What's the secret?

[mmunsell@smtool.com]

OK....just got a new Vector and my son a new Nitro. What's the secret to keep these sleds running when starting COLD? At full choke they start every time but as you ease off the choke they stall but start back up and run fine. Help.

 

[ragefarmer]

slowly move choke to about half, let it run for a minute or so and begin to move choke to off, when the temp light goes off on the instrument panel their warm and away ya go. my dealer told me not to let the machine sit at idle for too long as they can get hot, temp light will come on may cause overheating.

 

[Just Yamin']

In very cold temps ( -25 to -40 ) use only 1/2 choke. This holds true for the 3 holers & the 4 holers. After it starts let it idle until your light goes off then wait another minute or 2 the drive it!!!!

 

[snoway]

someone on here said to start cranking the sled over without the choke and then turn the choke lever up until it starts, on mine its usually about 1/2 way.
it will idle sporaticly for a minute til the light goes out, then smooth.

 

[Canadian Lad]

I am up here in the cold north (Canada - Northern Ontario) At -20 to -30C I hav always started it at full choke and gradulaly eased back. As it starts to run rough - let it idle a bit more and then start to ease back again. Ususlly takes 15-30 seconds before it is right off and then let it idle unrtil the light goes off. It will stall if you back off the choke too quickly but always starts back up right away. The other thing to watch is when it is cold you have to ease the trottle to take off until the sled is warm as it will stall or die out if you nail it right away.

 

[GlenB]

I have found that if I start at 1/2 choke and begin to turn it over, I slowly open the choke until it starts, then move it back again until idles smoothly.
When the light goes out you should be good to go.
I also found that by the time you get to this point, if you should stall it, it starts back right away.
Probably the most finicky machine I own for starting, including my other sleds, ATVs, & boat.

 

[Wilson]

I start with full choke and back off 1/4 as soon as it starts .Wait afew seconds and back off to half .I go buy the sound more than any thing . This has been the best starting sled that I have ever owned.

 

[151tf]

I start the sameway as Wilson ,and just go by the sound.Hasn't been colder then -20c yet but started fine when it was.

 

[Stu]

someone on here said to start cranking the sled over without the choke and then turn the choke lever up until it starts, on mine its usually about 1/2 way.
it will idle sporaticly for a minute til the light goes out, then smooth.

This is how I start mine. I tried using the method in the manual and I fouled a set of plugs. I call the dealer where I bought the sled and the method he recommended is the one mentioned by snoway. Never had a problem since.

 

[BigJeff]

I start cranking my sled while pushing the choke out. Usually about half choke it fires and I just back it off by how it sounds.

I have notcied I need to give my sled some gas at times after fuel station fill ups. Anyone else have to does this. I'm wondering if stepping the idle up will help this out some?

Jeff

 

[Taz107]

I leave mine in a heated garage, no choke required...

 

[mmunsell@smtool.com]

Thanks for the replies! We will try these.

 

[snoprof6]

i've found on the vector, even though the light turns off let it warm up cause it still runs a little rough even putting around

 

[JohnWI]

This is an interesting topic.

I come from the land of JetSkis and they always yammer about fouling 4S plugs when idling and going through the slow-no-wake zones. So idling makes me nervous.

A Yami rep said that fouling is caused by not getting the plugs hot enough. If this is the case, then idling during a short break should not present any problems. I've also read that it's not the smartest idea to start engines up without really "running" them.

The "combined" thought is that if you start on full choke, you speed up the time to heat up the plugs AND you are usually well above the idle point.

But starting a cold engine (where oil is thick) and it revving to 2-2500 RPMs also seems risky. Rough, lower RPM idle doesn't really seem right, either.

Did I read that the choke on our sleds are different than "old style" chokes where we don't really flood the engine with gas????

I'm thinking that I'm lucky being in the DB I chassis as I think plug changing is easier (now watch...I'll never foul out until I spend the bux on the newer sleds!)

 

[Phantom]

I start with full choke and back off 1/4 as soon as it starts .Wait afew seconds and back off to half .I go buy the sound more than any thing . This has been the best starting sled that I have ever owned.

Exactly what I do.