starting issues

[audiomanxb]

i just bought my maxim 1100 a week or so ago it had a bad battery so we had hooked it up to jumpers to see if we could get it to start it did but when i gave it gas it would die the next day we put some gas in it and now the only way we can get it to even to try to start is with the choke on full and it just sputters like it wants to start it acts like its not getting fuel any ideas

[oldyam80sg]

Hello-I'm not an expert by any means but i know every bike i owned needs choke to start it and then it warms up and you need less and the none.If you are starting the bike with no choke and the bike is not even up to operating temp(?)then i could see where it might give you difficulty.You mention that you put gas in it but was it enough to amount to anything?Fill the tank,add some seafoam,let it sit for a day and then start it but i think you will always initially have to give it some choke to start it.

[Ivan]

I am guessing if it will only run with the choke on, the pilot jets are plugged up. Clean them out and run a couple tanks with seafoam and see if your problem is rectified.

Chadron huh? I grew up in western Nebraska. McCook area. Good to see another from the home land on the boards.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey AudioMan,

What's the history of the bike? With a bad battery, it probably sat for a while, months, years?? How old was the gas in it?? The carbs are probably gummed up a bit. As OldYam said, get some SeaFoam or Berrymans' B-12 carb cleaner, and pour 1/2 can into a FRESHLY emptied and then refilled tank of gas.

There are many things that you'll need to do to make it a road worthy and reliable machine, lots of cleaning of electrical contacts, changing of vital fluids, etc.!! Check the fuseblock...probably still has the OEM style glass fuses, they can "look" good, but be bad, pull them out, and check the ends, check for continuity, etc.! All should be 10 amp except turn signal=20 amp.

IF the battery is too weak, it won't have enough voltage to fire the electronic ignition box...and it won't start! Also, the XJ uses the dreaded Octopus valve system, it can be sticking and not flowing, switching the petcocks to PRIME will send fuel directly to the carbs bypassing the OCTY.

Good chance crud from tank has gotten into carbs, clogging the fine holes in the pilot circuit and the carb cleaner stuff "MAY" help!?
T.C.

[CatatonicBug]

Welcome aboard! As mentioned, it helps to know some history of the bike. When was the last time the carbs were cleaned out? If you don't know, now is the time to do it. Fuel starts to become varnish after a few months, and these carbs are really sensitive to that stuff. The tiny holes get plugged, stopping the fuel flow. In the Tech Tips, there are plenty of descriptions of what to do to clean the carbs. Read through them all, and start some surgery. There are a few differences between the XS and the XJ, but lots of similarities too. The fuel system is the same as the XS Specials, except for the YICS thing in there.

[audiomanxb]

ok bike history the gas tank was drained on it and the carbs cleaned the bike sat in a garage for almost 4 years in the garage when i decided to buy it from them we had put like 2 gallons of gas in and tried to start it but didnt have any luck with it because we werent getting juice so we tried jump starting it and had sucess but the next day i decided to get a new battery for it and see if it would start and it wouldnt so i put in like 3 gallons of gas fliped the switches to prime for a minn then to on and tried to start it the only way i could get it to try to start is with the choke up all the way and it would only like sputter like it wanted to and if i pullled the throttle it would act like it was killin it so i dont know

[audiomanxb]

Ok I was told that my bike is the same as one of them its an 82 maxim 1100 with only minor differances so and I figured there would be work needed when I bought it I mean come on 200 dollars for a bike with 30 k miles couldn't be 2 bad right

[TopCatGr58]

Okay, now we have some history to work with!

Almost all of these machines will need the choke/enrichener to start when cold. Using PRIME, and LEAVE it on PRIME while starting will be fine. However, turning the throttle actually makes things worse, because these carbs don't have a throttle pump, so opening the butterflies reduces the vacuum, and it will actually draw less fuel for starting.

You said the carbs "were" cleaned, like before it was put away. If so, then you really should take them off, and clean them...or at least make sure that the small jet down in the float bowl is clear and open flowing, that's the starter jet, and if clogged, will prevent fuel flow, and no start!!

Did you put in NEW Spark Plugs?? Also, check by pulling the plug wires/caps loose 1 at a time, stick a spare plug into it, lay it against the head, and then turn it over to see if you have spark, repeat for all 4 plugs, but be sure to put the plug cap back on before you go to the next plug. These coils use wasted spark, they fire both wires on the same coil at the same time, and the current needs to flow from 1 wire thru the engine and back to the other wire to be able to see a spark!

On that new battery, did you fully charge it overnight before putting it into use? Also, while trouble shooting and such, it's still helpful to use a bumper battery along with the good new one.

Yes, a $200 XJ with 30k miles is a very good find!!!
T.C.

[audiomanxb]

Ok the spark plugs that are in it are new plugs but they have been sitting in the bike since it was parked they have maybe 50 miles of use on them but I was told that they could still be foweled up still I don't have the bike here I have it at my moms she is the biker chick so she knows more than I do but I was tpld to run seafoam through the carbs strait and let it sit a few days then put gas behind it and try it 2 another thing I noticed was when I took the cover off for the air breather there was a varnish or oily substance in there but not in filter any idea what that could be and my left turn signal doesn't work but that's prob a bulb or somethin

[CatatonicBug]

Don't bother with the seafoam. Yes, it's great stuff, and can clean out the small left-overs AFTER you've cleaned the carbs, but you have to CLEAN them FIRST. Take them out and spend an hour or so and clean all 4 carbs. You'll learn a ton while doing it, and that's really the ONLY way to get the carbs cleaned properly. There is a tech tip with pictures that will walk you through the whole thing.

[audiomanxb]

So do you think its the carbs then or do u think its more likely the plugs bein fowled up

[DGXSER]

It could be either or both. Check the plugs, maybe even buy new just to eliminate it. For the cost of the plugs, it could save you alot of time chasing your tail.

As to the carbs, Alot of folks on here have stated that using Seafoam has cleared up the carbs nicely. It is cheap enough and easy enough to try it, if no go after that, then yep pull them and clean.

My $.02 worth.

[audiomanxb]

Well guys thanks for all the help

[tarzan]

So does that mean you got it to run?
If not,the dreaded carb cleaning, as has already been mentioned several times here, is in order.Whenever I get a new bike (i.e.=new to me,but old),I always go through the carbs if it has sat for any length of time.It seems like a daunting task,and can be.However if you take your time and do one at a time,it isn't bad at all.
Have fun.
Rick