I am buying a used artic cat 400 LE 2005 model. It is barely, and very lightly used. It just has 23 miles on it. It has been sitting for about 1.5 years with the same tank of gas in it. Everything is in mint condition, except I can not get it to start. The owner and I think that it is just bad (old) gas. How do you go about fixing this problem. Do we drain the carberator?

Should we siphon the gas out and put new in??? Would adding stabilizer help??

Anyone have any experience in this department.

Like I said, I am positive that nothing is wrong with the quad, it just has not been ridden in awhile. Also, I am buying it from a family member that I trust.

Thanks[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

Yes you'll need to drain the old gas from the tank, and remove the carb for cleaning it will be gummed up inside the carburator with 1.5 year old fuel ! I would also clean and reoil the air filter,change engine oil and oil filter ; then before you fill up the gas tank put some seafoam fuel cleaner/stabilizer in with the new gas ! You can get the seafoam at O'Reillys,Auto Zone and Advance Auto Parts for around $4.99, well worth the money ! .........williebee

 

You need 4 things to get the motor to start. Compression, spark (at the right time) and fuel and air in the correct mixture. What's number 4? a way to turn the motor over fast enough to make the others work. So compression check, spark (hot enough to fire the fuel/air mixture, and at the right time) and of course fresh fuel with the air. With your problem the carb is probably gunked up pretty bad. A removal, teardown, cleaning (don't forget to squirt WD-40 thru all the passages in the carb and only use low pressure air, 35 psi max, to blow things out with). Fresh fuel with SeaFoam and cheap insurance is a new spark plug.