ATV won't start ??

[bogydave]

I put the ATV away, it was running fine. Yamaha Kodiak 450.
It was about 12 ° when I plowed with the Grandkids & then put it away.
I store it in an unheated garage. 1/2 tank of fuel & pretty fresh as I use it often to plow snow.
Kill switch is in "run" , fuel valve is in on (not reserve)
Tried several time then the batt started sounding weak.
Pushed it to the heated side, added some "Heat" (alcohol gasoline additive for water in fuel) charging the battery.
Ideas?

 

[loon]

My 450 Suzuki wont start with the battery down it will turn over but will not fire,trickle charge over night and its fine..maybe also check under the seat bogy for any mouse chewed wires and good connections with the battery? yours doesnt really sound like a frozen fuel line?

good luck eh ;-)

loon

 

[nate379]

Will find out soon enough since it's thawing out I suppose, though it's not very cold here... in the mid 40s right now.

Does it have spark?

 

[maxed_out]

dave, I'm with nate, check your plug. I've seen this on our cabin atv's. little bit of moisture because of the ethanol and boom no spark.

 

[jeff_t]

If my Yamaha doesn't pop right away it floods. Holding the throttle wide open doesn't help. I gotta pull the plug and shoot it (the plug) with starting fluid to dry it off, maybe a little shot in the cylinder thru the plug hole. Usually fires right away and chugs and smokes a bit till it cleans itself out. Mines really cold blooded, though. It's also 25 years old, so I can be liberal with the starting fluid sometimes. I'd love an excuse to get a new one

 

[kettensäge]

My Kawi needs to have a topped off battery or it will not start in the cold. I also have better luck using the rope starter, seems that I can spin it faster than the electric starter, and there is less draw on the battery/more voltage available if you use the rope. Most cyles/atv's absolutely need 12.6 volts to fire, especially as it gets colder.
Buy a cheap Harbor Freight trickle charger and keep it plugged in all the time when it is below 32°.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

These are in this months' flyer for less than 10 bucks.

These work on everything from motorcycles to trucks, I have 2 and and used them both all winter long for 3 yrs. now, no problems. They will keep the battery above 12.6 and will not cook out the electrolyte.

If you pull the plug and its wet, dry it with a small torch. Heating it up helps get it started.

 

[Jags]

A weak battery can cause a poor spark when all the juice is going to the starter to spin it. My 4 cylinder genny is a perfect example of that. :-S

 

[lukem]

Either no fuel or no spark. After cranking it pull the plug and see if you get a whiff of fuel from the cylinder or if the plug is wet. If either of those is true you have fuel. While you have the plug out check it for a strong spark by grounding the plug to the jug and cranking it over.

 

[JeffRey30747]

My Kawi needs to have a topped off battery or it will not start in the cold. I also have better luck using the rope starter, seems that I can spin it faster than the electric starter, and there is less draw on the battery/more voltage available if you use the rope. Most cyles/atv's absolutely need 12.6 volts to fire, especially as it gets colder.
Buy a cheap Harbor Freight trickle charger and keep it plugged in all the time when it is below 32°.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

These are in this months' flyer for less than 10 bucks.

These work on everything from motorcycles to trucks, I have 2 and and used them both all winter long for 3 yrs. now, no problems. They will keep the battery above 12.6 and will not cook out the electrolyte.

If you pull the plug and its wet, dry it with a small torch. Heating it up helps get it started.

I have a couple of the little HF trickle chargers and they work but not that well. If have AGM technology batteries (usually an opaque black battery case instead of the white translucent one), the HF trickle says not to use it with AGM batteries and it will drastically shorten the life of the battery if you do. If you have an AGM battery, step up to the 800 milliamp battery tender jr (about $30). It even comes with a little pigtail that you permanently attach to the battery and run to the outside so you can charge without having direct access to the battery.

 

[kettensäge]

My Kawi needs to have a topped off battery or it will not start in the cold. I also have better luck using the rope starter, seems that I can spin it faster than the electric starter, and there is less draw on the battery/more voltage available if you use the rope. Most cyles/atv's absolutely need 12.6 volts to fire, especially as it gets colder.
Buy a cheap Harbor Freight trickle charger and keep it plugged in all the time when it is below 32°.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html

These are in this months' flyer for less than 10 bucks.

These work on everything from motorcycles to trucks, I have 2 and and used them both all winter long for 3 yrs. now, no problems. They will keep the battery above 12.6 and will not cook out the electrolyte.

If you pull the plug and its wet, dry it with a small torch. Heating it up helps get it started.

I have a couple of the little HF trickle chargers and they work but not that well. If have AGM technology batteries (usually an opaque black battery case instead of the white translucent one), the HF trickle says not to use it with AGM batteries and it will drastically shorten the life of the battery if you do. If you have an AGM battery, step up to the 800 milliamp battery tender jr (about $30). It even comes with a little pigtail that you permanently attach to the battery and run to the outside so you can charge without having direct access to the battery.

True.

 

[bogydave]

Well I checked the fuel flow. it's good. Got no water in it & it still wouldn't start.
Plug: well it's not 13/16 nor 5/8, used the Yamaha tool kit for the plug. (Guessing 18 MM)
Plug was loose (came out real easy) & build up of carbon. Cleaned, hooked up & got spark.
Put it bak in ATV started right up.
Not sure if being loose, because the threads were even carbon'd up or loose pug wire or real dirty electrode but it's running.
Time for a new plug, 2001 original so I guess it's due. Might as well do an oil change too, been a few years.

Thanks for the ideas,
Gotta plow a trail to the woodshed & wood door & get the wood box filled. 39 °, sweat shirt weather

 

[nate379]

Dave I put these little guys on my stuff and they work great.

I put them on the car and truck (diesels), tied into the block heater.

Then my yard tractor has one mounted to it too. I keep it plugged in all winter, never a problem getting it fired up when I need to snowblow.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-800-Waterproof-Charger/dp/B000CITKCE

I suggest not getting the Harbor Freight unit. I had one a few years ago and it killed a battery by I guess overcharging it.

 

[MasterMech]

http://smartercharger.com/

Personal Favorites. I have a US3300. Will never fry a battery. Work with everything from the ATV and lawn tractors up to the big group 78 battery (Optima Gell-Cell) in my 1 ton pickup.

http://smartercharger.com/battery-chargers/#CTEK Multi US 3300

 

[bogydave]

Thanks Nate
Good idea, I go thru batteries on the lawn tractor & ATV,
These may be just what I need

 

[loon]

Good to hear ya found the problem bogydave

just wondering if anybody has tried something like this on their bikes?

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...894P/Blue+Planet+1W+Solar+Panel.jsp?locale=en

loon

 

[basod]

Loon,
we have one at work hooked up to a portable diesel air compressor thats unfortunately only permited for emergency backup(foolish environmental regional lead decided to add it to emmsions control plan)
It keeps the battery up between monthly reliability starts.

 

[loon]

Thanks Basod.. I am gonna pick up the one i posted today as i think what is happening is i use it mostly on the weekends and it sits in the cold garage all week not doing much but losing its charge ;-) it was new with the bike but at $80 a battery over here in Canada :shut: i think it will be worth trying.

will let ya all know how i make out with it..

loon

 

[nate379]

I had a Harbor Freight version of the solar charger setup on my Jeep. Where I parked wasn't near electricity so I figured it was the next best thing to the plug in Battery Tender units. The solar charger didn't put out enough power to overcome the parasitic draws (ECM, etc) even in the hot Idaho sun.
It only cost around $15-20 so I didn't complain too much.

I'd imagine in the winter that you guys don't have too much daylight? If it's parked in a garage, you'd have to put the solar panel outside and run the wires to inside.

I'm real happy with the Battery Tender units that I linked to. If you park where there is an outlet nearby it would be the ideal way to keep the battery topped off.

 

[bpirger]

I plow with my traxter max....the reason I bought it. What a difference when I installed an AGM battery and the AGM tender....highly recommend.