1984 honda big red 200 es starting issues

[jhutch]

I have recently acquired a 1984 honda big red 200 es. It was startiNG fine by the pull cord the other day
until i ran out of gas. Since then I havent been able to start it with the pull rope, but can pull it off with another atv while in first gear, and it will crank and run fine. I'm not for sure if the electric start works or not yet, I haven't changed the dead battery yet. And I'm not for sure if it matters but when it is running the headlight and gear indicator lights will not light up. I have read that they are susposed to light up even if the battery is dead. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

2012 honda rancher es
1984 honda big red 200es

[kb0nly]

Wow there has been a huge influx of 200ES's on here lately... LOL

When you run it out of gas you might have sucked some crap through the carb, i would start with a carb teardown and cleaning, flush and fill the tank, put a new filter inline, that would be a good start.

As for the lights, the headlight and taillight will only work if both the headlight switch and the ignition switch are on, and the fuse under the seat is also good. The indicator lights also run from the power provided by that fuse, so check the fuse.

To check the alternator/stator output that runs the lights and charges the battery unplug the connector with the two yellow wires on the left side by the subtrans shifter and use a voltmeter set to AC or a test light and go across those two yellow wires. You should see voltage there with it running, at idle you should see anywhere from 10-20v depending on engine speed, this is no load voltage so it will be higher. If the voltage is good there then plug it back in and check for voltage at the battery cables to see if the regulator/rectifier is working.

Also you said the battery is dead, remove the battery for now, check the voltage and if its got power while running there then tape off the positive cable end for now until you get a battery. The dead battery could be causing a short so dont leave it connected if its dead/bad.

[jhutch]

Thanks, I will try that and see what I come up with. - I actually inherited the 3 wheeler from my father in law when he passed, he had purchased it new from the local honda dealer and I'm trying to fix it up for my kids.

[kb0nly]

Even cooler to fix up something thats been in the family all those years. Good luck with it, and if you need any more info just ask. Also the users and service manual are available on my manuals server, link is below in my signature.

[jhutch]

I replaced the fuse under the seat and removed the dead battery and that took care of my light issue. I had to pull it off to crank it again but when I did it ran at idle for at least 20 minutes without having to give it gas & without dying before I shut it off. I am going to replace the battery tonight and see if the electric start works. How hard is it to remove the carb. to clean? I debated just running sea foam through the tank to clean it.

[Big G]

Hey hutch, post up some pics of your trike - we all like eye candy around here
Kb0nly is a good source for electrical issues. As for the carb, it's really a basic process on these machines. Don't need much mechanical knowledge to clean/remove them. There's some good videos on Youtube that can guide you through the process. Let us know if you're having problems with it.

[jhutch]

I will put some before and after pics when I finish it. The guys we had working on his farm broke the fenders up bad so we
are going to try and find some replacement ones.

[kb0nly]

I've absorbed a lot of voltage over the years if that helps.... LOL LOL... (movie reference if you dont get it)

The carb on the 200ES isn't that hard at all, here is how i pull them quickly... Take off the seat and gas tank, unscrew and remove the top cap of the carb along with the slide and set aside, just leave it attached to the throttle cable and let it hang out of the way, disconnect the choke cable by loosening the cable hold down then pull it out of the arm, then remove the two bolts that fasten the rubber intake/carb mount to the head, loosen the clamp holding the airbox to the carb, then just wiggle the carb out to the left side along with the rubber intake still on it. There is an o-ring on the intake to mate to the engines head, make sure thats in good shape or replace it, nothing special just go to your local auto parts store with the old one and get one the same size from their o-ring selection.

Taking the carb apart is just four screws on the bowl, remember these are steel screws into aluminum casting, so make sure you don't crossthread them or overtighten when you put it back together. Remove the jets, clean everything out good, etc.

[tapage]

um if you still think its a carb problem like a stuck jet or a little holes plugged (dont sound like it to me) you can always take your air compressor and stick it on the hose that runs out of the carb and stick a little bit of compressed air in there if anything is stuck that will free it up

also still would be a good idea to check the carb and check your spark when you try and turn it over with with your pull start my pull start has never worked so im not sure how yours went bad...