Hard starting ?

[Jim Almquist]

My Polaris Indy classic 500 1994 seems to be turning over longer and will pop a little bit and then you have to turn it over some more and then the thing starts and runs fine the rest of the day. Is it my gas filter and if I have one would you know were it is

? It is a EFI if that helps. Thought maybe the plugs so I changed them out(NGK)It used to start almost instantly and I am on my second tank of gas and always run non-oxy premium. Anything else to check please let me know.

[Jim Almquist]

Is it possible that the choke is not working ?

[hanson]

Jim-

I would try running a tank of gas with SeaFoam through your machine first and see if it improves at all.

Hard starting is usually a dirty carb problem. With EFI, I would think it might be a similar issue although I have no idea where to start with cleaning an EFI system.

Try the SeaFoam, it should help clean a little of the varnish out of the system

[Jim Almquist]

Do I dare dump the whole can of Seafoam in ? The directions state it will treat 8-25 gallons and my tank is around 10 gallons. Just don"t want to screw it up before the bash but would like it to start better.

[Surface Tension]

Did this start happening with the cold snap? Takes more gas to start an engine in the sub zero temps. That'll explain why the first cold starts are hardest starts. That pop., gas doesn't atomize as well in the sub zero cold temps, combine needing more gas to start and run and what you have is gas running into the muffler. As long as your cranking on the engine, fuel is being injected. Its starts to vaporize in that closed space(muffler) and pop, it ignites. I'll bet theres a white cloud when it starts and till it warms up.

Could a dirty injector make the above situation worse, absolutely, the fuel is not atomizing like it should, the sub zero temps make matters worse. Sea Foam MIGHT help. An injector cleaner might be better. The Sea Foam won't hurt anything. It'll decarb more then it'll clean varnish IMO and theres nothing wrong with that either. An engine can't run better while an additive like Sea Foam, carb or injector cleaner is in the gas. It might decarb and it might clean a carb but while its in the fuel your performance, starting will suffer. You've changed the atomizing and ignition characteristics of that gas. Once your done with that tank and refill you'll get the best performance and starting out of that engine. So if you dump a can of "anything" in the tank don't expect any starting or performance benefit till that tank is burned up and refueled with straight gas. That is why I would not recommend using any additive with every tank. Use a stabilizer for long term storage, use Sea Foam as a decarb but not all the time.

With the warm temps on the way I'll bet that hard start goes away. Still theres a small underlying problem that'll pop up on the next cold snap, unless maybe the miracle in a can fixed something. See you at the Bash!

Edited to add: Someone will know.

Was the EFI and battery an issue with this year sled.

Meaning a weak battery and EFI = no start.

[Jim Almquist]

Frank it was a great starting machine until this year but the last couple of winters it has not seen that much use so it is possible that the lack of use could have caused some of my problems. My first thought was bad gas but I think that I have burned enough to overcome that so now it is something slowing the amount of gas on start up almost like there is no choke but with EFI I am not sure what tell's the engine to give me extra gas when cold. Once it is running and for the most part the thing run's like a champ the rest of the day. I will try the Seafoam and maybe I will have a miracle in a can

[Surface Tension]

Next time it gets to the point of the pop on the cold start, pull the plugs and see if they're wet or dry.

Get rid of the gas if its two years old. Best way to do that is lift up the track and block it. Get a hose to the lowest point in the tank and siphon it out.

[H20fowlr]

If it hasn't been used much then you probably do have some build up from the oil/gas mix. As Surface Tension said it takes more gas in cold weather(it's actually because the air is drier and more dense and you need more fuel to have the same air to fuel ratio.) I don't think the atomization is the issue. When you have your injectors, enrichining jet and your ports(i think this is a piston port engine, not a reed valve)gummed up they are most susceptible when starting because a) you need the most amount of fuel for the relative RPM, b)you have less fuel pressure to overcome the "Gumminess" c) the oil viscosity is much lower at colder temps, making any residue even more "sticky". Sea-foam is a possible fix, but it may need a more thourough cleaning of the fuel delivery system. (Usually the injectors and intake system.) If this engine uses reeds, they can be stick as well if they are "gummy".