2001 XP Problem

[johna56]

Bought the XP last fall. Replaced the fuel lines this spring (among other things) and have put about 10 hours on the machine. Last weekend machine started bogging down upon acceleration as soon as we dropped it in the water. Over the next 15-20 minutes the problem progressed to stalling while decelerating, stalling while accelerating, starting for a few seconds and then stalling ,and now it wont start at all. It turns over, but just wont start. I swapped out the plugs, but didnt expect that to fix the issue. I was initially thinking I should clean the carbs, but after reading a bunch of posts, seems like it could be the fuel pump. Anyone have any thoughts on this, or recommendations as to what i should look at first?

Thanks.

 

[ski-d00]

you don't have an electronic fuel pump like I'm sure the posts you read were referring to. first thing you need to do is check compression. you may have a cylinder down.

if compression is good, then you should clean your carb filters.

 

[johna56]

Will do. Thank you. I hope its not a compression issue.

you don't have an electronic fuel pump like I'm sure the posts you read were referring to. first thing you need to do is check compression. you may have a cylinder down.

if compression is good, then you should clean your carb filters.

 

[MacAddict]

I have a 2001XP that gave me the same kind of crap after I first got it... still had the grey tempo lines in it, which were green inside. Pulled all the fuel lines and replaced with black fuel lines. Pulled selector switch and cleaned/soaked in PB blaster.... But then unscrewed the large filter just under the hood, and it was full of garbage. So I pulled my carbs off for a rebuild, and sure enough, both of the little filters inside the carbs were almost 100% full of crap... looked like dried grass/mud and rust chips.

Sooo..... my suggestion as another 2001XP owner is yes..... check the compression, but if it has sat for any amount of time, or has been a few years since rebuilding the carbs, I would go ahead and pull them apart. And be absolutely sure to do pop off tests on both carbs.... Get 5 good readings @ 19-21psi, and try to get them as close to matching psi as possible..... It can take time and be a pain with taking covers/diaphrams on and off to "wet" the needle with WD-40 or similar (pop off tests must be wet) but you will know for sure the needle is coming off the seat at the right point of the throttle....

Oh.. and get true Mikuni rebuild kits... I had some problems with some cheap aftermarket rebuild kits.

 

[johna56]

As much as I want to avoid paying to repair/rebuild the top end, im dreading pulling, rebuilding and cleaning the carbs. I've never done it, and am unclear how to fine tune the carbs once they are installed again. Thanks for the reply, I am still hopeful its a fuel delivery issue.

 

[MacAddict]

Meh... its a pain to pull them, but I have done it now 4 times, and without yanking the exhaust off (The first 2 times, I didn't have a tool to check pop off, and assumed it would be okay..... ). you just have to disconnect the cables and hoses and stuff and slide them forward and out. Just make sure to get new carb gaskets... or roll your own with some gasket material, punches and an exacto blade. don't try and reuse whats there.

But more than likely it's fuel delivery, caused by either these filters being clogged, old/rigid rubber diaphrams (fuel pump), the fuel selector switch clogged, or might even be a leaking pulse line from the manifold (which drives the fuel pump).... My other GTi did EXACTLY what you describe as well... started right up, and jumped out of the hole, but immediately fell on its face.. then would start, idle, stop... hard start, rough idle, then stop... then not even start...... It also had the same problem with the clogged filters inside the single carb. Once I cleaned this filter out, and the the larger screw on filter, she ran like a top.....

 

[johna56]

Its a little embarrassing but here's the update.....seems likely the loose fuel filter was the culprit. I thought I checked it last week but I apparently not. I'll still check compression tomorrow but the machine started right up this eve after securing the fuel filter and 3-4 pushes of the start button.

On another note, there was some very small pieces of something in the fuel filter - like tiny flakes of paint or silt. Any idea where it could have come from? I changed the fuel lines this spring and cleaned the tank filter at the time. The machine sat for 18 months before I bought it and I'm sure the kid had no idea how to maintain it so maybe its time for a carb rebuild anyway. Any thoughts on the stuff found in the filter are welcome.

As always, thanks for the advice.

 

[MacAddict]

Are you talking about the big filter under the lip near the gas fill? The one you can unscrew and theres a screen inside? Could be flakes of paint from a fitting somewhere... or corroded/rusted metal from something... hard to say. All the more reason for this filter... it can catch alot of crap before it even gets to the carbs. But even with this catching stuff, the filters in the carbs are probably full.. especially if it sat for 18 months before you got it. Had I bought something that sat for a year and a half with fuel that sounds like was never treated for long term storage, rebuilding the carbs would have been the first thing I would have done, then fuel lines.

 

[johna56]

That's the filter. Ordered the rebuild kit, rode all weekend. Will tackle the rebuild job in the fall. Thanks for the all the assistance. -john