Spree Crazies! won't start w/out starter fluid - then races

skeeteris29 · Post by **skeeteris29** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 1:24 pm

I bought a couple of honda scooters at the beginning of the summer and the little spree has been giving us trouble for about six weeks. In the beginning, it started and ran fine. About six weeks ago, my daughter tried to start it, but no go. I finally got it running and she left on her paper route, but it died within a block and she walked it home. We tried to get it going again, but no luck. We cleaned the carb (according to past posts), made sure we could see light through the jets, including the idle jet (pin hole), and replaced the autobystarter with a brand new one, but still no go.
We can get it to start with starter fluid, but then it just races like crazy whether the bystarter is in, out, thumb over the hole, no thumb, cotton and tape covering hole, etc...
I have read through a lot of the previous threads for help thus far, but am kind of stuck now and not sure what to try next.

I seen a post about the throttle being in wrong - and as soon as the battery is recharged I will give that a try. But that still doesn't explain why it won't start without starter fluid.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I would really like to get it running again.

Thanks!

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 2:21 pm

do u have a air filter/air box in place. i have had problems with it not even starting without it. its weird the things these sprees do, and how they react with no filter/box. if not, check the throttle like you said. if those fail i would re-clean the carb and use compressed air. inspect the carb to make sure nothing is coming out of the tank and clogging it. (rust,dirt) the carband intake is tight, right?

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 2:22 pm

do u have a air filter/air box in place. i have had problems with it not even starting without it. its weird the things these sprees do, and how they react with no filter/box. if not, check the throttle like you said. if those fail i would re-clean the carb and use compressed air. inspect the carb to make sure nothing is coming out of the tank and clogging it. (rust,dirt) the carband intake is tight, right? when u re-clean the carb check the main jet to make sure it is a #65. should be stamped on it. (i know its a pain in the *)

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 2:55 pm

to explain the throttle position better...

the throttle slide piston will go in 2 ways. try spinning the throttle piston 180 degrees and see if it slides in further. the spring should follow it partway down.

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 5:24 pm

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY NOT BE GETTING GAS TO THE CARB IF IT ONLY STARTS WITH STARTING FLUID. YOUR FUEL VALVE MIGHT BE SHOT OR PLUGGED. COULD BE YOUR VACUUM TUBE IS PLUGGED OR NOT WORKING. DISCONNECT yOUR GAS LINE AND VACUUM TUBE FROM THE CARB. SUCK ON VACUUM TUBE AND SEE IF GAS COMES OUT OF GAS LINE.

skeeteris29 · Post by **skeeteris29** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 5:54 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions - lets see if I can cover all of them...

The air filter and box is standard and is hooked up correctly. The filter has been cleaned per the manual. The throttle is placed correctly, and slides down inside the carb. We wd40ed the cable and it is springing back better than it was, but this did not fix the problem. The throttle cable is pulling the needle up and down and when we took it out (in between all the trying to start it) there was gas on the needle.
Well anyway, I 95% sure the throttle cable is installed correctly and have moved on to try and see if it could be something else.

When we had the carb apart again, I did the light in a dark room check to make sure the idle (pin hole) was still open, and I could still see light coming through.

The gas is coming out of the tank as I have opened the bottom drain screw and blew in the air line and got fuel to come out the drain. (This was in another post somewhere -- a way to make sure you had fuel in the carb after cleaning it.)

BUT -- the strange thing is that I am not totally sure that once it is running that gas is continuing to flow because it would run a while full throttle, then die out (probably after the starter fluid burned up).

WEIRD...

So, if it gets gas when I take of the air hose and suck on it, why wouldn't it once the hose is reattached? Plus, everytime I took the carb off today (at least three times), there was gas in the carb.

Is it possible that it is getting too much gas and after running at full throttle for a short period of time, it is flooding itself out?

Hmmm... what do ya think?

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 6:47 pm

its possable. what size is the main jet? what does your plug look like?(check plug first)

skeeteris29 · Post by **skeeteris29** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 6:58 pm

I will have to check the jet.. the plug is new.

Checked the jet, it is a #65...

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:18 pm

doesnt matter. what does it look like (oily wet-rich) (white-lean) (tan-perfect)

skeeteris29 · Post by **skeeteris29** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 8:43 pm

the jet is a #65

the plug had a little oil on the threads, but the end was dry and tan.

vette76 · Post by **vette76** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:16 pm

hmm, im gonna have to think about this one. u said u have a couple of sprees. have u tried swapping carbs? i am 99% sure it is the carb but its worth a shot. if it still does it then it could be somthing else.