Starting Tips

[Rohr397]

Since my quad is so incredibly cold, has been sitting for two months and I DONT have a choke what would be an easy way to get this cold-blooded thing running without draining my battery? The electric starter and pumping the throttle just doesn't do it :/

[JOHNDOE83]

Take the lid off the airbox and cup your hand around the filter and try to start it, your hand will be like a choke. You could also buy a bigger pilot jet to help it start easier.

[hocman123]

push it

[DnB_racing]

get a new plug, drain ALL the old gas from tank and carb, put some fresh gas through the carb ....spray a quick shot of starting fluid into the intake with throttle open, pump it only 2 or 3 times and give it a try

[TheAwesomehonda]

Oh i hate it when my ex don't start. You can have all the power in the world but if it wont start it don't do no good.. Thats why i went back to the stock carb with the stock choke.:D

[beastlywarrior]

Pull the filter, spray a little ether in the intake, hold your hand over it and it should start right up

[finsteratv]

crank it over, pop the throttle 3 times and with a 42 pilot that works for me.

[Scro]

If it's really cold out, and it's in a small garage, it will help to run a good space heater next to it.

[xcracer416]

Originally posted by Scro
If it's really cold out, and it's in a small garage, it will help to run a good space heater next to it.


thats the best thing you can do. starting fluid and ether can cause serious damage on a gas engine. use it at your own risk.

i had a buddy pull me off this year. thats the second best way to crank these cold natured beasts

[Drfat400ex]

You could try draining the oil, then putting warm oil in it. Don't know how good it would work but that's what my gramps said he used to do with the tractors haha.

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by xcracer416
thats the best thing you can do. starting fluid and ether can cause serious damage on a gas engine. use it at your own risk.

i had a buddy pull me off this year. thats the second best way to crank these cold natured beasts yes and no, I guess we should add this caution "many ways use at your own risk"

using starting fluid sparingly on a 4 stroke motor that is broke in will cause no damage,

on a newly built motor that hasn't already been fully lubricated or on a 2 stroke that gets is lubricant from the premix, damage is possible

but used sparingly and PROPERLY to start only ...
not to keep it running,or on a hot motor that wont start or a motor that's flooded with gas...
but a couple quick shots ONLY prior to starting, almost any combustible spray will not cause any damage if used in this manner


care has to be taken pull starting also... on a motor with low octane fuel,that is flooded or old gas or gas that contains water,or a motor that's been drowned,, pull starting can cause bent valves ... use caution here also!!

and using your hands to cause a choke can be dangerous to your hands,if any flame back occurs

the safest thing to do is use fresh gas new plugs and a heater,
but here again using a heater too close to a fuel source has its risks also

sadly most of the time we are in a hurry or just bad at planing ahead to do things the best and safest way,

so we take risks

but all these other methods all work but come with small risks

[Rohr397]

Thanks everyone, not a fan of the starter fluid personally haha. I think I'll try heating up the garage a bit and starting it that way. The plug is fairly new and the gas is new so I can't see any of that getting in the way. It's so close to starting! It just can't quite get an idle going. I think it will help when I have my bars so I can hook everything up and hold the throttle open just enough to get it going above idle. Hopefully all that will be here tomorrow.