Toilet doesnt completely flush - ever!

My downstairs toilet just spins the water and pulls down some of the "contents" with each flush. Once in a blue moon it flushes completely (1 in 50 flushes). I tryed an auger to clear it without any luck. Its been like this since I bought the house a year ago and who knows how long it was like this before.
Any advice?

Take a bucket of water (3-4 gallons) and pour it in to the bowl. If it goes down normaly like it should it is a sign that the toilet most likely needs to be replaced. In my area toilets will lime up over time and that is what happens when they do. If it doesn't go down normaly when you pour the water in, and backs up, you can try augering the toilet.

If it used to flush well it is likely that the passages for the water delivery system to the bowl from the tank are constricted due to salts depositing over time. I have had some luck using CLR or other acid-type materials in removing the deposits. It may take several treatments, but it is worth a try.

If it is a older toilet and it is an early generation low flush I wouldn't spend any time on it. Get a new toilet! I have had great luck with Kohler's Wellworth - I've installed 20 of them in our summer camp and not one has given me troubles!

Before you buy a new toilet, open up a coat hanger and look for the water jet that is probably in the bottom of the bowl under the water. Poke the wire into that opening and look to see if you see debris coming out. Then clean out the rim flush. another thing you can do is to put a gallon of meuratic acid into the overflow pipe in the tank. wait 1/2 hr. and then flush.

The next move would be to replace that darn toilet....

I've had great success with the muriatic acid method. I pour half through the overflow in the tank and the other half in the bowl to dissolve any buildup in the siphon jet and discharge outlet. Protect your skin, make sure you have excellent ventilation and leave the area to ensure minimum exposure to the fumes.

This will work but I recomend you pull the toilet and do it out doors. The fumes are very dangerous and can harm your lungs. Muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid diluted to a specific baum) is exothermic (creates heat). Under the right conditions it could crack a bowl and you would have acid water all over the floor. Not a position I would care to be in.

Read the warning label.

When you lift up the tank cover, what does the water level in the tank look like? If it is pretty low, you may just need your fill valve adjusted or replaced. Or, perhaps, the flapper is closing too soon and not allowing enough water out of the tank to get a good flush. Flappers can be adjusted to close quickly or slowly.

Flush the toilet with the tank cover off and see how much water is actually getting out of the tank before the flapper closes.. Try filling your tank up with water and flushing down some toilet paper. Hold the lever down until all the water is gone. If it flushes okay, then the problem is either in your fill valve or your flapper. If it still flushes poorly, then I agree with all the other posts.

Eric