A Troubleshooting Guide: Electric Impact Wrench Not Working

Electric impact wrenches are quite handy tools for automotive works. But these wrenches often can malfunction due to various problems. In such situations, you may wonder why your electric impact wrench not working?

An electric impact wrench may not work due to a faulty air hose, compressor tank, or maybe the tool built gunks. Fixing the air hose and compressor along with cleaning the tool can help prevent these problems. The solutions require detailed discussion.

We will talk about impact wrench repair troubleshooting throughout the article. In the end, we will also answer some of your questions related to impact wrench malfunction.

Problem and Solution: Electric Impact Wrench Not Working

When your impact wrench is not functioning properly, you may get worried. How do you test an impact wrench and fix it?

Different impact wrench problems require different solutions. Following are some of the ways to troubleshoot electric impact wrench not working:

Impact wrench working slowly

If you notice your impact is not working fast, you may ask yourself, why does my air impact wrench have a slow impact?

The possible reason why your impact is maybe because the wrench built gunk and grits. You need to clean your impact wrench to make it faster. Use grease solvent or oils to flush out all the debris from the wrench.

After cleaning the wrench, it should provide a better impact. Try to lubricate the wrench regularly before and after you use it to prevent such problems.

Another reason why electric impact wrenches may run slow can be because the ball bearings have worn out. You need to replace the obsolete ball bearings to get the optimum performance from your impact wrench.

Impact wrench has no power

Sometimes your impact wrench may not start at all. You may wonder, why does my air impact gun have no power?

Leak in the air hose can result in producing insufficient amounts of pressure. The impact wrench will not start at all without enough pressure.

Check the air pressure gauge to see if there is any leak in the hose and if it is attached properly with the impact wrench. Try to fix the leak if you find any.

Also, remove any excess air hose in your impact wrench. One air hose is enough for the tool, and using multiple air hoses can degrade the wrenche’s performance.

However, if you are using corded impact wrenches, make sure the power switch is on properly. You can opt for the best cordless impact wrenches for more convenient usage. 

Not enough torque on impact

When you have kept your impact wrench on the shelf for quite some time, corrosion can build up. Even if it’s a high-torque impact wrench, Rust affects its performance and may fail to produce enough torque.

Check for any sign of rust or corrosion on your impact wrench. Use high-quality lithium liquid lubricants to prevent rust building.

If there is no rust, you may need to adjust the regulator on the motor. Set it to the maximum setting and try to start your impact wrench again. Now it should provide you enough torque on impact. 

Impact air compressor leaking

Problems with air compressor tanks in impact wrench are quite common. Check your air compressor to see if any moisture is coming out. If yes, then probably there is a leak in the air compressor, or maybe the connection is not secured well.

Open the air compressor tank and drain all the water from there. Then secure the connection well and run the impact wrench for a few minutes. If there is still moisture, you may need to change the compressor tank.

Moisture coming out

Moisture can come out through airlines or hoses that are attached to your wrench. These lines are for transferring air, and water should not be there.

But if that’s the case, install a water filter to prevent water from getting into airlines. You also can install an air dryer in your impact wrench. Air dryers reduce the amount of moisture the wrench absorbs while running.

Impact wrench keeps spinning

How do you fix an impact wrench that keeps spinning? The most probable reason behind this is the O-ring on the trigger mechanism has leaks. Your impact wrench may always spin due to a leak.

Oiling is the best solution to stop the impact wrench from spinning. If that doesn’t solve your problem, you need to change the O-ring.

How do you clean an impact wrench?

Cleaning your impact wrench regularly is a great way to keep the wrench in good condition for a long time. You can clean the wrench with soft tissue paper every time you use it. Do not forget to lubricate before using the impact wrench.

How to make impact wrench more powerful?

If your impact wrench is not strong enough, you may want to make it powerful. Although modifying impact wrenches for higher performance is not recommended by experts, it is possible to do that.

Disassemble the impact wrench and pull out the motor and cylinder. Reshape the cylinder ports into a new design to make the impact wrench more powerful. Do not lose too much metal while reshaping.

How do you not over tighten with impact wrench?

The best way to not over-tighten with an impact wrench is to use the tool for only loosening bolts. If you want to tighten bolts with specific torque, using torque wrenches is a better option.

Do impact wrenches have torque settings?

Impact wrenches are high-torque wrenches for automotive works. There is no feature to adjust the torque on an impact wrench. You can add an additional torque adjustment adapter to control the torque.

Should I grease the inside of my air impact wrench?

To lubricate an impact wrench properly, you should grease the inside of the wrench. Open up the wrench without damaging any parts and carefully grease everywhere for optimum performance.

Final words

If you see any sign of an electric impact wrench not working, troubleshoot the tool using the above methods. You should get excellent performance from your impact wrench after troubleshooting.