Won't start in cold

[kotzebue]

It's my own fault...I bought a 4 stroke and left it out in the cold of Alaska...now it won't start...and it's not even all that cold (minus 15F) I plugged in the 3 way plug that the dealer installed...still won't start. It occasionally backfires while attempting to start...it's a 2009 vk pro.
If I spray gas directly on the carb will this help? Is there a primer kit I can install?

 

[dakine]

hello there ,some times you can flood the engine when it the temp drops, If this is case try turning the engine over with the throttle opened up and the kill switch off on the handle bar. then try turning over with the kill switch on.if to no avail then replace plugs. try to use only half choke when cold starting.I have even dropped hot tap water over the engine and exhaust to take the chill off the engine. they start pretty rough when really cold but once they get running have not had any trouble operating in the cold

 

[waynes]

After having three 4-stroke snowmobiles I have to say that starting was the least of the problems I have encountered. Where I live the temps aren't terribly cold but -25c and even -30c is not unusual. Never had any cold weather starting issues. the biggest issue seems to be getting used to the choke and when to slack it back a bit. I start with full choke and gradually take it away.

 

[kotzebue]

still wont start

its warm out now (10F) and she still won't start...it cranks plenty, so it's not the battery...I'm sure it's flooded. I put it in a heated garage and plan on keeping it there for awhile...will that help at all if I flooded it though?

 

[eric3793]

This happened to my '08 last fall. Almost started...sputtered and nearly took off but no good. I charged the battery back up and gave it a day. Sputter was the best I could get. Then I figured out where the plugs were and put three new ones in. Bingo...just like new. Once I thought about the ordeal I realized that I used too much choke when first trying to start it. This year I started it by cranking it over while gently increasing the amount of choke. Started great every time. What a PITA changing spark plugs on a new VK. Be careful not to break the long plastic cap/coils that are on top of the plug. These babies cost about $90 each.

 

[maim]

if you flooded it bad enough, you may have to replace the oil. smell the oil on the dipstick. if it smells like gas that is your problem.

 

[Crewchief47]

kotzebue and eric3793,
Please take the time to update your location in your profile. Thanks!

 

[kotzebue]

dakine - looks like your just down the street from me!
I'm going to take the advice I received and change out the spark plugs this weekend. I'll update if it solves the problem or not.
I'm not getting any sputter at all, just a constant crank, no turnover - not even close...and I smell gas...so I'm guessing it's no spark.
Bad time to be broke down - the Caribou are starting to cross...glad I have a 2 stroke backup '96 Bearcat!

 

[kotzebue]

problem solved

I put the machine in an 80 degree garage for exactly 24 hours and the problem solved itself. I learned a good lesson though -always plug in when it's cold...and don't over choke. So, what do you think the problem was? Did I just flood it so bad it needed 24 hrs to dry out, or was the fuel line frozen...or did I have water in the fuel that froze and blocked fuel from entering the carb...I guess it could have been any of those?

 

[tzieli22]

Don't go anyplace without spare plugs

In Anchorage I have found out the hard way as well. Last year it was about -15f and I over choked. Replaced the plugs (which is a pain in itself) and bingo, started right up.

Trick is as soon as she fires, put your choke about 1/2 way and you should be fine. I got back to town threw out the plugs (which didn't look bad at all) and bought 6 more as my backups.

Never heard of the gas in the oil so I'll have to keep my eye out for that if I have another issue, but so far, so good.

Tony

 

[maim]

happens on cars and trucks all the time. had to fix my own once, (friggin woman) so now i watch like a hawk.

 

[ricardo]

Another item to consider on cold starting, stale fuel. The shelf life of gasoline these days is about thirty days. Maybe alittle more in large, tightly sealed containers, probably less in small(2to3oz) quantitys like each float bowl of your carburators. The colder the temp gets, the more this matters. Stale fuel doesn't vaporize properly(mix with air)and fouls plugs very quickly. Also the formulation of gasoline is changed from summer to winter, partly to aid cold starting, mostly for emissions reasons. So if you've got stale summer gas and the sled hasn't been started in three months the chances of it starting, especially if its cold out,are very poor. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with the sled.

 

[Joner]

There is always a little bit of water in pump gas. I like to pour gas through a screen when I can and always add a small amount of gas line antifreeze (isopropyl) on every fill up. This fixed my cold starting issues.

 

[VKbcnorth]

I see that our local gas pumps have a sign that says that the gas may contain 10% ethanol although it doesn't say whether it actually contains ethanol. Anyone had a starting problem with ethanol/gas blend?

 

[air19]

Like Joner, I add the same gas line antifreeze in every can of gas that I put in the VK Pro. I have never had a problem since.