Why won't my China Scoot start after short trip unless I change spark plug?

by Pat Connelly
(Buffalo, NY, USA)

My 2006 150cc Avanti touring scooter won't start after a short trip, until considerable cool down, or if I change the spark plug.


Can anyone help?

Comments for Why won't my China Scoot start after short trip unless I change spark plug?

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Jul 06, 2011
 spark or no spark?
by: Anonymous

When you change the plug do you first check for spark and see none so assume a faulty plug or do you just change it because that seems to solve the problem? If you are not getting spark until the plug is changed then the fault is electrical and likely an intermittant open due to heat expansion causing the fault to trigger; the plug change only allows time to cool so the fault temporarily subsides. If you are getting spark then why change the plug? In that case it is much more likely to be a fuel system problem. Aside from a fuel fouled plug check for a kinked line, for example in CA legal scooters have a line from carb to evaporative canister which in some models at least will cause stalling if kinked, though after a time it will start again and run ok for a brief time before it happens again.
Jul 04, 2011
 flooding
by: dadob

You’re probably flooding the combustion chamber with too much gas. Removing the plug lets some of the vapor boil off and the new plug just means dry plug. If the plug looks wet when it won't start I'm right. If dry I might still be right. I have noticed most scooters have problems with dependable or quirky automatic chokes. For example when mine is cold if I turn the throttle even a little it won't start. I have to just push the starter button and it starts right up. Then I have to wait a few seconds before I give it a little gas or it will die. But, that's just in the cool of the morning, the rest of the day I have to goose the throttle a little or it won't start. This works in winter too.

Try different methods of starting from no throttle to tiny throttle to full max throttle to clear the combustion chamber of flooding. CAUTION CAUTION if the motor starts it especially at full throttle it could take off on you and cause injury or damage. Keep the brake the left brake on tight, and release throttle immediately; or put it on the stand so the wheel doesn't touch the ground;, or switch off emergency switch which will allow the motor to be turned over without starting to clear the chamber, after 2 or 3 seconds of full throttle turn over turn the emergency off switch on. Try no throttle start first, then a little goose of the throttle. Remember the starter motors burn out easily. They should not be turned over more than 5 seconds at a time and not more than three times at that length. Either use the kick start or let it sit for at least 5 minutes so the starter can cool.

You also might try adjusting the idle air screw a little in. Try tiny 1/8 turns.
Jul 02, 2011
 or maybe ignition coil fault
by: Anonymous

If not cdi try a damp paper towel to draw heat from ignition coil and see if it then will start; if so you should replace your ignition coil and make sure you have a good ground.
May 30, 2011
 Electrical Gremlin
by: Jim Zeiser

I had a similar problem with a scooter from Syracuse. It sounds like either you have a bad connection at your CDI unit, pull the plug off the unit and put it back and see what happens, or your CDI unit is going bad. In the time it takes you to change a spark plug it cools enough to fire a new plug. In a place like Buffalo it's not hard to imagine there's corrosion on your CDI connection.

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