Grandvista not Starting

[yahooie]

If anyone has advice please help.  I recently bought a 2006 with 2300 miles on it down in Florida.  The person that I bought it from said it was sitting for a while and wouldn't start but she took it to her local shop where they serviced it and it was running fine.  When cold the bike had issues stalling unless I would give it gas and let off and on the gas for a little bit revving it up.  I called the dealer that serviced it and he said the bike just needed to be ridden.  Well I have put about 1500 miles on it and it was running fine but still had the same issue.  I downloaded the manual to change out the oil which I had and put in the 15w 40 that it suggests.  I haven't changed out the gear oil as I haven't been able to find the SAE90 but have since through reading the forums found that I can use other weights 75w 90 or another similar.  When checking the air filter I had noticed that there was oil not in the filter but in the box around it and in the intake behind the filter.  I don't think that is a good thing by the way.  I cleaned it up with a rag and closed it all up.  Bike was running fine but still had the starting issue.  This evening on my way home I got about a mile and it stalled at a light and will not start.  I plan on taking it to a shop to look at but if there might be something that you all can suggest that I look at to see if I can get it running to avoid having to rent a trailer, your advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ts1]

All GD/GV have a carburetor.
Do you have a 4 stroke 125/150/250cc?
Make sure for correct valve clearance, working choke (and perhaps a new spark).
Adjust idle mix screw to max idle revs and then the idle screw to the desired rpm. Usually this is done with a warm engine, but with cold start issues an adjustment for winter times might be necessary.

[yahooie]

it is 250 4 stroke.  I am pretty handy but not confident enough to mess with the valves and not sure about the choke.  I didn't want to take the bike apart and not be able to get it back together so I only tried to do the maintenance that seemed easiest.  Thanks for the suggestions.

[ts1]

Then at first only mess with the screws. While engine is running (on main stand and front wheel securely down!), slowly turning the screws. Don't entirely unscrew them. Access through maintenance cover in the helmet storage. But if it's a more fundamental problem, this effort may be wasted.

Spark plug isn't difficult too. But be carefully screwing in the new one. At first with your hand, you shouldn't feel any resistance. Only the last revs with the wrench.

[yahooie]

Any suggestions on what type of spark plug.  Is it one I can pick up at an autozone?  What is the correct gap depth?

[ts1]

There are many different spark plugs! You need the right one to avoid damage.
Look yourself, i.e. from NGK:
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/

What did you find?
DPR7EA-9? Ok!

[yahooie]

Thats it. Now off to find it.  Any idea what the oil in the air filter box could be from?

[ts1]

Yepp, it's there intentionally!
The air filter should be moistened with a little bit oil to repulse water.

[yahooie]

Thanks for all the help. I will still be bringing it in to have the dealer look it over and I will probably have them adjust the valves also if needed.  Right now about 4300 miles on it.

[MaryK]

Starting problems are often due to a dirty carb.  If a bike sets a while, old gas will form varnishes
that plug or partially plug the openings (jets) in a carb.  This is probably what happened to your scooter.

Use a gasoline stabilizer when gas will be in the bike for more than a month
(Sta-Bil is available at WalMart or an auto parts store; get the red kind).

A complete cleaning of the carb would involve removal and disassembly of the carb.
But there are carb cleaners that can be added to the gasoline.  They are easier  to do but not as effective as a real cleaning.
Techron, Sea Foam, Berrymans B12 are good cleaners that cane be found at WalMart or an auto parts store.
Just add one of the additives to fresh fuel (and stabilizer) in the amount indicated on the container and ride the scooter
for several tanksful.  The 3 additives are different from each other, switch to different one if the 1st doesn't help.

NOTE 1:  SeaFoam also contain gasoline stabilizer.


NOTE 2:  I have not used any of these three in my scooter but spouse has used all three successfully in motorcycles with
metal fuel tanks.  No reason to worry about using them if used in correct proportions, I think.
CONTACT the manufacturer if in doubt.


Scoot safely,