First off, very nice forum you guys have here. I have been a member of several other ATV forums since 1997. However, the problem I am having has stumped me so I am on a mission to find anyone who can help me. I will also help out anyone who may need it in the future as I am now a member.

.....I bought this quad for some small snow plowing here in Big Bear where I live. Came with a blade etc. It sat for over 2 years. I yanked the tank, carb and all the lines. I completely tore down the carb and cleaned it. Washed out the gas tank, cleaned the air filter etc. And replaced the spark plug. Refilled it with brand new gas.

.....Fired right up and warms up nicely but has a small cough about every 5 to 10 seconds after it idles down off the choke. I can rev it freely while in neutral. I can put it in first and go down the street with the first 1/4 of the throttle, but when I shift to 2nd and 3rd and try to gain some speed it begins to cough and sputter. I have to slow down, drop it back in first and limp home.

.....Seems like if I let it cool off a tad (like less than a couple minutes) I can once again take off. But as soon as I ask it to get going like with 1/2 to 3/4 throttle it does the same thing. As soon as I drop it into neutral it revs fine. Only under load does it do this? However, as I said before, it does cough every few seconds at idle too. If I let it idle for a long time, like 4 to 5 minutes it, will eventually cough, the idle will drop way down and then die. If I stab the throttle a hair just before it dies it revs back up and will do the same thing a few minutes later.

.....I have sprayed around the carb looking for air leaks but it is tight as a drum. I have tapped the carb with a small hammer just before it dies at idle, but nothing. The fuel line runs next to the head. Thought it may bee some type of vapor lock, but I wiggled the heck out of it just before it dies at idle and also nothing.


.....This totaly sounds like fuel to me. But I have seen this on a friends 3 wheeler and it turned out to be the stator, or some type of ignition dealy getting weak with heat?

Any suggestions guys?
Thanks, Gino

 

Ride it around while it's sputtering and stumbling for a minute, then shut it off and pull the spark plug. I have a feeling the needle setting is too rich, and that when you pull the plug the business end will be black and sooty. There could be something else, but that's where I would start.

 

Thanks for your reply. Here are two pics of the brand new plug with about 10 minutes on it. The white on the insulator is simply the new ceramic that has not yet turned color. I am going to go drop the needle and see what happens.
http://www.glamisdunes.com/photopost...3147plug-1.JPG
http://www.glamisdunes.com/photopost...3147plug-2.JPG

 

Ok, I went back out and dropped the needle. Before, it didn't need the choke hardly at all to start. And it seemed to idle kinda high. Now with the needle dropped it required the choke until about 60 seconds, and the idle was lower. However, it still reved freely in neutral just fine. When I tried to ride it, it did the same stuff. But I tried something different this time. I grabbed the choke and yanked it all the way out. That solved the coughing, and sputtering problem all together. I could hold it wide and go through the gears. So, I now know it is a fuel air issue. Does this all make sence? What are your thoughts?

 

i was having the same problum with my lil eton 90.i could go like half gas but any more it would bog out.but i still had the low end power(its a automatic).

 

Depending upon the year of the E-Ton they came with an auto choke, and a manual. If you have the auto try disconnecting it momentarily?

As far as my little quad here, it must have an air leak if when I choke it all the way it runs better?

 

If it ran better with the choke on it's too lean. Try going up a size or two on the main jet, and bumping up the needle a little richer than it was when you started.

here's a chart that shows which circuits are active at different throttle positions.

 

my eton is a 2000' with the auto choke.how do i disingage it?

 

something else you might look at is your intake boot.it could have a hole in it and sucking in to much air.

 

Call Tim at www.anythingatv.com his number is there. He is a very helpful guy. I have owned over 6 E-Tons. He always helps me out.

I also thought about the boot. I am going to yank it right now and inspect it thouroughly. Thanks .