I have a 2004 Suzuki Eiger. Last year it went for a 15 minute swim in the lake. After changing the fuel, oil several times and air filter, I managed to get it to start. It's very hard to start. When it does, the choke needs to stay engaged for 15-25 minutes. Once it's good and warmed up you will suddenly hear the idle change and you can hit the choke and she runs fine. Start and re-start with no problems. Once it cools, however, back to square on. I have since taken the carb apart twice, cleaned it with carb cleaner (first time was full of gunky varnish, second time actual dirt chunks), removed and cleaned the jets, removed and cleaned the fuel tank, put in an in-line fuel filter. It's still acting the same. Any other suggestions before I take it in? I'm a single mom and would LOVE to avoid paying a mechanic

 

ok, so you said you cleaned the jets and can see daylight through them. all orifices of both jets, cleaned all galleys in the carburetor, cleaned the float/needle valve/seat/bowl. . did you verify that you cleaned the choke assembly and verified its operation? what i mean is this, pull the choke assembly out of the carb, stroke the cable and watch the choke element work itself back and forth and make sure its "home" inside the carb is clean. now when you say "hard to start" are you talking 15 minutes of cranking before firing off and then the long idle time or what? does it smoke?

 

No, I didn't take the choke assembly right out. But I will try that. And yes, 10-15 minutes of cranking before it'll start, a good 20-30 minutes of idle time WITH the choke on before it will idle right. But no smoke. Thank you SO much for taking the time to reply, any and ALL help is much appreciated!

 

Sounds like you may have some moisture in the fuel tank yet, try adding some Heat or DryGas addative to pull the water out or better yet, remove the tank and make sure it is dry and clean, maybe even remove the petcock and check for gunk in there. Sounds like you have a good grasp on the problem, I know it can get frustrating, but getting dunked in the lake can cause so many problems, it may take you a while to track them all down.

 

hey 95wolv, i've never messed with those products you just named, i presume they're methanol based? heck, i've used just straight methanol before.

 

Thank you so much for your vote of confidence 95wolv, but you're right, I am getting very frustrated. When my first attempts were useless I did take the tank right off. Drained it, cleaned it thouroughly with water for debris, then varsol, then finally a methanol based additive. Then I added the additive in with the new fuel. Threw in an in-line filter for good measure and VOILA...No flippin difference!

Next, I guess I'll try Jaster's suggestion and take it apart again, making even MORE certain That it's clean. Short of that, I'm open to ANY ideas!

Thanks again!!

 

i dang sure don't want to cause you any more work than what is absolutely necessary, but i'm just trying to make sure we don't have you doing any or much re-work. . thanks for bearing with us/me. part of the problem i'm reading seems to me to act as if the choke ain't working. kind of like trying a cold start in winter with no choke to richen the fuel mixture. just cranking and cranking and cranking until the cylinder is warm enough to promote combustion or a warmer atmosphere to initiate a sequential start up. wow, that was as clear as mud. made sense to me anyways. my main thing on carb cleaning is the jets. removal is essential and must be better than factory clean. all orifices have to have daylight seen through them and even down the center of them. that philosophy has saved me many a time. but that's me. but we'll get your going. thanks for your patience.

 

You did the right thing taking the tank off, I'm thinking maybe there could be a tiny bit of residual water in the carb, it is heavier than gas, and will not allow gas past it if it is in any of the passages. My bet is the idle circuit is plugged,either with water, dirt, or other gunk from the dunking. Best thing is to pull the carb, remove the pilot jet, use a light or magnifying glass to verify all the tiny holes are open, I like to put the carb can straw in the big end and blast it to make sure the solvent sprays out the other side. Wear safety glasses, carb cleaner in the eye BURNS like a mother....done it a few times. While the pilot jet is out, put the straw down the jet hole, and see if you can get a stream of cleaner in the carb throat, should be a hole just past the slide for the idle circuit. This provides gas for starting, could be a source of your problem.
Jaster has a good point about the choke, is it an actual choke plate, or is it a fuel enrichment, that is, does it allow extra fuel in from another port? if the choke system is not working, it will be a bear to crank and start cold.
Keep at it, sounds like you are zeroing in on the problem, also make sure when cold, you have a good spark, could be the stator got wet and there may be some corrosion in there, if you lose spark at any time.

 

Thank you guys so very much for all your help. I'm just working my last night shift and then a full 24 hours off, so I'll try and get at it first thing tomorrow after I have a bit of a nap. A bunch of what you guys suggest I have done, but I'm obviously missing something somewhere. Since I'm taking the carb off again, I'm going to start from scratch with your posts...could've simply missed a stupid l'il hunk a dirt! Is there any chance y'all can watch the post for another day or two and help me get through this once and for all?! It'd be MUCH appreciated

Oh...and carb cleaner in the eye...where the hell were you with that advise LAST WEEK?!?! Lol...YA, like a mother........