Author Topic: She's Alive!  (Read 353 times)

MstExplr

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She's Alive!
« on: July 25, 2022, 10:45:05 PM »
Hey All.  First a big Thank You for all of your help.  Even though you may not have known you were helping.   ;)

For the past several weeks my 2013 Like 200i would turn over but not start.  Well, every now and again she'd start for a short burst, but 99% of the time she'd just crank.  Got on here and read EVERY post I could find with this issue, and tried every suggestion.  'TPS reset', 'ground the pink wire', 'throttle full on for 8 sec, then off for 5 sec, then key off', and tested the Ohms, Volts, spray patterns, fuel pressure, the fuel pump hose, etc...  Everything was in specs.  Replaced fuel with new and added SeaFoam, bought a new battery, installed a new Iridium spark plug, performed a Valve Adjustment (thanks for the YouTube video) and put Carb Cleaner in the air intake.  Nothing made a difference.

The only thing that was off was the compression.  My cheap-o Harbor-Freight compression guage said I had about 90 psi.  Many posts, and other sources, said it should be anywhere from 100 up to 213psi depending on the post.    I took the compression reading off of a functioning People 150 and it was also about 90 psi.  I figured the guage was not the most accurate since the People runs just fine, albeit with a slightly smaller engine, so I figured the Like's compression wasn't too far off.  Nothing seemed to be wrong, except it wouldn't start. 

Since I really didn't want to start just throwing parts at it until something worked, I decided I must have missed something and started over from ground zero and checked fuses, wiring, vacuum tubes, etc...  Then my cousin suggested that I put some oil (10W40) in the spark plug hole, reinsert the spark plug and see if it would start.  So, I did, and she started!  Spewed forth a ton of white smoke from the muffler, but it ran.  At least for a while.  Then when all the oil burned off, or leaked out, it'd go back to just turning over.  I did see a small amount of oil drip beneath the motor up by the valve cover.  Finally she ran, and I knew it was a compression issue.  I took off the valve cover and examined the gasket thinking it must have worn out, or broke.  However, it still looked to be in good shape.  Then I noticed there was a small twist in the rubber gasket and the seam that runs along the sides was now where it made contact with the cylindar head.  Maybe that leaked enough to lower the compression and keep it from firing.  I cleaned the metal and gently cleaned and reinstalled the gasket so it wasn't twisted.  Put everything back together and she started right up and kept running.  I let her cool down and cleaned the underside well, so I could more easily see if she was still leaking.   Let her run for a while and didn't see any oil, so took her for a spin.  All went well, and she is still up and running.  I did another compression test and this time it was around 100 psi.  Again, not sure how accurate my guage is.

I remembered I did a valve adjustment last fall just before I put her into winter storage and realized I must have twisted that gasket when I put it back together.  I haven't had her out until just a few weeks ago so didn't notice until now.

Who knew (except for probably several of you) such a small thing would stop a scooter from running.  I now know!  I appreciate all the help, wisdom, and advise you all provide.  I hope y'all don't find this post too boring, but I like it when a problem gets resolved and the solution gets posted.

Live, Learn and keep on scootering.
2013 Kymco Like 200i
2012 Kymco People 150
2010 Honda Silverwing
2008 Yamaha C3

Stig / Major Tom

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Re: She's Alive!
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2022, 12:43:38 AM »
Explr ~!
Fascinating!
Because - as far as I am aware an engine will run without the valve cover in place ....MESSY as h_ll, but she'd run, while slinging oil around!

So, an ill fitting valve cover rubber O ring should not have cause anything but a dripping leak of engine oil.....but a small leak caused by a misplaced rubber oil gasket should not have prevented an engine from running?.

So, I will now sit and learn that I am mistaken - while some better engine-heads post into this and explain to me why I am wrong.
I'm certainly no expert,....well I make a pretty good lasagna ..but that's it.

My theory is.....just throwing pasta against the kitchen wall here....your plug cap was loose, your injector coughed up whatever and started providing fuel, or....tossing that oil in there seated a poor fitting ring, providing better compression?
I got nothing else.


Heck - the good news is she is running!

I'll drink a cup of coffee to your success!
Stig
« Last Edit: July 26, 2022, 12:51:36 AM by Stig / Major Tom »
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Rural Ohio

And, I'm feeling a little peculiar.

MstExplr

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Re: She's Alive!
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2022, 01:24:56 AM »
Well C—p.   :-[  I thought I had it figured out since that was the last thing I did.  Oh well.  It’s running but I’d still like to know why.  I’m a newbie for a reason.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2022, 01:59:43 AM by MstExplr »
2013 Kymco Like 200i
2012 Kymco People 150
2010 Honda Silverwing
2008 Yamaha C3

Ruffus

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Re: She's Alive!
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2022, 09:14:24 AM »
@MstExplr, thank you for this feedback and happy to read, you made it.

Since our valve covers have an air duct, which either "exhale" into a puke-tube (LIKE models) or into a second air system, I'm inclined to put the blame on an electrical item, such as a loose sparkplug, sparkplug cap or ignition cable between coil and sparkplug.
Sometimes the sparkplug seems to be tightened, but isn't. Looses compression there and won't start.

Any other loose or intermitting cable might have caused this too.
Happy and safe scootering, Ruffus

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