{"id":1804,"date":"2019-11-06T04:55:32","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T09:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=1804"},"modified":"2019-11-06T04:56:51","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T09:56:51","slug":"how-to-start-a-snowmobile-that-has-been-sitting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/how-to-start-a-snowmobile-that-has-been-sitting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start a Snowmobile That Has Been Sitting"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you own a snowmobile, you\u2019ve probably been there. The snowmobile has been sitting dormant throughout the summer and you haven\u2019t started it once. When you try \u2013 nothing. It\u2019s a frustrating situation, but not an uncommon one. Ideally, you should try to run engines at least once a week to prevent this kind of problem. But not many people set aside the time to do that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re dealing with a snowmobile that won\u2019t start after sitting for a long time, don\u2019t despair. In this article, you\u2019ll find the most common causes and how to address them.<\/span><\/p>\n

You Need a Spark<\/b><\/p>\n

You probably don\u2019t need to be told this, but if your spark plugs aren\u2019t sparking, you won\u2019t be able to start your engine. Therefore, start by checking your spark plugs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Testing the spark plugs is a pretty simple process. Take out the spark plug and plug it into its cap and ground the plug on the engine. So any part of the plug threading should be touching an exposed part of the engine. Then, turn the engine over. What you\u2019re looking for is a good, strong spark. If the spark is weak or it doesn\u2019t fire at all, you should replace your spark plugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not getting a spark and it still doesn\u2019t start after replacing the plugs, then you likely have an electrical problem. This could come down to a number of problems that are outside the scope of this article, but you can start with a visual inspection of all the wiring and caps looking for deterioration or oxidation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You Need Fuel<\/b><\/p>\n

If any engine sits for too long, it will dry up and that will make it more difficult to start again. To check if this is a problem, get some starting fluid. <\/span>(*<\/span><\/i>Always be sure to follow manufacturer\u2019s recommendations when doing this.)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Your goal is only to give the engine a little extra help out of the hole with the starting fluid. Spray it into the carburetor intake and turn the engine. It should start at least momentarily. If it shuts off after burning off the starting fluid, it means you\u2019re not getting enough gas coming in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

if this happens a few times, your carburetor probably needs to be cleaned. It\u2019ll probably take a good tear down and rebuild to clean it well and get it back into working condition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You Need Compression<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not getting enough compression in your cylinders, the gas\/air mixture isn\u2019t reaching optimal conditions to ignite. This problem could be quite complicated to resolve, so you should be absolutely sure that none of the other issues are present.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need a compression tester to check if the compression is adequate. Low compression can be caused by many problems, but most frequently it\u2019s worn out piston rings or any of a number of valve problems. You\u2019ll probably need to take it in for servicing if this is the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Neglect Your Sled<\/b><\/p>\n

Those are the most common causes of problems starting a snowmobile when it\u2019s been sitting for a long time. Hopefully, it\u2019s a simple matter of changing the spark plugs, because if it comes down to low compression, you\u2019re in for a bit of work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, the best way to solve these issues is to avoid them in the first place. Make sure you\u2019re running your engine every week throughout the off-season, and you\u2019ll keep it nice and healthy for when it\u2019s time to get back on the snow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you own a snowmobile, you\u2019ve probably been there. The snowmobile has been sitting dormant throughout the summer and you haven\u2019t started it once. When you try \u2013 nothing. It\u2019s a frustrating situation, but not an uncommon one. Ideally, you should try to run engines at least once a week to prevent this kind of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-from-ricks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1804"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1808,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1804\/revisions\/1808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ricksmotorsportelectrics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}