Modern Buddy

Buddy 125 09, over 3800 miles on it, drive about 60 to 90 miles a week on it.
So I have smelled gas for about 2 1/2 weeks. Scooter has been running fine, I just thought I may have overfilled or something. Noticed a spot under the overnight parking spot for the scooter last week. Decided this weekend I would check on it and wash the scooter today. What I discovered.

1. Bigger spot, smells like gas.
2. Under the case there is a greasy gas seepage.
3. Took out the seat assembly, looked around and found right under where the throttle cable is wet, and smells like gas. See below pictures.

First is where I saw 2 wet spots, the more concerned one is the really wet on the bottom right by the throttle.


Second is a upclose shot. Circled the gas area.


Third is the overhead shot you can see the wet spot right below the big screw in the center of the picture.


Any thoughts on whats going on here. Still under warranty so will take it in but I want to check since I fancy (emphasis on Fancy cause I can only do basic stuff) myself a weekend wrencher. How to fix this if was not under warranty.

Thanks

There is an o ring on the bottom of the float bowel. It may be pinched or you may need a new one. This would be covered by warranty ( I think). Should be an easy fix, but you have to pull the carb and take off the float bowl. Also, the acelerator pump is right there , too. But I'll bet its the float bowl gasket. MAYBE if you are lucky, just a loose phillips head screw. I would get a float bowl gasket FIRST then take it apart.

Could also just need a good cleaning. That oil on the top hose is kind of common to be kinda greasy there after time. That is an oil breather. But the wet stuff on the carb is NOT common, so get that fixxed.

Thanks Viney appreciate the thoughts. I thought it might be a seal or something.

To my eye, it appears to be a buildup of oil......especially since it appears around the crankcase breather hose connections.

I suggest you verify the engine oil isn't overfilled as overfilling causes the breathers to ingest raw oil.

If level is OK, then I guess it is the natural weepage coming through the breather system connection points.

It does not appear to be fuel as far as I can tell.

Good luck,
Rob

Robbie wrote:To my eye, it appears to be a buildup of oil......especially since it appears around the crankcase breather hose connections.

I suggest you verify the engine oil isn't overfilled as overfilling causes the breathers to ingest raw oil.

If level is OK, then I guess it is the natural weepage coming through the breather system connection points.

It does not appear to be fuel as far as I can tell.

Good luck,
Rob

I suspect two or maybe three things and would check them first. 1. Float Valve, 2. Float, 3. Petcock.

If the petcock is not closing when the scooter is off, it will usually over power the float valve and fuel will seep through. Eventually damaging the float valve and causing some rough acceleration. All the other comments on here are valid as well. I would just check these first.

Robbie wrote:To my eye, it appears to be a buildup of oil......especially since it appears around the crankcase breather hose connections.

I suggest you verify the engine oil isn't overfilled as overfilling causes the breathers to ingest raw oil.

If level is OK, then I guess it is the natural weepage coming through the breather system connection points.

It does not appear to be fuel as far as I can tell.

Good luck,
Rob

Looks like oil to me as well, not gasoline.

Thanks for all the replies, I agree that the top part by the hose may be oil. The wet stuff by the throttle, gas, I know I stuck my nose by it and my thumb in it.

Were you able to clean it entirely before or can you clean it with some brake cleaner or something and see if there is any new seepage? Also wondering if you have an evap canister being in TN? Any chance the gas smell is coming from that? Mine will smell of gas if I overfill.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Were you able to clean it entirely before or can you clean it with some brake cleaner or something and see if there is any new seepage? Also wondering if you have an evap canister being in TN? Any chance the gas smell is coming from that? Mine will smell of gas if I overfill.

I thought the same in the beginning, however the spot on the ground that smelled like gas and the wetness by that spot bellow the throttle made me think it was not evap related. Its in the shop now so we shall see what they say.

Verdict In

So according to the tech, the issue was a perforated diaphragm in the accelerator pump.
1. I was not aware our simple carbs had accelerator pumps.
2. The tech said he had never seen this before in a scooter.

He asked what I ran through it, I mentioned just non-ethonal gas, its never been treated with any fuel stabilizer or even sea foam.

Conclusion, when put together in Taiwan the diaphragm must have been pinched or crushed and caused this issue.

So if you smell gas and see gas in the same spot (Bottom right corner of 1rst picture) as I have in my picture. Then guess what, you have a leak, better take the buddy in.

Thanks all
rfman

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Were you able to clean it entirely before or can you clean it with some brake cleaner or something and see if there is any new seepage? Also wondering if you have an evap canister being in TN? Any chance the gas smell is coming from that? Mine will smell of gas if I overfill.

FYI: All the scoots (maybe ALL scoots!) have the evap system installed. There aren't CA scoots and 49 other state scoots (except the ones that aren't sold here at all).