2000 Suzuki 500 quad master running weird

[jeremy217]

I have a friend that thas a suzuki 500 quad master, the problem im having is I went hunting one morning and after a mile and half ride it ran fine, when i got back on it it ran about a 1/4mile and started spittin and sputtering it runs fine at an idle and in nuteral but as soon as I put it in gear and try to go it starts it again, I tried it in reverse and runs fine, ended up driving in reverse all the way back to the truck, after I got back unloaded it and wasnt doing it, ive used it 3 times to blade snow and do a few other things and had no problems with it, used it yeasterday and it somewhat started doing it again, any help would be greatly apprecated

[DirtDemon]

Possible problem with the gear position sensor maybe. What year is this machine?

[jeremy217]

Im not sure ill find out, where is this sensor located? also told it migh be a foward regulator, which is the reason it doesnt do it in reverse, is this the same thing you are talkin about?

[DirtDemon]

I have never heard of a forward regulator. If memory serves me correctly, the Quadmaster is the automatic one. If this is correct, there should be a sensor on the right hand side of the motor, plastic thingy with wires coming out of it, two screws holding it in. I think it is on the right side as you are sitting on the machine, if you don't see anything like that there, look on the other side. If you are unsure if you have found the right part, you can take a picture and post it.

[Ajmboy]

* Thread moved to Suzuki Forum. Manufacturer added to thread title.

[jeremy217]

ok took it to a suzuki mechanic and he said theres no sensors on the quad master and the book doesnt show one eather, they ran it and never got it to do it, and ran some cleaner threw carb and then seemed to run better but got it home and it started it again, but now it does it in reverse to, when it does it if you turn the engine off and start it again it stops but then soon after will start it again,

[DirtDemon]

Sounds like an ignition problem, my guess would be that your CDI is in its way out. The best thing to do would be to test all of the ignition components. If you have a repair manual, there should be some tests that you can perform using a multimeter. Some other things you might want to do is check your valve lash, pull the float bowl off the carb and check for debris, and try a fresh spark plug. Also, take a look at the old plug, what does it look like? Did you ever find out what year that Quadmaster is?

[GEARHEAD01]

i would start chasing wires. you could have a partially broken wire still in the coating.

[jeremy217]

its a 2000

[DirtDemon]

its a 2000

Thankyou, any luck figuring out what the problem is?

[jeremy217]

not yet going to take it back in today, it doesnt do it for the mechanic but as soon as i pick it up and get it home it does it, go figure

[DirtDemon]

That is very typical of electrical problems, they can be like chasing down a ghost. I do know that there is some kind of switch on the end of the gear shifting assembly, it is called a "gear shift terminal base assembly" it is some kind of electrical switch that is moved when gears are changed, it does have wires coming out of it. What I do not know, is what exactly it does, or if it is on the outside of the motor, or under the side cover. The fact that your seemed to be dependent on the gear you were in at first lead me to believe that some kind of gearshift sensor could be the root of the problem. Now that it does it in any gear, opens the door up to more possibilities, but I would not forget about the gear shift terminal base assy. You might try shifting back and forth between forward and reverse to see if that will instigate the problem, or maybe cause it to go away. If that has any affect, or if you don't get the stumbling when you rev the motor in neutral, I might start thinking about that base assembly. If it doesn't seem to make any difference, then I would lean more toward a problem with the ignition. Another thing you might check is the coil wire, sometimes the wires inside get corroded or worn where the spark plug boot connects to the wire. You should be able to unscrew the boot from the wire and check the wires inside. If they look damaged in any way, just start snipping off short chunks of insulation 1/8" at a time until you have good clean wires at the end. Did you check the vavle lash, try a new plug or inspect the wiring?

[lawny]

If it runs fine idleing and in neutral, it almost sounds like it's starving for fuel when you open the throttle. Have you checked the air filter ? Might be running too rich from lack of proper air/fuel ratio, kind of like running with the choke on. Also check and make sure the choke is fully releasing, I've seen a similar problem with a '07 Yamaha dirt bike. Had to lube up the choke mechanism to get it to release all the way, run like a top after that.

Edited January 20, 2011 by lawny