Buddy 50 occasionally not starting

[Samuel.stucky]

I have been having issues with my scooter occasionally not starting. It almost always works in my garage but then when I leave from work after it has been sitting outside, it won't start from the kick start.

It seems like it is flooding, but I'm not sure why the cold or anything would have something to do with that.

Any insight is appreciated! Can cold make your engine flood??

[tenders]

I would suggest first blipping the throttle as you’re trying to start it and seeing if that helps. Then, removing and cleaning your carb and seeing if that helps further. Then, adjusting the idle speed screw a little. Finally, adjusting the idle mixture screw, which is harder to get to, by design. Only do that if the other things don’t work first.

If its jets are clogged a little, reducing the fuel that gets into the engine, the engine could be running lean. Cold air is denser than warm air, so the additional oxygen getting into the engine from the recently cooler air may be tilting the engine into a too-lean-to-start condition. Blipping, cleaning, faster idling, and richening the idle mixture all richen the starting mixture.

Why are you using the kick start? Is the battery dead?

[Samuel.stucky]

I would suggest first blipping the throttle as you’re trying to start it and seeing if that helps. Then, removing and cleaning your carb and seeing if that helps further. Then, adjusting the idle speed screw a little. Finally, adjusting the idle mixture screw, which is harder to get to, by design. Only do that if the other things don’t work first.

If its jets are clogged a little, reducing the fuel that gets into the engine, the engine could be running lean. Cold air is denser than warm air, so the additional oxygen getting into the engine from the recently cooler air may be tilting the engine into a too-lean-to-start condition. Blipping, cleaning, faster idling, and richening the idle mixture all richen the starting mixture.

Why are you using the kick start? Is the battery dead?

The electric start doesn't work. I'll have to try your suggestions. I've always had to throttle it as I start but I've never messes with it further than that. Thanks! At what point would you stop using it for the winter and would you remove the battery or anything?

[tenders]

That is up to you. I’ve driven scooters pretty much all winter when the roads were clear in a climate harsher than Pittsburgh’s. There is no real reason to remove the battery - it is heat that damages batteries, not cold, and if it happens to run down when you’re not using the scooter, just charge it then. I would suggest running Sta-Bil through the fuel system. All the fuel I use in my scooters runs Sta-Bil, year round.

[Samuel.stucky]

That is up to you. I’ve driven scooters pretty much all winter when the roads were clear in a climate harsher than Pittsburgh’s. There is no real reason to remove the battery - it is heat that damages batteries, not cold, and if it happens to run down when you’re not using the scooter, just charge it then. I would suggest running Sta-Bil through the fuel system. All the fuel I use in my scooters runs Sta-Bil, year round.

Thanks for the help!

[Samuel.stucky]

That is up to you. I’ve driven scooters pretty much all winter when the roads were clear in a climate harsher than Pittsburgh’s. There is no real reason to remove the battery - it is heat that damages batteries, not cold, and if it happens to run down when you’re not using the scooter, just charge it then. I would suggest running Sta-Bil through the fuel system. All the fuel I use in my scooters runs Sta-Bil, year round.

Thanks for the help!