cold weather riding

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warren557 · #1 Post by **warren557** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 9:42 pm

My cannondale will not run in the cold. I can some times get all the way thru the gears at half throttle, but uasually it cuts out and always cuts out when i really gas it. Sometimes it just misses and sometimes it completely dies. This happened last year also when i first got it when it was cold. Is my problem the cold, or something else. Also is there any setup you have to do for cold weather riding.

Thanks Adam Warren

Ryanstones · #2 Post by **Ryanstones** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:11 pm

What's up with all these cold weather problems?:mad:

wistech · #3 Post by **wistech** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:42 pm

You know at first I didnt think it was a mapping problem but now it seems that many of us are having the same thing happen. It seems that once the temp drops to the critical level (mine seems to be around 10 to 15 degrees) the air fuel ratios arent quite right to keep them running under load. I think they are a running richer at idle but any throttle will cause a just to lean condtion and the quad just dies and backfires and pops. This is just a theory.What would I have to do to richen up the quad just a little ? Change to a moto map or mess with the offset or flow rate? The wierd thing is it runs perfect for a little while and then the symtom just appears and will only run at partial throttle. A couple weeks ago the quad f ran great most of the day . Then I rapped it out for a half mile down a river and shut it off to wait for the rest of the pack to catch up and take some pics . When we went to leave it fired right back up and I hammered it , it went about 50 feet and just shut off. It cranked for a few seconds then started up and ran great from then on. This happened a couple of times when I first bought my quad about a year ago in the same temps but was so intermittant I really didnt think much of it.What do you experts think.

thomez · #4 Post by **thomez** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:44 pm

That is what Derno said he found out about his, he richened his flowrate up (numbers down) and it fixed the problem for him.

EuroGOD · #5 Post by **EuroGOD** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:59 pm

Just throwing ideas around, but if some of you guys don't have the D&M kit (Shame on you!!) to alter the flowrates, pop the lid off your airbox and wrap something around your air temp. sensor.
I haven't actually tried it, but this sensor is the only true reason that the ECU would not compensate for the coolest weather conditions...
Maybe Scooter could shed some light on this?

wistech · #6 Post by **wistech** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 5:03 pm

Ive got the d&m kit but just wanted some opinions before I start messing around. Its hard to test these thoeries because the temps have been from -20 to 25 the last couple of days so I have to wait for the temps to be just right to cause the symptom. Thanks guys.

iceracer17 · #7 Post by **iceracer17** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 6:45 pm

That's why i'm not racing today.They said windchills were going to be around -15.I had it out yesterday when it was +10,it seemed to run fine but any colder and it takes quite a while to warm up.Plus it isn't worth sitting around for 2hrs. between heat races trying to keep you and the quad warm.I have the mc500 computer and have been messing around with the enrichment screw on the module.

00Honda400EX · #8 Post by **00Honda400EX** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 8:04 pm

I was out riding yesterday heres my story:

Went out riding with a buddy on a 400ex and my dale started up fine but I couldn't get more than a hair on the gas or the machine would die, no matter how warm the motor was. It would stutter back fire then die. I had a 10mm end wrench with me so I tightend the -/+ that I could and tried it again, same result. Out came my new D&M kit, I came to find out I can only get my 300 dollar kit autorized during banker hours, pathetic if you ask me for 300 bucks. Anywho, back in the truck it went and home I went.

Got the machine out put it in my barn and started a fire in the wood stove for some heat. Pulled the plastics, gas tank, and shock support thing to get the plug out, plug was fine. put it all back together and tried to fire it up, same result won't run. That was about 15-20 minutes and we sat for another 10 minutes or so and I tried again, fired up and ran like it should. I let it sit for about 10-15 more minutes while me and my buddy grabbed some grub then back to the river.

Got there same thing ran like crap for the first couple minutes, even after warming up for a good 10 minutes. Finally it started running good so we took off down the river. It ran AWSOME for about 10 miles. We came up on a snowmobiler broke down so I shut it off and asked if he need help or could use a cell phone and he used the phone so I sat for a minute while he did. Started my machine back up and it wouldn't run worth a crap spit and sputter then backfire and stall. Funny thing was it would run like a raped red aced baboon right after starting then a few seconds later nothing. So we headed for home spitting and sputtering. We were about 3 miles from home when it came back to life and started running great again.

Turned around and headed back out on the river in good hopes and spirit, yet a little frustrated. Ran for probably 45 miles no problems whatsoever. Got about 15 miles from home and it stalled, 5th gear half throttle and just went dead. I dropped it into 4th and dumped the clutch fired up but would only spit and sputter, backfire stall. Went about 4 miles like that and again just came back to life for no apparent reason. Well I held it 5th gear pinned the entire way home corners and all, I just took the out sides to be safe. Got it back to the truck shut off my quad and we were parked at a buddies house so I asked for some ramps he got them and I went to start it up same thing spit and sputter wouldn't go up the ramps it would just stall.

This was in aboue 5-15* weather depending on what part of the day. The whole thing was about a 6 and a half hour deal.

I'll get my D&M kit up and working tomorrow and let you guys know what I find out.

Sorry for the long post but it was a long story.

cannondale27 · #9 Post by **cannondale27** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 8:56 pm

These symptoms also sound a heck of alot like gasline freeze.Believe it.Take a look in your gas cap on cold days it will have frost on it!That frost only forms with moisture.Isopropyl(heet in RED bottle)will remove moisture whether frozen or not.I always run it.1/4 bottle to tank of gas.You would not believe the amount of snowmobiles that are sent to shops when this is all that is wrong.I have also seen that this happens more often right at the freezing point or when there are extreme temp changes like bringing a cold quad into a garage.Most gas now has methonal in it which attracts moisture well when cold things are heated moisture appears and your gas sucks it in then it freezes getting caught in your filter injectors and so on.Please use it in cold weather.
Like Euro said the air temp sensor is another culprit they can get dirty or fail worth checking.

thomez · #10 Post by **thomez** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 9:21 pm

I have this thingy that is made for snowmobiles to suck water out of your fuel, if any of you know what I mean. It ties onto the cap and dangles down into that tank on a string te thingy... anyone think that is a good idea for this problem? The bottle would probly be a better one.