97 Yamaha Timber Wolf 2wd troubleshooting need help please

[mrtoast67]

Hey all, I just want to start by saying I am brand spanking new to the wide world of ATV's. I had one as a kid, then didnt step foot on one again till yesterday. And that brings me to this site. I just got a used Timberwolf 2wd of Craigslist. I am a very excited new quad owner. Its not perfect, it smokes and if you dont stay on the gas it turnes off most of the time. Also there is no battery atm so I am using the pull start. So heres my deal. I got it right around sun down. Rode it around for about 10 minutes, bought it. Rode it around again for another maybe 20 minutes as the sun was fully set. (It needs a battery before the lights will work I am told). So I park it. Next morning. I go outside, pull the choke. And she fires right up. Rode her around for about 30 - 45 minutes. I got home from that ride and was going to go park it. I down shifted into neutral so as to put it in reverse, and before I could get it in gear it died. And I hanvt been able to get it started again. Choke in choke out nothing. I have a couple ideas, let me know what you all think.

1. Clean the very very filthy air filter, not sure though it would make it die and not start.

2. Clean the carb. I am very confused though because it worked and worked then all the sudden nothing.

3. Get a battery. I am hoping that in getting a battery it will work with the electronic start.

4.Change the gas. The gas that came with it is discolored and looks old. Still, it got me 10 miles at least no problem.

I kinda think maybe the fact that it cant hold an idle withoout being on the gas may have something to do with why it now wont start.

Other than that, all I can think is to take it to a shop. But I am a broke as* so I really dont want to have to do that. Any questions or suggestions would be great.

[gears]

With no battery hooked up (even a bad one) you may have fried something electrically - check for spark: pull the sparkplug, re-insert it to the wire, leave the threaded portion of the plug against the motor (cyl head) and have someone pull the pullstart - watch for a fat blue spark that goes ZZKT. No spark try a new plug (NGK D7EA). Still no spark you might be chasing electrical parts (Stator/Pickup assembly, CDI/ignition box).

[dlow8]

If your getting spark (as gears stated). I'd look at the carb. If I'm not mistake it has 2 jets. One is an idle jet, the other is the main jet. More than likely they are clogged as discolered/bad gas may have trash etc in it. I placed an inline fuel filter in my quad to catch debris and things.