Engine giving out while running

[mastercore]

Hi Guys,
I've freshly joined this forum because I have a problem with my Vespa.

Its a LXS125 2010 model with about 10,000km on it.

Ive had it from new and its been a loyal bike. (Hence not having a reason to reach out to forums for help - a testament to this bike)


Over the last weeks the bike had been used more than normal - typical summer routine I guess. Whether warms up and everyone wants to ride the Vespa now! sheesh.

From a simplistic point of view I am a mechanical guy. Simple stuff I am willing to try out with a spanner and screwdriver, but this one is out of my comfort zone...

The bike sometimes runs fine
Sometimes it will die somewhere on route - the engine just splutters a bit and dies. (p.s. only to run again after a hour or so)
Sometimes when starting the fuel pump runs longer than I am used to hearing it, and with no resistance, and I see a small puddle of fuel collecting under the bike. But then it will run? Strange.

I have wracked my brain to come up with a reason this may be happening before I throw myself at it with my singe spanner and screwdriver and hope for the best.
I am resisting just taking it to my local mech because I know it will sit there for a week before he gets a chance to even look at it.

I am reaching out to you grease monkeys  out there that know the bike inside out and have hear and seen it all.

The fuel leak seems to be on the left of the engine as you look forward
here is a pick of the carb from the left.
There is this mystery overflow tube that is not connected to anything, anyone know where this thing should go (the other end of it simply hangs down open under the bike)

[mastercore]

After wracking my brain for a theory, one has appeared.
Would love to hear from a mech if my theory holds water...

That the float in the float bowl is getting stuck - perhaps gummed un with old fuel from over the winter when it was not ridden often at all.
If it gets stuck down, this would explain the overflowing fuel when turning the ignition on and priming the carb with fuel.

This could also explain the sporadic engine dying symptom, if the bowl float gets stuck up and then empties from fuel and the engine dies.

My first idea before attacking the bike with my spanner and screwdriver is to put in some fuel cleaning solution that will hopefully free up the float, and also clean out any other gunk in the carb.

[alan34]

Hello there.sounds like your float is sticking you could try taking fuel pipe of and squirting carb cleaner straight into carb. But better to take carb out for a proper clean.the pipe sounds like its come off the carb if you look around and use a mirror where you cant see you will probably see where it goes.good luck with it cheers alan.

[nickj]

Hi I hope you've got this sorted now but if not I have a 2009 S125 and had starting problems earlier this year, it turned out the petrol pipes had a lot of bits in and the idle jet was blocked so I replaced the pipes, fitted a new fuel filter and stripped and cleaned the carb and it's been running great since.