200x no longer starts...

[JxxxOxxxE]

Well...this sucks...If anyone remembers, I rebuilt a '85 200x just a while back. Put all kinds of goodies in it, piston, cam, new springs, clutch, the works...Anyway I got it started up and rode it for about a month. It was running really good. Then in december, I went out of town for about 2 weeks and left it sitting outside the whole time. When I got home, I tried starting it, but to no avail. So i thought for a bit, and thought that maybe the float was stuck from how it was acting. I tapped on the carb a bit, and after some kicks, it started. I let it run at idle for quite some time, then turn the gas off, and let it run itself out. Now no matter what we try, I can't get it started. When I try to kick it, if I dont touch the gas, it will fire, but not start. If i try to kick it and give it gas, it doesnt sound like it fires at all. I have checked the plug and it was ok. We even tried roll starting it behind a truck, but nothing. Everytime i would let the clutch out and try to give it gas, it would bog down and do nothing. Anyone have any ideas.

I did rebuild the carb when I did the whole thing, so I dont know that everything inside it adjusted pefrectly, but it ran for a good month before anyway...?? Someone please help. I want to ride this thing...

[101987]

well.....it needs compression, air/fuel and Spark to fire and run....so you must not have one of them....Maybe your stator is weak? have you checked your connections???

[JxxxOxxxE]

i did check the connections, and I am getting spark at the plugs...

any ideas about boggin down, or not fireing when giving it gas?

I think its going to be a air/fuel problem. Has anyone ever had this happen before...

[trike250cc]

maybe the carb isnt adjusted for the cold????

[dads]

mfg settings is 2 1/4 turns out on the jet screw.
pull the fuel line and see if you have gas to carb.

[hrc200x]

Maybe since tapping the carb helped before try that again or better yet take it apart and clean it. I've seen the clip for the needle break and the needle falls down into the main jet hole, it would but not run very long and it was impossible to keep it running.

Also, whats the temp where you live? They do need to warm up some.

[JxxxOxxxE]

There is gas to the carb. I live in oklahoma, so its not terribly cold. I have had it sitting in my garage for the last week. I tried it earlier, and same results... I guess I am going to take the carb apart this week....Anything else...

[az350x]

Have you drained/replaced the gas? I'd try that before going to a lot of trouble. One of mine had a bad load of fuel one time, and behaved similarly. Had to drag-start it all the time, it'd start, then pop and bog down and just run like crap. I finally dumped the fuel, drained the carb bowl, and put in new fuel. It worked like a charm. If it's cold out where you live, and there's some water in the fuel, it'll settle on the bottom (near your petcock) and either freeze or make it run like crap (if it runs at all).

Good luck man!

[REPOBUD]

DID YOU CHECK THE AIR BOX AND MAKE SURE THERES NOTHING LIVING IN IT SITTIN OUTSIDE FOR TWO WEEKS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO BUILD LOW INCOME RODENT HOUSING.

[hrc200x]

"Low income rodent housing" thats hilarious.

[$"|"I|\|G|2@?]

my 200x wldnt start a couple of weeks back for no apparent reason..im guessing the gas got bad ..so i added fresh gas into the tank.....one method that seems to always work for me is removing the plug..flooding the cylinder with starting fluid....put it on half choke.....kick it and it shld fire right up...:thumbsup:

[250sx]

BAD ADVICE! :doh: a SMALL does of ether is ok (make sure it contains upper cylinder lubricant) but flooding the cylinder is BAD IDEA.

[Fuzzy]

I agree small amounts.

It sounds like it isnt getting enough fuel. Very commen in colder weather. On mine i have to pull the plug and squirt a little starter fuild down it to get it to start. And i usally have to do it a couple of times until it warms up enough to stay running on its own.

If it becomes too big of a problem try turning your idle mixture jet under the front of the carb 1/4 turn out. That will help it to get more fuel and start easier with out having to use much starter fluid in the colder weather.

[$"|"I|\|G|2@?]

:2finger: :upyours:

[250sx]

sure it works, but in the long run you're damaging your engine & will just have to rebuild it sooner. :doh:

[jenndnn3]

I have a question for you jx.....are you running lean or rich??

[JxxxOxxxE]

I dont know if its lean or rich really. I think its rich from the way the plugs look and smell after riding. I havent looked at where the clip on the needle is though. I think I am going to try some of this stuff out tomorrow night...

[bajagunny]

AFTER THE BIKE IS STARTED

Once you get the thing lit off, the bike now has to idle. The idle system on all conventional carburetors is exactly like the starting carb, except it doesn’t have a lever to turn it on and off. It works anytime the throttle slide is closed (or nearly closed) and there is sufficient vacuum behind the slide to pull idle mixture out through a small hole, which is also just behind the slide — on the bottom of the air passage, usually.

Sometimes there are two holes to deliver idle mixture, one just behind the back edge of the throttle slide and one just under it. As the throttle slide is lifted, up, the one under it also starts discharging mixture. The one under it is often called a bypass orifice. Sometimes the two are called primary and secondary idle discharge orifices

The idle circuit is from an air hole in the mouth of the carb, past a screw that sticks into the air passage, to adjust the amount of airflow, past a special jet that draws fuel from the float bowl, and then through the discharge hole - or holes - in the main bore of the carb.

The screw that sticks into the idle air passage is called the pilot air screw, or the idle air screw. The jet that limits fuel flow into the idle circuit is usually called the pilot jet or idle jet. Sometimes the air screw and associated jet are called slow-running screw and jet.

The idle mixture is controlled by three adjustments:

A throttle stop screw which goes into the side of the carb right beside the throttle slide. It limits how much the slide can close. The slide is never fully closed, so some air ducks under it and flows into the engine when you think the throttle is closed.

You adjust the throttle stop screw for the idle speed you want and the idle air screw for mixture strength at that idle speed. These two controls interact and a good adjustment procedure is as follows:


When the slide is raised, fuel flow from the idle circuit decreases.

Turn the idle speed up a little higher than you want it to be, using the throttle stop screw. Now turn the idle air or pilot air screw inwards until the engine runs poorly.

Usually turning this screw inwards makes the idle mixture richer, and when the engine begins to stumble it’s because of a too-rich mixture. Stop turning the screw inward when the engine acts like it is about to quit running. Start backing it out and count half-turns of the screw as you do it.

The engine should speed up as you back the idle air screw out and then start slowing down as you continue backing it out. When it runs poorly, stop backing it out. Count the number of half-turns you made while backing the screw out from run-poorly to run-poorly. Set the idle air screw halfway between these extremes, or at a nearby setting where the engine runs fastest.

Back out the throttle stop screw to reduce the idle speed to what you want. Then re-check the idle air screw adjustment and reset to the place where the engine idles fastest or smoothest.

DIALING IN THE PILOT JET

The pilot or idle jet should be the right size to allow you to perform the idle adjustment. If you can’t get it to idle properly, you might have the wrong size jet. Here’s how to tell: let’s say you’re turning the idle air screw in and it should be making the mixture too rich. The engine speed keeps increasing until finally you have the screw turned all the way in, and it’s running best right there. By the time you get the screw turned all the way in, the mixture should have been much too rich. So you can figure that the idle jet is too small, and needs the next size larger.

If you back out the idle air screw and the engine just keeps running faster and faster until finally the screw falls out of the carb, it tells you the idle jet is too big and is letting too much fuel through. Install a smaller (leaner) one.

Some manuals tell you to turn the idle air screw all the way in and then back it out a specified number of turns for a good idle. Usually this is around one or two turns out. If you can’t get a good idle with this setting, or close to it, the idle jet is the wrong size.

THE IDLE SYSTEM IS CRITICAL TO OVERALL PERFORMANCE

The idle system is part of the carb’s entire operating system. By opening the throttle slide, the main system is supposed to take over and the idle system is supposed to decrease delivery of mixture. The transition between these two systems is critical to good performance when you first crack the throttle, and on up to about one-eighth open.


At idle and slightly above idle, the fuel flow is regulated by the pilot jet and the air screw.

There are two factors that aid transition from the idle system to the main system. One is the setting of the idle system itself. Some mechanics set the idle as described and then test throttle response by whacking open the throttle. They try slightly different idle air screw settings to see what gives the best throttle response off idle.

this advice is taken from "dont ask" on offroad.com the author is Rick Sieman

this is a great sourse if info for those who whould like to learn to work on there own

[okieRrider]

hello, i would look further into your aibox and filter to see if you had something clogging it up. i live in oklahoma also and mine starts fine everytime even in the the snow we had a few weekends back. if that isn't anything i would check your needle and seat cause it may have a piece of crud in it.