1) Will not start with the key

Problem – Will not start, engine will not turn over at all-no noise when starting: when you try to start it with the key, there is no noise at all. The engine will not even try to start. You get nothing when you turn the key.

• Make sure the fuse is installed under the seat?
• Make sure the battery is connected.
• Make sure you are pushing the red button (20% of problems with starting) in on the left handle grip at the same time that you are pulling back on the left handle lever while trying to start it.
• Check left handle grip to make sure that there are no loose wires (show picture) going into the left handle grip. Loose wires here will not allow you to start the mini atv.
• Maybe rear kill switch is bad or the plastic cap cover is not pushing the sensor in. Unplug the kill switch in the back and see if the unit will start (kill switch stops the electricity from going to the spark plug).
• Dead battery may be your problem. Take your battery to your local AutoZone. They will test and recharge it for you. IF you leave your mini ATV parked and unused for over 3-4 days, then you could have a dead battery. You must always disconnect the fuse after turning off your atv ignition switch to prevent dead battery problems. To charge the battery, it is best to only use a 2-5mAmp trickle charger. The battery is 12 volts on the mini atv.
• We have found a few units that the wiring harness wire is not plugged into the coil. Make sure this wire is connected. This problem is very rare though.
• Replace the spark plug with a better one such as an Champion 808, 889 or Autolite 9194 available at your local auto part store. Many customers say that this better spark plug makes a big difference much of the time. Sometimes if you flood the engine with too much gas, you will foul the spark plug. Some dealers replace all 4stroke engine spark plugs with the two brands above and they say it saves them a lot of problems later on. It is a good idea that you do this also, even if you are not experiencing any starting problems.
• Change CDI
• Change Coil
• Change control box
• Change stator
• Change wiring harness (big group of wires connecting everything)
• Are you getting spark? Pull the spark plug wire off the spark plug. Hold the wire about . inch away from the spark plug. When you try to start it now, do you get a spark between the spark plug and the wire? If not, your problem is no spark.

 

NOTE: Checking to see if you have spark should be the first thing you do if steps 1-7 do not solve the problem. If you are not getting spark check/change plug, if that is not it then check to see if there is power coming from the coil. If there is not, keep tracing back until you find the source of the problem, which you have probably figured out is electrical.

2) Will not start with the key but the engine turns over

•  Check to see if there is gas in the gas tank?
• Is the gas line kinked – not allowing gas to the carburetor (show picture). Make sure the gas line going between the carburetor and gas tank is not bent at a sharp angle, thus not allowing gas to flow freely to the carburetor.
• Is your unit flooded with gasoline. Did you give it too much gasoline by pumping the throttle. If so, you will need to wait 20 minutes before restarting.
• For handle bar choke units only : On units with the choke on the handle bar there is a petcock, which is a gas shutoff valve on the bottom of the carburetor. Make sure this Petcock is in the position of straight up and down which is open and allows the gas to get into the carburetor and engine.. Some units we receive with the Petcock in a position of off which is horizontal.
• Use a can of STARTER FLUID (available everywhere) to squirt some gas into the air filter. Of course the air filter is the black or silver piece that allows air into the carburetor. The air filter is mounted on the side of the carburetor. Other people remove the spark plug and squirt starter fluid into the spark plug hole. Use only one spray= If you spray too much you can damage the rings in the piston = no compression and you must change the rings in the piston= BIG PROBLEM.
• MOST COMMON PROBLEM= Discharged battery may be your problem. Take your battery to your local AutoZone. They will test and recharge it for you. IF you leave your mini ATV parked and unused for over 3-4 days, then you could have a dead battery. You must always disconnect the fuse after turning off your ATV ignition switch to prevent dead battery problems. To charge the battery, it is best to only use a 2-5mAmp trickle charger. The battery is 12 volts on the mini ATV.
• Loosen the bottom screw on the bottom of the carburetor=TOO MUCH GAS IN CARB. This allows excess gas or excess air pressure to escape. Then tighten this screw back up. This can often be the problem on 20% of the mini atvs that will not start.
• Replace the spark plug with a better one such as a Champion 808 or Autolite 9194 available at your local auto part store. Many customers say that this better spark plug makes a big difference much of the time. Sometimes if you flood the engine with too much gas, you will foul the spark plug. Some dealers replace all 4-stroke engine spark plugs with one of the two brands above and they say it saves them a lot of problems later on. It is a good idea do this, even if you are not experiencing any starting problems.
• Are you getting spark? Pull the spark plug wire off the spark plug. Hold the wire about . inch away from the spark plug. When you try to start it now, do you get a spark between the spark plug and the wire? If not, your problem is no spark.
• Use clean 93 octane gas for best results
• Loosen the gas tank cap to release vacuum gas tank. This will ensure that gas can go to the engine
• Change carburetor. This is only the problem maybe 1% of the time.

3) Runs for only a few minuets or for only a few feet

• If you do not adjust the choke after starting, then the engine will die because it is not getting enough air into the carburetor. Dies after one minute of running. ATV is moving very very slow.
• Plastic cap on rear kill switch is loose and not pushing on switch. When you remove the plastic cap over the kill switch on the back of the mini atv it stops the mini atv engine immediately. The cap is on there to push on the engine kill switch in the back, if it does not push against the switch hard enough, the mini atv engine stops. If you unplug the switch wire and your mini atv no longer has a problem, then this cap being loose is the cause of why your mini atvs engine is stopping.
• Fuel line is pinched. Inspect it carefully to make sure there are no kinks in it.
• Loosen gas cap on gas tank to allow air to flow in
• If the unit dies after just going just a few feet, maybe the maximum speed adjustment screw on the right handlebar is screwed in too tightly. You must loosen this screw. This screw is the long black screw on the right handle bar.
• For mechanics only, you can adjust the acceleration screw on the carburetor.
• Change coil or Magneto 

4) Rear axel looks bent?

• Chain is too tight

5) Gas is spilling onto the ground from the Carburetor

• Gas spills onto the ground from the carburetor and will not stop. This is because the FLOAT inside the carburetor is stuck in the down position. The float inside the carburetor works to shut off the flow of gas to the carburetor. As the gas flows into the bottom bowl of the carburetor, the float inside rises. When it gets up to a certain position, the gas flow is shut off (same as the float in your toilet). If the float inside is stuck and does not rise, then the gas continues to flow and flow into the carburetor, then it overflows onto to floor. To fix this problem, remove the carburetor first, then remove the bottom bowl off the carburetor which is secured with the two screws. Then finger snap the float inside the carburetor to free it up and stop it from sticking. Reassemble the carburetor and you are ready. Hopefully, this fixes the problem. If not repeat. If this does not work, order a new carburetor.