Urgent help. How do you start an atv in the cold?, Suzuki quadrunner 440, doesn’t start

Most common cause of coldweather start ups with small engines is condensation build up in your feul system and freezes up in extreme cold conditions. Using gas line antifreeze will pervent this problem. only $5.99 at Canadian Tire for a 6 pack. 1 bottle will treat 5 gallons of fuel. If your battery is weak only in cold weather, its likely your battery is on it's way out. Hope this helps.

This post has been edited by Turkhunt on Jan 21, 2022 - 01:10 pm

One very cold night I left my snowmobile outside on the trailer, and I had same problem. Charge up the battery full 100%! A GOOD battery must hold the charge after 24 hrs should still read 12.7VDC . If its only 12.5 VDC .....your battery is not 100% fully charged. If your battery is reading only 12VDC.........you better get a new battery, or try to bring it up to 12.6-12.7VDC. It will not turn over your engine in cold weather it it's only 50% of the capacity. If your battery reads 11.5VDC.........one cell is dead.......throw the battery away!!
Buy new battery.......keep it charged up ......and if you got a battery tender charger( 1-2amp max).......use it and your battery will last long time.

If your machine has a pull start and a decompression valve, turn that valve (open it up) and pull the engine over a few times. This will start both the fuel flow and get things loosened up. Then close the valve and try starting with the electric starter. Either way, you need a battery.

Good battery gas line antifreeze and super gas also pull it manually couple times before starting many people gave good tips covering your machine helps aswell all the best.

I've already seen it mentioned here but ensure your oil (if 4 stroke) is a thin winter grade.

Mine died on my driveway after getting home, ended up having to pull it twice and it finally started. I'd like to think syn oil helped.

X2

Kept properly and used often, a lead-acid battery should not be trusted for more than 4-5 years.

Get a new battery.

That said - is it manual? If so, put it in neutral, start rolling it down a hill and pop it into first and it'll start. Guess that doesn't do any good for the ice tho


Lastly, always carry a lithium battery jumper pack with you.

You can get cheaper ones, but I trust these:

https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-GB50-UltraSafe-L...r/dp/B07MVY7K43

That said, these only operate down to -20c. If you need to boost under that, you'll need to go with a bulkier and much heavier lead-acid booster. Lithium doesn't do so well in extremely cold weather! It's really its only downfall.

personally anything I buy used that has battery, and liquids, I replace immediately. I like to start off knowing things are new in side. My quad and old car have tenders on them all the time, unplug to use. Makes a big difference in the life of a battery IMO. I replaced the battery in my MG this past summer, I noticed it getting weak. It was 11 years old couldn't believe it. I bought it for a battery shop here and the same shop replaced it. i was a new record for them and this battery sits all winter.

While this is true, it is of no consequence as long as you dont store the booster pack outside.
So keep the booster pack indoors (and take it in the fishing hut with you) and it wont matter how cold it is outside, it will save your a$$ when it comes time to needing it.

I never go anywhere without my NOCO GB150.

While this is true, it is of no consequence as long as you dont store the booster pack outside.
So keep the booster pack indoors (and take it in the fishing hut with you) and it wont matter how cold it is outside, it will save your a$$ when it comes time to needing it.

I never go anywhere without my NOCO GB150.

x2 on that.......just had to use mine on Nip this past week when it was minus 30 inthe morning and my truck needed some help firing up....we were on ice overnight and wind really factored in also

the noco booster did the job in 30 seconds

I bought a used 700 Suzuki King Quad that had above average mileage on it. It ran well; decent engine compression; only about a 10% below of new spec. At -20 and below it didn't like to start; it always would start but be close to draining the battery, by the time it would fire. Even though the battery tested OK, I replaced the battery with the highest amperage battery possible in the group size, that would fit in the battery box.
Had the same issue; I believe the problem is that the small amount of compression degrades from new and cold temperatures caused even lower compression. The extra engine cranking would eventually warm (ever so slightly) the combustion chamber and then it would start. Without rebuilding the engine ($$$ I didn't want to spend) I couldn't prove out my theory; but knew with a bit of extra engine cranking it would likely start. I had no room for a larger cased battery in the bike's original location.
The bike came with an aftermarket two-up seat with hard-side saddle bags/tool boxes. The boxes were of a good size and I found I could fit an automotive 800 cold cranking amp battery in the one box. I connected this battery in parallel with the original; giving me more then double (if not more) cranking ability.
During one of these difficult starts, I would keep in mind not to overheat the starter motor. I would crank the engine for approx 20 seconds and then let it rest for 10-15.
Maybe not the "proper" solution, but with caution not to hurt the starter motor; it solved my problem, with overnight stays on the ice and no way of plugging in the engine's block heater or the battery maintainer/charger.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to explain the best I could?

Dan...

Good fix to your problem and quite possible theory...I have a question, I got stp fuel treatment from the wife's old car, does it act like fuel line antifreeze and would it do any ha putting it in the old sleds fuel?

Thanks

went through this on thursday , went Royal Distributing at Innisfill , john very helpful , two batteries one that comes with machine out of the box $48 , the better one ,a dry ,add the gel , $130 , the guy behind me said he had same issues , went for the $130 , never has had trouble in the cold , since I use my ATV ,400 ,Arctic Cat ,only for ice fishing ,went for the good one !