Problem Solving With 5-Step Method

This is probably the most common method used when it comes to troubleshooting. A bit of vanilla ice cream but it works and works fairly well. Unlike the scientific method which deals with formulating a hypothesis and then testing the hypothesis to prove or disprove something this method works on just getting an answer to problem. It is very likely that there will be many cycles of this 5 step method to fully solve the problem due multiple issues.

Document known info / unknown info Gather absolutely everything you can Determine best solution from info gathered Think about best possible solution Isolate unknown issues / problems Think before acting on solution and predict Try solution / resolve problem (repeat if necessary) Document Solution A critical and often ignored step

I enjoy mowing my mansion on Saturday mornings. It thrills me to no end that I get out on my riding lawn mower and mow. Especially, since I got my riding lawn mower from the trash, though I prefer to call it curbside shopping. That is a story for another time but a good troubleshooter can get quite a bit of cool stuff with minor tinkering. Oh ok, I admit it I found a picture of a home with a nice yard and claimed it as mine. Truth be told, I do not live in a mansion, probably never will and I really hate mowing the yard. But I did get my riding lawn mower from the trash, only thing wrong with it, a flat tire.

Fig E (left) Fig I (right) I start mowing and of course it is hot and humid. It is Sunday afternoon and I really do not want to be out mowing. It rained all day Saturday and the grass was really tall. I get the mower out of the shed and it starts up and I start mowing. 20 minutes into mowing, it starts sputtering and finally it dies. Pushing in the choke, it starts up and I mow for another few minutes again it repeats the sputtering and then dies. I again close the choke, it fires up, sputters and dies. I go in get a drink and return later. IT starts but it will only run with the choke. So I do what any sensible person would do, I start mowing the yard with the chock on. Mow for a few minutes and then it dies again. Pushing the damn think to the garage and start diagnosing what the problem is.

Step 1: Known / Unknown It runs for a bit then quits It is hot Check oil level it is ok Suspect fuel line is clogged Suspect the carburetor is dirty

Step 2: Determine best solution It appears that the carburetor is dirty. I get some carburetor and choke cleaner and spray out the entire chock and carburetor area.

Skip Step 3 and immediately try it out. It runs but only with the chock on. So I do the next logical thing, I try mowing the yard. Well, that got me no where. Except it is now stalled in the front yard and I push the damn $#%@ing thing back to the garage. Now it feels like 200 degrees and I am now pissed it will not work.

Round 2

I repeat Step 1: Known / Unknown It runs for a bit then quits It is hot Check oil level it is ok Suspect fuel line is clogged Suspect the carburetor is dirty

Step 2: It has to be the fuel line is clogged and it is not getting enough fuel. So I am going to pull the fuel line off the carburetor and see if fuels flows.

Skip step 3 again, and immediately pull of the fuel line. Ah, this is nice the fuel line is right next the extremely hot muffler. As I proceed to take the fuel line off is sprays gas all on the hot muffler. Nice!

I put the fuel line back on and fire up the riding mower. Boom a loud backfire occurs. Well at least it started. But it is not running right. Round 3

I repeat Step 1: Known / Unknown It runs for a bit then quits It is hot Check oil level it is ok Suspect fuel line is clogged Suspect the carburetor is dirty Fig F

I have no new leads in the known/unknown category. Well Now I am back to the beginning. What to do? I know it is getting fuel, and the carburetor is clean. Obviously, the carburetor is not adjusted correctly. So that means it is time to start adjusting the carburetor.

Step 2: Ignoring thinking of known/unknown I immediately proceed to turning screws on the carburetor.

Again skip step 3 and try moving the screws. It now no longer runs with the chock. This time it is totally FUBARed. I set the adjustments back to the original position and go inside and complain.

Round 4

I return to the garage and now apply logic and patience to the problem. Starting with step 1.

Step 1: Known / Unknown It runs for a bit then quits It is hot Check oil level it is ok Suspect fuel line is clogged Fuel flows but is there a blockage? Suspect the carburetor is dirty Carburetor may be dirty of piece of debris is still in there? Adjustment of carburetor is off? Gasoline is funky

Clearly there is more known/unknown than meets the eye. Here is what is truly bothering me. It did run and run well. Then it went bad. It still could be dirty. Or it could be clogged though now unlikely. Or it can be bad gasoline.

Step 2: Determine best solution I believe a simple test of removing existing gasoline and adding fresh will provide me clues to a direction to go.

Step 3: Isolate unknown issues I am going to collect the gas from tank and inspect it. I am going to start the lawn mower and try running the new gas into the carburetor and observing what is occurring.

Step 4: Try solution It took nearly a full minute to work the new gas into the system. But once it did the engine sputtered with the chock and then ran full tilt boogie with the chock in the off position. I also look into the bucket with the old gas and there it is. Water mixed with the fuel. Fig G

Step 5: Documentation I go to the shed and retrieve the owners manual and document replacement of gas, cleaned carburetor and fuel line inspection. I notice that I am standing on a puddle of water. Hmm guess this explains the water. WHAT DID I LEARN

I made some serious mistakes in my approach with the 5 step method. I followed the method, half assed, and got burnt. A very characteristic mistake is not taking the time to do it correctly. First my mind was not totally focused on the problem. It was hot, I did not want to mow and having this problem only made things worse.

Second I rushed judgment on possible known and unknowns. No time was spent about the gasoline. I immediately assumed clogged hose. Good idea but not the problem.

Third error, I messed with settings because I could. This is the worst mistake to make. There was no indication what so ever that the adjustments on the carburetor needed to be adjusted. There is no reason these would magically adjust in the middle of mowing. Why did I monkey with them? Because I could not help it. It was very tempting to adjust. I have no tools, no real experience on proper adjustments of the carburetor, so why monkey with it?

Fourth error, forcing a fix that was an unrealistic solution. I was hot and bothered and I was only looking to get down. I tried to beat the problem into submission instead it continued to get me. I beat myself.

HOW TO IMPROVE

Let me say that hindsight is 20/20. Of course it is easy to read about a fix and go oh yeah that is how it should be done. I do not regret my first trials. My mistake was adjusting the carburetor. I needed to see the pattern that the gas was a key figure to both avenues of thought. My saving grace was I marked and clearly indicated all positions of the screws I was turning. That way I returned them to the original position. There is a chance that the adjustments would have help the mower run on the poor gas and then weeks down the line when I add more clean gas the problem comes back because now the mower is set to run and crappy gas. The cycle never ends. A few weeks after all of this it acted up again. None of the above was the fix. No it was because the butterfly valve for the choke was dirty and sticking. While there was probably water this was not the original error. Aghhh Problem Solving With 5-Step Method Worth 15 points

You have been given an item to fix. Document the follow steps to derive an answer to the problem. Be clear and short but do not cut corners.

Document known info / unknown info Gather absolutely everything you can Determine best solution from info gathered Think about best possible solution Isolate unknown issues / problems Think before acting on solution and predict Try solution / resolve problem (repeat if necessary) Document Solution A critical and often ignored step

Step1: Document of Info Known Unknown 1. ______1. ______2. ______2. ______3. ______3. ______4. ______4. ______

Step 2 and Step3: Determine best solution to the problem.

Solution #1 ______Possible drawbacks 1.______2. ______Possible advantages 1. ______2. ______

Solution #2 ______Possible drawbacks 1.______2. ______Possible advantages 1. ______2. ______

Step 4 Try out solution. Step 3 Look for unknown issues

Solution #1 or #2 (circle ether one)

What happened? Or Did not happen. ______New problems or developments with the solution you tried? ______Step 5: Documentation

Write a description of the problem, your solution and specific observations on the procedure that you did. Include how you know the problem is fixed.

______