Kawasaki Lakota Won't cold start

[Skindian82]

Won't cold start if I do get started with starter fluid won't start again later when cools down

[Gwbarm]

That sound like a fuel delivery problem. How does it run after you get it started, faster idle than normal, choke on or half on , any cutting out or power loss.

[Skindian82]

no power loss I am using full Choke. When I do get it started I have to smash the gas then adjust the air and fuel but that doesn't seem to help.

[Mech]

Does sound like a lack of fuel... Is this a carb or fuel injected bike ? Is the fuel fresh ?

Does it smoke or use oil ? If you use the pull or kick start, does it seem to have plenty of compression ? Does it crank over at a good speed with the electric start ?

Better tell us the year and anything else about it you know.. Had it long ? Has it had a tune up recently ? When did this problem start ? Did it get gradually worse ?

When you get it running, does it go ok ? When it's running, if you turn the choke on while it's idling, does the engine run differently ?

Edited July 3, 2024 by Mech

[Gwbarm]

So you are using full choke, only to get it started, or are you running full choke.

[Skindian82]

Mech if I turn choke on it cuts engine out after warmed up today I used starter fluid and half choke to get it started 

[Skindian82]

Think I figured it out I feel like a idiot but it happens on my running four wheeler the choke is the opposite way so after I figured that out I am now hoping the carburetor is finally turned in to where it needs to be thanks for the help stay blessed..

[Mech]

Ok. Good luck,

[Skindian82]

Sooo this is weird I dialed in the carb yesterday sounding good choke on Idled high choke off idle was good if I reved gas up it would drop down good any ideas

[Gwbarm]

That sounds normal.

[Skindian82]

Gas is flowing to the carb today but won't start spark plug is staying dry even with turning up the gas adjustment and air no change still dry won't even start with the starter fluid...

[Gwbarm]

I was basing my response to post # 6 and 9, sounding normal, in fact i was thinking if you are getting it going on half choke you might be flooding a little. After seeing your last post about the plug staying dry , im wondering if your float needle is stuck. Have you cleaned or went through the carb .

[Mech]

#9  " if I reved gas up it would drop down good any ideas ".

Can you explain this a bit better.. Revved the gas up.. That's giving it throttle is it ? And so what "it" dropped down good?

And what is this new problem ?

 

[Skindian82]

It's a new carb so float could be off any suggestions on how I can tell and adjust I'm a newbie I did take a part the oem one and cleaned up the jets but I know slim to none about adjusting the float on the new one I'm guessing the oem one is still gummed up somewhere.. so on to continue adjusting the new one.

[Gwbarm]

It meant to me dropped down to a good idle, maybe wrong.

[Mech]

Yeah I thought it meant it returned to idle nicely, but in that case, If it ran nice and returned to an idle, what is the problem ?

I thought the hard cold start had been sussed..  the choke lever worked backwards..

#11.. You say it wouldn't start even with starter fluid, did it try to run, did it fire while you were spraying the fluid in ?

The float won't be gummed up since it was running in #9.

And you better tell us what size and year this bike is so I can read up what sort of carb this has..

[Skindian82]

Kawasaki Lakota KEF300 Engine is the motor and if and when ever I do get it started with starter fluid I wait until it warms up adjust everything on the carb because cold it just seems like it's not getting the Gas it needs.

[Mech]

What year is that ?

I'm having trouble understanding what the problem is. I thought you'd got it to start after figuring how the choke works. If you answer my questions I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it eventually, but you need to answer the questions and when you are describing what you did and what happened with the bike it would help if you went into more detail and use punctuation..

Depending on the type of carb it is, it's likely that the choke only does anything when the throttle is closed right off. Some carbs when you open the throttle they stop drawing fuel through the enrichening circuit and so go lean, and carbs with a butterfly if you open the throttle they tend to draw too much fuel in. If you have the first type of carb the choke won't work properly if the idle is set with the throttle open more than it should be at idle.

It's important that you adjust the idle mixture with the throttle closed off as much as possible. If the idle speed screw is wound too far in when you adjust the mixture, then as you open the throttle they get a lean flat spot. When adjusting the idle you adjust the mixture to it's best position, then slow the idle and readjust the mixture. Keep doing those two steps till it's running even and slow. It should tick over real slow and steady, and then you speed it up with the speed screw but don't touch the mixture again. If it won't idle slow and steady then perhaps the carb needs some work or you have a vacuum leak or tight valve or something.

Edited July 5, 2024 by Mech

[Gwbarm]

The new carb will probably do fine, but i would continue cleaning the OEM one, they do the best they were made for the quad. 

[Mech]

Yup, I'd suggest fixing the original carb too.

The original carb will be set up just right for that engine, climate, altitude, and fuel. aftermarket carbs are set up in a sort of generic way, and will run on almost any bike of the right size, but seldom run well on any particular engine.