What are the symptoms of a bad electric bystarter?

ilektron · Post by **ilektron** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:31 am

I recently cleaned my carb and admit that the carb could still be the problem, but I noticed that my Buddy 125 with 6400 miles doesn't idle up when first started anymore. It tries to rev up a little but then almost immediately settles back down to idle. It works, so I'm in no hurry to replace the $65 part, but want to keep my eye out if something is going wrong. How would I know for sure if it was going bad?

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:18 pm

It won't maintain high idle when cold and/or will die when idling or stopping (the choke never closes).
It will idle at high rpm when hot and/or will won't start (the choke is always closed)...

ilektron · Post by **ilektron** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:24 pm

Thanks! I should be hitting some hot weather here soon, so I'll see if it changes.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:31 pm

Hot and cold don't mean the weather. Your engine runs at a couple hundred degrees when warmed up, so cold is the first start of the day, or an hour or so after shutting down. Hot is after a few minutes running, especially under load.

ilektron · Post by **ilektron** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:46 pm

I'll have to give this a try this evening.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:08 pm

Other than the 'symptomatic' test as described by Syd, does anyone know of any physical measurement (off the bike) that would indicate whether the device is working?

I cite as an example an old repair manual that specified the length measurements for the thermostat in the cooling system, both 'closed' at ambient temperature, then 'open' after boiled. I haven't pulled the auto-enricher off my carb, but you'd think that there would be the same sort of behavior - a measurable difference in the pushrod, etc. at different temperatures.

I think I'll take a swing through the service manual. [Edit: nothing there.]