Engine Doesn't Start, Starting Difficulty
Starter motor not rotating
- Starter motor defective
- Battery voltage low
- Relay not contacting or operating
- Starter button not contacting
- Wiring open or shorted
- Ignition switch defective
- Engine stop switch defective
- Engine stop switch off \
- Fuse blown
Starter motor rotating but engine doesn’t turn over
- Starter motor clutch defective
Engine won’t turn over
- Valve seizure
- Cylinder, piston seizure
- Crankshaft seizure
- Connecting rod small end seizure
- Connecting rod big end seizure
- Transmission gear or bearing seizure
- Camshaft seizure
- Kick starter return spring broken
- Kick ratchet gear not engaging
No fuel flow
- No fuel in tank
- Fuel tap turned off
- Tank cap air vent obstructed
- Fuel tap clogged
- Fuel line clogged
- Float valve clogged
Engine flooded
- Fuel level too high
- Float valve worn or stuck open
- Starting technique faulty (When flooded, kick with the throttle fully open to allow more air to reach the engine.)
No spark; spark weak
- Ignition switch not on
- Engine stop switch turned off
- Battery voltage low
- Spark plug dirty, defective, or maladjusted
- Spark plug cap or high tension wiring defective
- Spark plug cap not in good contact
- Contact breaker points dirty or damaged
- Contact breaker point gap maladjusted
- Capacitor defective
- Ignition coil defective
- Ignition or engine stop switch shorted
- Wiring shorted or open
Compression low
- Spark plug loose
- Cylinder head not sufficiently tightened down
- No valve clearance
- Cylinder, piston worn
- Piston rings bad (worn, weak, broken, or sticking)
- Piston ring/land clearance excessive
- Cylinder head gasket damaged
- Cylinder head warped
- Valve spring broken or weak
- Valve not seating properly (valve bent, worn, or carbon accumulation on the seating surface)
Poor Running at Low Speed
Spark weak
- Battery voltage low
- Spark plug dirty, defective, or maladjusted
- Spark plug cap or high tension wiring defective
- Spark plug cap shorted or not in good contact
- Incorrect spark plug heat range
- Contact breaker points dirty or damaged
- Contact breaker point gap maladjusted
- Capacitor defective
- Ignition coil defective
Fuel/air mixture incorrect
- Pilot air screw and/or idle adjusting screw maladjusted
- Pilot jet, or air passage clogged
- Pilot jet bleed holes clogged
- Air cleaner clogged, poorly sealed, or missing
- Choke valve closed
- Fuel level too high or too low
- Fuel tank air vent obstructed
- Carburetor holder loose
- Air cleaner duct loose
Compression low
- Spark plug loose
- Cylinder head not sufficiently tightened down
- No valve clearance
- Cylinder, piston worn
- Piston rings bad (worn, weak, broken or sticking)
- Piston ring/land clearance excessive
- Cylinder head gasket damaged
- Cylinder head warped
- Valve spring broken or weak
- Valve not seating properly (valve bent, worn, or
- carbon accumulation on the seating surface)
Other
- Ignition timing maladjusted
- Timing not advancing (spring broken or stretched)
- Throttle valve doesn’t slide smoothly
- Engine oil viscosity too high
- Brakes dragging
Poor Running or No Power at High Speed
Firing incorrect
- Spark plug dirty, defective, or maladjusted
- Spark plug cap or high tension wiring defective
- Spark plug cap shorted or not in good contact
- Incorrect spark plug heat range
- Contact breaker points dirty or damaged
- Contact breaker point gap maladjusted
- Capacitor defective
- Ignition coil defective
- Ignition timing maladjusted and or timing not advancing
Fuel/air mixture incorrect
- Main jet clogged or wrong size
- Jet needle or needle jet worn
- Jet needle clip in wrong position
- Fuel level too high or too low
- Air bleed pipe bleed holes clogged
- Air cleaner clogged, poorly sealed, or missing
- Air cleaner duct poorly sealed
- Choke valve closed
- Water or foreign matter in fuel
- Carburetor holder loose
- Air cleaner duct loose
- Fuel tank air vent obstructed
- Fuel tap clogged
- Fuel line clogged
Compression low
- Spark plug loose
- Cylinder head not sufficiently tightened down
- No valve clearance
- Cylinder, piston worn
- Piston rings bad (worn, weak, broken, or sticking)
- Piston ring/land clearance excessive
- Cylinder head gasket damaged
- Cylinder head warped
- Valve spring broken or weak
- Valve not seating properly (valve bent, worn or carbon accumulation on the seating surface.)
Knocking
- Ignition timing maladjusted
- Carbon built up in combustion chamber
- Fuel poor quality or incorrect
- Incorrect spark plug heat range
Miscellaneous
- Throttle valve won’t fully open
- Throttle valve doesn’t slide smoothly
- Ignition timing maladjusted
- Timing not advancing
- Brakes dragging
- Clutch slipping
Overheating
Firing incorrect
- Spark plug dirty, damaged, or maladjusted
- Incorrect spark plug heat range
- Ignition timing maladjusted
Fuel/air mixture incorrect
- Main jet clogged
- Fuel level too low
- Carburetor holder loose
- Air cleaner poorly sealed, or missing
- Air cleaner duct poorly sealed
- Air cleaner clogged
Compression high
- Carbon built up in combustion chamber
Engine load faulty
- Clutch slipping
- Engine oil level too high
- Engine oil viscosity too high
- Brakes dragging
Lubrication inadequate
- Engine oil level too low
- Engine oil poor quality or incorrect
Clutch Operation Faulty
Clutch slipping
- No clutch lever play
- Friction plates worn or warped
- Steel plates worn or warped
- Clutch springs broken or weak
- Clutch release maladjusted
- Clutch cable maladjusted
- Clutch inner cable catching
- Clutch release mechanism defective
- Clutch hub or housing unevenly worn
Clutch not disengaging properly
- Clutch lever play excessive
- Clutch plates warped or too rough
- Clutch spring tension uneven
- Engine oil deteriorated
- Engine oil viscosity too high
- Engine oil level too high
- Clutch housing frozen on drive shaft
- Clutch release mechanism defective
Gear Shifting Faulty
Doesn’t go into gear; shift pedal doesn’t return
- Clutch not disengaging
- Shift fork(s) bent or seized
- Gear(s) stuck on the shaft
- Shift return spring weak or broken
- Shift mechanism arm spring broken
Jumps out of gear
- Shift fork(s) worn
- Gear groove(s) worn
- Gear dogs, dog holes, and/or dog recesses worn
- Shift drum groove(s).worn
- Shift drum positioning pin spring weak or broken
- Shift fork pin(s) worn
- External shift mechanism arm spring weak
- Drive shaft, output shaft, and/or gear splines worn
Over shifts
- Shift drum positioning pin spring weak or broken
Abnormal Engine Noise
Knocking
- Ignition timing maladjusted
- Carbon built up in combustion chamber
- Fuel poor quality or incorrect
- Incorrect spark plug heat range
- Overheating
- Cylinder/piston clearance excessive
- Cylinder, piston worn
- Connecting rod bent
- Piston pin, piston holes worn
Valve noise
- Valve clearance incorrect
- Valve spring broken or weak
Other noise
- Connecting rod small end clearance excessive
- Connecting rod big end clearance excessive
- Piston ring(s) worn, broken, or stuck
- Piston seizure damage
- Cylinder head gasket leaking
- Exhaust pipe leaking at cylinder head connection
- Crankshaft run out excessive
- Engine mounts loose
- Crankshaft bearings worn
- Camshaft chain tensioner defective
- Camshaft chain, sprocket, guides worn
- Camshaft chain requires adjustment
- Starter motor chain worn
- Loose dynamo flywheel
Abnormal Drive Train Noise
Clutch noise
- Clutch damping rubber deteriorated
- Clutch housing/friction plate clearance excessive
Transmission noise
- Bearings worn
- Transmission gears worn or chipped
- Metal chips jammed in gear teeth
- Engine oil insufficient or too thin
- Kick ratchet gear not properly disengaging from kick gear
Drive chain noise
- Drive chain adjusted improperly
- Chain worn
- Rear and/or engine sprocket(s) worn
- Chain lubrication insufficient
- Rear wheel misaligned
Download Kawasaki KZ 200 Manual Service Book