evang

Thanks, Goober. I'll plan to do that. And only two valves - half the number I'm used to...

Sunbrella is good stuff, certainly. Used it for a soft top on a convertible and a boat bimini. Come spring, I'll look into getting one made. Thanks for the idea.

It has one, but it's off at the moment. I haven't found a cover that fits with the fairing on.

Looks good - thank you and wheeler.

Got it - thanks! If you don't want them to change your default search engine and install a PDF reader extension, just login to that site.

Thanks for looking, AKATV.

The plug I replaced was one of those, Wilson - NGK DPR7EA-9.

Thanks for the battery tender and plug info, Wilson. I'll check which NGK plug I just installed.

That did the trick - thanks again! Started right away after leaving the ignition on for 2 min and then priming. Is there a user manual available? Be good to know what else I'm missing.

Thanks, Goober. I'll keep that in mind when it gets colder. I'm also considering installing an oil pan-type heater on the engine. Those reduce the load on the starter. Our seasonal temperature range here is about 60 C degrees (-22 F to +86 F). No blackflies or mosquitos at the low end of that range. 😉

Good to know - thanks. I've been priming first, so will try your approach. The primer is definitely working - unless I prime it, no chance of starting. The battery is brand new from the dealer, and the oil is 10W-40 also newly changed. Today I replaced the plug (which was fouled), charged the battery and the engine started right away (only -5C today). However, it ran for only 10 secs or so, backfired and stopped. On the fuel valve, I selected Reserve and it started again. This time it ran for 40 secs or so before backfiring and stopping. So it appears we have a fuel supply problem. I eliminated any frozen lines yesterday by adding methyl hydrate. What's the next step?

Thanks all for those suggestions. Any recommendations on spark plug type? Our mechanic mentioned that in cold weather the Fourtrax is prone to plug fouling. I should mention that at this time of year -10C is on the mild end here. This coming weekend the forecast is for -32C overnight - expect to see more ice-fishing huts out. Our Fourtrax is kept outdoors - no garage space for it currently, so the heater idea sounds interesting. I keep a cover on it, so some kind of small space heater on the ground under that may do the trick. Good point about paying attention to wattage when choosing the extension cord - I'll probably use 12 AWG. We use 91 octane in all the small engines - that's the lowest rating available here that contains no ethanol. I should also mention that the first thing I did when it would not start was to add some methyl hydrate to the fuel, in case some water had condensed in it. So far, the ES box has not given any problems shifting - we'll see when it gets colder. More to follow.

Hi: Recently acquired a well-maintained 2000 Foreman 450ES. I'm really enjoying riding it, mainly plowing snow and hauling firewood. The one wrinkle I'm still trying to solve is hard starting at -10C and colder.