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General => Technical | How To => Topic started by: BrandonR on October 10, 2010, 11:15:28 PM

Title: Bad gas or what?
Post by: BrandonR on October 10, 2010, 11:15:28 PM
I have a concern/question and I'm hoping you fine people on the forum can help.

For the second time now, my Kymco People has decided to sputter and die out on me.  It will start and idle, but giving it gas kills it.  Subsequent attempts only shorten the amount of time it'll run.

I was told by people I had either gotten bad gas or the spark plug was gummed up.  So, the first time it happened, I just replaced the spark plug and put seafoam in the tank and that helped.  I don't mind doing it again, but I'm curious if there's anything that can be done to prevent it from happening a third time.

I've heard someone say it's got something to do with the ethanol they put in gas, but I don't know for sure.  For the record, I always run 93 octane gas in it, but every place I check also has some ethanol in the gas.

Suggestions, comments, solutions?
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: juice on October 10, 2010, 11:24:09 PM
IDK where you live but you might be able to find non ethanol here http://pure-gas.org/ (http://pure-gas.org/) . If not the seafoam will take care of the ethanol . You might also want to try a NGK iridium plug . Good luck .
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: Scooter_NOT_Libby on October 11, 2010, 12:10:40 AM

Adding Stabil (by Gold Seal) at the time you fill up can be a real help in preventing trouble before it begins.  If, like me, you forget to do that at fill-up time, and a problem develops, adding Start Your Engines, (also by Gold Seal) can be a real help.

DISCLAIMER: I am not employed by nor do I hold stock in Gold Seal.  I'm just a satisfied consumer.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: BrandonR on October 11, 2010, 01:19:38 AM
Sadly, there aren't any pure gas places within an hour of where I live.

I will check on the iridium spark plug, though.  I was just hoping this was something I can prevent.  I'll have to look into that Stabil stuff as well.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: Rianna on October 11, 2010, 01:52:04 AM
Hi, BrandonR. The Sea Foam can does say that you can use more than the recommended amount to clean and then less to maintain, so you can always add a little extra if you think it really needs it and that may clear up any problems. After a tank or two with the Sea Foam I would think you should be alright, ethanol or not. If the problem occurs again, it may be due to something else rather than bad gas.

If you just don't want to use the ethanol at all, the only possible solution I can think of right now is to have a friend or neighbor that rides the distance to a non-ethanol station fill up a gas can full every once in awhile for you while they are there. Good luck!
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: blue on October 11, 2010, 11:43:43 PM
sometimes it just might be something simple I was haveing a bad time with my other scoot its  50 cc
gy6 engine and all I did was clean the plug and air filter and washed out the air box. Now it runs like a dream again. A clean scoot is a happy scoot. I also tryed a little dry gas that helps when the humidity is high.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: art on October 12, 2010, 08:44:13 PM
  I have gotten gas that had nearly 1 tablespoon of waster in it from the pump! Might need to pull that float bowl and have a look,small amounts of water seafoam will handle but a tbs.of water must be removed the good old fashion way  :D
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: axy on October 13, 2010, 08:43:53 AM
  I have gotten gas that had nearly 1 tablespoon of waster in it from the pump! Might need to pull that float bowl and have a look,small amounts of water seafoam will handle but a tbs.of water must be removed the good old fashion way  :D

When I had Beverly, I had one liter of water drained out of gas tank every year.
I usually covered 8000 kms per year, or 350 l of gasoline = 1 l of water.
Three years in a row the mechanic had to disassemble the tank and pour the water out.

He said he never saw something like that.

Btw. every time I used different gas station from different company.

Figure that out. Crooks.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: sidthesloth on October 13, 2010, 08:47:13 AM
G'day axy, was that 1 litre all in one go, or was it collective draining over the year? That is a lot of water, through condensation I suppose.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: ts1 on October 13, 2010, 01:47:20 PM
All in one would mean his scoot could run with water.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: blue on October 13, 2010, 05:46:16 PM
All in one would mean his scoot could run with water.
that would be sweet if a scoot could run off water.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: axy on October 13, 2010, 09:12:49 PM
G'day axy, was that 1 litre all in one go, or was it collective draining over the year? That is a lot of water, through condensation I suppose.

1 liter for the last 350 l of gasoline I poured in.
Three times (years) in a row.

Fascinating.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: CONLEY on October 14, 2010, 05:04:26 PM
ive had a couple scoots like that take the carb off clean it out really good u should be fine

run premium gas in it if you dont already
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: axy on October 14, 2010, 05:07:47 PM
ive had a couple scoots like that take the carb off clean it out really good u should be fine

run premium gas in it if you dont already

Did not help. Tried three different gas stations.

p.s Gasoline here is 95 octane, premiums are 98 and 100. I used 95 and 98 when I had problems. Several different vendors.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: Agent Bob on October 14, 2010, 08:18:42 PM
If the condensation is happening in your tank, maybe if you kept the tank near full all the time, you would reduce or eliminate  the problem.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: blue on October 15, 2010, 12:53:07 AM
try some dry gas after every time you fill up.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: axy on October 15, 2010, 07:49:51 AM
If the condensation is happening in your tank, maybe if you kept the tank near full all the time, you would reduce or eliminate  the problem.

It was always full, and got refilled when a few l were still in.
It was a freak thing, I tell you.
No amount of condensation could cause that much water inside the tank.

The bike was sold and the new owner had the same thing happen to him again. :)
Title: Re: Bad gas or what? Funnel / Filter water from fuel
Post by: Zimmerman on October 30, 2012, 11:40:05 AM
Others have already recommended keeping the tank full to avoid condensation - good idea.

I wanted to mention Amazon sells a fuel funnel that had a water filter at the bottom.

The claim is it will remove water from fuel that is poured through it.

The user reviews seem very positive.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: fshfindr on November 23, 2012, 04:45:20 PM
I think that after a while with that problem, I would  have drilled a hole in the bottom of the tank and installed a drain valve to drain the water.  I would also have raised the suction tube to prevent water from getting into the engine.  Just my .02.

Richard L.
Title: Re: Bad gas or what?
Post by: MotoRandy123 on November 23, 2012, 07:37:54 PM
Mmm Dry gas is alcohol so don't add any more. If you want to get the alcohol out of
your gas, fill a 5 gallon jug with 4 gallons of gas and 1/2 gallon of water. The water
will pull the alcohol out then use your water separator funnel and voila pure gas!

 I had trouble once on a motorcycle as I filled up while the truck was delivering, it
stirred up the tank and about 1 mile down the road the bike started sputtering and
stalling. I parked the bike while at work and after work it ran like it should (as the
junk settled out to the bottom of the tank).

 A lot of fuel injected bikes are tough to empty the tanks so most don't get cleaned out
regularly.