2009 Buddy 50cc Carburetor help

[jmhillsiii]

Hello, I am new to this forum and a new Buddy owner. After stalling several times then starting right back up 2 minutes later, I took my scooter to a mechanic who narrowed it down telling me I have a carburetor problem. My head is spinning looking at all the different options I have online to purchase a new one. The prices seem to range from $30 to $200.
Can someone please provide me with some necessary information on what to look for? I notice that they all have different intake sizes. I just want a simple stock or stock like version of what I have now. I am really sorry if I come off as lazy or if I can find this info somewhere else I will gladly do it. Like I said, my head is spinning with all of the information I am attempting to digest.
If someone tells me "don't bother us with this, look here" I will gladly accept it and look in the proper place
I have a 2009 Buddy 50cc that as far as I can tell is completely stock with the exception of being de-restricted.

[agrogod]

This should help some

http://www.scooterworks.com/genuine-bud ... age_id=133

[MGM]

A "Carburetor problem" could mean several things, not many would require a new one. Was the mechanic specific on the issue.

[jmhillsiii]

MGM, Excellent question, thank you for asking. I think the most conclusive evidence is that when the scooter stalls, normally you have to wait 2 to 5 minutes before it will start back up unless I cover the air intake on the air filter with my hand while I start it with either kick or electric start. It will crank for a longer than normal time but will start up each time as long as I create the best seal I can with my hand. The mechanic said this creates a vacuum (maybe) that pulls gas into the carb (I was frusterated and tired from pushing the scooter for several miles so I don't recall everything verbatim).
Initially he replaced the sparkplug, checked for spark and messed around with the airfilter extensivly. On a positive note, the seller told me the starter was shot and it was so expensive to replace that he had been kicking it for a year, once we replaced the battery, the starter worked instantly (this lead me to believe very little of what the seller told me during the sale. I still think I got a good deal at $500, the scooter runs great until it stalls
I was thinking "could it be as simple as adjusting the carb?", but how could the mechanic not have thought of that, he never mentioned it. Keep in mind that this was the closest shop in pushing distance not a place I was referred to.

[jmhillsiii]

Thank you agrogod! On a used scooter with 9xxx miles, would it be best to spend the extra money on an oem carb, if I indeed need a new one, rather than a cheaper replacement (if one is even available)?

I appreciate the replies, makes me feel a little less "blind" during this.

[OldGuy]

Try riding the scooter with the gas cap loose. It is possible the gas cap vent is clogged. If it is clogged then the tank would develop a vacuum after a bit and not be able to supply gas. Then the scooter quits.

If it runs okay with the gas cap loose then a new gas cap, or cleaning the vent hole on the one you have, might be an easy solution. Not super likely but possible.

Another possibility is that the carb is dirty and needs the automatic choke on to run. When the engine warms up and the choke turns off it quits. A carb cleaning or a new stock carb would fix that.

Before spending money on a new carb, I suggest trying the gas cap idea, and also add Seafoam. If the carb is dirty the Seafoam might (but only might) just be enough to clean it out.

[jmhillsiii]

OldGuy, I'll try riding with a loose cap tomorrow and post the results, man it would be nice if that was the issue, wont get my hopes up though.

The seller gave me a well used can of seafoam with the scooter and said he added a half cap full to every full tank, however at this point his word has been loosing meaning with each discovery.

Thanks for the input, it is truly appreciated.

[lovemysan]

Could be a bad fuel tank petcock as well.

[MGM]

When I got my first scooter (Buddy 50), I had a similar symptom. Scooter would die at idle. The shop increased the idle, cleaned the jets and several other things I don't now remember. Nobody could solve it. Then one of the old time motorcycle mechanics took the plastic cap off the top of the carb, it covers the auto choke. Removing it makes the choke stay on longer. It's easy to do, if you remove the pet carrier/seat as one unit. Also easy to put back on if it doesn't work. Worth a try.

[buddyguy]

Hello, I am new to this forum and a new Buddy owner. After stalling several times then starting right back up 2 minutes later, I took my scooter to a mechanic who narrowed it down telling me I have a carburetor problem. My head is spinning looking at all the different options I have online to purchase a new one. The prices seem to range from $30 to $200.
Can someone please provide me with some necessary information on what to look for? I notice that they all have different intake sizes. I just want a simple stock or stock like version of what I have now. I am really sorry if I come off as lazy or if I can find this info somewhere else I will gladly do it. Like I said, my head is spinning with all of the information I am attempting to digest.
If someone tells me "don't bother us with this, look here" I will gladly accept it and look in the proper place
I have a 2009 Buddy 50cc that as far as I can tell is completely stock with the exception of being de-restricted.

How many miles are on your scooter?

I've found from the symptoms you are presenting that it can be 1 of 2 things, either the fuel enrichment (choke) system is not working properly or your idle jet is clogged. I'm not sure if you can find the electric choke on the particular carb by it self, or if you know how to check it. There may be a youtube video somewhere you can probably learn how to diagnose it yourself. If it's not choke or any part of the enrichment system you may need to take the carburetor apart and have it cleaned properly. There are plenty of youtube videos for cleaning carburetor. If you don't feel up to the task a good scooter technician or mechanic should be able to do it for you. Very rarerly will the carburetor itself need to be replaced unless it was neglected over a period of time or if you're using fuel with 10%+ ethanol that causes problems to carbs as well.

[jmhillsiii]

So loosening the fuel cap didn't help. I may need to remove the carb and give it a good cleaning. I am pretty mechanically inclined and have in the past cleaned and reassembled the carb on a chevy 350 and a 2 stroke weed wacker.... With this knowledge, would it be silly for me to look up the info and try it myself or are there some gotcha's that would make it best for me to take to a qualified mechanic?

[jmhillsiii]

Oh and there are 9xxx mile on my scooter.

[jmhillsiii]

And one more thing. You guys are awesome with taking the time to help me out, I will definitely pay it froward if I can.

[az_slynch]

Link to the Buddy 50 service manual. Go get 'em, tiger.

[jmhillsiii]

I'm going to give it a go on Wednesday, my day off.

One bit off info that I neglected to mention is that when the bike stalls out it is at all different throttle points, wide open, half throttle or idling, one minute I am flying along and the next I loose all power. This is happening more frequently now, it used to go a couple of miles between stalls and now its every half mile or so.

I'll let you know how it goes Wednesday.

[jmhillsiii]

MGM - for some reason I skipped right over your post yesterday. Before I remove and clean the carb ill try removing the cap. My issue happens at idle but also happens at any other throttle point (if this is even a phrase would this fix apply if I also stall out at full or half throttle?

I mentioned above that the problem was getting progressively worse. Not sure if its worth mentioning but the weather has been getting progressively warmer. high 50's to low 60's when it would travel a couple of miles between stalls to high 70's to low 80's now when it will only travel 1/2 to 1 mile between stalls.

Are there any special tools I will need to remove and clean the carb? I have screwdrivers, wrenches and the basic stuff.

[jmhillsiii]

Good weather finally lined up with a day off for me so I cleaned up the carb. A quick look at the fuel filter and I spent the best 5 bucks ever! The filter was so mucked up I am very surprised that it ran at all.

My scooter is running like a champ. Thank you to all who gave me advice!!

[BuddyRaton]

Nice job! I love it when a cheap fix does the trick!

[CDGoin]

I know its a zombie thread.. but its the one I keep finding when I search and the only one close to the problem I am having.

THis Buddy 50 is used all the time so it wasnt storage issues or a "new" issue.. this one has a lot of miles on it and always been reliable. Until recently.

A week ago, it started to sputter and not run. If we could get it to start it would stall within a few hundred feet.

Being the gas cap was missing and my son was using a rag I figured filter and such.

• Got new gas cap
  Installed new petcock
  Checked for spark
  Replaced spark plug and terminal end on coil wire.
  Cleaned air filter

Ran great for about 2 days.. and then the stalling returned.

• Cleaned out Carb
  Removed the throttle needle (??) cable sprayed in there
  Sprayed into all the orifices I could get to with the carb on.

Ran great again.. for a day.

• Pulled carb
  Removed all the jets
  Removed all rubber
  Set in into a carb bath
  Cleaned it up and reassembled.

Ran even better.. for a day..

Stalled out last night and wont start at all.

Still getting spark
Seems to still be getting fuel

Am I right to assume it is probably the electric choke at this point..? I tired to test it for 12V but don't seem to get anything at the connector.. not sure if its the tester or the plug what.

When you get off the throttle it sometimes backfires, but it has done that the 2 years my son has had it.. Any chance the backfiring damaged something in the carb or keeps pushing junk into it.

Again, if it were any of these issues wouldn't it have given him problems for 2 years before. At this point it should be in much better running condition than even when he got it.
I am at wits end, son needs this to get to work 4 miles away.

[agrogod]

Did you change the fuel filter?