Jumped the scooter!

I had borrowed my buddy's scoother (Victor) and after 3 weeks of storage since I using it last, it wouldn't start! Ugh. I thought maybe it was the fuse, but it was fine. The spark plug was changed recently. Oil was changed recently and most of that wouldn't have anything to do with it not starting anyway.

The engine would make a clicking sound and then a hum, but it wouldn't turn over! The blinkers worked so I figured the battery was fine. It had to be something else. After researching a bunch online, I couldn't find anything so opted to take it to a shop to have it fixed. Ugh. That's lots of time and more money than the Honda Elite 80 is worth.

This morning I walked (yes, walked) the scooter up hills and across to the nearest gas station (not that far actually) to put some fresh gas in it, hoping that would do the trick. I hear old gas can get gummy and clog up the carburetor. Cleaning it would require much more mechanical knowledge than I have. Gas was worth a shot.

Didn't work.

This time though, the engine wouldn't even hum. The blinkers blinked slowly and then quit blinking all together! That's good news! That means it could be the battery! Bingo b/c that would be the easiest thing to take care of. Calling AAA to pick it up, bringing it to the shop, waiting for it and riding it back would be an all day ordeal.

Pushed the scooter all the way back home again and logged onto the net to check out how to jump a scooter.

I'm new to all this and have heard that using a car to jump the scooter can damage the battery or at least the fuse of the scooter. I heard elsewhere though that it will work if the car engine is not turned on. Too many amps can cause this type of damage but a car that's not turned on should provide sufficient charge w/o hurting anything.







1. Hook up the non-working scooter first (white). Positive end. Then negative end.
2. Next hook up the negative end to the working scooter (blue)
3. Then hook up the positive end to the working scooter.
4. Start up the engine on the working scooter and let it sit. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes before the non-working scooter gets charged. Start the previously non-working scooter. If the engine starts,
5. Cut the engine of the original working scooter and
6. Unplug everything in reverse order.




WHAT I LEARNED:
1. Don't start the car if you use a car battery to jump a scooter. The difference in amperage is too high and could mess up the battery or the fuse. Jump it with the car off.

2. But since I have my own scooter, that was the safest way to jump it. With a scooter, you do have to start the good scooter engine. Followed the instructions at: http://www.ehow.com/how_4758306_jump-start-motorcycle-battery.html and it worked like a charm! Took it for a 15 minute spin to get the alternator going and the battery charging and when I turned the engine off, it started back up w/no problem!