KymcoForum.com

Scooters - 50cc => People 50 => Topic started by: gosku on September 16, 2014, 06:09:28 PM

Title: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on September 16, 2014, 06:09:28 PM
Hi!
This is my first post here. But it's not the first time I'm visiting this forum - thanks to all of you, I've read and learned a lot here!

I'm a happy owner of Kymco People S 50 2T from 2008. I mostly ride it in the mountains and small villages, usually travelling distances around 40 miles. Sometimes I want to start my scoot and it doesn't start up - sounds like a common issue - but it's not that simple. The only thing which makes starting up my scoot possible again, is to remove the spark plug and then kick the start pedal a few times. Then I insert the spark plug back and my Kymco starts up with the first touch of electric starter like brand new.

The spark plug looks good, it isn't flooded with gasoline and has brown color. One time when this issue with starting up happened again I tried inserting a brand new spark plug. It didn't help. I keep the air filter clean too. What's interesting is that I discovered the only thing that fixes this issue is as I said before - removing the spark plug and kicking the start pedal a few times. It's a bit annoying as it takes some time to do that. What do you think may be the reason for this issue happening? Could something be not right with the engine itself?

I'm awaiting your insights on this case guys :)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on September 16, 2014, 07:51:18 PM
Hi Gosku, Glad your posting, and welcome to the forum.

Try un screwing the spark plug boot from the wire, and cutting off about 1/4" from the wire to expose some new core. Take a look inside the wire end of that boot, and make sure you see the pointed screw in there, and then screw it back onto the wire.
It may just be the wire has burnt away from the boot, and has to arc across. When you pull it apart to fix the no start, it may be just fixing that for a moment.

I would also check all the other harness wires near the areas you are touching down there. One of the connections in the harness may be loose or going bad.

Then check the ground wire from the battery to the engine, and frame. Same issue.

Good luck.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on September 18, 2014, 05:05:13 PM
Hi zombie and thanks for your input!
I will definitely check the cables and connections one more time, just to make sure. Thanks for tips.
But if that is the case then why the spark plug always gives spark when I check it (I remove the spark plug from engine, place it on the frame and push the ignition button to check if it's giving the spark).
Also the interesting thing which I already mentioned is that I have to kick the start pedal a few times when spark plug is removed before inserting it back, otherwise the engine won't start. So it's not a random thing and the solution is always the same, and this is what is really odd.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on September 18, 2014, 08:32:23 PM
Generally speaking what you are describing is a flooded engine. Kicking several times will expel the excess fuel.
If you are 100% convinced it is NOT a flooding issue then it almost has to be an intermittent wiring issue, and fiddling w/ things just gets it working again till the next go round.

I owned a Honda Prelude back in the day that would begin running rough at the first 30 miles of every damn trip I took. It was so bad I had to pull off the road, and wait approx. 15 minutes before it would magically clear.
Anyway I had a rather naive girl friend at the time, and told her if she open the glove box 6 times, and then turned on the radio the car will start every time.
The car died, and she did this routine. The car started.
Next time we drove the car it died, and she started this magic routine... I laughed my ass off.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on September 19, 2014, 06:55:42 PM
Aww. So it's expelling the excess fuel and it might be a problem with flooding. Thank you.
I was setting the screws on my carb this summer. When I bought my scooter from previous owner, both screws were unscrewed only 1/2 turn and the scooter was always dying on idle and the spark plug was fouled. I'm new to these things, but I gathered as much knowledge as I could and tried to set it right. I also went to my local mechanic and he said I did a good job. I also checked the spark plug's color after doing some extended driving and it was brown (so technically good but maybe it's still a little bit flooded?). I haven't cleaned the carb yet, not to mention the needle setting, which I believe is very important.

Your story made me laugh till I cried! :D Good for her that you didn't take full advantage of her naivety, it could have been worse! ;)

Btw, my speedometer cable broke recently. Replacing it was quite relaxing, to my surprise.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on September 19, 2014, 07:39:20 PM
LOL. She was a sweet girl. Married a guy w/ a couple kids, and as far as I know was quite happy.

Anyway... the proper way to set the idle mix is to turn the smaller screw (idle mixture screw) in either direction until you get the highest rpm you can. If it goes too high use the larger screw (idle speed screw) to compensate, and repeat this till you get the best "tune" you can.
Once you achieve this turn the idle mix screw 1/8 - 1/4 turn counter clockwise if the screw is closest to the engine (intake) side, or 1/8th - 1/4 turn clockwise if the screw is closer to the air box side of the carb.
What that does is Slightly enrich the idle to prevent a lean running condition.
This procedure is best done w/ a new or clean air filter/fuel filter/new spark plug.

As a base line setting these small carbs run at or near 2 turns out from seated. This is just a base line, and not etched in stone.
Give it a shot, and see how it does.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on October 06, 2014, 07:18:42 PM
Good for her  :)

Sorry for late answer and thanks for good description how to set the carb screws. I've done it just as you described before I encountered this issue of mine, I even put a new spark plug and air filter when I was doing it. Maybe my scoot needs just some fine tuning, sometimes 1/4 of a turn makes a noticeable difference.
One thing you mentioned that I didn't know about is that there's a difference between having the idle mix screw closer to the engine or to the air box. Good to know  :)

Mine carb before I changed the screws settings had the idle mixture screw turned out only half a turn from seated. And the idle speed screw was something like 1 turn out from seated. It was strange. The spark plug was dark and it was constantly dying on idle when waiting for traffic lights to change (unless I was adding some throttle). Now it's (nearly) perfect! And the screws are turned out 2 and 1/8 (idle mixture) and 2 (idle speed). I had it running with less turned out screws too, but if I remember well it was gaining speed slower back then, like there was a moment of "freeze" when you added throttle and the response from the engine was delayed.  Anyway, I will do my best to fix this small issue of mine when I will be able to (I'm currently out of the town).

I hope the winter won't be too harsh for us  ;)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on October 06, 2014, 08:56:33 PM
That little delay is usually present in all these bikes. There is a TINY accelerator pump that squirts a TINY amount of fuel when you open the throttle. Trouble is the hole that squirts the fuel is so small it clogs. Brand new bikes have the same problem. If the bike sits for 2-3 weeks the fuel alone is enough to clog it.

Anyway, glad you have the idle sorted, and I hope you can post up when you get the whole deal working.

I live in Florida, US so I never really have bad winters. Just bad attitudesn.
Best to ya!
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on October 16, 2014, 07:10:37 PM
You're right, it is just a 50 ccm engine, everything is so small and maybe sometimes I'm just expecting too much out of it!  :o

Currently it is more than 3 weeks since the last time I made a trip on it. I'm currently living in Warsaw, Poland, and the bike is 400 kilometers away, waiting for those times when I'm off work. I will have a week of holidays in November so I will definitely ride & fix it and post the results.

Anyway, do you have some good tips what to do with this clogged hole when it happens, or how to avoid it? Probably there's some kind of fuel additive which prevents this... This goes to my search list for those rare times when I have some free time  ::)

The winter which you have there in Florida is probably warmer than spring or even summer here, lucky you  8)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on October 17, 2014, 01:36:00 AM
I moved here just because of the Climate. Fl. is too expensive, and the Govt' here just plain sucks. Corruption/everything you want to get done is attached to a fee of some sort, and we have to pay for everyones kids.
I think Welfare is the number one job here.

Anyway... If the bike sits for extended periods it is best to pull the fuel line, and run the carb dry.
Also adding one ounce of SeaFoam to every fourth or fifth tank will help keep everything clean, and clear. As a rescue cleaning use 2 ounces for two tanks in a row. That will remove most residues, and moister issues.

I have never found any other product that actually works.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on October 29, 2014, 08:26:58 PM
Wow I wouldn't suspect the corruption to be such a problem where you are living. That's shocking! But the climate must be really nice if you moved there just because of it.

Thanks for sharing this with me! I looked for Sea Foam but the closest they sell it is in the Great Britain and the freight charges to Poland are ridiculously high. So I bought a bottle of Kleen Flo fuel stabilizer, at least the fuel won't get stale when I leave the bike for a longer period of time. But it's very strange that we can't buy Sea Foam here, it's so popular in US from what I've read.

Now I have a break from work and I'm back in the mountains. It's quite cold but sunny here, around 8 C, but I rode all day long. Everything's fine and I'm very happy! Except the speedometer. The cable broke near the wheel in the summer, it took me some time before I removed it. Recently I installed new cable from Kymco dealer, it's the same as the old one. But the speedo showed only like half of the real speed and the red pointer was shaking and jumping. And now after I rode all day, the speedometer constantly showed only 10-15 kmh when I was riding at around 60-70 kmh. The pointer barely moves. When I turn the scooter's ignition on, the red pointer goes all the way to the max speed and back to the 0, so it's fine I guess. Do you think it might be something wrong with the thing (don't know how to call it) at the front wheel, where you insert the speedo cable?
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on November 19, 2014, 12:04:53 AM
It could be the gear is faulty. The cable must have broken for some reason... I'd pull it apart to check.

Did the old cable slide out easily? No signs of rust?
It should have come out like a tooth pick in a drinking straw. Same for installing the new one.
It could also be the drive plate, and the cup it sits in between the wheel, and the fork. If the tire was removed, and those parts were not properly aligned it may be squashed between them.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on November 29, 2014, 04:18:43 PM
Thanks for giving me those check-tips. The cable slides out easily and I didn't see any rust. I also checked the drive plate by inserting a new speedo cable into it and spinning the wheel with my hand and the result was that the cable turns. I'm going to check the speedometer in a similar way - remove the cable from drive plate, try to spin it as fast as possible with my fingers and check if the speedometer moves at all. If not, something must be broken inside... Winter is coming so I think I will find the time to finally check & fix it during some long, dark and cold evening. I hope it's not that complicated to get inside of a speedometer and see what's wrong there!  :P
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on November 29, 2014, 11:51:54 PM
That housing is sealed. It prevents us hooligans from messing w/ the odometer.

The best way to check it is as you said, spin the cable, and check for binding. The cable end spins a magnet that sits inside a steel cup. Sometimes that cup will get rusted up, and interfere w/ the otherwise smooth running you expect.

If it is faulty the only practical option is to replace the Inst. Cluster.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on December 23, 2014, 03:49:55 PM
Hi!

Oh so there's a magnet there, good to know. I learn so much thanks to you!

I didn't want to reply while having nothing new to say, but now after I checked I can finally confirm that the housing is sealed since I, the hooligan, couldn't get there  >:(

So I checked by spinning the cable with my fingers and the speedometer works flawessly  ;D

The problem is at the other end, by the wheel. I discovered that the speedo cable turns only when the wheel is turning backwards. So when I'm actually riding it doesn't turn at all. Something must be wrong with the drive plate / cup. Maybe those parts were not properly aligned when I changed the tires at a local mechanic. Or maybe they're already worn or badly damaged and need replacing. I looked in the service manual and I think that the speedo related parts at the wheel are marked with numbers 44800 and 44680. Or maybe I'm wrong here and these aren't the ones? I would like to order those and then have them replaced and have the odometer working again!

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/911/JqAUfr.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/pbJqAUfrp)

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/661/QeVyiC.png) (https://imageshack.com/i/idQeVyiCp)

What ya think good ol' Zombie?  ::)
Oh and Merry Christmas!  8)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: BettinANDlosing on December 23, 2014, 04:38:48 PM
You only need 44800-kfa6, the speedometer drive gear. They rust and go bad. Or it is possible the shop screwed it up.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on December 23, 2014, 05:39:16 PM
I agree that drive assembly is most likely the cause. Take a look at the drive plate. See if it has the "tang" still attached. There should be a 1/4" square tab at a 90degree angle OR a pair of 90degree edges that fit into the gear assem.

If it was not aligned correctly at some point it is very likely the drive was broken, and then re aligned so it would all fit together.

Either way you are on the right track. There is nothing else left...
Once you get this sorted, hang around. We do a lot more than fix scooters here. We're also planning on overthrowing both the Fed Reserve, and the Illuminati. It should prove interesting...

Happy Holidays !!!

Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 03, 2015, 03:53:30 PM
Thank you buddies!  :) Holidays were amazing and I even went on one long trip on my scoot because it was quite warm and without snow - but just for one day. Hope you had a great time too! Now I'm back in the big city where I work and live most of the time and some time will pass before I will ride my Kymco again (which I left in the mountains at my family home). I will order that part for speedo which you pointed out soon and next time when I will have the opportunity to ride again I will fix this once and for all. And of course I will let you know about that  :D

I will definitely stick around because it's a cool place and I can learn a lot from here. My knowledge is rather small, I'm still a newbie but I'm willing to learn because I like to understand how things work. Soon I will look for topics about the front brakes because I'm thinking that my brake pads might need changing.

Once again thanks for your help! And here's a pic of my People S 2T resting on the top of one of my  favorite tracks  8)

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/661/vdN6aF.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/idvdN6aFj)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: BettinANDlosing on January 03, 2015, 07:00:05 PM
You got a great bike, not very many S50 2t sold in the US. Most of those I've seen have been 4t!!! Great road BTW!!
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on January 03, 2015, 09:58:29 PM
Look up Malossi pads for the front. Even if yours are still good. It's a night, and day swap, and they last forever. I haven't ridden my 2t in about a year but the Malossi's look like brand new after 5 years of 60 -70 mph daily driving (maybe 50mph average daily but its been over 80mph)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 04, 2015, 10:06:28 AM
Actually I'm not from US, I live in Poland  :D But here People S 2T is also a rare thing. I'm glad to have one!

Hah zombie you anticipated my question  ;) I posted in another thread and was about to ask you guys which pads are worth buying later. I will definitely look up Malossi!
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: BettinANDlosing on January 04, 2015, 08:04:05 PM
Poland, Portland, same thing haha
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 05, 2015, 08:14:10 AM
Poland, Portland, same thing haha

Haha I wish it was true  :D
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on January 05, 2015, 10:17:12 AM
What's the difference between Polish women, and a bowling ball?

If you try hard enough... you can eat the bowling ball.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 05, 2015, 12:11:33 PM
Haha I never heard this one before  ;D
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on January 05, 2015, 06:57:40 PM
I married a Polish girl years ago. Wolodkowicz. Her mother was one of the concentration camp survivors as a child.
She's the one that told me that joke.

What a world we have here... :-\
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 06, 2015, 08:44:42 AM
Wow I'm surprised! It's a small world... She must have been lucky (and strong) to survive. Half of my family died in WW2, some in the camps, some on the battlefield   :'(
You don't speak Polish, do you?  :D
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on January 06, 2015, 11:47:37 AM
All I remember is Dieme Bougia, and Hutch to eachta dupa.

I'm sure I could remember more if I heard it.

The only picture of her as a child (the mom) was taken as they were being liberated at the end of the war. You all know the skin, and bones pictures... This child was pure bone. She was 9 or 10 at the time but she remembers all of it. Every member of her family... gone.  For no reason at all.

That was a long time ago but I understand, and feel deeply for your losses.
 I wonder if I could zombify any of those Nazi F'er's from back then? Just so I could kill them hundreds of times over.
 I need to find a Haitian!
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 07, 2015, 08:00:28 AM
Haha the only word that I understood is dupa. It seems that you know more polish words than I do  :P

Oh yes I know those pictures.. I visited one of the concentration camps a few years ago, the most famous one - Auschwitz-Birkenau. Oh man, what expositions they have there, for example a badass big pile of human hair shaved off the people that were sent there... It was a good lesson of history.

That was a long time ago but I understand, and feel deeply for your losses.
 I wonder if I could zombify any of those Nazi F'er's from back then? Just so I could kill them hundreds of times over.

Thanks! I'm too young to remember those times but they surely had an impact on the future of my family. I could have more cousins now and this forum could have more Kymco riders  ;D

Did you see the movie about Zombie SS? Originally it's called Dead Snow but many people refer to it as Zombie SS, because that's what it is about. It's supposed to be a horror but I see it more as a black comedy  8)
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on January 07, 2015, 11:57:56 PM
I had a wall.paper for my PC from the movie. You gave me something to do tonight. I'll try to find a D'Load of it.

The Polish bits were "Give me a kiss", and "Come here. Eat my ass".  Yes I did divorce her... eventually. I heard "Hutch to eachta dupa" more often than "Good Morning".

I'm off to find that movie...
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 08, 2015, 09:08:58 AM
Oh man I checked now my favorite website with info about films because I wanted to find the name of a similar zombie related film and give it to you and I discovered something fantastic - there is gonna be Dead Snow 2! It airs on 19 January  ;D

The name of a similar film is Iron Sky, it is about...well, check it out:
"When the Third Reich was in decline, most loyal Nazis were sent to the Moon. Now they are ready to return to Earth."

If you didn't find the movie you can PM me, I think I've still got it on my disc.


And now I understand what you wanted to write! "Give me a kiss" / Dieme Bougia - it is "Daj mi buzi", you were close  :D Was is the same girl that you tricked into opening glove compartment in your car several times in a row in order for the car to "magically" start up?  ;D
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: zombie on January 08, 2015, 03:22:46 PM
LOL... Different girl!! Close to the same brain case size tho. Extra small!

I found Dead Snow, and Dead Snow II. They are on KickAss torrents. Now I have to check out Iron Sky as well.

Who would ever think to write such movies??? Sounds like a Hybrid of Dom DeLuise, and David Lynch.
Title: Re: In order to start remove the spark plug?!
Post by: gosku on January 08, 2015, 09:12:02 PM
Oh, then 19th January must have been the date when they will show it at the cinemas in Poland. Thanks for tip bro, I'm seeding the movie now, gonna be a cool night  ;D

It's directed and written by Tommy Wirkola. He has worked on only a few movies. Never heard that name before. It's not you, right?  :o