Won't Start...Help Please - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

1980 Artic Cat · 01-20-2004, 01:45 AM

Hello I picked up a 1980 Pantera with the electric start, very nice condition with about 1300 miles on it. It is oil injected has most options that were probably available back then. Anyway put new wearbars on and a recoil spring and we were as good as new...took it out yesterday and rode it for about a mile just to mess around with it...after riding it it just died...wouldn't start nothing at all...electric start wouldn't turn it over, switch is good, battery is new but nothing at all, totally dead, anyone know where to look for what might be causing this problem...We can restart it with the recoil with alot of work but now after riding it it won't idle right, so you have to be pretty much so with it to keep it idling, we are thinking that is in the carb though. If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated, as this is my first sled and I am new to this. Thanks Again

zrtease · 01-21-2004, 05:59 PM

Thats really low miles for a sled that year, i'm guessing it sat alot more than it ran which is not good for a sled.It could be lots of small things that need to be done. If you have not had it serviced it should be by a dealer if you have no experience. Carb silencers dry rot,jets get varnished and plugged so forth and so on. All of the service is easy if you have a mech background, but if not you can cause more harm than good. Good luck!

catlover · 01-22-2004, 08:53 AM

ok You might think this as nothing to do with the electrical which is right but the reason I am suggesting this is because your saying it will start by recoil but with lots of pulls and effort.Now I am a beleiver of starting with the easiest things first .And in this case check your compression and see what you have .It should be around 145lbs at best and 115 at its lowest.If your compression is to low it wont bring up the gas and wont idle right .That where I would start .If it is good then will take it from there.

faster zr 600 · 01-23-2004, 06:03 PM

i m with cat lover !! i would start with the basics first .......proper spark....fuel delivery......loose battery connections or bad grounds...and proper compression in each cylinder..!!