What are you supposed to do when your new Trailmaster Mini go kart shuts off or bogs down? Fuel in the United States is very poor quality compared to what it was just 10-15 years ago. Gasoline is now diluted with additives and ethanol that are supposed to make the gasoline safer and more efficient. However, those additives also come with new issues. Today, gasoline can go bad in as few as a couple of weeks. Below are our recommendations and tips to keep your go-kart fuel fresh.
Fuel Issues on a Trailmaster Mini Go Kart
You Trailmaster Mini go kart may experience a few issues that revolve around the fuel system. It is important to be super careful to keep the fuel clan and free of dirt, debris and water. The smallest fleck of dirt inside the fuel system can cause your kart to bog down, shut off, or be difficult to start.
Trailmaster Mini Fuel Tank Needs to stay clean
When refueling, take extra precautions to avoid knocking mud or dirt from the outside of your gas can into the fuel tank. Wipe the outside of the gas can and the fuel tank down well before trying to refuel. Even brand new go kart can be susceptible to dirt clogging the carburetor.
Safety First When Refueling your Mini
- Follow all state laws regarding the handling of fuel
- Keep all gasoline away from open flames and sparks
- No one under the age of 16 should handle gasoline or gasoline containers
- Only use approved containers for fuel
- Before refueling, wait at least 5 minutes to allow engine to cool
Fuel Facts for your Trailmaster Go Kart
- Ethanol attracts moisture from the air
- Ethanol evaporates much faster than gasoline which lowers octane levels
- Modern engines are high compression and require high octane fuel
- Water in your fuel will sink to the bottom of you gas can, but when you turn the can up to pour, the water will pour first
Tips and Advice for buying fuel for your go kart
- Use 90 Octane or Higher
- Use 100% Gasoline (non-ethanol) for quicker starting and better performance
- Do not buy more fuel than you can use up in 60 days
- Clean the outside of your gas can and the area around the gas cap before filling
- Keep fuel caps secured when not in use – Highly recommend No-Spill gas cans
- Do not fill go-kart fuel tank with more fuel than needed because the tank is vented to the open air
- Use a fuel additive regularly
(Seafoam. Stabil. Follow instructions on additive’s container.) - ALWAYS use fuel stabilizer during long periods of storage (more than 2 weeks)
- If storing for long periods of time, run the go kart out of fuel
- TrailMaster Mini & Mid Go-Karts: Turn off fuel. Run the engine until it stops.
- TrailMaster 150 Go-Karts: Remove bottom vacuum hose from fuel valve on tank. Run the engine until it stops. Plug the vacuum line back into the valve
Avoid Problems with your Trailmaster Go Kart
It is very important to avoid some of these mistakes because fuel issues are not covered under warranty. Any of these issues will be considered an operator error. Anytime you are refueling your Trailmaster Mini Go Kart, follow all of our recommendations. If you have not followed these instructions and you are having fuel issues, you may to proceed to maintenance or repair steps to resolve the issue.
Drain the Carburetor on your Trailmaster Mini
You can try draining the carburetor. It’s a quick and easy process that helps to rinse the internal components of the carburetor. This can be helpful if there is water or debris in the carburetor.
Replace the Carburetor on your Trailmaster Mini
If the debris has already gotten into the jets and clogged the carburetor, you may need to change the entire carburetor out. Thankfully, this is a simple process too. Trailmaster makes their engines accessible and parts are easy to get at GoKartMasters.com. Keep in mind that a carburetor may cost you around $100 by the time it’s shipped, but having a shop clean your carburetor could be $150 or more!
Clean the Fuel valve on your Mini Go Kart
If you have accidentally gotten dirt or debris into your fuel system, it’s a good idea to go ahead and clean out your fuel valve as well. On the Trailmaster Mini go karts, the fuel valve is on the bottom side of the fuel tank. You can remove the bowl from the valve and clean it well.
When you Trailmaster Mini Go Kart Won’t Start, Shuts off, or Bogs Down
Remember, modern gasoline is not great quality, so we have to take precautions to keep it in good shape. Try to buy ethanol free fuel. Always use a stabilizer product. Keep your gas can sealed and clean. Wipe down the area around the gas cap before refueling. And if you try all of these maintenance tasks and still have issues, you can always call the Go Kart Masters for more assistance!