| Author |
Message |
    
Paigeken2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 04:21 pm: | 
|
Hi, I am a brand new rider, still in the driving around the neighborhood stage. I have a 2001 blast with very low (1200 miles) mileage. I started it and rode it 4 days ago and it ran like a champ. Last night I went out and it started, but then the idle would lower and it would die. I kept retrying with the same results for about 25 minutes. Then I saw I had not set the petcock properly so I thought I maybe flooded it and went inside to let it rest. Came out about 45 minutes later and it did the same. Any suggestions what has happened in the last 4 days to make it do this? Maybe a suggestion as to what I am doing wrong? Any suggestions appreciated. P.S. I am a female and do not do any mechanical work (I bring to a mechanic) so if it is really complicated mechanically, you can just let me know that and save yourself some time. THANKS for any and all help |
Kevmean
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 04:35 pm: |
|
Does the blast have an on and a reserve position on the petcock, is it low on fuel and needs to be on reserve now? |
Paigeken2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 04:52 pm: |
|
It is definitely not low on fuel (full tank) and yes, the petcock has an "on" and "reserve" position. I read in the manual that when running, it should be in the "on" position and when you need the reserve, or when not running it should be in the 'reserve' position. That is what I meant when I said I realized I had set it wrong. The first time I tried it, I forgot and had it in the reserve position. That is why I thought I might have flooded it and tried again about an hour later (with it in the "on" position). |
Sparky
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 09:44 pm: |
|
Shouldn't it have "on", "off" and "reserve" positions? If so then the bike should always be left in the "off" position when parked.
What you may have encountered is that the carburetor could have a slight leak in its float valve which could allow gas from the carb bowl to leak into the engine when it is parked. So if the petcock is left in the "on" or "reserve" position, gravity could cause gas to continue to dribble into the engine which would result in problems when trying to start up the next time.
But if the petcock is left in the "off" position, then gravity is prevented from leaking gas into the engine. The bottom line is: Always leave the bike's petcock in the "Off" position when parked for any length of time. |
Imadog
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2013 - 06:26 am: |
|
Could be water in the fuel. Check the large O-Ring on your filler cap. You can check the fuel by draining some gas from the float bowl into a container... let it sit for a minute and look for a small clear glob (water) at the bottom of the fuel. If you do have water in the system, you can drain the tank and carb into a bucket, let it settle, then pour off the gas into a gas can, except for the very last bit. This winter would be a good time to rebuild the carb and use a new intake gasket. As always, take precautions when messing with flammable materials, use Sta-Bil for over winter storage. |
Imadog
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2013 - 06:35 am: |
|
There are three things that you must have for the engine to run.
1. Timed Spark
2. Compression
3. Proper fuel ratio |
|
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