00 SUZUKI GZ 125 MARAUDER- not starting when cold-spark plug black and wet

JAMESYOB

HI
just wondering could anyone help me. i have a 00 suzuki gz 125 marauder and its been parked up in the garage for 6 or 7 years so i decided to pull it out and get it going again. after washing it and cleaning away all the surface rust on the chrome ( came up sparkling), the next task was to service it and try get it starting again. i got a drum of oil, spark plug, new battery and fresh petrol. after doing this i got it going but would cut out after a minute. decided the next job was to clean the carb which was very dirty on inspection. i noticed the float was getting jammed so took out the pins and jets and cleaned them in petrol and got the air gun to them. put it back together and started the bike this time it was better the carb was getting fuel and was able to take it for a spin down the road. when i brought it back it stopped up again. i took off the carb again and cleaned it more and it working better and took it for another spin further this time. i left it for a few days starting it every so often then one day i went to start it and the new battery was flat some how. i took off the new spark plug and it was wet and black but was giving a spark once charged up again? the bike wouldn't start though so threw in a drop of petrol into the plug and she started away. its been stop start ever since, once i start it and its warm it will start away then for me. i have also noticed the exhaust being black to from the fumes. i also thought maybe the tank was dirty as there was only a trickle of fuel coming out of the fuel pipe(think it works on like a vacuum though) cleaned the tank and the filter and then cleaned the tap and lines into carb. i have a feeling it is the float in the carb jamming not leaving fuel into it. i am thinking of using a carb cleaner spray on it and then maybe adding some redex to the petrol to clean out the insides to see will it help clear any blockages? i know it won't help with the rick mix though so need to figure out how to set that properly?CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH THE CARB? IT NOT STARTING WHEN COLD? THE RICH MIX?

CJhaughey

Inside the carb are little passageways that get blocked from the petrol deposits.
These sound like they are blocked and the stuff is coming down into the float bowl.
Its hard to diagnose this at a distance, would you not drop it into George in Skibbereen? he's a pretty good guy for that kind of thing.

Hotblack Desiato

Use the recommended plug. If there's another issue then sort that issue, don't rely on a hotter plug to cover it up.
Detonation is no joke, will burn a hole right through the piston in a few seconds. If the carb is partially blocked it'll be running lean anyway which leads to higher cylinder temperatures (not good)

Tigger

ninja900 wrote: »

Use the recommended plug. If there's another issue then sort that issue, don't rely on a hotter plug to cover it up.
Detonation is no joke, will burn a hole right through the piston in a few seconds. If the carb is partially blocked it'll be running lean anyway which leads to higher cylinder temperatures (not good)

answer me this
why does the first haynes manual i picked up say spark plug: hotter **** colder ****?

it was a suzuki manual and it lists a whole series of bikes and for each it lists the suzuki reccomended hotter plug

i've deleted my post cos i don't want to melt anyones piston but istill think there is a hotter and colder plug option

CJhaughey

The recommended plug is a DR8EA.

Roadcraft

JAMESYOB wrote: »

HI
just wondering could anyone help me. i have a 00 suzuki gz 125 marauder and its been parked up in the garage for 6 or 7 years so i decided to pull it out and get it going again. after washing it and cleaning away all the surface rust on the chrome ( came up sparkling), the next task was to service it and try get it starting again. i got a drum of oil, spark plug, new battery and fresh petrol. after doing this i got it going but would cut out after a minute. decided the next job was to clean the carb which was very dirty on inspection. i noticed the float was getting jammed so took out the pins and jets and cleaned them in petrol and got the air gun to them. put it back together and started the bike this time it was better the carb was getting fuel and was able to take it for a spin down the road. when i brought it back it stopped up again. i took off the carb again and cleaned it more and it working better and took it for another spin further this time. i left it for a few days starting it every so often then one day i went to start it and the new battery was flat some how. i took off the new spark plug and it was wet and black but was giving a spark once charged up again? the bike wouldn't start though so threw in a drop of petrol into the plug and she started away. its been stop start ever since, once i start it and its warm it will start away then for me. i have also noticed the exhaust being black to from the fumes. i also thought maybe the tank was dirty as there was only a trickle of fuel coming out of the fuel pipe(think it works on like a vacuum though) cleaned the tank and the filter and then cleaned the tap and lines into carb. i have a feeling it is the float in the carb jamming not leaving fuel into it. i am thinking of using a carb cleaner spray on it and then maybe adding some redex to the petrol to clean out the insides to see will it help clear any blockages? i know it won't help with the rick mix though so need to figure out how to set that properly?CAN ANYONE HELP ME WITH THE CARB? IT NOT STARTING WHEN COLD? THE RICH MIX?

If you had the carb apart did you set the mixture correctly?

The float height on this model is 17.1mm +/- 0.5mm & the pilot screw should be 1.75 turns out.

Set these and see if that helps.