500 COLD WEATHER STARTING PROBLEM

[OLDRIDER]

Help, I have a 500 with EFI and if I don't start it every day or two and the weather is cold it just cranks. I have no problem in warm weather. I have fully charged the battery and it it is extremely hard to start. I have good premium/fresh new gas in the tank. Anyone have any ideas? I am getting tired of taking battry out and recharging it. It will alwys restart once I get it started. Thanks in advance.

[ts1]

A strong (!) battery might solve it. And it's a simple test - use your car etc. for jump start.
An old battery looses power after few hours and days no matter how often you recharge it.
Ignition on, let the fuel pump work for some seconds (clicking sound) and then go.
Cranking the engine and having enough power for all the electrics is difficult.

Other tests are new software, new decompression unit, new control unit. (Contact your dealer.)
Kymco had severe problems with X500 EFI cold start, but it's all solved by now. Most successful was the new battery.

[MaryK]

You can have the battery tested at an auto parts store for free.

But if your engine turns over well but doesn't start when cold, then the choke or the FI control
may not be functioning properly for cold weather. 
Cold weather requires a richer fuel mixture because not all of the fuel vaporizes.

Not knowing the age of the scooter and the number of miles on  it, you  may want to talk to the dealer about the problem.

A new sparkplug is a good idea for starting & running problems.


Scoot safely,

[roboscoot]

my scooters are efis....and i am very familiar with what is happening...with yours....if your battery is more than 2 years old....and you are working off the stock battery that came with  the scooter...i would replace it (probably ten amp....with a 12 amp one, get yourself a battery tender.....and a smidge of seafoam may help....you can also change the plug...

by all means if you attempt to charge from your car/truck.....make sure your vehicle is not running....or you will fry the wires if not destroy the starter.....and i am speaking from personal experience...good luck...

[zombie]

Agreed w/ Roboscoot. DO NOT jump off the car. You scoot cannot handle that kind of amperage. A new Batt. should do it. There is also a cold start circuit or IAC. This is basically a needle, and seat set up that is prone to carbon build up. A new Batt should get you up again, and if not your dealer can clean the IAC port in under an hour. The basic problem is when cold cranking, the battery voltage drops below the computers operating voltage, and there is essentially no computer while cranking. Good Luck...

[ce]

The valves should be adjusted at 300, 3000, 7000, and 11,000 kilometers.
Cold starting difficulty is a symptom of the exhaust valve being too tight, as is dying when stopping or idling.

It's really easy to do, once you get all the plastic off, and is covered in the service manual.