|
SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> bike won't start in cold weather! /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1319289552 Message started by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 06:19:11 |
|
Title: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 06:19:11 hey guys... so I've already found some good advice looking through the forum... but gotta get to work. wanted to give my specific details and see if anyone had further advice... I had problems starting yesterday (50 degrees or so) but she finally turned over. This morning (mid-40s), no luck, and I tried so long the battery doesn't have enough juice anymore. I learned very quickly that trying to push start a very cold bike, in 45 degree weather, on a flat road is not only nearly impossible, but heart-attack inducing. info worth noting: 2000 savage L650. I've had an engine problem that's gotten worse and worse over the past month (as it's gotten colder and wetter outside). Riding in reserve was helping, but now that's not even working too well. Constantly cuts out at red lights, and often as soon as I pull in clutch and downshift when slowing. Choke doesn't seem to be much help - need to roll throttle while clutch is pulled or cuts off - and if I start it normal then pull the choke, she cuts off right away. From what I found on here, I need to adjust the idle - and really what I should do is switch to the raptor petcock, I just work nonstop and haven't had time so I've been dealing with the crappy ride by throttling hard at red lights. I know it could be battery, but my savage is my daily ride, and only 8 hours went by since I got off her last night to when I tried this morning. I tried in first, neutral, choke in, choke out. (though, from what I read I see i should only do it in neutral in cold due to oil viscosity). Normally, if I hold down starter and give it some gas she'll start up after 5 or 6 clicks.... no go this morning. any advice? (sorry such a huge post, but won't have time to check till later today and want to give as much details as possible. Thanks ahead of time, you guys are awesome!!!) |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 06:25:00 oh, almost forgot: I do have a charger, was going to charge it when I get home over night and give it a go in the morning. could it really be battery considering my history over the last month though? also, I switching it to prime didn't help.Though, after running up and down the street, huffing and puffing like an idiot for 20 minutes, the bike just seemed to have a better life to it.. like it was ready to start... but by then there was no more battery. Though, I don't think running up and down the street at 7am all winter is a very viable option :P |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/22/11 at 06:27:26 Cold plastic = stiff plastic, petcock may not deliver well,, BUT, it otta start on whats in the bowl. What are ya doin with the choke? Get that batter well charged.. & yes, I set my idle higher at startup, I turn it down as the engine warms up. I do that even in summer. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 06:38:01 justin... thanks for the quick response. You're the reason I know about the idle, from in your other posts. I'm sure I can find this in the technical section... but advice on where exactly idle screw is? It seems pretty easy to fix. (this is my first bike, so I'm still learning the 101 stuff, sorry) I wish I would've come on here months ago. I just thought I needed a new petcock this whole time, didn't know fidling with the idle might of done the trick instead. I tried it a couple times with choke out to no avail after my first attempts - but the choke's never done much for me so i pushed it back in. Also, i've gotten in the habit of throttling pretty heavy while the starter clicks to get her going due to the petcock issues (even when in prime).. I'm starting to think this is a bad idea based on other posts. But I don't know that she'd turn over without giving it gas... even in warm weather. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Routy on 10/22/11 at 06:55:01 I know one thing, mine always starts faster and better when it has the little cheap HF maintainer charger hooked to it. That tells me my battery is not the best of shape anymore after near 5 yrs old,.......which I knew that when I bought it 2.5 yrs ago. And in cold weather especially, the Savage needs a good battery to start correctly. Also, don't read this forum too faithfully,......or you too will get brainwashed into believeing that a manual petcock will fix everything ! Just remember that if "prime" don't fix it, a manual petcock won't fix it. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/22/11 at 07:47:57 If I want to make sure mine wont start, all I have to do is give the gas a twist one time. & as stated.. Just remember that if "prime" don't fix it, a manual petcock won't fix it. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by spacepirates on 10/22/11 at 08:24:18 Two years ago my savage was my only way to work, even in the snow. My stock battery did fine in warmer weather, but below 40, it would turn over forever but never start despite reading a good voltage. I switched to the Big Crank and the bike has been so much better starting up. A manual petcock isn't a bad idea generally on these bikes, but right now I'd be suspect of the battery, especially if it is a bit older. Want to cover all your bases? a $20 petcock and $80 battery gets that out of the way. Another thought: what kind of oil do you run? switching to a lighter weight might help out a bit, but i'm not positive. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Serowbot on 10/22/11 at 09:55:47 Skip,... here's the correct way to test your petcock... How to check your petcock,... (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1251932429/1) ... and here's some info explaining the how's and why's of your carb... Serowbot's carb tuning tips for beginners... (http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1309246277) If your petcock tests good,... I'd look to a weak battery as the culprit... They can seem to crank okay, and still be too weak to start... You aren't running a straight weight oil, are you?... ;)... |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by drums1 on 10/22/11 at 09:56:11 Carb ever been apart?? Sticky slide maybe?? Vacuum lines ever been checked or replaced?? How bout the spark plug?? The idle speed adjust screw is on the left side of the carb. The big fat shiny one. Definately sounds like a charge, if not new, battery is in order. You'd be amazed the difference it makes. Good luck, keep us updated. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 09:58:47 hmm so maybe it is the battery. thanks everyone. i bought the bike off a coworker last spring.. he had it almost a year a never changed the battery. I haven't changed the battery, and have had it die on me twice. once i got it back on with a charger, once with a push start. in other words... for all i know that battery is OLD and i know for a fact it's seen some bad days. ill see if i can't push start it when I get home, and get to a store to buy a battery. any advice on the best place to buy? and i'm hoping turning the idle up solves my other problems. i'll keep you guys updated for others who are checkin on this in the future |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Serowbot on 10/22/11 at 10:08:06 It's worth the cash to go for the sealed glass mat type... Big Crank on the internet... or Batteries Plus if you have them where you are... Batteries Plus will cost you a little more. but you have local warranty, and get it right away... Don't do an Ebay cheapie,... I got screwed last year with one,... it had soldered on tin lugs that broke right off... |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 10:10:43 whoa... jsut caught the last two posts. thanks drums & serowbot! "Carb ever been apart?? Sticky slide maybe?? Vacuum lines ever been checked or replaced?? How bout the spark plug??" the short answer: i have not a clue, ha. all this wouldve been jibberish to me a year ago, and I'm still learnin (slowly but surely!). due to how much I work.. it makes it tough though. as for the oil... due to an occasional oil leak (and i do mean occasional.. itll go months without a problem, then leak for a week, then nothing again for long periods of time. very hot weather and riding long periods seem to cause the leak?) i've been putting... sigh.. cheap oil in it, since I loose it. the first time i went to the suzuki shop and bought good stuff, lost it in two days. the crappy stuff? it's lasted me over a month. im hoping an overnight charge will get it going in the morning... i just need her to get me by long enought to buy a beater car for the winter, and I plan on working on her on my spare time throughout the winter to get her ready for spring! (clearly i have a lot of tuning up to do) |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/22/11 at 10:16:31 IU wouldnt go piddling with anything till I was dead sure its not the battery. That would just introduce more potential reasons its not starting. Even with a messy carb, it otta coff & sputter. It went from running to not starting, doesnt sound like a carb to me. Carb may not be perfect, but it was running.. & if the plug got nasty while you cranked the gas & had it on choke, you may be smart to slap a fresh on in, like someone said Up There. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by drums1 on 10/22/11 at 14:35:56 I agree. Do the spark plug and the battery 1st. I got mine at Batteries Plus. 1st one lasted 4 1/2 years. Just got a new one this past winter. It's the maintenance free Gel one. Costs a bit more than the acid filled one, but it's worth the extra $$. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Routy on 10/22/11 at 16:41:00 6D7B7C647A38090 wrote:
Its probably an AGM, (absorbed glass matt) not a gel. I'm not sure they make a gel type MC battery, but if so, it would not be a good choice, because most have special charge and discharge specifications,.....if I remember correctly. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Routy on 10/22/11 at 16:50:47 2C3335322F2819291921333F74460 wrote:
I aways give it a 1/4 or so throttle,....seemd to starts fine. I don't know it won't start at a dead idle, but if it isn't very thrilled about running at a dead idle when cold, I can't think it would be very happy about starting at dead idle either. :-/ |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/22/11 at 17:43:26 UPDATE: Got home from work and gave it a try, in neutral, left choke in, didn't touch throttle: started right up, starter clicked maybe 3 times. probably 10 degrees or so (low 50s) warmer than it was this morning (low 40s). I had left it on prime all day while I was working. Adjusted the idle a bit... took off. After I got through a few red lights I opened 'er up, and switched to reserve (i normally ride in res. tends to cut out less that way). Got through one stop fine, but cut out at the next stop. Put it back in prime.... rode it home fine. Now that the idle is higher (and louder) I made a point to sit in prime, on, and reserve... and noticed a significant and immediate (though gradual) decrease in the engine when it was in on or reserve.... seems to just slowly cut out. So.... 1) battery is still my first thought. it could just be that this old battery doesn't like the cold and it was JUST warm enough to work. 2) i don't plan on giving it gas when i try in the morning. 3) definitely a problem with my petcock, right? 4) is it ok to just ride in prime until I figure this all out? to be continued... fingers crossed for the ride to work in the morning (forecast calls for another freezing cold morning!!) |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Serowbot on 10/22/11 at 17:45:45 1 yup 2 yup 3 yup 4 yup Yarp!... :-?... |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Trippah on 10/22/11 at 19:37:21 If you leave it on prime all day while at work, there should be a puddle under the bike at night when you are ready to go home. As a vacumn assisted system, fuel will stay in the tank when the petcock is on run, or reserve as long as the bike is not rumming. However, in prime you are relying on gravity alone and gravity doesn't take the day off while you work and doesn't care if the engine is running or not.. The " choke" is an enrichener, and as such doesn't reduce the air portion of the air/fuel mixture (as a choke would) but rather puts more fuel into the mixture. This is why when you pull out the enrichener, you should not turn your throttle when starting it. That will flood the system. Battery sounds suspect, fuel lines are old enough to need replacement. Have fun and let us know how the beater search goes. ;D ;D |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by drums1 on 10/22/11 at 20:38:43 I still have the OE petcock, rebuilt, but still not working right. I run it on prime all the time. I never futz with it at shutoff either. No puddles, no flooding. As long as the float is working and the needle seats correctly, it's not a problem. So far, so good. (knocks on wood) I may some day get a Raptor, but my motor will probably blow up 1st. |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/22/11 at 22:12:28 Start bike, run on prime. Flip to on, run till it starts cutting out, shut off, drain carb bowl, see how much is in it. Close the drain, put it on prime a while, set it back to ON, drain again, compare volumes, See if youre starving,, |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by spacepirates on 10/24/11 at 06:28:39 77514A5353424B230 wrote:
You'll only get the "puddle" if your float in your carb is bad. puddle, here, means either an actual puddle of gas on the ground, or a puddle of gas in your oil (which is very rare on these bikes). My other bike (xs750) has a bad history of gasoil due to bad floats... |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by Routy on 10/24/11 at 06:56:30 If it cuts out when on or reserve and not on prime, there is a problem somewhere in the vacuum operated petcock delivery system,.....most likely being the vacuum delivery to the petcock. Running it on "prime", and parking it on "on", is exactly the same as running a manual petcock on "on", and parking it on "off", except you don't have a reserve. Leaving it parked on prime, is the same as not turning a manual petcock off. It should not hurt anything,......but if it does, you better get it fixed....no matter which petcock you're using ! |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by skipkb on 10/25/11 at 16:44:10 UPDATE II: The bike didn't start the next morning. I took a cab. It started fine when I got home from work, and has every time since. Though been running in prime as still having the stall out problems in ON or RES. But get this: I just got in from batteries plus. I got the the best of the three offered for about $90 with tax (see link below). I decided since I was out to get some sea foam for good measure... when i pulled into pep boys, I realized I had been riding with the petcock "on"... with no stall out or problems (this hasn't happened in months...) I put the sea foam in at the gas station, filled 'er up.. and road home (6 miles, lots of red lights) without one problem or noticeable difference in engine activity while idling... i was planning on ordering a new petcock online tonight. could a new battery really have solved this problem!? http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/40578-X2--15L-X2Power%C2%AE-AGM-Battery/... |
|
Title: Re: bike won't start in cold weather! Post by verslagen1 on 10/25/11 at 17:39:47 You could have more than one problem, each making it worse by itself and all together... killing it. You're doing the petcock and seafoam thingy... have you checked your charging voltage? And if low voltage is dropping your sparking voltage... maybe a new plug. |
|
SuzukiSavage.com » Powered by YaBB 2.2! YaBB © 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved. |