2000 DS Electrical issue?

[jbodden]

Cool site...thanks in advance.

I have a 2000 DS which has generated some issues with won't start or stalls when running. Here's what I've checked/done so far.

A) New fuel filter
B) Removed, cleaned the carb.
C) Removed and cleaned the spark plug.
D) Removed the fuel line from the fuel filter and verified fuel pump is pumping.
E) Verified the spark plug has spark by removing it and grounding it to the head.

The first time it refused to start, we sprayed some starting fluid into the carb and it fired right up and I ran it basically wide open for about 15 minutes...it ran great.

Then, when it wouldn't start again (you could smell fuel, but it appeared to have zero spark). We tried the starting fluid again and nothing. Pulled out the spark plug again, grounded it and it appeared to have an intermittent spark until I "helped" it by using a pair of pliers to press the plug harder to ground it. The spark then appeared to be bright and consistent.

I then removed the carb and cleaned it (even though it looked pretty clean at this point). I didn't find any debris in the carb tank and the float moved as it should.

When I replaced the carb, it fired up immediately and ran noticeably smoother, but didn't seem to run as fast. I then paid attention to the throttle cable and not only did it appear to have a decent amount of "slack" in the line, when running, if I floored it, you could see the governor "kick in" and reduce the line tension. During this process, I had it up on a lift and it fired right up at least 15-20 times. I then watched this little video where you bend up the thin, metal "flange" in the back to remove the slack in the throttle line.

After trying this, my world turned brown again and after another 1 1/2 hours of trying to make it start and un-bending the metal flange, we wound up pushing it back on the trailer.

Got home and about an hour later, it fired right up, drove it to a neighbor's and it wound up spending the night in their driveway after 3 different attempts to start it.

Next day. It started, but not without a fight. I tried "feathering" the fuel pedal where I would push the pedal just enough to engage the starter and not floor it. This time, you could hear the motor "pop, not backfire" once about every 6 to 8 revolutions where it tried to start and could I smell fuel. After about 3 minutes, it finally started and ran fine for a few minutes. Later that day, it fired up, I drove it about a mile (of course away from the house) and this time it died in mid-travel as if it ran out of fuel (3/4 tank of fresh fuel).

Wound up pushing it back onto the trailer. Later that evening, it did the very same thing. Put up a fight starting, eventually did, then died after 2 minutes.

Sorry the post is soooooo long, but I tried to provide as much as I could remember.

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

[RED 92CC GAS]

I would try unhooking ground to rev limiter

[jbodden]

Thanks for your reply. Disconnecting the ground to the rev limiter should result in what and exactly how is that done? Should that solve the issue, would that mean that I could get full RPM's when floored?
Again, thanks, Jeff.

[RED 92CC GAS]

they go bad . if your governor is still hooked up you would not hurt engine. rev limiter is box to left of oil drain plug. unscrew nut and take ground wire off to try it. rev limiters cost over $100 SO most of us tape the ground wire up and run without them. if your gov. is not working you need to get a tach.

[mrlmd]

You may have a bad coil, sometimes they fail when warm or hot.