Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Hello everyone, I'm new to the board and this is my first Honda scooter. My problem is my 1985 Honda Spree scooter will not start. It has plenty of fuel and a new battery. I removed the spark plug and tested it to see if there's a spark but there doesn't seem to be any. The weird thing is when I remove the plug and crank it, it seems to turn fast, but when I put the plug back in and turn it, it turns very slow, I don't know if that means anything. Can someone help me? I would really appreciate it. Thanks, Nelson.

The turning fast when the plug is out, is because there's no compression. so theres not resistance against the piston.

And visa versa for when it's back in!

as to your no spark problem. check the following

coil
starter relay
CDI
and last of all, buy a new spark plug, even if this one is new, buy another

I agree with the previous answer, and the easiest way to do that for free is to use the service manual provided here:

http://www.hondaspree.net/other/Spree_NQ50_84-87_1.pdf

That will let you know what specs you should be seeing whilst you check the various things that could be wrong.

You will most likely need a digital multimeter, ask if anyone you know has one, or if you live near an Autozone or similar store,

ask if they have a tool loaner program, as most places nowadays do. Then replace what ever needs to be replaced.

Best of luck and let us know!!

Thank you both for your help, that is very valuable information! Nelson.

I just purchased a brand new CDI Unit, Ignition Coil and starter relay including the spark plug. If that doesn't get it started I don't know what will...lol.

gnflyby wrote:Hello everyone, I'm new to the board and this is my first Honda scooter. My problem is my 1985 Honda Spree scooter will not start. It has plenty of fuel and a new battery. I removed the spark plug and tested it to see if there's a spark but there doesn't seem to be any.

Excuse me if this seems obvious, but I think its worth checking. You did ground the tip of the spark plug on a bare metal part of the engine when testing for spark?

If none of those new parts fix the problem, it could be you have one or more bad coils in the stator/magneto. The manual referred to earlier should have resistance values for the wires coming out of the stator if you can get hold of a digital multimeter.

Clivester wrote:

gnflyby wrote:Hello everyone, I'm new to the board and this is my first Honda scooter. My problem is my 1985 Honda Spree scooter will not start. It has plenty of fuel and a new battery. I removed the spark plug and tested it to see if there's a spark but there doesn't seem to be any.

Excuse me if this seems obvious, but I think its worth checking. You did ground the tip of the spark plug on a bare metal part of the engine when testing for spark?

If none of those new parts fix the problem, it could be you have one or more bad coils in the stator/magneto. The manual referred to earlier should have resistance values for the wires coming out of the stator if you can get hold of a digital multimeter.

That is a good idea, but in case, gyflyby, you do not know how to test for spark that way. you remove the plug from the cylinder head, then put the boot back onto the plug, then hold the the plug by the boot and press the curved metal piece of the plug against any metal part (like the cylinder head) and try to start. It is best to do this in a relatively dark area as the spark can be difficult to see. if there is no spark or the spark is weak, the best free thing to try is to remove the flywheel (see the http://www.hondaspree.net/other/Spree_NQ50_84-87_1.pdf for instructions) and using a very high grit sandpaper or a VERY fine steel wool to lightly clean any rust or debris from the stator or pickup coil. If that does not create or increase spark then you will need to replace a few things..
DISCLAIMER...I am by NO means a professional when it comes to mopeds, I do have an extensive knowledge of small engines in general, but am quite new to the spree thing. DO NOT take my word as gospel. I understand, from these forums, that sprees can be VERY picky. the best thing to do would be to wait and see if any of the elders refute this info, or have a better idea. HOWEVER i have done this procedure on many a small engine before and had no negative repercussions.
Best of Luck to you, and let me know if this helps at all.

Well, do you know how to install the new relay? i'd do one part at a time. starting with the spark plug, then the coil, then the relay, and then the magneto.

Where exactly is your location too?

Yes of course I grounded the plug, I figure I got it real cheap, so why not replace all the electrical, I mean it cost me less then $100 to get it. This way I start fresh, and it would be easier to keep track of what was replaced and when.

Have you tested the stator and pulse generator yet?

Its real easy to do as long as you have a multimeter.

bradthreee wrote:Have you tested the stator and pulse generator yet?

Its real easy to do as long as you have a multimeter.

See that's the problem that I'm having, I have no meters or any way of testing these things. So it's just easier for me to replace them instead. I found a new Stator for $44 and new Pulse generator for $20, so if none of the other items work to get it started I guess I'll be buying those as well. I really appreciate everyone's help, I will keep you all posted on my progress. Thanks, Nelson.

Greetings:

You can pay $70 for new parts, if Honda can still get them. Alternatively, your shopping list can be filled by the Forum for a fraction of that.

Better still, you can head to Harbor Freight Tools and look for the slightly-better version of this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=92020

Look for their $10 one or get two of these. Be advised that I got this cheap one last winter. It started to smoke - I'm not kidding! on the 3rd use. However it's still enough to diagnose your current problem, then find and buy only the part(s) you really need.

The meters come with some instructions, and Honda's Service Manual gives the specs you'd like to see.

I totally agree with Wheelman.

A small investment in a multimeter will be well worth it, especially if your current problem is caused by wiring issues or you have to troubleshoot another one in the future. You could finish up spending $200 for these replacement parts and the issue turns out to be a bad kill switch.

On the other hand, I would appreciate the opportunity to purchase some of those parts at a deep discount here on the forum if they turn out to be superfluous .

Greetings:

Clivester is accidentally funny:

A small investment in a multimeter will be well worth it, especially if your current [emphasis added -ed.] problem is caused by wiring issues or...

Uhh-huh-huh, huh-huh...