So I recently picked up a polaris xplorer 250 and am having a few issues; I'll list them below and see what you guys think.
Won't start without giving it a little throttle
Won't idle for more than 10-15 seconds. If I bump the throttle every 10 secs I can keep it idling for ever
I'm leaking gas from somewhere but have no idea where from. I went through about 5-6 gallons of gas this weekend and probably only rode a total of 2 hours. It's not blowing any gas out the muffler, it's stinky but no dampness.
Loaded it up and drove it home today and it really didn't want to start at all when I got home...took about 3 minutes of cranking waiting cranking waiting, etc.
It runs flawlessly with exception to the idle

And the other weird thing, not sure if its supposed to be like this or not but when I put it in neutral, the light on the dash still indicates R for reverse and is limited on the revs as if it were in reverse.

Thanks for the thoughts and opinions.
I was thinking of starting with a carb rebuild.

 

Think you're right on the carb kit,plus make sure you don't have too much slack at the thumb throttle. 1/8" maximum slack,much more the etc contacts can touch and it wont idle. Polaris Xplorer 250 Carburetor Carb Repair Rebuild Kit 2000 Moose 10030080 | eBay
Check the wiring on the gear position sensors on the transmission. You can remove these and check that the plastic levers haven't broken. Also all it may need is to adjust the linkage a little. Just have it in neutral,pull the rod ends from the gear shift box and adjust to where both arms drop straight back into the levers with no pulling or resistance. http://www.cyclepartswarehouse.com/f...2001&fveh=5538 http://www.cyclepartswarehouse.com/f...2001&fveh=5538

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I ordered the carb kit...I'll check back in after I finish that project.

 

Any idea why I am using so much? I sat the machine with paper under it for the last few hours to see if its leaking and didn't see anything. What would cause this and where the heck is it going?

 

To start off with a two stroke will use more fuel than a four stroke. This was a common complaint I heard for years. Just the nature of the beast. Also gas can just go into the crank case if the fuel valve is left on the older models. Always turn the valve off after use. On your first post, the 3 minutes it took you to crank it could be from a crank case full of fuel. When ever you suspect this has happened, just hold the throttle wide open to help clear any excess gas and it should start easier.Install the carb kit and hopefully you'll see a difference.Plus on a used machine I'd always do a compression test to see what shape the top end is in.

 

Alright, I found my gas leak. I know the arrow is hard to see in the picture but it is pointed at the main gas line into the carb. The metal thingy that the hose connects to is very lose and can be pulled in and out; is this supposted to be attached (welded) to the carb or is it just pressed in?

 

Are these hoses supposed to be connected to something?



Please bear with me, this is a first at working on a carb. Thanks

 

You gotta mess Bubba First off you can use a lot of gas that way Just take a small dab of JB Weld 5 minute epoxy lightly around the fuel inlet and stick it back in. Problem solved on that. The two lines are just vent lines. By the looks of it you need some new ones. Any auto store should have about 3 foot of 3/16" plastic tubing. Just route enough on each vent outlet to where it can tuck under the tank a little. You can zip tie them to the throttle/choke cable to secure them. Throw that "T" as far away as you can throw it and install a single drain/overflow hose on the bottom of the carb bowl. Put the carb kit in for good measure,probably needs it any way..

 

Great, thanks for the help. I was losing about a gallon / night if I let it sit with the fuel on and lose a lot more while riding!

How about chain adjustment? On this 2001 xplorer? Loosen the two bolts in the rear, loosen the caliper bolt.....then what? I can't find any specifics for the 2001. Some say just roll it back and forth, some say I need a 2.5in wrench to turn the housing; beats the snot out of me. Oh yeah, I also read that I may or may not need to depress the rear shock?
Thanks in advance

 

Also with the JB weld, I imagine it has to be cleaned & dry and how do u keep JB from being pushed into the carb?