Scooter Won’t Start After Sitting.- Fix It Right Away

Your two-wheelers might move your soul but if you can’t even get it started, there’s no chance of experiencing that. 

The mindblowing user experience that a scooter provides you is without doubt the best.

However, it doesn’t matter that if it’s a scooter, a bike, or a car, you might face issues with it if you keep it sitting for a certain long period. Because they are meant for daily use.

And if you’re facing an issue like the scooter won’t start after sitting for a time, we’ll help you to seek the answer to it.

So, let’s get you started with all the information that we’ve gathered for you to help you identify the problem and do something about it. 

The scooter won’t Start After Sitting. – 5 Common Issues and Solutions 

You can’t really identify the real problem without checking all of the possible ones. 

And when it comes to your scooter sitting for a long time, there might be more than one problem.

So, we’ve organized this list sequentially from the most obvious issues to the rarest issues.

fuel:

When your scooter sits for a long time, there might be fuel inside it for a long time. The most obvious situation that you’ll face is for this fuel. With time fuel becomes really unhealthy for your scooter. 

And if it’s an open place where your scooter was kept sitting, the oil inside the tank might have reacted with the oxygen from the environment. 

Issue:

When you open the tank and notice that the oil got old, gum, and sediment form, that’s when you know the oil has become unhealthy for your ride.

However, if you need to go somewhere quickly as your scooter is out of service, you can try a fancy bike rental service. Because without the fuel that might be the only way.

Solution:

As the oil has already reacted with the oxygen in the air, there’s no other option left but to change the whole oil inside the tank.

So, before you even try to start the engine today, it’s better for you to remove all the existing oil. You can use it as a lubricant for any future purposes.

However, make sure that you’re also draining the fuel from the lower part of the carburetor by loosening its bottom valve.

air filter and intake tube

An air filter is basically a device composed of fibrous or porous materials that remove solid particles from the air. In other words, it doesn’t let any dust into the engine.

And intake tube is the part that connects the air filter box to the vehicle’s throttle body. 

It delivers clean and filtered air from outside the vehicle to the engine where it will be mixed with fuel for combustion.

Issue

You see if your scooter is sitting idle for a long time in an open place, there’s a high chance of animals making it a home for themselves. 

And often these animals find the air filter as the most comfortable place for them to build their home.

By any chance, if you try to start your scooter without cleaning the nest of animals, there’s a high chance that it’ll get inside the engine.

Solution

Proper cleaning might be the best solution in this situation. First, inspect the air and intake filter and check for any nests.

Clean out the air and intake filter if there is any nest inside. You might even need a replacement for those in rare cases. 

cylinder compression

The engine of your scooter needs compression to operate just like any other engine there is. 

If you have no idea about the process of compression, don’t worry because we’ll explain it to you.

You see, the compression process confines and presses a mixture of air and fuel into a small volume within the area of the engine’s cylinder. 

All the molecules are pressed together under very high pressure in this compression process. 

Issue:

When the engine isn’t operated for a long time, the cylinders inside don’t work the way they are supposed to generally. They need compression to get running again.

Solution:

Before you turn the ignition on, it’ll be wise to kick the pedals a few times. This will create a vacuum inside the engine. You’ll feel the compression of the engine when you kick the pedals. 

After a few kicks, turn the key to the turned-on position and kickstart. Your scooter should start after a few kicks if you don’t have any other issues.

However, if you don’t have a kick-starter, avoid this step.

engine oil

The sole purpose of the engine oil is to lubricate the inside parts of the engine reducing friction. 

The thickness, the color, and the proper quantity of the oil should be your main focus when choosing engine oil. 

Issue:

If you do not change the engine oil for a long period and keep the scooter idle, it might become an issue for the scooter.

You see, the decreased engine oil inside the engine makes it less frictional and becomes a barrier for the engine to operate. 

Also, the decreased thickness and discolor of the engine oil might also be an indication for you.

Solution:

The best solution, in this case, is to change the engine oil. Drain the engine oil and pour a brand new oil that goes with the current engine situation of your scooter.

Make sure that you’re consulting a professional before choosing what engine oil you should get for your scooter. Because the engine oil type differs from the condition of your engine. 

battery

The last situation that you might face is regarding the battery of your scooter.

Issue:

Most of the time the battery is out of charge and that affects the ignition of your scooter. The battery might even get fused in worst-case scenarios. 

In some cases, the voltage doesn’t reach the starter motor terminals and that might be an issue too.

Solution:

If your battery is not properly charged, make sure that you charge it till it’s fully done. Also, check if the wiring is done properly or not.

However, in worst-case scenarios, you might need a battery replacement.

Conclusion

Now you know why your scooter won’t start after sitting. The issues might seem too difficult to fix before but now you know the easy solutions to them.

Nevertheless, you should take care of scooters and make sure to ride regularly rather than keeping them sitting in one place. 

Because it’s a machine that needs regular operations and if you take good care of things, they last.