Choke Problem

[bryeod]

I just trouble shot my auto choke to not be working correctly. I also suspect that it is the main reason I'm not able to tune my scooter. Here's how I came about my conclusion. The scooter will not start in the morning. In the morning it is at least 60 degrees and it will kill a battery before it starts. I have to press the air filter up to the carb to do a manual choke. This works of course but I don't like this option. I tore the bike down and waited until this morning and I took the auto choke out and it didn't start. I placed my finger in the hole, and blocked the area where the choke needle moves and it fire right up. So, I guess my question is this, what are my options? I was hoping to wire the choke to a switch, but it won't do anything when I apply 12 volts so that is out of the question. I tried to wire the old choke from my stock to see how it worked and I didn't get any action from the stock choke. Does anyone know how these chokes work? I researched before this post, and I saw some traffic about using a primer. I like primers, and I always used them on my jetskis, but they were all premix. In addition, you need vacuum to get fuel flow so how do I get around this. I know this is a long thread and I appreciate you taking your time to answer. Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.

Thanks,
Jeff

[pinkymingeo]

Just go manual choke. The autochoke must be powered, or it's always on. It has a heating element, which closes it when it gets juice. Sometimes 70cc kits just don't like to start with the electric starter. If that's your situation, just kick it and don't worry about it.

[bryeod]

Does a manual choke require a new carb? When can I get a manual?

[pinkymingeo]

Provo ought to have them. Fits in the same hole as the autochoke.

[bryeod]

So how does the choke work on these scooters? I understand that when I restrict the air by hand it chokes it but does the needle open or retract when the temp is warm enough? If the temp is above 60 degrees, the choke shouldn't be closing anyway. Do you think my carb tuning is off so bad it will only start when the choke is closed? Do you think that this could possible be why my main jet is only 80?

[pinkymingeo]

The choke is open, regardless, until you turn on the ignition. Main jet doesn't affect starting, but pilot/air screw does. Richening the air screw makes starting much easier. Unless something's changed, the 19mm Arreche idle adjustment is by mixture, not throttle stop. The idle screw works opposite of the air screw. Close the air screw to richen, open the idle screw.

[Zuma-Zuma]

A few of the Arreche's that were having problems, ended up being crud in them. Even new, they can have flaws or casting flash in them. You may want to disassemble it, and start over. 80 does sound lean. But if its compensating for anything, it would be a rich condition, which you don't have. The choke is really not a choke. Its an enrichening jet. Manual and electric work the same, except you don't have to touch the electric one. Basically, the electric one is always on (at rest, cold). Once the scooter is running, it takes A/C power off the mag, sends current to the choke, and as the choke warms up, it closes the fuel port. A cold engine is a cold engine. Even though 80 degrees seems warm, its still going to need the choke. Since those who have gone the way of the manual choke have had good luck, thats what I would do. If you find something else wrong, and fix it, you can always put the electric one back on.....Are you premixing or running the pump? What spark plug do you run? What kind of oil do you use? Does it kick start any differently? Where is the mixture screw set? Needle setting?

[bryeod]

Here's what I did. It's rather cavemanish but it's working. I decided to pull out the auto choke and put a big glob of RTV in the choke hole. I dropped the needle and went and readjusted. It's slower to 25 but its overall running 100% better. The choke was definitly screwing me up. I'm having a nightmare tuning this thing. I live at 5000' and I'm in the desert. In the morning before daylight it's 50 and in the afternoon when I go home it's over 100. I get it running good in the morning and it blows in the afternoon and vice versa.

[Zuma-Zuma]

Dropping the needle leans you out even more. I would have left everything the same, and just squeezed the pod filter to start it. The starting circuit has nothing to do with any other circuit. Did you have problems other than just starting??

[geraldtank]

i have the same problem, my choke isn't working at all.... i have to smash the pod filter to start... it sucks... it makes for a bad start when the battery dies.... anyway, i haven't found solution yet, i hate to pay more money to get a manual choke... it burns me that these carbs have these problems and there seems to be alot of carb issues...

[bryeod]

I've had it this way all week now and it is working good for me. The scooter runs better overall. It pulls smoother and it starts after 3 secs in the morning. All I have to do when it is warm is bump it. I normally try to figure out how things work so I'll understand how to fix it, but I found no way to check the stock or arreche choke. I placed it in the freezer, I checked voltage and ohms while the scooter was running, and I got like 6 millivolts.

All I know is that when the scooter wouldn't start, I could remove the choke, put my finger over the hole where the choke went and it would fire right up. I covered it with duct tape and tuned it and rode it for a few miles and nothing melted down. I applied my RTV, and it works great now. When it gets cold, who knows?

[bryeod]

Oh yeah, I failed to mention I lost a ton of top end. I don't know if I can tune it back but I easily went to 50 mph top speed. _o