete new cylinder head (ie both parts) and the leak when under pressure has stopped. However when I connect the line and lance I am getting no pressure through the lance and the led display just says 'mix'. Do the two parts of the cylinder head have to go in a certain order or any other suggestions please?
@@CliveandJeanWesthi mate did you ever find the reason or cause? I did the same on mine replaced pump head housing and cylinder head, mine pulses now, when I run water through lance off the water splutters, I noticed air being sucked in through the detergent tube. Any advice would be appreciated.
It's all sitting on a box currently! I might try again with the detergent tube added just to eliminate that as the cause. If that fails then its time for a new power washer. Reading reviews on screwfix and toolstation they all seem to be rubbish!
@@poroldchap cheers, it's back running, all be it with a very slight leak. Luckily I have a spare machine which I've swapped the seals from. I agree with you. My daughter asked what pressure washer I would recommend? my reply was " not a Karcher". The thing is everyone else she asked said to buy Karcher! The boggles.
My Karcher unit just stopped working. Realizing how many people have the same issue makes we wonder why the manufacturer is still in business. Try buying the spare parts … they cost as much as a new unit.
Why do they make them in plastic , brilliant 👍🏴 , there is so many design weaknesses that’s easily fix using different materials on lots of our products, ah save money they say costs to much they say bull shit I say I will happily pay the extra just make goods that lasts
Don’t buy Karcher, I’ve had two fail in rapid succession. The second one I used twice. Broke it up scraps/ bits and the brushes on the electric motor had cracked and failed. Bought one a generic one from Homebase for £40, it’s noisy but still going strong after many uses.
I have a Karcher K3 wich was leaking water heavily. There was coming more water from the unit than out of the hose. I had the same issue you had in your video with the crack on the same side in the stearing head. It now works fine again with a replacement stearing head for now. But Karcher units seem to break every 2 or 3 years Max (and i only use the High Pressure washer like 4 times a year). Next one will be an other brand.
Good Video and thanks , I spent a whole day trying to fix this K3 piece of Junk . My advice , DO NOT waste any time trying to fix these machines , sling it in your vehicle and drop it off at the tip on your way to buy a new machine, perhaps a different make. Life is too short for trouble shooting these.
Mate,you made my day! That's what I got!I don't know if is worth buying the parts,and by the way,I found the seals that you say you can't buy!!!Isoo the plastic big piece is 32 pounds and the seals are 5 pound each,but the question of the day is,will that do it?Or I will need to buy more?And yes...we know why is made from plastic, because is fantastic and we need to buy more!:))
Thanks POC I also have one of these I was given, it can be temperamental but does what I need it to one the day, rubber O rings out of the fix-it tap kits does the job for most of the external business :)
You remind me of my old dad in his day he would repair almost anything, dying trade these days good to see there are still some people who can still work on stuff👍keep it up.
Pick up a spanner and follow in your dad's steps👍
Good honest vid as always, Agree these are built to a low cost, they use the same pump and pressure heads etc on there cheap and "expensive" models with the same common problems. Mine KS1010B £45 from B&Q had 6 years of use before it "pulsed". Cost of bits prohibitive so i still use it at a lower pressure and does the job. 10w-40 oil is ok in these also light gear oil till that plate below the pistons is covered. Also the water filter in the inlet pipe is easy to clean and should be checked regularly. Miss things that can be stripped and repaired these days. (sounding like my dad)
I appreciate the guy/engineer on that demonstration
Thank you sir!
The water leak is coming from the three piston O rings area.
I'm thinking that some thick silicone grease in there will help, if it's still bad I'll get some replacement rings.
Also the rings on those metal pistons might need it too.
The 'oil bath' - I was thinking of replacing that - was wondering what grease it is but as it's so expensive I'll leave it. The thing is that the top of the pistons, one is rusty and that discoloration has gone onto said grease. I think it's likely ok though. Maybe a bit dirty looking.
Thanks for the info, this is my forth Karcher (should know better), same old problem leaking like a sieve took apart and re-assembled with new parts, still leaks, time for a Gerni!!! cheers
I have a karcher m50 and had no pressure, so I popped it open and where the oil is supposed to be was like dirty grease all over the swash plate. I guess this washer is done for? I read it takes 20w oil.
Is it possible that anybody can help me? Towards the end of the video it was mentioned that there is an oil bath. I suspect that this particular section also contains gears that step-up the motor torque so that the pump is able to produce enough pressure. My oil bath is leaking. First question is; are seals available for this section of the device? Second question is; what is the oil capacity of the (what I suspect is) the gearbox? Many thanks in advance.
Excellent video. My K3 000 is leaking. I dismantled it and found there is a hairy crack on the plastic housing. I have used some PVC cement to heal it. Not sure if it will work.
Good job thanks for give ideas
You're GREAT !
Damn fine video....
Good job!
To be honest I think manufactures today want things to fail after a given time and they often have this failure time down to a fine art. I think they do this to ensure future sales. The days of things being made to last are almost over in every industry. I have lost count of the things I have bought that that have failed within weeks or months of the guarantee running out.
+InTheNameOfJustice From my experience the aim is not to make things that fail, but to make things that are as cheap as possible to produce. The result, however, is exactly the same.
Bruce Boschek
I used to think the same way Bruce but I decided to look into it and found that 'planned obsolescence' is indeed real. Building a weakness into a product restricts its life and so necessitates its replacement. Today this is manifesting itself in many electrical goods such as digital TV's, for example.
It is clear that manufacturers are using faulty capacitors in vast amounts of TV's. These blow after a short time and most people replace the set rather than try to have it repaired because of the high costs involved.
The makers of the sets are well aware that the capacitors are faulty, but because they tend to blow (like a fuse) and not pose any great risk of fire, they are happy to go on using them. By outsourcing manufacture to other lands, they can avoid liability themselves.
Of course, there are other ways planned obsolescence can operate also. This article lists some of them: www.economist.com/node/13354332
[Edit] Here's another article talking about the same problem: www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/mar/23/were-are-all-losers-to-gadget-industry-built-on-planned-obsolescence
Finally, I remember the change over from Windows 98 to XP and finding that none of my old hardware, printers, scanners, cameras etc worked any more. As a result, I and millions like me, were forced to help fill landfill sites with equipment that worked fine but that we could not use. Worse, we had to go out and spend a fortune replacing it all. It was and still is, an outrage that Microsoft were allowed to get away with it.
Check out the light bulb conspiracy with planned obsolescence.
100% right !
It's called "Planned obsolescence " in Product design, they all do it , cars especially ☹️
It seems to be the very nature of things. I remember my father and others complaining about Bakelite being junk. Then more modern plastics being junk. I would take either over the stuff made today. Much of it can't stand long use or exposure to the elements even on clear warm days. Even new O rings can be of poor quality. I find that when it comes to quality it can and will get worse. Sadly 20 years from now today's junk may be thought of as pretty good even with it's faults. Only because everything is worse.
you'll find a minor blockage of the lance nozzle will cause the same problem with most pressure washers I found to my annoyance !!!!
Very good!
How do you add oil
I must've been lucky, I just replaced the 'O' rings on the high pressure hose fittings and it cured the 'pulsating' on mine :-)
As others are saying, it does help if you 'winterise' them to protect them from freezing.
Great video, although I recently replaced the top part of the manifold on my K4 full control. Put it all back together as per how it was built and now it doesn't seem to be working.
Basically if I switch it on with the lance off (and connected to a water supply), the motor will quite happily run, however when I replace the lance and press the trigger, it won't run at all. I had an idea that it could be the flowrate of the water not being high enough when running through the lance to trigger the motor but not sure what would be causing that.
Does anyone have an idea on what could cause this? I bled it for around 6-7 mins switched off with water running through however its not helped.
Bit late now I guess, but I'd say there's a fair chance the lance or pistol grip has a blockage. The only way these units switch off at all is by building up max pressure (unless the pressure spring was overly compressed in the past due to freezing). I would try a straightened small paper clip to the nozzle and run it with no wand on it at first, just the pistol.
My pressure washer kärsher k 4.99 is running and dosent pulse or anything but it is not making any pressure? Just a little bit. And i have check all the common reasons like waterflow and things but i dont know what the problem is? Do you know?
if you have checked all the common reasons then sorry no
2:06 Best question ever! Even ever best ANSWER provided as well!!!
here's a thought for all you karcher-frenzing tinkerers: I suspect that those plastic parts might be vulnerable to frost. And today most people don't really mind low temperatures... so think about your storage place twice.
All in all in my opinion todayss karcher models are of VERY poor quality. I just exchanged a part for 65€ just to realize theres another broken plastic part! >-(
And yes: We know why they make them in plastic!
All the best, gramps! Hope you're doing well.
Great video thanks took mine apart yesterday and managed to spill quite a bit of oil out. Would I be OK to add more in. Or should I tip it out and fill it again?
just top it up
@@poroldchap thank you
Could you possibly patch those hairline cracks by routing them out with a burr and then applying epoxy? Never saw one of those things in my life, but it might just work. Or not, then one has learned something. Or maybe run a soldering iron over them? Just throwing out crazy ideas.
Hi, I onve tried repairing a lance with a hairline crack: no type of glue nor plastic solder I tried worked over 3 minutes. It's not ABS, nor propylene, it might be a variant but definitely not a straightforward nor lasting repair.
I have used 3m marine adhesive/sealant to fix manifolds/pumps with cracks. They too were made of nylon/glass plastic. Sand,clean,apply and let dry 24hrs. Have a pool pump with a cracked housing running 3 years now. Good luck.
great video...is Karcher K4 basic a full metal build including pump head, can you suggest a karcher PW with fully metal pump assembly.
I don't recommend any Karcher product ...
@@poroldchap Thanks for the update.
Things are absolutely made to fail. There are many products that can be offered as proof. Take farm tractors for instance. There are still many old farm tractors from the 40's and 50's in regular use today, and which have never been overhauled or rebuilt. How many of today's brand new farm tractors do you think you'll see in 75 years?
Forget karcher nilfisk all the way for me.
I own an electric Karcher power washer that has no pressure when you squeeze the lever on the wand. How do I troubleshoot and repair that? Where do I find parts for them?
Dose it leek? has it the original lance ? they are cheeply made yet blooming expensive for parts
It does not leak. What is a lance?
original nozzle ?
The wand has 2 nozzles that twist and lock into place. They may be original. What made you ask?
The nozziels determine the back pressure (spring loaded O rings in pump) and I have come across problems where people have replaced the lance/wand and the washer has failed to work properly yet failed to make the connexion ! ! just a thought
My B203 will only work when the water is connected, trigger pulled then the power turned on. As soon as the trigger is released, it wont go back into pressure. You have to turn it off, pull trigger then turn back on! Any ideas? Thanks
I don't know that model but guess it may have a pressure switch, or a mechanism that operates that switch, is not working
@@poroldchap thanks, I'll see if i can strip it down further. Oh she's an old karcher, about 20yr old
I'm not one to give up easily but karcher are "bloody awful" unreliable and grossly overpriced
@@poroldchap I'm not either haha, i can't see any pressure switch / mechanism either in the machine or the manual
I have a karcher k 3.86M leaking at the bottom of the pump
Give me a solution please.Thanks
I don't know that model but if its the large o ring that sits between the pump and swashplate casting then worth replacing, failing that bin it !
Good video. I second that, you cannot see these cracks. I'm sick of taking my Karcher apart to fix it. Just had this very issue.
Avoid Karcher plastic crap thats my advice
I bloody hate karcher pressure washers! We have them come in all the time! They are cheap to produce and sold to a huge profit! But I will say a lot of the problems are due to the customer leaving water in them in the winter and they freeze!! They should be flushed through with anti freeze for the winter.
+Martin Smith Martin, you're absolutely 100% right about this!!
Usually these pressure washers are just carelessly left in the garden shed during wintertime and just like car engines, they like anti freeze to keep them healthy. If you don't give this to them and let them freeze up, they crack. The crack closes after thawing and there is nothing to be seen afterwards. But in effect the heart of the pump has been irreparably broken and no amount of fiddling with epoxy or working with a soldering iron will cure this. Why?? The pressure is on the inside, up to 140 Bar and pushes the cracks apart...
POC I think your thumb was leaking. Most appliances today are made very cheap and cannot be expected to last very long. That could be on purpose. =(;-) Of course they don't sell them cheap. The price of a washing machine and dryer has gone sky high for example. If you find a good brand, if, then keep with it. Thanks for sharing.
"POC I think your thumb was leaking"
the leak at his thumb was not the leak he was trying to show. The leak he was trying to show is in the plastic pressure housing a couple inches away, little water/bubbles, not fine misty spray.
@@etherx8604 wow 6 years ago and you expect me to remember what this video was about?
Hi. I have rebuilt by K4 Full Control with a complete new cylinder head (ie both parts) and the leak when under pressure has stopped. However when I connect the line and lance I am getting no pressure through the lance and the led display just says 'mix'. Do the two parts of the cylinder head have to go in a certain order or any other suggestions please?
no sorry Ive given up on these they are complete rubbish , I don't bork at repairing most things but when it comes to krcher thats different
@@poroldchap Hahaha! I have taken it apart and rebuilt it several times so far so I will try once again before chucking it as far as I can!
@@CliveandJeanWesthi mate did you ever find the reason or cause? I did the same on mine replaced pump head housing and cylinder head, mine pulses now, when I run water through lance off the water splutters, I noticed air being sucked in through the detergent tube. Any advice would be appreciated.
It's all sitting on a box currently! I might try again with the detergent tube added just to eliminate that as the cause. If that fails then its time for a new power washer. Reading reviews on screwfix and toolstation they all seem to be rubbish!
@@CliveandJeanWest Clive does your pressure washer pulsate aswell?
Just found a crack in one of the piston ring rubber seals. Wish me luck it fixes the leak 😆
get the right size o ring and your in with a good chance . worth a try .anything else bin it ! Krcher are all plastic crap ...
@@poroldchap cheers, it's back running, all be it with a very slight leak. Luckily I have a spare machine which I've swapped the seals from.
I agree with you. My daughter asked what pressure washer I would recommend? my reply was " not a Karcher". The thing is everyone else she asked said to buy Karcher! The boggles.
My Karcher unit just stopped working. Realizing how many people have the same issue makes we wonder why the manufacturer is still in business. Try buying the spare parts … they cost as much as a new unit.
karcher is a prime example of todays shortsighted manufacturing ethos
Made to break. Not old German quality anymore. Pretty sad.
Why do they make them in plastic , brilliant 👍🏴 , there is so many design weaknesses that’s easily fix using different materials on lots of our products, ah save money they say costs to much they say bull shit I say I will happily pay the extra just make goods that lasts
Don’t buy Karcher, I’ve had two fail in rapid succession. The second one I used twice. Broke it up scraps/ bits and the brushes on the electric motor had cracked and failed.
Bought one a generic one from Homebase for £40, it’s noisy but still going strong after many uses.
What’s the name of the top piece of the cylinder head that had the crack in called please I’ve just found a crack in mine👍
sorry I don't know, take the part with you ..
Nowhere to take it to I will have to get it online. I’ve got the K5.55 model. Thanks for the video 👍
I will never buy another Karcher, !
@@poroldchap I totally agree with you!
Manifold assembly (control head).
Is that part expensive?
I have a Karcher K3 wich was leaking water heavily. There was coming more water from the unit than out of the hose. I had the same issue you had in your video with the crack on the same side in the stearing head. It now works fine again with a replacement stearing head for now. But Karcher units seem to break every 2 or 3 years Max (and i only use the High Pressure washer like 4 times a year). Next one will be an other brand.
I haven't tried one but "direct hoses all black 8 power washer" is worth looking at ..
Good Video and thanks , I spent a whole day trying to fix this K3 piece of Junk . My advice , DO NOT waste any time trying to fix these machines , sling it in your vehicle and drop it off at the tip on your way to buy a new machine, perhaps a different make. Life is too short for trouble shooting these.
Mate,you made my day! That's what I got!I don't know if is worth buying the parts,and by the way,I found the seals that you say you can't buy!!!Isoo the plastic big piece is 32 pounds and the seals are 5 pound each,but the question of the day is,will that do it?Or I will need to buy more?And yes...we know why is made from plastic, because is fantastic and we need to buy more!:))
I would never buy another Karcher