2001 Yamaha Kodiak No Start

[Verno70]

Hello all, I'm ready to push this thing off a cliff. I own a 2001 Yamaha Kodiak 400 that has fuel, spark, and I think good compression. I was riding some beginner trails that were pretty water logged but nothing crazy. I entered every water hole slowly and the water height never got above my foot rest. The bike was running great when I came to a trail head with my buddies and stopped for about ten minutes with the bike still idling. Everyone decided to take a break at which point in time I turned off my bike and it sat for about fifteen minutes. Everyone finished they're business so I went to fire it up and it wouldn't start. It cranked over, and when I held the throttle open it backfires out the tailpipe and smelled like gas badly. I let it sit for about two days thinking something got wet but it still doesn't start and it wets the plug. I pulled the carb off and cleaned it out (it doesn't wet the plug anymore) and added a fuel filter and new spark plug, it has a big blue spark and if I put my finger over the plug hole and crank it really blows my finger off. At this point in time I've given up and can't afford to take it to a shop so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Verne:mad:

[Demon Rider]

Well if you were going slow across the water crossings and water didn't go up past your foot pegs then im going to say there's a 0% chance of having water in the engine. Although I do find it strange that she stopped working so suddenly, especially out on the trail. At a glance at what your saying I'm having a problem with this "(it doesn't wet the plug anymore)." If your plug is not getting wet while your cranking the engine then you got a fuel delievery problem. I had problems getting fuel to my engine at the beginning of this season so what I done is start at the gas tank and start working towards the engine. I took the hose off the bottom of the gas tank and sceen a bit of gas flow out. Then I took the hose off right before the carb and after a second gas flowed out. I believe my problem was an airlock in this section of hose. Anyway just kind of do the same thing until you are sure you have fuel in the engine. Check your carb as well if your sure you know how your carb works, if not get someone who knows to check it. You said you got spark and compression and i'm just going to assume that the air filter isn't issolated. So all this leaves is in fact the fuel so give this a go over and let us know how you make out.

[Verno70]

Thanks Demon, the plug does get wet but only after cranking a while and playing with the throttle. When I pulled the fuel line off to remove the carb fuel poured out so I know the line isn't blocked. I even tried starting fluid without the air filter on and it still wouldn't even try. It cranks and backfires out the tailpipe if you crank long enough. I pulled the plug and grounded it to the motor and it has a big blue spark, with a rubber glove on and my finger over the spark plug hole it blows my finger of with a snap! I don't understand how I can have spark, compression and starting fluid but no ignition. The only thing I can think of is maybe the ignition timing is off. I have no idea how this works on this engine as all my experience is with cars. Again though how can I shut off the bike and all of the sudden my timing is off. I just don't know. I appreciate your input Demon, thank you. Verne

[Demon Rider]

...Well this is a weird one for sure! The timing is done with a camshaft similar to a car with lobes for intake and exhaust however there is neither one for a fuel pump. The fuel goes into the carb and enters the venturi where it is atomized into the intake air. This fuel air mixture enters into the cylinder through the intake valve. The backfiring your getting i'm thinking is coming from the excess fuel building up in your cylinder and eventually catching all at once.

Was the bike hard to start before you left for this ride and/or did notice anything weird about the bike earlier in the ride, like engine knock, idling funny, etc.?

[Verno70]

No, and that's what is so F@#$ frustrating. The trails were very basic lots of turns and twists and whoops. It was running great, my friend whom I now call "Nemo" went head long into a sippy hole and literally sank his bike so I pulled him out. We finished the trail and came to the trail head and stopped to B.S. where I sat idling for approx. 5 min. The idle was steady like it always was. I shut it off for 15 min. went to restart and ended up here. I just don't get how it could be running so good then, no start like this even with starting fluid.:confused:

[Verno70]

FYI guys, I finally caved and took my quad to a shop where after 2 hours of diagnosing they told me the engine had hydro locked and sheared the timing rotor key way off the crank due to dirty fuel. So $500.00 later I'm back on the trails, but a little advice if I may. Go to your local auto parts or lawn mower parts store and buy a cheap three dollar fuel filter and put it in line with the carb fuel inlet and save yourselves a lot of time, money, and headaches. Why there isn't a filter there from the factory doesn't make sense but if I could have seen into the future well I would be typing this email. Thanks for all the input I received guys and be sure to file this one away in the back of your brains.:D

[Demon Rider]

Ahh...interesting. Well i spose theres no timing if your cam shaft aint turnin lol

[FL Scrub]

FYI guys, I finally caved and took my quad to a shop where after 2 hours of diagnosing they told me the engine had hydro locked and sheared the timing rotor key way off the crank due to dirty fuel. So $500.00 later I'm back on the trails, but a little advice if I may. Go to your local auto parts or lawn mower parts store and buy a cheap three dollar fuel filter and put it in line with the carb fuel inlet and save yourselves a lot of time, money, and headaches. Why there isn't a filter there from the factory doesn't make sense but if I could have seen into the future well I would be typing this email. Thanks for all the input I received guys and be sure to file this one away in the back of your brains.:D

Wow, I have the exact same problem you had. However I do not have $500 to fix it. Is there a way check this timing rotor key fairly easy?

[vampireblood]

...Well this is a weird one for sure! The timing is done with a camshaft similar to a car with lobes for intake and exhaust however there is neither one for a fuel pump. The fuel goes into the carb and enters the venturi where it is atomized into the intake air. This fuel air mixture enters into the cylinder through the intake valve. The backfiring your getting i'm thinking is coming from the excess fuel building up in your cylinder and eventually catching all at once.

Was the bike hard to start before you left for this ride and/or did notice anything weird about the bike earlier in the ride, like engine knock, idling funny, etc.? my 2001 kodiak over heated one time after it cooled down i added coolant and checked oil then it developed a knock and wouldnt idle right but never lost any power for over 3 to 4 months then one day i was heading to the trails to ride and almost got there had it wide open going and and kept slowing down and getting slower and slower then just quit now it just turns over and pops i put a brand new ngk plug in it that it calls for and still does the same thing any ideals what it could be? maybe i could fix otherwise i will take it to the shop:D

[Demon Rider]

this dont sound good at all...in fact it sounds expensive:( Engine "knock" is associated with an engine that is out of time and combustion takes place before the piston comes to top dead center of the compression stroke. I'm willing to bet that you have something wrong with either your cylinder head, cylinder, piston, connecting rod or crankshaft. Really i'm thinking you bent either your connecting rod or crankshaft by continuing to ride the bike after it developed the knock. Anyways the engine is gona have to be opened up and looked at in order to properly diagnose this one and unless you know your way around the inside of an engine then i would recomend this one for the pros.

By the way, what was your oil level when you checked it? Also, and this is for everyone, if your quad/car/anything else with an engine, has a weird sound comming out of the engine, get it checked out by someone cuz it will save you big bucks in the long run

[vampireblood]

this dont sound good at all...in fact it sounds expensive:( Engine "knock" is associated with an engine that is out of time and combustion takes place before the piston comes to top dead center of the compression stroke. I'm willing to bet that you have something wrong with either your cylinder head, cylinder, piston, connecting rod or crankshaft. Really i'm thinking you bent either your connecting rod or crankshaft by continuing to ride the bike after it developed the knock. Anyways the engine is gona have to be opened up and looked at in order to properly diagnose this one and unless you know your way around the inside of an engine then i would recomend this one for the pros.

By the way, what was your oil level when you checked it? Also, and this is for everyone, if your quad/car/anything else with an engine, has a weird sound comming out of the engine, get it checked out by someone cuz it will save you big bucks in the long run

it was low so i change the entire amount of oil with new oil

[Demon Rider]

As in how low, if just a little under the min line then no biggie but if it was real low then that opens the door for a boat load of other possible trouble inside the engine. If that were the case the knock you heard may not have been "engine knock" but just one of the many moving parts being under-lubricated, wearing out and becoming slack and eventually breaking causing your power loss.

p.s. don't forget to change your filter when you change your oil.

[vampireblood]

As in how low, if just a little under the min line then no biggie but if it was real low then that opens the door for a boat load of other possible trouble inside the engine. If that were the case the knock you heard may not have been "engine knock" but just one of the many moving parts being under-lubricated, wearing out and becoming slack and eventually breaking causing your power loss.

p.s. don't forget to change your filter when you change your oil.

im gunna just take it too the shop and have the engine totaly rebuilt after christmas

[Demon Rider]

...i think it would be for the best it goes to the shop. I don't know if a total rebuild is necessary but the guys at the shop will once they open it up. Hopefully they're good guys and not try to get you to buy parts you don't need. Hope it all works out for you.