Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Heres my question. 97 xplorer 500 4x4. bought it used couple months ago, and it has apeared to run great. Last week I noticed it wanted to die when I tried to give it gas. I just assumed it was a cold weather issue, because once I got it going it seemed to run fine.

This weekend I went hunting. Set it to full choke and it started right up. I let it warm up for about 10 minutes while I loaded guns and gear ect. Then again as I started to give it gas it wanted to stall. I quickly pumped to gas, messed with the choke, and within a few seconds, it began to smooth out, and it ran fine. Till i came back to idle and went to accelerate it started doing it again.

It doesnt seem to be a cold or warm issue. It seems to do it at anypoint. I really havnt done any maintnence on it yet, as I was waiting for after huntin season. I was going to get new plug, air filter and fuel filter today. but remembered to dealers are closed on mondays. It almost acts like one of my R/C cars when they are to rich, but I can imagine why this one would run rich all of a sudden.

Am I on the right track, or should I check something else?

Thanks Buk

 

start with cleaning the carb,with carb cleanerand blowing out the jets with compressed air. sounds like a dirty carb.

 

clean carb and air filter

 

OK, I replaced the spark plug, put a new fuel filter and removed the Airfilter since the dealer isnt open today.
I removed the carb, and cleaned and blew it out.
I drained the gastank, rinsed with gas. and added fresh fuel.
It still starts like a charm and idles well.
As soon a i put the gas to it it sputters and wants to die. I let up and it idles great.
I tried it with choke on, it seems to want to backfire a little.
Choke off still wants to die.
What next?
Thanks Buk

 

something like that was happening to mine, try pressing the override button and going. if it that makes it work then pull the purple? wire from the board coming from the shifter. i did that and it fixed the problem

 

Sounds to me like you have a cam going bad. Did you buy it from a pig farmer or something like that because when a person does short trips with 4 cycle atvs it builds condensation up inside the motor and beings the atv has what they call a dry sump oil system the water is gathered up at the bottom and pumped into the highest point of engine in return rounding off exhaust lobe of camshaft. If cam is bad you will need to put new rocker arms in also. Hope this helps.

 

I doubt it being the cam, but i would check the valve clearances they may need adjusting anyway ! It may be time for a complete servicing, new plug oil and filter change ; ail filter cleaning the work's ! ...........williebee

 

FIRST HOLD THE OVERIDE BUTTON AND THEN GIVE IT GAS.IF IT WORKS DO JUST WHAT THE OTHER FELLOW SAID PULL THE LARGE PURPLE WIRE OFF OF THE BOARD. IF IT DOES NOT WORK TRY LIFTING THE CARB SLIDE WITH YOUR FINGER AND THEN GIVE IT GAS. IF IT REVS UP YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR DIAPHRAME ON THE SLIDE.IF IT STILL DOES IT CHECK THE CAME SHAFT LOBES,YOU WILL NEED TO PULL THE ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLY OFF AND SPARK PLUG OUT TO DO THIS.TURN YOUR MOTOR OVER SLOWLY AND CHECK EACH LOBE FOR ANY WEAR,IF THERE IS WEAR ON ONE OR MORE CAM LOBES YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE THE CAM SHAFT AND ROCKER ARMS ON THE BAD LOBES.I WOULD CHANGE THE TIMING CHAIN AS WELL IF I HAVE TO CHANGE THE CAM.THE CAM LOBES WEARING IS CAUSED BY NOT CHANGING YOUR OIL. BUY NOT DOING THIS THE OIL BREAKSDOWN AND FORMS PARTICLES IN IT STOPPING THE PROPPER FLOW THROUGH YOU OIL FILTER CAUSING INADEQUIT OIL LUBRICATION.I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU USE THE PENNSOIL 10W30 OR 5W30 PLATNUM SYNTHETIC.

 

Before I recieved the replies about cam lobes and diaphrams i figured maybe the carb needed rebuilt. So I tore it apart and have it soaking in carb cleaner now. Gonna get a carb kit today and try that first I suppose. Ive done many carbs on cars and small engines, but I cant seem to find the mixture screw. I notice what appeared to be one in the float bowl, but that seems like a strange place. Is this adjustment the mixture or is it something else. It was the only needle that wasnt seated the whole way, and I failed to check its original position. If it is, where should it be set? I will get a new diaphram while its apart and hope for the best.

Any other suggestions are appreiciated,
Thanks
Buk

 

the air fuel mixture is on the bottom outside next to the fuel bowl on the manifold boot side of the carb.it should be set at one and a half turns from dead bottom.if it feels wrong after you try it turn it another half turn.by the way any rubber seals or parts will be stretched by any carb cleanr so be careful not to get it on them.that includes the two rubber orings on the emulsion tube(the tube that the mainjet is screwed into and goes through the main body of the carb,the slide also rides in the top half of ths piece.it is held in by two star screws under the diaphram)