Dumb question -- does the choke function if electric start is used?

I bought a 2006 Prairie 360 that would only run on choke -- My thought was a carb re-build would fix it. It did -- mostly. It runs a lot smoother, but when I gave it a little choke after it was running it made no difference. This makes me wonder if I inadvertently messed up the cable when I put it all back together and maybe the plunger is stuck or that stupid plastic fitting came out of the hole. I was just hoping somebody had some idea before I tear it all apart again. It is running fine -- but backfiring and sputtering a bit when i give it gas when in park.

 

If on a warm motor the choke is not killing the motor from being too rich you are probably not giving it any extra fuel. If you can suddenly start the atv with out the enrichener (not a choke) then you may already have the enrichener on and thats why you see no difference.

Simple guideline
On a cold motor when the ambient temperature is low you should need the enrichener.
Once the motor is up to temp the enrichener should give too much fuel and cause the motor to load up and die, this may be the backfiring and stuttering. look at your plug to see if it is black from too much fuel.

 

OK -- might have to turn in my shadetree mechanic card, but "enrichener" is a new term to me. Reading your response, I can't tell if that's just another term for choke.

Due to only having a few minutes to fool with it in the last week, I haven't had the ATV running for more than a few minutes since I finished up the carb overhaul -- so for all I know the air/fuel screw might have to be adjusted or something. I just started it to make sure I had put everything back together correctly, drove it about 200 feet up the street and back, slid the choke lever over to see how it would affect the idle for fun and it had no effect.

The ambient temp has been high here in Maryland basically until today. I will pull the plug (I wanted to replace that, the air filter and do an oil change this weekend anyway) and see what it looks like.

Thanks so much for answering my question, Armed Hiker -- be prepared for more questions as I try to get this thing running!!

Pat

 

Choke controls air flow to make a richer or leaner. An enricher controls fuel flow to make it richer or leaner. That is a more easy explanation. Very few newer engines use a choke anymore, every one has gone to an enrichment system to allow the engine to run leaner and use less fuel when warmed up. Part of the emission program on engines now.

 

Ahhhh -- thank you Kymco 450! Always good to learn something new! Mine is a 2006, and the lever is clearly marked "choke" -- so does that suggest that it's a pre-enricher model?

 

Lol... sorry to confuse the issue.

As Kymco450i said a choke cuts off air making things richer where an enrichener adds fuel via another fuel path in the carburetor, your description makes it sound as this is what you have. So simply moving the lever will dump in more fuel to help a cold motor start. A warm motor should find this extra fuel too much and cause the motor to load up and bog/die. Knowing what you have first is best as then you can use it to diagnose if the motor wants more or less fuel.

Sadly no, plenty of machines mislabel the lever because it is semantics for many other than mechanics, engineers or nit pickers. As a shade tree mechanic you need to know what you have to know what it going wrong. as you mentioned before a cable out of its holder or piston blocking or stuck open will cause all kinds of issues so you need to see if the circuit is functioning properly. To do this you have to know somewhat how it works in the first place.

To confuse things more on fuel injected systems you have a high idle and then the ecu adds extra fuel based usually on a number of crank rotations so even if your motor is hot it gets the extra fuel at all start ups.

 

ugh -- maybe the only tool I need is ramps -- to load it into my truck and take it to the shop LOL

 

Dont get discouraged just yet, just check those basics first and see if you can tell if it is simply getting too much or too little fuel.

Open the airbox lid (giving it more air) and see if it gets better or worse.
check those cables to make sure you are not holding the enrichener on.
disconnect one end of the cable to see if no play on the enrichener helps.
did you change the fuel screw setting when you had the carb apart?
did you change any of the jets when you had it apart?
did you change BRAND of jets if you did change jets?
Did you check/change the float height?

Your original issue sounds like a classic plugged pilot jet some of the other changes may have confused the issue

 

Thanks again Armed Hiker!

Open the airbox lid (giving it more air) and see if it gets better or worse. -- Great suggestion -- will do that
check those cables to make sure you are not holding the enrichener on. -- will as much as I can before taking the tank and everything off again
disconnect one end of the cable to see if no play on the enrichener helps. -- good idea -- from the lever end I assume?
did you change the fuel screw setting when you had the carb apart? -- cranked it out to 1.5 turns as suggested from everything I had read/watched -- the old screw was WAYY out -- like 2.75 turns -- all screws and jets were replaced with ones from a rebuild kit
did you change any of the jets when you had it apart? -- see above -- yep -- all of them
did you change BRAND of jets if you did change jets? -- yes -- no idea the brand name of the new ones
Did you check/change the float height? -- don't know how to do that -- replaced the float valve but not sure how to check to see if the float height is correct or not (just being 100% honest)

Won't give up yet. It's just hard to find time to work on it -- deer season is upon us LOL

 

Whatever end is easiest so it should be at the bars, all you are doing is verifying toy have freeplay.
Common thing people do when the pilot jet is restricted. with new proper jets you should be close to factory setting if the new jets are close to factory size.
Know that different brands will flow different amounts of fuel so a 100 mikuni is different from a Keihin,EBC,factory and dynojet all marked 100. Who knows what size a Chinese aftermarket rebuild kit will be. I jet bikes on the Dyno and have learned this the hard way as well , If I want my life to be easier anything that controls fuel flow should continue with the exact same brand so you are not changing things you did not realize. Both Mikuni and Keihin jets have trademark stamps on them so you can know what you are putting in is comparable. this does not mean other brands will not work just that you need to figure out jetting NOT based on what came out but what you put in and the way the vehicle is burning what you are giving it.

Go back to your tests and don't stress go slowly and think things through. Check that plug to see if it is loading up on fuel.