I've got a '98 Polaris Xpress 300, which is the air cooled two-stroke. It has ran beautifully for a long while, easy start smooth idle, etc... Parked it after a weekend and now it will not start.

• I began by looking at the usual suspects. (Spark?-Good, Getting Fuel?-Yes)
• Maybe I've got a carb problem??? Perhaps, but oddly enough, I cannot get a single hit from the engine, even when directly injecting starting fluid.
• I'm beginning to get concerned, so I check the compression. It's at 120psi with a cold cylinder, which should be well enough to do something.
• With the sparkplug out, I pull the engine over by cord and it rotates smooth and easy.
• The intake is open and the exhaust seems open.
• Perhaps my spark is too weak??? I would think even a weak spark would pop a cylinder full of ether. I seem to remember having a problem with an old Blaster that had spun the key on the magneto flywheel, but it would at least pop and crack.

Of course, a manual for this particular Xpress model is as elsuive as a D@mn Yedi!!!

Hopefully, I'm looking past something here. Anyone out there got some input or any maual information.

 

I would pull the plug and turn it over at WOT and the fuel petcock off to make sure the case is not full of fuel. "If" all that you said is correct it should start. Either your wrong on one of the three (compression, fuel, spark) or it's flooded.
Let us know what you find out.

 

how did the spark plug look? even if it were some what flooded, it should at least fire on starting fluid. if the plug is extremly wet, then maybe it flooded the base w/ gas(as doc mentioned) in which the float may be stuck open.

 

Did you do the obvious and change the plug? Perhaps too many years on sleds but that is always where I start. Pull the plug and change it to start with one that is either new or you know to be working. 120 lbs will get anything to light and with the shot of ether you will now have things very dry and may have to start over by chocking it.

The suggestion to spin it over with the plug out and fuel off is a good one as well if it has been flooded.

 

if it is flooded becuaseof a bad float then it wont do any good to start(or try too) it until he gets the flooding issue taken care of if indeed thats what it's doing. just a thought.

 

Thanks for the replies.

The issue was flooding in a scary way.

The petcock was malfunctioning and still allowed a trickle when closed. At rest in the garage, the needle/seat works as it should. BUT, bouncing and shaking for a couple hours on the trailer while rolling home must have allowed fuel to pass.

The most interesting part is there is no fuel standing in the case, but head pipe on the exhaust was full of raw fuel. So on start, it was kind of like blowing through a water bong!

Makes you wonder what could have happened if the thing would have started. Probably no better way to remove the baffles in your stock exhaust...