How Does an Electric Choke Work on a Scooter?

If you own a 50cc moped, you’ve probably wondered how an electric choke works on any of the top-tier electric scooters. The operation is quite simple. When a scooter engine gets cold, it needs a richer gas mixture to start up and run properly. Petrol in its liquid form doesn’t burn. It’s the vapor that gives off that burns.

Gas (petrol) vaporizes much slowly when it’s at low temperature, meaning you’ll need more of it to create the same amount of vapor, affecting the economy.

This is where the choke circuit comes in. It offers a method for increasing the fuel supply until the moped is warm before shutting off. This is either done by a manual choke that you switch off or an automatic choke that goes off on its own.

What is a Choke?

In simple terms, a choke is just like a plunger that opens or blocks off a small passage in the carb (choke circuit) that allows or restricts extra fuel into the engine. An electric choke has a needle that helps it to gradually let little fuel get into the e-scooter choke circuit until it closes it off after the engine has been running for a couple of minutes. Compared to the electric choke, the manual choke works simply—on and off with nothing in-between.

How Does an Electric Choke Cork?

The internals of an electric choke has a small wax capsule with a heater coil wrapped over it. When the engine is running, voltage is applied to the heater, heating the wax. As it heats up, it expands and slowly drives the plunger out.

After about 4 minutes, the plunger is at its fullest extension cutting off the choke circuit, closing off the choke circuit, and no longer letting any more fuel flow in. When the engine is switched off, the wax begins to cool off, slowly retracting again after 15 minutes.

Reasons an Electric Choke May Not be Working

There are two main reasons why the unit might not be working. The electric choke might have malfunctioned, or there might be a problem affecting its power supply. If you own a multimeter, you can test its power by detaching the automatic choke and getting the meter leads in contact with the electric choke’s wires while running at a fast tick over.

If everything is working fine, the wires will give a reading of 12-14 volts AC. This can be seen on most electric scooter displays.

While doing this test, it is essential to note that the choke typically runs off the lightning circuit, usually AC on scooters. Therefore, ensure that you test it with the meter set to AC and DC. The electric choke will work at AC or DC as long as you get a 12 to 14 volts reading.

After about five minutes of connection, the electric choke will have extended and later retracted after the battery is disconnected for about 20 minutes. If the plunger doesn’t move, then the choke unit could be faulty, and you might need to get a replacement. And to avoid early replacement of your battery, consider extending its life span by having regenerative braking on your scooter.

F.A.Q.