Winter is finally here again. We get the first snow on the ground and you’re getting ready to pull the sleds out of the garage and start them up to make sure everything’s running fine. Except your snowmobile won’t start. It’s such a terrible feeling. Most of us have been there. But what could possibly be the reasoning behind it? This article is going to go through the possibilities of what it could be and some simple fixes.
As a note, there are some things that you shouldn’t try and tackle yourself as an amateur. Pick your battles on the things you are confident you can tackle, and the things you can’t. One mistake on a bigger issue with your sled can end up costing you a lot more money when you take it in to have a pro fix it.
Air, Fuel, Spark
In order for you to begin troubleshooting, you have to know how an engine starts. Well, in order for the engine to start, you need a combination of air, fuel, and a spark to ignite. All of those things together at the right time fires up the engine. So, in our beginning stages of troubleshooting, we are going to start there.
Spark
Spark plugs are what are going to be the “spark” aspect of that analogy. These little things are responsible for igniting the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, which in fact, starts up the engine. Luckily, if you may think this is the problem, it’s a very inexpensive fix. They will only run you around a handful of dollars a piece, and they are easy to swap out.
To change the spark plugs in your snowmobile, you first need to remove the hood of the sled to expose the engine. Try and find the rubberized fittings that will be over the top of the spark plugs to cap them. Remove the caps to expose the spark plugs. In order to remove the spark plugs, you will need 5/8 (16mm) socket to screw them out of there. Generally, if the carbon residue is gone in between the spark gap, then you should replace them. But if they look in rough shape you might as well just spend a couple bucks to get new one since you already got them out. Install them, put the caps back on and close the hood. See if it fires up.
If not, we can move onto the next aspect…
Fuel
Old Fuel or Bad Fuel
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of getting rid of all the gas out of your snowmobile at the end of every season. After the gas sits in the gas tank all year long without being ran, it can end up forming almost like a chunky, gummy consistency that can end up clogging your fuel lines. Also, not good.
Sometimes, you can just get bad gas. Ive seen it happen on a lot of things like boats, cars and other off road vehicles. In order to get bad gas or just fuel in general, out of your tank you can get a relatively inexpensive siphon. Just siphon the gas out of the tank and store it. If the gas isn’t bad, then use it in something else. If it is bad gas, find a locally approved waste management site that has the containers to dispose of it properly.
Check Fuel Lines
If you try and start up your snowmobile and you hear misfires of the engine, or it doesn’t want to stay started, it’s probably the fuel lines. The fuel lines are what send gas from the tank to the engine. If there is any blockage or cracks in them, then the engine isn’t getting the proper amount of fuel that it needs.
To fix this, first you need to inspect them.
If your fuel lines are just blocked with that gummy residue we talked about earlier from old gas, then just unclamp the lines on each end to remove them. You can do a couple things to try to unblock the lines.
- Use and air hose to try and blow it out
- Use water pressure
- Soak the lines in hot water and detergent to try and loosen it
If your fuel lines are damaged, or cracked, you will just need to replace them. Refer to your owners manual on what specific size you will need and go to your local dealer or just order them on Amazon. Re-clamp them back into place.
Carburetor issues
The carburetor is what mixes the gas and air into a specific ratio that is proper for your engine to start and stay running. There are ways to adjust the ratio of gas to air, but you really need to find out what works well for your sled. If your sled sits for a long period of time, the carburetor could dry up.
A quick trick to fix this issue is to use starting fluid. Locate the air filter in your sled. Take the air filter out, and spray the starting fluid directly in the air intake. You don’t want to spray too much in because it can mess up your engine. Just spray a little in and see if your snowmobile will fire up.
Air
Air Filter
The air filter is in front of the air intake, and filters in fresh and clean air into the carburetor. If you air filter is clogged up or damaged, it can either not be sending enough air into the intake, or it could have sucked in bad air into the engine.
The air filter looks like, well, a filter. If the filter is black or brown and looks gross, then change it. It’s so simple and inexpensive to do. Refer to your owners manual to see what kind of filter you need, or just go to your local dealer, i’m sure they can help you. If they can’t give you info, find another dealer.
Stick To The Basics
You have no idea the amount of times I have overlooked something so simple on my snowmobile wondering why it won’t start, its absurd.
Make sure your key is on and your shut-off switch isn’t pushed in
It sounds so stupid and so simple, but sometimes you just forget about the simple stuff and go straight to engine problems.
Battery
It’s a possibility that your battery is dead. Hook it up to a trickle charger and see if your sled will start up and hold the juice.
If your sled only starts on a jump or needs a charge, then your battery is shot and go and get a new one.
A good tip that I have learned is in the off season, unhook the positive connection to the battery. That will never drain the battery in the warmer months and you won’t have to worry about it come winter time.
Gas & Oil
Actually make sure there is gas or enough gas in the tank to start. If you haven’t changed the oil recently, then I would do that as well. This is just typical maintenance, on top the air filter, that should get done on every couple of years. Depending on how much you ride obviously.
Leave It To The Professionals
Seriously though, if you are not comfortable doing any of these things or just cannot figure out the problem, just take it in to the shop. They know a lot more about this kind of stuff then you do and i’m sure it won’t take them as long for you to try and research for potential problems. It could be something major that only the pro’s can take care of.
I have learned that picking my battles in these sort of scenarios have ended up saving me a lot more time and money in the long run than anything.
