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Cruiser
Posts: 68
Cabot Arkansas | Has anyone experienced cold starting issues, if my bike sits outside and the temp gets below 40f it has a hard time starting. Visited my dealer and put a new batt and had the same problem.  |
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Cruiser
Posts: 72
Eyota, MN | Does yours turn over but not start? Mine would pop off like it wanted to start but didn't. It turned out that I flooded the shit out of it, had to take the plugs out and clean them. The next time I road, it started OK. I wonder if the new download makes it start bad when it's colder because last winter mine started every time flawlessly. One morning it was 6 degrees when I left for work. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 68
Cabot Arkansas | mine will try however to get it to start i have to open the throttle and it will finally light off and run |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | I read a bulletin from one of the big three automakers a while back. It seems that premium gasoline is too stable in cold weather. You need vapor to mix with air for combustion. If it doesnt evaporate it wont burn. They recomended using the cheaper grade in winter, less stable. Although 40 degrees shouldnt be cold enough to cause a problem. Definately check the plugs. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 68
Cabot Arkansas | i would think the plugs if i had a miss however once it starts it runs just like a new one. it is just the initial start after it sits and gets cold soaked. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Doesnt have to have a miss to have a plug problem. Cold mixture and carbon on a cold plug will reduce the strength of the spark. Also check the idle valve and throttle body for dirt. Not sure how many miles you have but higher milage bikes will have deposits on the throttle plates that would benefit from a good cleaning. |
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Jacksonville Florida | If you are consistently driving in temperature 40 and below you may want to consider a lighter oil so the engine can spin up and do not crack the throttle. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 106
L.I., N.Y. | I had to hold the starter switch for about 5-7 seconds today after 3 normal attempts to start her, failed to get her to start and idle on her own, with the temp at 22 degs, also this is the frist time I have left my bike with the about a gallon of gas in it. I intented to fill her up on 12/30 but didn't get to it when it got late and I headed for the garage. I believe the low fuel in the tank probably contributed to the hard start. When I start it up tomorrow for the Cold Finger Ride I will stand her up prior to starting. 
Edited by slowryder 2009-01-04 2:23 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i heard that gas that has sat in a tank for many weeks can make it harder to start.? I dont have this problem. but i also have my vision on a battery tender and the gas tank is full with 93 octane and stabil . im running 20w40 vicoty semi synth oil (never again). now it doesnt start as easy as if it was 70F. but what i do is, turn the key, then turn the kill switch ON and wait a few seconds for the fuel pump to prime and then i fire it up. I never had a problem where it didNt start. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 106
L.I., N.Y. | Yesterdaywas interesting when I went out to start her up. Bike temp reading was 36 degs, but it had been 21 overnite. I do the usually turn the key and kill switch on, check neutral, get on and stand her up, pull the clutch lever and hit the start button. She turnover kick off and died, after a few seconds I tried again and repeated this process six times over the next 3 mintues to no avail. Finally I held the start button for about 5-7 seconds til engine kicked off and ran on it's own. It doesn't matter what octane fuel I'm using they all cold weather start the same. Some one I was talking to suggested to me it could be an idle control valve or program problem. Either way it going to end up at the dealer for a day or two. I'll let u know what they find.
Edited by slowryder 2009-01-05 2:06 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 266
Hartland, , WI | stumpy - 2008-12-05 7:54 PM
mine will try however to get it to start i have to open the throttle and it will finally light off and run
Got mine on a battery tender sitting in the garage...stablized the gas and filled it up...this was 60 days ago when I put it to bed for the long winters nap. You got me interested so I took the cover off of it and tried to start it...it is 18 degrees in my garage.
Since the bike is fuel injected I have always just used the starter and no throttle just like a car but give it a little throttle when it gets popping. Started right up. The fuel injection and MAP are suppose to figure out what is needed to start the bike without operator help....right? |
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Visionary
Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN | Yes the bike should start every time with no throttle input, shouldn't even need it if it is popping like it wants to start. Mine started every time last year down to 25 degrees, no issues.
Late last year, had the reflash done to improve driveability, but I wasn't having any problems, even with decel pops.
Now, bike doesn't want to start, without some of the tricks above, keep holding the start button and crack the throttle a bit to get it to want to start. Put in new NGK plugs and would barely start, so I know it isn't the plugs. Actually it started the one time before by just pressing the start button, but then after replacing, very hard to start. I took it to the dealer and left it for a week. Then they were unable to duplicate even though I showed them what it did when I brought it to them. I got to take it home and I still have the problem.
It is intermittent, cause once it starts for a few minutes, it will start every time after that. Not even every time when it is cold, just whenever it gets the notion.
cjnoho - Check the Idle valve - how do you do that? I don't see a way to check it. It is supposed to give readings back to the laptop when you plug it in with different variances in resistance as it adjusts, but I don't know of a way I could check it, by what I've read.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. any mechanics still out here?
Edited by pollolittle 2009-01-06 11:02 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 106
L.I., N.Y. | I just spoke to my mechanic and we had previously discussed a problem about the bike idling up on it's own to about 1800 rpms and not being able to get it back down til I rode it a bit. Now combined with the hard start problem, he belives the idle control valve is malfuntioning. So today I'm talking to him on the phone and he had me go out to the garage and crack the throttle back a little prior to starting and I'll be darned the bike cranked right up on the second turn over. He ordered an idle control valve and will change it next week. 
Edited by slowryder 2009-01-06 5:27 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN | Well, any update! Did that IAC fix your problem? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Madison, AL | I have to give it a little throttle to get started on cold mornings. But other than that no issues, it starts up with a bit of throttle, let it warm up and away we go. I have had new cams, PC, intake, exhaust, Loyds manifold mod, and etc. done so....I know I'm way off factory specs. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN | david.terry - Is that thing Drag sTrip Ready? Dang, so what will that beast do? |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| I've started and ridden mine down into the teens. A little throttle on startup should be applied even though the bike is EFI. I'm not sure if the owners manual spells this out or not but I've ridden EFI bikes a long time and they all require a wee bit in the cold. Oh and I do keep mine on a tender of sorts (pulse). |
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Cruiser
Posts: 293
Arkansas | Never have cracked the throttle on startup, and always starts up within two pistons.
I did start it the other day in 17degF to pull up further into garage to make room for car-
started as usual. So guess if some bikes aren't doing this, there must be a misadjustment or
malfunction. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I can't take it any longer and this thread pushed me over the edge, literally. If you are having problems starting your bike then there is some issue somewhere! FIX IT! I have the original battery, but if it is going to give you trouble, it will come out in hot or COLD! Change your battery. If you have checked and set your gap on your plugs or need new ones DO IT! I AM THE BIGGEST ABUSER OF ANYTHING AND MINE SITS OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME, NO GARAGE, ONLY A COVER AND HAS STARTED DOWN TO 10 DEGREES WITH NO PROBLEM! NEVER, EVER BLIP CRACK, TWIST YOUR THROTTLE WITH EFI ON A COLD MORNING, IT DOES ALL THE WORK! AND YOU WILL RUIN YOUR MOTOR IF YOU DO IT HABITUALLY! If it doesn't fire and run then you have another problem, not because it is cold. Sheesh, forums can be fun and imformative, but at the same time it can really cause a lot more problems for folks. Don't guess with this stuff, unless you know what you're guessing about. 33,333 on the oddie with NO PROBLEMS!
Edited by varyder 2009-01-18 5:32 PM
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 17
Summerfield, NC | 10° outside, I never touch the throttle until it has warmed up a few minutes (about 2). 3 or 4 revs and the bike fires. Totally stock, Victory oil and 92/93 octane fuel. Only 4K on the bike. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2026
Brighton, TN | Well, any update! Did that IAC fix your problem? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | Seems to me that a bike as sophisticated as the Vision (closed loop, TPS, barometric & temp sensors, cold start map, etc) would start best at zero throttle position (idle), vs twisting the grip. Hitting the starter at anything but zero throttle position sends a confusing message to the ECM.
I am no engineer, but there may be a problem with your bike. Dealer can't help? Has you dealer contacted Polaris about this? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 106
L.I., N.Y. | The dealer that I was suppose to drop my ride off at, to have the IAC valve replaced, closed up. The next closest place is 58 miles away and he wants me to leave my ride so he can hook up the computer, in the AM, cold, to my ride to tell him what was already figured out. I asked him if he had a replacement IAC valve in stock, he replied no and he would order it for Victory, should get it in a day or two after they run there test. So I explain the problem to him and ask him what he thinks it is. He said it sound like the IAC valve, but he can't order it under warranty from Victory without whatever he has to get the part from Victory. I can't believe on dealership is so accommodating and the other such a pain in the arse. I'm stuck between a hard start and a rough Idle. 
Edited by slowryder 2009-02-26 12:17 AM
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cold starting
