KymcoForum.com
Scooters - 125 to 300 => LIKE 200i => Topic started by: Petey4 on August 08, 2018, 06:56:24 PM
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I used to know a little about repairing vehicles before they had computer chips, variable transmissions, and fuel injection. Everything's so interconnected now it's hard to diagnose problems.
A few days ago the bike suddenly began bogging down mildly at acceleration from a stop, but otherwise seemed okay. I was suspecting air or fuel -- but it never stalled completely, even though the RPMs sounded pretty low when throttling. (Idle speed seems normal.) Yesterday I started suspecting transmission, as it began jerking a little when the RPMs would reach normal speed (at five or ten mph). Now today it's gotten noticeably worse: very similar to when you try to drive a car starting in second gear. It sputters (labors) -- but then lurches into what feels like a higher gear, and then rides smoothly. It doesn't bog down when accelerating from low coasting speeds -- I have to be accelerating from a stop or near stop.
Judging by how much worse the lurching was today I'm expecting it to become totally unreliable for commuting very soon.
I'm starting to think it might be related to past warranty work on my clutch (discussed earlier here), where they found the wrong-sized pulley or something. I still suspect the shop might have originally sold me a repaired scooter as new, even though it showed only 0.2 miles -- because they had no answer to why it would have been manufactured with an incorrectly sized part. Anyway, they replaced the tranny, the clutch, and the belt -- and I've been riding it daily without trouble for the past six months. Now I worry the belt might be shredding again. But the symptoms are different (before it was low maximum speed). And I wonder if, say, a fuel/computer problem could play havoc with the auto-shifting somehow?
It's a pain in the neck to take to the shop, so I wanted to ask around whether there are some things I can look at myself first. Plus, it's a year and a half into the warranty, and I'm not sure what's still covered.
Thanks for any ideas!
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The "auto shifting" or CVT is strictly mechanical with no connection to the on-board electronics. One sure-fire method to either confirm or rule out suspected TPS malfunction is find a dealer with the Kymco analyzer tool and convince him of doing a road test with the tool plugged in.
Stig, does this strike you the same?
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Okay, thanks, so if it's a mechanical transmission issue, what would that look like? I'm imagining something preventing the belt from settling all the way down into the variable V, effectively eliminating "first gear." But what would be mechanically causing this all of the sudden?
The shop says they can't look at it until a couple of weeks, so at this point I'm trying to guess how risky it is to ride without getting stranded. The shop recommended I do not take the box apart myself, since I may not see important clues.
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I doubt it is a transmission or belt problem. It sounds similar to Stig's TPS failure some years ago which was pinpointed by the analyzer. There is nothing to taking the covers off the CVT. With the covers removed, the bike on the center stand you could start, run and watch the belt do its thing. Check some YouTube videos on this. Just don't tighten those little screws too much when you put the covers back on! By the way, that shop COULD plug the analyzer in and prove/disprove the TPS in less than 5 minutes if you took the battery cover off for them.
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Thanks for the encouragement, Crossbolt. I took the cover off and found a pretty thick coating of fine black powder throughout, which I assume is belt residue. Now, is this normal, or is this a big clue? Seems like a lot of powder. Of course I can't replicate the problem on the stand without load, but I did notice the belt flapping a bit whenever decelerating -- even clanking or tapping against something for a second. Maybe this is normal too?
Unrelated: I've looked into the forum profile settings but can't figure out to keep it from logging me out every so-and-so minutes. Can someone steer me in the right direction?
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OK Texas, All good points made here.
But, I'm going to start with some basics.
This will require removing the battery cover (3 screws and pop it up) and the underseat bucket and the front lower panel after the batt. cover is off..
Working with the cyclepedia trouble shooting pages open before me....
1) Please check that the battery terminals are snug.
2) With the center cover and underseat bucket removed, check that the spark plug is not loose, AND that the spark plug cap is snug on top of the spark plug. Don't over-tighten that little plug!
Loose battery terminals, loose plugs and loose caps have caused stumbles and intermittent running issues.....and are easy to fix!
Another less likely culprit is a pinched breather hose for the gas tank. It is the by the lower red arrow here. FOLLOW it from the tank neck as far as you can and see that it is not pinched closed as it nears the side body. Make certain it is open and free to breath.
(https://s33.postimg.cc/9h8htvj2n/0000fhose.jpg)
Please note that your warranty is such: first 365 days - all parts & labor are covered
For 540 days Engine parts, electrical parts and labor are covered.
For 730 days engine parts and labor are covered.
Please give a description of year of manufacture, mileage, service history. Modifications.
It is not known for the Throttle Position Sensor to fail on any but the 2011/2012 LIKE200i models.
Hang in there - we'll get this sorted so you can have a reliable ride once again!
Black dust and belt flapping are normal.
Are you getting any light codes blinking on the dash when you turn on the key, but do not start?
Stig
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Thanks Stig! I'll go through your troubleshooting tips when I get a few minutes tomorrow.
I see when I turn the key on, and leave it for a few seconds (after the normal red light), it then blinks red six times. I have no idea if it's always done this since I always start it quickly. Is this normal? The six-blink-cycle keeps repeating until I turn the key again.
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There ya go! Stig is one of the good guys but with pictures, too!
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Hey Petey,
So the 6 blinks represent TPS, I had the same warning on my like and noticed similar performance issues, then the warning stopped presenting.
For what it's worth, I am beginning to suspect my Like 200i is a 2015 despite the dealer selling it to me as a 2016 though the title reflects the dealer's model year.
The reason for my suspicion is that from what I can find out, my color scheme (gold/black stripe) was only made for the 2015 model year to celebrate KYMCO's 50th year.
That said, I have noticed similar issues at a similar millage or maybe a bit higher. My warning went away, but now it's has left a bit of a ghost in my mind.
It woulden't hurt to have the dealer check it out if it's still under warranty.
I would also suggest taking Stig up on his suggestions, he has been very helpful in educating me on my Like.
Good Luck and keep us posted,
Jon
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Hey Petey,
So the 6 blinks represent TPS, I had the same warning on my like and noticed similar performance issues, then the warning stopped presenting.
For what it's worth, I am beginning to suspect my Like 200i is a 2015 despite the dealer selling it to me as a 2016 though the title reflects the dealer's model year.
The reason for my suspicion is that from what I can find out, my color scheme (gold/black stripe) was only made for the 2015 model year to celebrate KYMCO's 50th year.
That said, I have noticed similar issues at a similar millage or maybe a bit higher. My warning went away, but now it's has left a bit of a ghost in my mind.
It woulden't hurt to have the dealer check it out if it's still under warranty.
I would also suggest taking Stig up on his suggestions, he has been very helpful in educating me on my Like.
Good Luck and keep us posted,
Jon
Jon, your manufacture date (scoot's Birth Date) is on a silver tag, under right side body panel, above muffler. Need flash light and lay on floor to see it. It's on the frame.
Yeah, my "2013" scooter was made May 2012.
Stig
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Jonnielights, interesting -- mine is also a gold anniversary special. It's a 2015 that had been sitting unsold until I bought it in January of 2017. No mods, except the seat, mirror extenders, and removing the air intake limiter. Oh also an iridium plug. I've serviced it regularly. Now with 3400 miles I've changed the oil four times, and the gear oil twice. Checked valve clearance twice without adjusting.
So are you saying you had similar laboring and then lurching from a stop, related to your TPS warning -- and then the problem gradually went away when the warning went away?
After my clutch/belt/transmission problems were fixed this past January it's been running great, except for a couple of annoying occasional symptoms: some sort of apparent vacuum problem that causes fuel to overflow -- always when I overfill the tank even slightly, but also sometimes at low and medium fuel levels. Could be weather related, but I've yet to decipher a clear pattern. The other symptom is very common: the starter often snags at first attempt, but then kicks in. Never left me stranded, so I've not yet looked into the brake switch (but I have checked solenoid connections, battery, and ground).
I commute daily about 20 miles. This latest trouble showed up suddenly Monday morning, but went pretty quickly from subtle to lurching. I'll try to troubleshoot more later today. Thanks for all the tips.
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I only skimmed the thread, but I agree the symptoms do sound very much like a dead spot in the TPS to me. The bad spot on it probably wore down more to the point where it's lurching now.
If that's right, the computer thinks you snapped the throttle closed and cuts off fuel until it figures out that it's running really lean.
Hopefully the Kymco analyzer tool (if you can find someone who has one) will show you a graph of the TPS output voltage, and you should see a drop once you hit the bad spot. Or you might be able to see the voltage drop on a multimeter.
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The 6 blinks confirm the TPS is out of range thanks to jonnielights so Kymco analyzer not really needed. This should be enough for the dealer if your machine is still in warranty which it should be since you bought it in 2017.
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Interesting. I'll have to read up on how the TPS works. But I think I'll call it a victory and take her to the shop when they can fit her in. Thanks guys!
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Yeah, me too!
It's just funny how both my warning symptoms and the problem have gone away, not far after 4000 miles.
I also bought mine in 2017, May, and just had it in to the dealer's shop last week for a tire change. I thought about having them take a look with the KYMCO analyzer, but they were so slammed and it had to be a hundred degrees in that garage, still got my tires changed within 4 hours. Since the problem had gone away I didn't have the heart to ask them under those conditions.
Probably I should have, right?
Jon
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And to relate some of my experiences to your questions:
The lurching and laboring from a stop that I experienced seem absolutely in-line with what you have been experiencing, but I just kinda chalked it up to clutch glazing.
Driving in New York is really hard on the throttle, it's all over the place all the time. But after one gig (theatrical lighting electrician) I did, that took me on average about 6 miles at full open to 3/4 throttle on the highway, (twice a day) sans slow lane splitting for about 14 days straight, the message and issues seemed to disappear, despite the fact that I probably did 4 miles in the city proper every day.
Also, I must admit I don't know when the message started to present, at first I didn't even recognize the fact the LED on the dash was showing an error message, naturally I thought it just blinking till I started the bike, silly me.
As for the starting issues you have had, I have not experienced them. Only once since I have owned the bike, a few weeks ago did I fear the bike would not start. Took me about 20min, after a long day at work and very late at night. Turns out, to quote Karl, my "puke tube" (crank case breather tube) was full of crud. Drained it the next day and the bike was running better then ever.
I also haven't had any real issue with overfilling the fuel tank, and as far as weather, I dove all winter long with no trouble, so I don't believe that seasonality is a factor in this problem.
That said, something does seem fishy with the TPS on this model, please keep me posted and I'll do the same.
Seems like we might have to love our Golden Like's together on this one; before our warranty's run out.
Jon
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Most of this is still a puzzle to me.
In no particular orfer:
Since a capped puke tube does breathe, how did draining it improve anything? It would have to be flooded clear back & filling the airbox!
Previous TPS failures were characterized by stumbles when attempting to cruise at a steady speed - often @ 25~35mph
I had a bad TPS....idle, starts, high speed cruises were perfect. Bad stumbles at 25mph.
I think only the 2011~2013 LIKE200i models were suspect. And only a small % of them.
I know of 3 LIKE200i's which are displaying code 16's (one long, 6 shorts. engine temp sensor) and each run perfectly. Non of the reset procedures cleared the code on any of these 3 scoots.
EFI uses hands-off starting. Touch nothing but the key..99% of the time.
EFI likes healthy batteries. Not sort of healthy batteries.
Overfilling tank causes problems.
Nobody in the USA is getting bad gas any longer. Running/starting Issues? It's not the gas. In-tank filter is adequately protecting the injector.
All above are just my thoughts.
Wish we could rule out the clutch behavior as causing the jerking.
Clutch nor puke tube can cause hard starting IMHO.
Still a puzzle to me ....frusrtating to suss from afar!
Stig
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I'll definitely update as I learn more. Now I'm hoping my lurching does not improve before the shop can take a look. I suspect my intermittent starter problem is separate -- it's been doing that since the beginning (but, of course, never replicated at the shop). The tank overflow is my last concern, but it is weird, since I haven't heard of others having problems except when overfilling. I did wonder if somehow that and the starter problem might be somehow related to a fuel pump issue -- maybe chip-related. Time will tell, hopefully.
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Hey Stig,
For the TPS, I don't know much about it and really haven't had time to do in-depth reading on the matter, I have been doing 12-18 hour days for weeks so I don't tend to try and learn so much in such work cycles.
As for the one long six short, my scoot always displays one long when I turn the key to on, so if that is to be considered part of the error message, then it might be a temp sensor, but the six short have defiantly gone away, I watch it with some regularity now.
Based on what I have read in this forum, I thought my symptoms to be clutch glazing, and that also makes a lot of sense considering how I have to ride in nyc. I thought perhaps that high RPM for 20 or so miles a day and for 2 weeks straight, might have the effect of clearing the glaze, but I must admit I'm ignorant on if this is a plausible explanation.
That said, the timeline of when I noticed the six short was not long before that work cycle and the bike was showing the symptoms I mentioned in my previous post, but soon after they stopped.
Two days after my accident, referred to in my post "So the Like and I went down last night (were both ok)" I thought I was going to have to call a tow truck at 5am after a good 20-30min of trying to get it to start; sputtering, running really rough and dying with even slight throttle but I finally got it to catch. It still ran rougher then normal, but I was confident after the first half mile that I was going to make it the 8 more home. I had purchased fuel on the way to work that day, it was not raining.
Next morning, first thing I did was drain the puke tube, seemed about full of oil, plus it contained what seemed like a bright orange sediment and something heavier then the oil. The oil was fairly clean as I had changed it just a few days prior.
Started it up after draining and it was just like it had always been.
I don't know if any of this helps you to understand, because I certainly don't, but ever since my scoot has been running great, I still get one long when I initially turn the key, but no more six short.
Jon
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As we say in the pack mule rental business, " if she goes today, don't foolwid-it!"
I wonder if the tip over sensor was disturbed enough in your 'off' to make for hard starting for a time thereafter? It is supposed to shut things down and deploy the drogue 'chute when you go over a cliff, according to my translated owner's manual.
And, yeah, no - high speeds won't usually clean off the clutch pad glazing - since it occurs during pull-away slipping before the clutch locks into drive. Light sanding of the pads and green scrubby to the bell...gets you back to orig. surfaces. City riding makes it tough to avoid glazing....some have good luck by giving it brisk throttle as you pull away...to limit clutch slip & get it locked sooner rather than later.
Burgmans are bad for glazing. My LIKE is butter smooth but I don't commute to work through the city now, after my indictment,😊
Stig
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Seeking advice after a few new clues. (Still waiting on the shop to schedule an appointment.)
After a full week of lurching, acceleration has smoothed out -- but I'm still getting the six red lights. Just as the problem developed gradually over a couple of days, it went away gradually. But I'm pretty confident the ride is not the same as before. It feels and sounds like it's geared slightly higher at all speeds. So, while it's got the same overall power, the pickup is a little more slow. Instead of feeling like I'm trying to take off in second gear (as when it was lurching), it's more like I'm trying to take off in first gear but babying the gas a little.
I don't mind this performance; my concern is getting any problems addressed before January, when the warranty runs out. Especially since I'm still getting the warning signal.
Also, a couple curious things that may or may not be related. I had always felt a subtle RPM dip when applying the left brake (at a stop), but now the dip sounds more noticeable. Actually, I'm not sure if it's really an RPM dip (I don't have a tachometer), but it sounds like it's dipping from, say, 800 to 600 when applying the brake. Not so low that I'm afraid it's going to die, but getting pretty rumbly.
Another thing I was eager to show the shop was the starter-catching problem I described earlier. It never happened regularly enough for them to witness it, but last week it was doing it almost all the time -- so I thought, great, they'll be able to see it when I bring it in. But now that the acceleration has smoothed out, the starter is no longer catching regularly. Is this just coincidence, or can anyone see a possible connection?
I see there's a method for resetting the TPS, but I'm reluctant to try it, since currently the TPS warning is the only problem I can point the shop to. Maybe, like Jonnielights, the warning will reset on its own someday.
I noticed a similar thread from another anniversary-edition owner (http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=14741.0 (http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=14741.0)). Now with at least three of us suffering a seemingly related problem I'm getting suspicious about this gold version.
So mainly I'm looking for opinions on whether to keep pursuing the cause of my nearly unrideable week, or just shrug and be happy it's smoothing out?
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A LIKE200i idles at @1850 rpm.
Holding the rear brake at idle routes engine vibes into the frame (felt in your butt and hands), common to all scooters I think.
The LIKE200i does not appreciate being over filled at the pump....perhaps your scoot's vent lines have cleared after some evaporation?
Hope you do follow up with the dealer servicing while under warranty. ...though not certain they will open at no cost, the CVT to explore your concerns with the "gearing". Unless their scooter guy feels an issue in his test ride.8
Perhaps there IS an issue with the 2015's ECU's....or we're somehow overthinking this thing?
Been there done that. ..with trying to have dealer experience the issues I was getting with the TPS. Can be frustrating...
The good news is, that once I got that sorted - the scoot has been rock solid for the past 4 years and 10000 miles!
Thanks for your updates.
Keep us posted.
Stig
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At this point I am just "shrouding and being happy". My scoot has been running well of late and I beat the hell out of it. No more more error code, and smooth operation, so I'm just going to go with it for now. ;)
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At this point I am just "shrouding and being happy". My scoot has been running well of late and I beat the hell out of it. No more more error code, and smooth operation, so I'm just going to go with it for now. ;)
There you go....!
(I couldn't really imagine that there was an issue with the 2015 ECU's)
Stig
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I don't know if you knew Stig but the newer version of the throttle body does NOT have an inlet for the drain hose from the charcoal canister. When I replaced my intake throttle I did not know what to do with the drain so I called the customer service folks at Kymco. They told me to just direct it down to the ground and there it has been since with no ill effects and I have never seen any gas spilling from the tube!
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I witnessed my error code resetting itself the other day: instead of the normal cycle of six blinks, it started with one longer blink, then six shorter. It repeated this cycle about three or four times, and then stopped blinking entirely. Since then it has sent no error message.
Stig, if there's a connection with the overflowing fuel, it's not because of an overfilled tank. I only made that mistake once, in February of 2017. But, as I've mentioned, the fuel has periodically overflowed when the tank has been near-empty, near-full, and mid-full -- so something is different in my case. No idea if there's a connection between this monthly (or so) event and the recent lurching with TPS error. The bike has never been on its side.
It's now running pretty smoothly, but there's definitely slightly more bogging at acceleration from a stop than before the problem. Nothing serious, but notable. I seem to be getting about five mpg better than usual too (from 62-ish to 67-ish).
The shop never set up the promised appointment -- maybe they suspected the lurching might fix itself. So I guess I'll follow Jonnielights' lead and see what happens. There's nothing I can point them toward now that would register as a clear symptom. Will be interesting to see if the overflowing issue returns now that the error code has disappeared.
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I witnessed my error code resetting itself the other day: instead of the normal cycle of six blinks, it started with one longer blink, then six shorter. It repeated this cycle about three or four times, and then stopped blinking entirely. Since then it has sent no error message.
Stig, if there's a connection with the overflowing fuel, it's not because of an overfilled tank. I only made that mistake once, in February of 2017. But, as I've mentioned, the fuel has periodically overflowed when the tank has been near-empty, near-full, and mid-full -- so something is different in my case. No idea if there's a connection between this monthly (or so) event and the recent lurching with TPS error. The bike has never been on its side.
It's now running pretty smoothly, but there's definitely slightly more bogging at acceleration from a stop than before the problem. Nothing serious, but notable. I seem to be getting about five mpg better than usual too (from 62-ish to 67-ish).
The shop never set up the promised appointment -- maybe they suspected the lurching might fix itself. So I guess I'll follow Jonnielights' lead and see what happens. There's nothing I can point them toward now that would register as a clear symptom. Will be interesting to see if the overflowing issue returns now that the error code has disappeared.
Petey,
Please call and make an appointment with a Kymco dealer.
For discussion - While you're waiting to go in for that scheduled appointment --- yeah, #16 is engine temp sensor.....
But the overflowing "nearly empty gas tank' is a puzzle. Surely it is not overflowing from under the cap, or from the tiny over-flow hole found a half inch below the cap?? I mean how does a quart of gas get up there to overflow?
When it overflows you are finding gas under the scooter?
If so, and your tank is nearly empty, it must be a leak from the fuel line, yes? Heat build up in the tank - pressurizing the tank and it's fuel lines - leaking from the line or where it connects? Or it leaks while you're running the engine? A puzzle.
Plus you are finding issues with the CVT which propels your scooter, but improving gas mileage?
Frankly - for my limited knowledge, you present too many issues, which come and go - there is too much distance between your scooter and my desk to sort this ….out. One would need to look at your maintenance performed to date, mileage, listen to the engine, ride the scoot, etc., etc.
The possibility that one or both of us is overthinking all of this is too great to sort from a distance.
Please take the scooter to any Kymco dealer while your warranty is in effect.
Stig
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yeah, I've been assuming the occasional overflow is a vacuum problem, but maybe that's not possible. When it happens I'm usually at a red light and smell gas -- then I look down and see dripping from what I thought was the overflow tube. It's only done it a few times when the tank was half-full, and once when nearly empty. Mostly it happens when near full, but I never fill past top of bar. I have seen wetness around the gas cap when it overflows.
I'll definitely keep y'all posted if/when I learn more. But bringing to the shop is too much trouble when there are no reliable symptoms or error codes. I do want to find out whether they have an official diagnostic tool though. Maybe they can plug it in while I wait.
I'm guessing my gas mileage may have increased because the TPS is now reset, so it's running a bit lower RPM overall. Will be interesting to see if the reset eliminates the gas overflow. I wouldn't be surprised if it's all somehow connected electronically.
I'm also guessing the CVT is fine -- that the recent problem has been entirely chip related. I was suspicious of the CVT system only because it had been bad at first, but since they replaced everything it's been running smooth (until the lurching started).
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Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for answers -- but I finally have a service appointment scheduled for Friday (and the shop does have a Kymco diagnostic tool). The six-blink alert is back, but now I'm pretty agnostic about whether the problem is more throttle-related or transmission-related. The lurching has never gotten as bad again as it was during the first week, but it's still annoying. Weirdly, it gets a bit better after the first five minutes or so of riding.
Stig, I don't recommend overthinking my particular bike, as it's clearly something of a lemon. I still get the occasional overflowing around the gas cap, unrelated to how much fuel is in the tank. I still get the occasional stalling of the starter. And I still have been given no answer to the question of why an incorrectly sized part was in the tranny pulley system when the bike was supposedly brand new.
Until we learn more I might advise others to think twice before buying one of these 2015 anniversary editions.
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Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for answers -- but I finally have a service appointment scheduled for Friday (and the shop does have a Kymco diagnostic tool). The six-blink alert is back, but now I'm pretty agnostic about whether the problem is more throttle-related or transmission-related. The lurching has never gotten as bad again as it was during the first week, but it's still annoying. Weirdly, it gets a bit better after the first five minutes or so of riding.
Stig, I don't recommend overthinking my particular bike, as it's clearly something of a lemon. I still get the occasional overflowing around the gas cap, unrelated to how much fuel is in the tank. I still get the occasional stalling of the starter. And I still have been given no answer to the question of why an incorrectly sized part was in the tranny pulley system when the bike was supposedly brand new.
Until we learn more I might advise others to think twice before buying one of these 2015 anniversary editions.
I reread every one of your posts.
I have thoughts about each of the many issues you, and others, have found with the 2015 LIKE200i's.
Gas leaking in the area of a well fitting gas cap - from a partially empty tank - is the one which stumps me. Gas on the ground is one thing....but gas around the undamaged lid ?... some kind of science is going on there which I don't understand.
Please keep us in the loop!
Stig
sorry, can't resist: slight "stalling" of the starter is well documented.....and disappeared when I installed a new, stronger, battery.
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Yeah, I've been keeping an eye on your battery posts. Assuming the shop doesn't find anything else pertaining to the starter issue, I'll definitely get a new battery pretty soon. Can't hurt.
On the fuel expansion problem, I've inspected the cap many times looking for clues. Seems to function fine, but maybe something's wrong with it. Whenever I smell gas, even if it's not enough to be dripping on the street, I look under the seat and there's always pooling around the cap. Seems like some sort of vacuum would have to be responsible. Unless somehow it's related to bad signals being sent to the pump??
Thanks for sharing interest. Will post new discoveries. I've not yet been spending tons of time and effort investigating every thread for every symptom -- mainly to wait until I find out if the the worst problems (like the lurching) are connected to some of the smaller symptoms.
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If I were you, I wouldn´t give this starter issue (which isn´t really an issue by the way) too much attention.
My Like 200i has and always had the same "issue" for 4 years now since new. I also changed the battery but the "issue" remained.
I guess the reason for it is that the starter motor is a bit too weak for the engine in some cases when the piston is in compression stroke to start and turn over. At least at the second attempt the scooter always starts immediately.
See it positively that your engine (piston/cylinder) has a good, strong and healthy compression ratio.
By the way, the much more expensive Vespa scooters do have similar issues with starter motors. An observation I repeatedly made on my brothers Vespa GTS 300.
The TPS could be resetted also for a first attempt. Therefore the pink wire in the battery compartment needs to be put against ground (green) for a few seconds while ignition key is on.
Repositioning of the TPS afterwards is done by just 3 cycles key on and off for each a few seconds (I guess 3 or 5 seconds after each turn).
There is also a blinking code reset procedure available, but it´s more tricky to achieve propperly. I guess an instruction is already available here in the forum.
And as a general hint: Do not manually try to set the TPS unit by turning any skrews there!!! You will ruin it. It´s all factory preset and every possible adjustment needed afterwards can only be done electronically by the diagnostic tool from kymco!!!
Depending of which weights/rolls you are using there might be also a little issue in the drivetrain. If you are using the specially designed sliding rolls from Dr. Pulley you or your mechanic should have made sure that the variomatic plate edges were filed/polished down a bit. Otherwise the sharp edges could make the sliding rolls flip over and at least wear more rapidly and cause troubles also. If you want to know more about this, go to the Dr. Pulley website and read the blog there.
And your gas tank ventilation issues also have been discussed here many times already I guess - as far as I can remember.
The whole gas tank ventilation system is more complicated in the US than everywhere else on this planet.
And Stig for example is a very active and experienced member and administrator in this forum for the Like 200i. He has written many excellent point by point service guides with pictures - almost essays. ;) He knows a lot, if not almost everything. 8)
Just try to read a bit in this forum - you will find tons of good and helpful stuff here.
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Thanks, Robo, for the tips and perspective. I'd been waiting to get too deeply into greasy troubleshooting, partly because I'm an old guy with limited energy, but mainly to allow the shop to do what they can while under warranty. I had never been very confident about them, but my recent visit was all the more discouraging.
First, they informed me that it was showing no error code, and the diagnostic tool showed no record of any errors. Frankly, I believe they probably reset it before doing anything. I had been checking for any change in the six-blink code every day for weeks -- including just before riding it to the shop. Big coincidence if it just happened to clear the moment it was in their hands. Then they told me if it had been showing an error it would have been recorded in the diagnostic history. Well, I said, then that's evidence of another chip problem (I had not ingested any LSD in decades, so I doubt I was hallucinating those blinking lights). They told me they'd call Kymco to ask what it might mean, but, of course, I never heard back from them.
After leaving the bike overnight, they said their test rides produced no halting or bad performance. I have trouble believing this as well. While it doesn't lurch badly like it used to, it definitely struggles periodically -- and always before it's warmed up. Always. When applying the throttle from a stop it bogs down at first, before kicking in roughly. Not fun.
So unless something new develops in the next couple of months before the warranty runs out I'll be gradually trying some of the many things I've already been reading here. Perhaps the problem will turn out to be something relatively clear and simple, but I'm still not even sure whether to start with the tranny or the fuel. Meanwhile I'm annoyed with the shop, because I know what this machine feels like when it's running smooth. That ain't happening now.
I agree, the periodic rough starting has never left me stranded, so I'm not overly worried -- and one of these days I'll replace the battery. The shop suggested my fuel overflow problem might be splashing when hitting bumps, but I would have thought that would have been documented here many times. (Maybe something's wrong with my cap though?) Mostly I've seen posts about overfilling the tank, which is not my issue.
BTW, a salesman told me he believed the rumor that Kymco won't make this model in 2019, allowing the "superior" 150 to completely take the Like 200's place in the market.
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Ho-hum. (Yawn)(scratch, scratch) Same-o, same-o from a dealer. BS and delay....
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The lurching due to a ailing TPS can be hard to replicate. My dealer had my LIKE200i so long.....i bought a nice Honda Forza!
That gas leak.....has just about got to be a bad cap seal.....or a bad weld around the tank neck, or the seam in the tank.. Something like that.
Sure wish you were local.....I love looking into these LIKEs. That early TPS was about the only hiccup this scoot has had in it's 8 year run. Maybe it's crept up again with a new batch of TPS's....or maybe not. Might be that blasted EPA breather junk we have in the States - which can get fouled with one over fill.
Lurching, to me, otherwise is glazed belt or more likely, glazed clutch pads.
Man, wish you were down the street!.
Stig