Hi I'm new here. a few months ago i went to ride in upstate ny I've been leaving my atv there for years but this time some scumbags broke in. I have a yamaha beartracker 04 and it would not start at all. I think they put some bad gas in it or something. I drained the tank and finally got it running with starter fluid. after a while it ran that day but it was bogging and it's sat in my garage ever since. Now it won't run again it will start run for a second then it stalls it almost sounds like it's knocking. I think they might have messed with the mixture screw too. I'm so pissed these bastards stole all my gear, destroyed our camper and my quad is all f'd up. Please help me.

 

wow who knows what they could have done...hopefully they didnt put beebee's in the crankcase or something. but b4 u do anything change the oil, sparkplug, and get new gas and try using some seafoam in the gas tank they might have put diesel or salt, sugar or something in the gas tank. who knows but thats what i would do. did they acutally ride it? or did they jus tamper with it?

 

I don't think they rode it cause I had the fuse out for that reason. They tried to hot wire it though. There was on old can of half gas half rain water in the woods I hope to god they didn't put that in. Where can I get sea foam?

 

Start with the basics. Dump everything. Pull the tank off and clean it. Replace fuel filters, and you may want to consider replacing the petcock.
Rebuild the carb and replace the needle valves. If you leave it for any time with gas in it, you could just have a plugged/gummed up carb. When you close down for the season, make sure you turn the gas off and let it run until it burns up all the gas in the float bowl. Also, I have had spiders build nest in a fuel line before, and I have had mice make a nest in the air filter. That will ruin your day...

Sorry for your loss. I'd consider taking it home this time. They know it is there now and will be back.

 

its a cleaner for your engine its in a red can and there at wal mart and autozone and few other stores it cleans the carb and engine up real good, and it smokes in the process due to burning all the crud off.

 

Thanks guys will do only question is what's a petcock?

 

Welcome to the forums rootrider.

Sorry to hear about the quad. The petcock is the on/off switch for the gas. Should be on the left side just under your tank. Not sure on that model, but it could be under the left front fender too.