SuzukiSavage.com - Cold Starts

Button

Ex Member

Cold Starts
01/02/06 at 14:44:04

Have a 95 Savage 650 and live in Ohio. When tempatures gets below 60 I have problems starting it. It has just under 15,000 miles on it. We keep a trickler battery charger on it and just put a new battery in it before cold weather hit. Had this problem last year also. Any suggestions on solving this problem. It is 50 here and I want to get it out since i just had a new paint job done on it. Replaced spark plug last year and only has about 1500 miles on it. :'(

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Max_Morley

Serious Thumper

Offline

LT650 Luxury Touring
& sidecar rig

Posts: 1490
Moses Lake. WA
Gender: male

Re: Cold Starts
Reply #1 - 01/02/06 at 17:18:01

You say won't start so must assume it is cranking OK and cranking speed and battery voltage is up to specs. Also compression release is working correctly. Any air leak in the tube between the carb and flange at the head will lean out the starting enrichment device attempts to provide a rich enough mixture to start. It really isn't a choke, but a parallel small diameter air/fuel mixing device to the carb plunger. When pulled out all the way it allows extra air and fuel in to start the engine and slightly increase the cold idle speed to overcome the cold engine rotational resistance and not so good a/f mixture due to poor fuel vaporization in the cold intake tract. If it isn't working as designed it will not give you the additional fuel you need for a speedy start. As yours is a 95 passages could be partially plugged in the carb or the clamps loosened on the intake hose/pipe or even a cracked hose from heat and exposure to the elements. Use a good light to inspect the intacke system. I believe the enricher will unscrew so you can inspect part of it w/o removing the carb. some aerosol carb cleaner sprayed into the passages in the carb after removing the plunger may help also.

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Max at Thumper Acres. '96 Savage bagger, '03 Savage w/Cozy sidecar for wifeni.

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red2k1 Ex Member	Re: Cold Starts Reply #2 - 01/02/06 at 18:35:09 I think Max is giving good advice. Even though your battery is new and if it is not a maintanence free battery, check the fluid level to be sure it covers the plates. If I recall a rule of thumb correctly, a battery in good shape looses at least 40% of its power at 32 degrees. A compromised battery looses even more at low temperature.
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Button Ex Member	Re: Cold Starts Reply #3 - 01/04/06 at 16:05:09 Thanks for the info as soon as it warms up to get into the garage we are going to change the spark plug, air filter and check everything out. once that happens we will let you know how it work. ( our furnace man hasn't hooked up the lp lines yet!!!)
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RadarORiley Serious Thumper Offline No one notices how you ride until you fall off. Posts: 863 West Of Weatherford, Texas Gender:	Re: Cold Starts Reply #4 - 01/04/06 at 17:47:26 We keep Battery Tenders on the bikes here and have learned that you have to keep watch on the water in the battery. It's not easy but sure worth the time.
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BS37066 Ex Member	Re: Cold Starts Reply #5 - 01/06/06 at 11:32:28 Thanks for the reminder. RadarORiley wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:01: We keep Battery Tenders on the bikes here and have learned that you have to keep watch on the water in the battery. It's not easy but sure worth the time.
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mornhm - FSO Serious Thumper Offline HMMM Posts: 1105 Gender:	Re: Cold Starts Reply #6 - 01/06/06 at 13:14:21 Double check your battery voltage. Make sure there isn't something wrong with your tender.
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: Cold Starts Reply #7 - 01/06/06 at 13:23:05 RadarORiley wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:01: We keep Battery Tenders on the bikes here and have learned that you have to keep watch on the water in the battery. It's not easy but sure worth the time. Yes, "we" sure have, haven't we?
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: Cold Starts Reply #8 - 01/06/06 at 13:26:22 How about engine oil? Not running any variety of gear oil are we? Check your connections on the starter, and the starter relay under the seat. Battery cables in good shape too? Take a peek under the insulation jacket and make sure there isn't a bunch of greenish corrosion on the conductors.
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Button Ex Member	Re: Cold Starts Reply #9 - 01/06/06 at 15:11:34 Got it started last night. Changed out the plug again, think it fouled out last year when we discovered a hole in the hose. Then found the air filter is dirty. Battery and tender are band new. Once we get this all check and changes out don't thnk I will have any more problems thanks to everyone for their advise. Now for weather above 30!!
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