My Prairie 650 is 2 years old and little used. It has never started well and the dealer hasn't a clue. Now that it's cold (0 farenheit), it won't start at all. It fires up, idles well for a few cycles, and then chokes down, as if it has run out of fuel. I can't find a fuel filter anywhere.

Any ideas?

 

Clean out or replace your fuel Petcock & Have your valves checked if you have not done it.

Turn off lights, choke full on, let sit 10 to 20 seconds with key on to assure fuel has pumped to the carbs, and crank till she fires. Let fast idle 1-2 minutes before adjusting choke, Idle up with thumb throttle while closing choke. I let mine idle 4-5 minutes after closing choke to let engine warm before riding. Works for me.

650s are cold natured and turn out your airscrew 1/4 turn more when its that cold.

Happy Trails[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

TuffEnuff

 

sure sounds like the pilot jets(also called air or idle jets), adjust them to 2 1/2 turns out, should help. Lots of machines come 1 1/2 or so from factory.

 

Good advice Yamihoo....the pilot jet is usually set way too lean from the factory....probably that is the answer. BTW I think that I may run synthetic oil in my quad next winter. It was a bitch to start my 03 650 Prairie this morning, took three awfully hard-sounding 15-second crankings to get it to fire, cause the oil (5w30) is too thick in the cold at -20 Deg C. She has gotta warm up 5 minutes with some careful throttle nursing, before she will idle. Touchy choke system. Beats hell out of a snowblower for clearing the driveway, tho. You gotta love a plow on a Kawi Prairie bulldozer, in the great white north.

Another tip..Always use really fresh gas..its no good after a month in the can or the tank, even with that fuel stabilizer stuff in it. Won't fire up when its c-c-c-ooooold.

Oh yes, and try putting some alcohol into the ignition switch keyhole, after you shut it down and BEFORE you leave it out in the cold. The dam ignition switch freezes up on mine, allatime. Snow blows into the keyhole, I guess. My wife must wonder where the hell her hairdryer went to (chuckle), bless her sweet little heart.

 

OK, I have the thing apart - it's a bitch to work on and it's snowing a storm out there. Now how do I identify the pilot (or air) jet? The Kawasaki part diagram doesn't help much - it has it in a box, but doesn't say where this fits in. Is there any other jet I might turn inadvertently?

 

Check your PM. That should help. Nyroc has a great site.

 

My 700 was terribly hard to start in this cold weather. I just turned out the two needles 1/2 turn and what a difference!
Now she fires right up and warms up much quicker.

 

No one has mentioned the primer......RH side of the carb....near the bottom....a few pumps before ya crank it...then possibly a couple more...just to keep it going...then feather the choke. BTW..do the American models ( praire ) even HAVE a primer ???

Jeff

 

Mine doesn't!

 

ok...must just be the Canadian models ( KVF's) that have them then.......they work good !!!!

Jeff