New Buddy Won't Idle

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TurquoiseBuddy
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2017 5:25 pm

New Buddy Won't Idle

Post by TurquoiseBuddy »

I just purchased a new Buddy 125 in May. I confess to being a total scooter newbie, as well as entirely uninclined mechanically. Everything was going well for the first 100 miles and first couple months, until I left the country for a month for work. It was left covered outside and not started for about 5 weeks--big mistake, I now realize. Upon my return I tried to start up my Buddy and it won't start.

It turns over with the electric start, but then will only idle for about 3 seconds before conking out. It will do this a couple times but then it won't even turn over after the third or fourth try. I tried kickstarting it, and that works if I prime it by turning the throttle a few times first. But again, it will only idle for a few seconds before dying. It idles pretty weakly before dying and sounds like it just wants a little gas to get going, but on both electric and kick start, as soon as I give it any throttle whatsoever, it immediately dies. I tried loosening the gas cap (I had overfilled it before I left and wondered if that was the problem). It had some pressure built up, but after I vented it, it still didn't help, and the fuel level doesn't seem too high right now.

I've been trying to search for this problem here in the forums and on YouTube but haven't found quite this issue. I also see lots of suggestions involiving cleaning out various parts of the carborateur, etc., and I really wouldn't even know where to start to do that. If the fix requires tools or mechanical ingenuity, I think I'm going to have to get it towed and serviced. I'm hoping beyond hope, though, that someone here will have an easy, do-able fix for me!
skipper20
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Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:19 am
Location: Des Moines, WA

Re: New Buddy Won't Idle

Post by skipper20 »

TurquoiseBuddy wrote:I just purchased a new Buddy 125 in May. I confess to being a total scooter newbie, as well as entirely uninclined mechanically. Everything was going well for the first 100 miles and first couple months, until I left the country for a month for work. It was left covered outside and not started for about 5 weeks--big mistake, I now realize. Upon my return I tried to start up my Buddy and it won't start.

It turns over with the electric start, but then will only idle for about 3 seconds before conking out. It will do this a couple times but then it won't even turn over after the third or fourth try. I tried kickstarting it, and that works if I prime it by turning the throttle a few times first. But again, it will only idle for a few seconds before dying. It idles pretty weakly before dying and sounds like it just wants a little gas to get going, but on both electric and kick start, as soon as I give it any throttle whatsoever, it immediately dies. I tried loosening the gas cap (I had overfilled it before I left and wondered if that was the problem). It had some pressure built up, but after I vented it, it still didn't help, and the fuel level doesn't seem too high right now.

I've been trying to search for this problem here in the forums and on YouTube but haven't found quite this issue. I also see lots of suggestions involiving cleaning out various parts of the carborateur, etc., and I really wouldn't even know where to start to do that. If the fix requires tools or mechanical ingenuity, I think I'm going to have to get it towed and serviced. I'm hoping beyond hope, though, that someone here will have an easy, do-able fix for me!
Depending on atmospheric conditions during the 5 weeks you were absent, your Buddy's fuel tank could have picked up some water condensation. Try SeaFoam in the tank as a first step towards fixing your problem. Good luck!

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green
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