Cold Start frustration!!!

Hi there, glad I found XJbikes.com.

I have been searching all over for an answer to this. Hopefully someone can help.

I own an 82 Maxim 750. After the bike has been sitting over night and I go start it in the morning it will just crank and crank but will not fire. if it sits in the hot sun for a while it will start. Has anyone else had this problem? If so what is the fix? The Carbs have been rebuilt right before I bought the bike. I have run STP engine treatment through the tank. The bike now runs smoother but thats about it. It will start if I take one of the plugs out and pour a small amount of gas in. Please help as I would like to be able to start using this bike as my daily rider. Right now I can only ride it after it has sat in the warm sun for a while. :? :? :x :x

 

Ok, assuming that you apply choke when trying to start, and that your choke cable actually moves the enrichment plungers on the carbs.... your enrichment circuit passages in the bowls are probably clogged. This is very often overlooked during carb rebuild (unless they followed one of xjbikes.com carb cleaning guides!)

See this post here, with pics and all.

Good news is that this is a fairly easy fix. Bad news is that you will have to pull the carbs. Really good news is that once your enrichment circuits are clean, the bike will start even when it's below freezing outside.

 

i agree with stereoming something in the choke circuit. is there any ajustment on the cable pull the choke on see if there is any more movement on the carb where its attached also if you can see make sure all the plungers move just in case the choke rod that connects all the plungers was installed properly and the plungers are lifting would be nice if it was an easy fix before pulling the carbs.

 

Thanks for the tips. That stands to reason about the choke.
The plungers do work but the bike doesn't like to start while
I have it on. I guess the I will need to pull the carve. Some one suggested
that I use techron! Might give the a try also.

Thanks again

 

Fisherkat, you can't get your bike to run better using snake oil. The people on this site that get their XJ back on the road don't do it by putting in some "additive" that makes everything run better and smoother while making their teeth whiter, or even by paying someone else to do it.

Prepare to get your hands dirty, clean the carbs right (sure it's only your enrichment circuit now...but if you haven't rebuilt them yet, and the PO swears he did - or paid a shop to do it - just wait :twisted: ), and like stereo said, your bike will start when it's below freezing (I know mine starts easy in the mid-30s).

People new to these bikes come looking for an easy answer (like "STP engine treatment") but proper cleaning and adjustment of the carbs, closing of any air leaks in the intake system, making sure you are getting spark, and good compression is the easiest answer of all.

 

Also make sure your battery is strong. It is very easy to overlook that since it doesn't take much to crank the motor over, but you need a strong battery to turn the motor AND throw enough juice to fire up.

Been there done that many a time,

Dave Fox

 

Once again, thanks for the great advice. I know what I am gonna be doing on the next rainy weekend.

 

Hey Fisherkat! I recently bought an 86 XJ700 Maxim and am having the same problem. All geared up and ready to ride to work and.....son of a @#$!. 3 times in a row I ended up taking the car to work and when I get home the bike starts right up with a wide open choke. Please keep me posted if cleaning the carbs solves this problem. I have tried half a bottle of Seafoam in the tank and ran through a tank of gas, my idle has improved but morning start is still a no go. I am hesitant to pull the carbs unless I have to for fear of screwing the bike up more than it is. It runs great once its warmed up.

 

Just got done checking my 4 starter enrichment jets using a pen-light in a dark room....I could see thru 3 of the 4 jets.....

I guess I still have some work to do......time for some more boiling in lemon juice or soaking in drain cleaner.....

 

Hey Chief, I haven't had the time to start working on the cabs yet. Will def let you know how it went once I do it. Like you I am a bit nervous to do it but ya got to learn some time.

I did however manage to get it going yesterday morning. Work up an it was really worm out. Actually got a chance to ride into work.

 

Well said. The problem is, a lot of "noob" motorcyclists simply do not (and don't want to) understand that an '81 Yamaha IS NOT an '81 Pontiac Sunbird.

If you latch onto a quarter-century old bike, and actually want to USE it (like I do, X2) you have to properly "recommission" it. Gotta either go big or suck wind. No in-betweens, I tried. Doesn't work. Go all out and do it RIGHT and you get a new bike for a fraction of the cost of new. Try to look for "easy outs" and you will fail.

It's up to you.

Read: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=24010.html
Read: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14581.html

Then decide. I'm not trying to discourage anyone, I love it when another new XJ owner takes up the cause. You just need to understand what this means, and decide if you want to ride this bike... or fiddle with it forever.

It really is your choice.

 

cleaning the carbs real good is a good idea but before you do try this
when the "choke" enrichment is on don't touch the throttle till you get some fire in the hole
as soon as you give it some gas it defeats the choke, try just a little choke too
then clean the carbs

 

Well said, Polock, start the bike on full choke no throttle.

 

I also found the other day on a vintage bike forum someone with this same problem. He had a 1970 something Honda CB750 that would not start in the morning but would in the afternoon. He reported that when he replaced his choke cable this solved his problem, the bike started right up the next morning. I recently found a used choke cable from an xj700 with only 9,000 miles for 4 bucks and some change with four bucks and some change for shipping on ebay. I think I may give that a shot, then it's a matter of getting
the tool to tune the carbs after cleaning them.
Thanks for the throttle tip also, I was giving it throttle with the choke wide open. I am in the attitude now that each problem is an incentive to learn.

 

easy way to check l put the choke on mark where the lever is grab the lever with pliers and see if the lever moves any farther if it does ajust your cable so it opens all the way

 

Fitz, Thats why I am postingthe question here. I do needto find the right way to take care of it. I do know that adding some additive to the gas tank isn't the cure. i just needed to know where to start. And everyone that has replied to this post has been helpful.

 

Fisherkat - don't worry, I don't think Fitz or anyone is getting after you. It's just that when someone here posts for the first time about a deal of a bike that won't run right or start no matter what they try...and what they try involves putting something in the gas tank or some other easy way out (and you aren't the only one on this thread...much less this year), it is our duty as forum members who have recommissioned our bikes to set you on the right path and not blow smoke up anyone's collective a**es (other people read these threads too)

I myself got a "deal" when I spent $450 on my first seca that ran rough. Was missing some things...and still isn't painted, but it took a lot more than I thought it would to get it up to snuff. Worth it and still cheaper than a new bike, I've put 2k miles on it and have been having a blast.

It's also kinda sad how additives and potions are marketed to do the impossible.

chiefsleepy - chacal has new cables. You can see the cables operate. If moving the choke cable lifts the enrichment circuit plungers - it's not the cable :twisted:

 

Fishercat the posts I linked to have your answer. Nobody's getting on your case, we just want you to understand that there is no "quick fix."

You want to know where to start. Start by getting a manual.

Then go through the "maintenance" section, item by item and step by step leaving nothing out.

Start with the carbs if you want, but you still have to do it all.

As you go through the bike from front to back and top to bottom doing all the maintenance chores, you will discover things that are worn out; dried out; corroded; rusted; or otherwise deteriorated beyond useful service. Clean and restore or replace them.

Once you have performed all of the "routine maintenance" that was never done or long-neglected, and replaced everything that needed replacing, you will have a reasonably reliable, useable and enjoyable new-old bike. Yes, things will crop up occasionally; how many things and how frequently is a direct function of how thorough you were to begin with.

The best place to start is with a decision to do it right, and that begins with a service manual.

 

Moving the choke does lift the plungers. I am looking into the spark plugs
now. One of my spark plug boots are cracked. I also pulled 2 spark plugs and the color is a nice tan color but the plugs are Champion 63's. I dont know if these are the right plugs as i have checked a couple cross reference pages and these have not come up as a comparable match. I have tried Walmart and AutoZone and a Suzuki Cycle Shop so far, (that guy was trying to give me plugs for the X model, good thing I did my homework first) and have had no luck finding NGK BPR8ES plugs or any aftermarket plugs to match them. Also have found different matches for the same plug on the few charts I have checked. Very confusing and frustrating. I believe I am going to order 4 new boots and four new plugs from CHACAL and see what happens next.

 

Hot or cold, my bike will never start without opening the throttle a bit. I'm hoping that using the guidelines posted here will eliminate the need for having to use the choke everytime I do a cold start.

 

You HAVE to use the "choke" when you cold start, because the fuel and intake are too cold to present the proper fuel/air ratio (less of the fuel is vaporized, more remains in a liquid state) on a carbuerated bike . As soon at the engine starts heating up, fuel is atomized more and the enriched mixture can be reduced to the proper fuel/air ratio.

If you're enrichment circuit is clean, your bike will start really easily with choke down to freezing temps. And if your carbs are clean, set properly, and there are no leaks, you will not need to run with choke once warm and you can warm start the bike with just a little blip on throttle.

 

Getting my bike back on the road involved taking the carbs off about 1/2 dozen times, including replacing the throttle shaft seals, and checking for manifold leaks. The work is worth it for the convenience of just having to operate the choke only. Now it is left for days in freezing cold weather (winter here), but it starts up straight away on full choke and no throttle.

I have found that leaving the engine for 1/2 an hour or more likes the full choke and no throttle to start again. Air cooled engines cool down much quicker than liquid cooled engines. No hot coolant to keep the engine block warm.

 

have you checked the float levels sounds like they might be a little low after the bike sits all the fuel in the emulshin tube and other passages
drip back down into the float bowl and the bike has a hard time getting the gas pulled back thru them without a little help from the enrichener . im sure you cleaned all the passages good including pulling the mixture screws checking the orings if everything else is good and it runs good otherwise. if it bothers you alout and your floats are set rite you might want to go up a little on the pilot jet.not sure over there but over here they jet them a little on the lean side to pass emissions. ive went up on the pilot jet on alout of bikes that need full choke to run when i did you could start it then without choke like alout of the bikes were in the 70s doesnt take much just 1 or 2 sizes on the jet