Tao Tao 150 died after only one hour...

sarcopenia · 07-04-2018, 01:23 AM

Greetings All,

So, I decided to pick up a Tao Tao 150 (or ATA-150D, I think it is called) quad. My 11 y/o daughter is enthralled with the used Polaris 500 we bought, but I wanted something smaller and easier to manage. The idea is she would just use it for tooling around on our acreage (it is quite flat ... there are some areas of tall grass though) and get used to the activity and gain confidence.

I made sure to fill the fuel tank with the highest octane gasoline available at the pumps (I have heard about carburetor issues that may be partially prevented by feeding it premium gas).

We had it out for its first ride (trying to do the 3 hour break-in, and then change out for new oil). She got stuck once or twice in the grass and uneven ground. I was able to gently rock it out, or do a three point turn style extrication.

Later on, she said "the quad doesn't work." I freed it again, and then started it up. It drove for about 10 seconds, and then the engine crapped out. I started it up again, and it again lasted for only a very short time before stalling. At this point, I could not restart the motor. When I flick my thumb on the starter switch to the left, it makes the normal starter noises. But nothing happens when I try to feather the throttle on the right side ... no engine sputtering or idle is heard.

About that time, we started to get a cloudburst, and I had to get home (we do not live on the acreage ... it is raw / remote land). I had to put the machine in neutral and let my daughter steer to a suitable location, and then I had to tarp it and head out. This all happened about a week ago.

People did warn me about buying a "non-North American" ATV, and I get that there may be some concerns still. But for a brand new quad to suddenly die after about an hour seems a bit much to me.

***

Does anybody have any advice for me? I'm just learning about small engines. I'm a reasonably quick study, but not really much of a "gear head."

Thanks for any tips / advice.

07-04-2018, 01:23 AM	#1
sarcopenia Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 4	Tao Tao 150 died after only one hour... Greetings All, So, I decided to pick up a Tao Tao 150 (or ATA-150D, I think it is called) quad. My 11 y/o daughter is enthralled with the used Polaris 500 we bought, but I wanted something smaller and easier to manage. The idea is she would just use it for tooling around on our acreage (it is quite flat ... there are some areas of tall grass though) and get used to the activity and gain confidence. I made sure to fill the fuel tank with the highest octane gasoline available at the pumps (I have heard about carburetor issues that may be partially prevented by feeding it premium gas). We had it out for its first ride (trying to do the 3 hour break-in, and then change out for new oil). She got stuck once or twice in the grass and uneven ground. I was able to gently rock it out, or do a three point turn style extrication. Later on, she said "the quad doesn't work." I freed it again, and then started it up. It drove for about 10 seconds, and then the engine crapped out. I started it up again, and it again lasted for only a very short time before stalling. At this point, I could not restart the motor. When I flick my thumb on the starter switch to the left, it makes the normal starter noises. But nothing happens when I try to feather the throttle on the right side ... no engine sputtering or idle is heard. About that time, we started to get a cloudburst, and I had to get home (we do not live on the acreage ... it is raw / remote land). I had to put the machine in neutral and let my daughter steer to a suitable location, and then I had to tarp it and head out. This all happened about a week ago. People did warn me about buying a "non-North American" ATV, and I get that there may be some concerns still. But for a brand new quad to suddenly die after about an hour seems a bit much to me. *** Does anybody have any advice for me? I'm just learning about small engines. I'm a reasonably quick study, but not really much of a "gear head." Thanks for any tips / advice.
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