Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Spree won't start. Crank it with plug out and grounded, it shows a spark. Crank it a couple times (with plug in) but no start. Plug comes out soaking wet. Smells like gas, maybe a bit oily, too? What should I try?

http://m.1asphost.com/spreerepairing/ this is a good troubleshooting site by another member of the forum Jim

Carb Cleaner & Starting Fluid... IT RUNS!!!!

But it smokes really bad...

Initial smoke is from the carb cleaner and starting fluid -run it a while and see if it evens out.If the spree hasen't been run for a few months it wouldn't suprise me to see a lot of smoke for a few miles.That happens in cars quite often.

Smoking when first running after a period of sitting is absolutely normal.

This is an injection system. The gas pulls oil in with it and the two separate. The gas to the piston top and the oil to the bottom end to lubricate. After sitting, the oil in the bottom pools and settles in low areas. When the gas starts flowing again, it's picking up a lot of this settled oil and will burn it with the resulting smoke out the exhaust. It should return to normal operation after several minutes or a few miles of running time.

Incidentally, the smoking in a car after sitting for a while is caused by leaking valve seals. A totally different scenario since they are four stroke engines.

Great news! Check your air filter to make sure it's not disintegrated. You don't want that stuff in your engine. Take it easy on the starting fluid. And change your plug after it quits smoking; it will likely be fouled.