i have a 01 250 and lately it has been real hard to start. about a month ago, it wuld start slow when it was below freezing( i would have to hold the button for about 12 seconds giving it gas) but it would start. now, i had it in the garage yesterday, with the heat on for about 45 minutes and the battery charger on it and had a new plug in and it would barely start, had to hold the buttong for about 30 seconds and it slowly turned over faster and faster and eventually started. today, it wouldnt even start. i am pretty sure the valve needs to be re adjusted or something with the timing. any ideas?? also, it will idle when the engine is hot for about 8 seconds and them it will die real slowly. any ideas?

 

If the starter is turning over the motor slowly and gets faster and faster, it ain't the engine, timing or valves. Either the battery is weak(the charger maybe no help) or the starter is bad or you have connection problems. By not starting today, I assume, bad thing to do, that the motor is not turning over fast enough to start. BTW never ever touch the throttle when starting a 250 cold, all you will do is delay or cause a no start, Chokw on and crank. Try leaving the charger on when you try starting and on a start position if the charger has one. Check all connections to tightness on the battery, frame and starter and solenoid.

 

hey
I'm new to quads, but I know engines. You did not say how much below freezing. But if the battery can turn the engine for that long a period it may not be the battery. Low temps and wrong oil makes for difficult starting, also bad gas (water in gas) or gummed carb. All you need to have for ignition fire is a good spark and time (no popping through carb or exhaust) and the right fuel and air mix. Wrong temps and real low oil will start an engine but as soon as it heats up wants to shut down. Just before cease. Bear is right don't hit the throttle when fully choked (if it's working auto or manual)check that out too!
Hope it helps
1st

 

well, the carb is cleaned, and the i just did an oil changed about 3 weeks ago, and i did not barely do any riding between then and noe, maybe 7 hours. it was about 20's today and it didnt start until i put a reddi heater right up to the engine until it got warm and then it still took a little while to get going. i doubt there is any water in the gas. and i cleaned the spark plug when i put it in the garage(used a sand blaster sprak plug cleaner).

 

I had a similar prob with my motorcycle. My carbs were gummed up. Hard to start rough idle loss of power when riding. I drained the bowls and cleaned the carbs (what a chore that was a six cyl Valkyrie) problem gone. How old is the gas?

 

Sand blasting a spark plug is the quickest way I know of to make it no good. Always, and I mean always put a new plug in, never sand blast a plug. Plugs are cheap and need changing about once a year, unless you do something bad to it. New plug and then see what happens. (I still think you have a starter problem)

 

I don't know enough about quads to know how many or if they even have any vacuum controls but a vacuum leak will give the same MO

 

hey bear
where were you when I asked whodat what should be the next big big single rider bike I should buy with the best rack system and depenability pls don't say the H1

 

1st; Not paying attention? Don't know musta missed the question. However the best rack system is the Arctic Cat Speed Rack, by far. I don't really like the V2 engine. The H1 has potential and they held off log enough to have solved most problems. But then its still new. The others all have crappy racks and I haven't been inpressed with the engines of any of the major manufactors. Besides I don't think the big engines are anything but dangerous for 99.9% of the riders. They are over their heads and just don't know it. I have found my 400 single manual to out run most of the bigger autos on acceleration until I run out of engine and almost 50 mph is fast enough on 5psi knobby tires anyway. So there's my opinion, for what it's worth. About what you paid for it.

 

Correction: If the starter is turning over the motor slowly and gets faster and faster, it usually IS the timing. Every engine runs the best when the timing doesn't allow it to start. This is why you hear race cars barely turn over then start fast. I'd check valve lash/clearence and timing. It sounds like the timing is way too advanced.

Bear4570

Look at this Link

I'm not a cheapskate but, I bought a set of splitfires one time and didn't want to buy another set of plugs, I just cleaned them.