Weird Stuff

[rlshepard]

So yesterday we finally had a day with no rain so I was able to commute to work on my new scoot. a TaoTao Lancer 150, Awesome. but some things happened that kinda have me scratching my head

When I went out to lunch I noticed that the left leg of the center stand was right smack in the center of a "spot" weird I thought so I peaked all around the bike and could find nothing leaking... So off I went to lunch... when I came back I deliberately made sure the center stand was in a "clean" spot. Came out after work and the left of leg of the center stand is right in the middle of a spot. Again I can't find any thing leaking on the bike, the bottom of the bike, frame etc it's all clean and every thing seems to be fine... Odd.... any ideas?

Then, on the way home about 3/4 of the way there say 12 outta 17 miles while cruising at about 35/40 mph the bike just loses power and shuts down... Try to restart and nada. Pop off the fuel cap to check and make sure that I do actually have the fuel my gas gauge reports I do and I hear fissssst (thats the sound of the fuel tank sucking in air) hit the start button and I'm off to the races. I'm guessing a vacuum formed in the fuel tank? is there a vent or something that might have gotten clogged or something?

Finally.... I seem to have used wayyyyyyyy too much fuel, only got 70KM on the machine and seems to have gone through most of a tank of fuel maybe I'm wrong but I figured I'd get 125 - 150KM on a tank? At this point I'm kinda chocking it up to me starting it and letting run from time to time before/during and after the PDI but I don't think I let it run that much.... I dunno... anything I should look at in regards to fuel consumption? or should I run another tank through it?

Any help/direction you guys give this scooter noob would be great.

[rks]

On a lot of scooters, there is a drain tube coming from the air filter box, and another from the carburetor, both of which end up in the area of your wet spot. Both of these have some kind of removable closure on the end, check to see if still in place or loose.

You guessed right as to the vacuum...tank has to be vented... with a vent tube, or a gas cap designed to do it.

Won't really know how much fuel you're using until you have some hard numbers. Even then, one tank fill can be misleading. Click on the 'fuelly' banner in my signature, it is a neat site, if you are interested in fuel economy, operating costs per mile, etc, etc. Costs nothing to sign up. (Site is also set up to be used by those of you on the metric system)

[rlshepard]

Originally Posted by rks

On a lot of scooters, there is a drain tube coming from the air filter box, and another from the carburetor, both of which end up in the area of your wet spot. Both of these have some kind of removable closure on the end, check to see if still in place or loose.

You guessed right as to the vacuum...tank has to be vented... with a vent tube, or a gas cap designed to do it.

Won't really know how much fuel you're using until you have some hard numbers. Even then, one tank fill can be misleading. Click on the 'fuelly' banner in my signature, it is a neat site, if you are interested in fuel economy, operating costs per mile, etc, etc. Costs nothing to sign up. (Site is also set up to be used by those of you on the metric system)

Thanks for the help! I've got the fuelly app on my phone!

So I have this silly Fuel evaporator thing.... with a vacuum line in and looks like the vent line from the tank goes into it but after go through some lil plastic thing? Whats the little plastic bit? should I disconnect the tank vent line before or after it? can I just remove the vacuum line from evaporator and and plug it? (I'm not in an emissions test area). I kinda suspect the fuel evaporator setup is the cause of my tank vacuum woes.... That or that lil plastic piece that I'm not sure what it is... maybe some kinda air valve?

[moon rider]

I would just unhook the vent hose were it comets to the little pastic thing and put a small fuel filter on it and zip tie it behind the gas tank should take care of gas vent

[rlshepard]

Originally Posted by moon rider

I would just unhook the vent hose were it comets to the little pastic thing and put a small fuel filter on it and zip tie it behind the gas tank should take care of gas vent

Thanks! That's what I'll do! I assume I want the flow on the filter towards the tank.... Pulled the plastic dude off the tank vent and he doesn't seem let air flow in either direction so pretty sure that's the cause of my tanks vacuum issue.

I went out today and found my "spot" on the floor of my garage, took a couple of photos and put in an album in my profile...

I'm pretty sure looking at on my garage floor that it's fuel, wasn't as obvious on the blacktop of the parking lot at work. I also took a pic of what is at the end of the drain off the carb... does that bit require some adjustment? looks a little complex for just a drain plug.... I guess just tighten it up?