I need help!!!!

[hairman]

I have had a problem with my 1999 rsv for about a month now and can't figure out what to do. I first thought it was my fuel pump, but after I drained the carb bowls, the fuel pump worked fine. I have changed the fuel filter, plugs, checked for a vac. leak, I have even poured sea foam in a bowl and before I put the fuel filter on I sucked the sea foam thru to the carb. and let it soak for over 12 hours. I even carbtuned the carb. My problem is that the bike runs good about 1/4 to 3/4 throttle and above that it spits and sputters. It runs excellent for about the first mile when it is cold. Sometimes going down the road and you have 3/4 throttle it sputters and then it will take off and then it starts sputtering again. I even put a bypass key switch on it because I thought the key switch may be going bad. That didn't help either. I'm afraid it might be carb problems, but I am afraid to tear into it because I am a shade tree mechanic. I don't know anything about adjusting floats. HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

[V7Goose]

I have had a problem with my 1999 rsv for about a month now and can't figure out what to do. I first thought it was my fuel pump, but after I drained the carb bowls, the fuel pump worked fine. I have changed the fuel filter, plugs, checked for a vac. leak, I have even poured sea foam in a bowl and before I put the fuel filter on I sucked the sea foam thru to the carb. and let it soak for over 12 hours. I even carbtuned the carb. My problem is that the bike runs good about 1/4 to 3/4 throttle and above that it spits and sputters. It runs excellent for about the first mile when it is cold. Sometimes going down the road and you have 3/4 throttle it sputters and then it will take off and then it starts sputtering again. I even put a bypass key switch on it because I thought the key switch may be going bad. That didn't help either. I'm afraid it might be carb problems, but I am afraid to tear into it because I am a shade tree mechanic. I don't know anything about adjusting floats. HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Well, your symptoms are certainly classic fuel starvation, but it sounds like you already identified that, as you have done most of the logical things. Just a few other suggestions - tank vent, kinked fuel line, plugged jets, or REALLY unlikely, floats too low. And we have had a number of cases with intermittent fuel pumps, so don't write that off yet.

 

You can fully check the entire fuel supply to the carbs just by pulling the fuel line off the back (right side, just under the frame) and putting it in a big bowl or coffee can. Then start the bike and just let it run until the bowls go dry while watching for constant fuel flow into the can with sufficient volume the whole time. This will normally take several minutes - heck, I can get two or three miles on my bike before it starves if I forget to turn on the gas!

 

So if the fuel pump never stops and you constantly get plenty of gas, you can safely focus on the carbs themselves as the cause of your problem. At that point I think I'd just immediately jerk the carbs and reset the floats and clean the jets.

Goose

 

One other thought - if the fuel supply is really OK, maybe you have multiple problems? One plugged carb would not be all that noticeable on this machine, but if you already have a bad coil or plug somewhere, then one of the carbs on a working cylinder plug up, well, that might be it. Unlikely, since you say it runs OK cold, but I'm just throwing out ideas. Pretty hard to actually troubleshoot it without touching it! Could also be some really nasty gunk in the tank that is completely plugging up the petcock, like a piece of paper on a sink drain.

Edited June 10, 2009 by V7Goose

[hairman]

I took the line off the fuel pump, put the end part of the fuel pump in a coffee can. It didn't take any time to fill it up. I suppose that means that it is good. I even took the diaphrams out and checked them by holding them up to a light and stretching them. All looks good there. Called the local dealer to see how much it would cost to redo the carb. and they said it would take about 6 hours to do it and $65.00 an hour. (approx. $400.00)That seems high to me. I don't know anyone local that does this. I would love to do it myself, but I don't know how to adjust the floats. I have took old tractors apart and cleaned them, but never adjusted the floats. Maybe Randy will read this and know someone in Johnson City that does them.

[5bikes]

I thought I had a fuel starvation problem but ended up being a bad spark plug with only 2.5k miles. Never happened to me in 1,000,000+ miles of driving before. Plugs are cheap, try that. Disconnect 1 plug at a time to isolate which cylinder is bad. If it runs better (but less power) you found where, now check by using another plug grounded outside for good spark and another new plug installed.

Check fuel float level next. Drain all bowls they should have the same amount.

Still a problem? Remove carbs and clean all ports, jets, needles, with carb cleaner and compressed air.

[GeorgeS]

Maby a sick spark plug. Have you pulled plugs to see what they look like.???

 

Maby a coil going bad, not uncommon.

 

Maby high resistance, or intermittant connection across the Run-Stop Switch.

 

Have you checked the 15 Amp Ignition fuse holder for loose connections there.??

 

Maby dirty connectors on the TCI Unit, Pull plugs and clean the pins.

 

Pull the plug out of you Regulator/Rectifier unit. ( Left field item ) and Inspect and clean the Pins of that plug. Might be some fried pins there.

 

These are all Witch Hunt items, But, ?????

[KiteSquid]

One other thing to check:

 

Make sure that the enrichiners (AKA chokes) on all four carbs are working in unison.

 

If one is staying on, you might be running one cylinder rich.......

[SaltyDawg]

Ok my 2 cents here. Just this morning while riding to work at 50MPH all of a sudden my bike felt like it was running out of fuel. Quick look to the fuel gage and she was half full (or half empty depending on your disposition) so it wasn't that. Slowed down and she felt fine but accelled up to 40 and it started to bog down again. Hmmmmm this is new to me. I have a 99 also. Played with her for a few miles, gunning it and going through the gears still runs rough at speed. Stopped to check it out, first thing I checked was the exhaust coming out of the pipes. Nothing bad but the right side felt cooler than the left. Then I felt the two cylinders on the right side and the front one was warm while the rear one was hot. Same for the pipes. I could hold the front pipe bare handed and could barly touch the shield on the rear pipe.

 

Ok so now I know which cylinder isn't firing, but what is the problem. I shut the bike off for a few minutes and reassessed the situation and my need for getting to work. Since I had a very important meeting I decided to continue on to work, another 20 miles. Cranked it up and headed on to work but something was different. The bike was running fine. The only time I had a problem was when I really got on her to pass some slow cars and she revved up great but as I pulled out it sputtered for a second and then caught again. Got to work and all cylinders were hot.

 

I doubt I have a fuel problem since I run seafoam through several times a month (I go through 2 tanks of gas a week), I don't think a spark plug would act that way so I am thinking it's the coil.

[GeorgeS]

Ok my 2 cents here. Just this morning while riding to work at 50MPH all of a sudden my bike felt like it was running out of fuel. Quick look to the fuel gage and she was half full (or half empty depending on your disposition) so it wasn't that. Slowed down and she felt fine but accelled up to 40 and it started to bog down again. Hmmmmm this is new to me. I have a 99 also. Played with her for a few miles, gunning it and going through the gears still runs rough at speed. Stopped to check it out, first thing I checked was the exhaust coming out of the pipes. Nothing bad but the right side felt cooler than the left. Then I felt the two cylinders on the right side and the front one was warm while the rear one was hot. Same for the pipes. I could hold the front pipe bare handed and could barly touch the shield on the rear pipe.

 

Ok so now I know which cylinder isn't firing, but what is the problem. I shut the bike off for a few minutes and reassessed the situation and my need for getting to work. Since I had a very important meeting I decided to continue on to work, another 20 miles. Cranked it up and headed on to work but something was different. The bike was running fine. The only time I had a problem was when I really got on her to pass some slow cars and she revved up great but as I pulled out it sputtered for a second and then caught again. Got to work and all cylinders were hot.

 

I doubt I have a fuel problem since I run seafoam through several times a month (I go through 2 tanks of gas a week), I don't think a spark plug would act that way so I am thinking it's the coil.

 

I think you have a coil going bad. Better order a new one. I left one day, with one plug wire disconnected ( stupid mistake ) and got up to 50 MPH, before I even realized something was wrong.

[frogmaster]

SALTYDOG said: "I don't think a spark plug would act that way so I am thinking it's the coil."

 

 

I'm an OK Mechanic. I have 2 cents on a faulty NGK Plug (I have had a few on my Yamaha Outboards using NGK Plugs that would Idle AOK and run at certain speeds but at full throttle it would STOP firing. The proof was when at full throttle I sprayed card cleaner into each of the Three 3 cylinders and found bad spark plug. Replaced plug duplicated test and fixed with a $3.00 Plug and not a coil ((this time))).

 

New NGK all around and I LUV the NGK Platinum's the Platinums I feel Idle better, warm-ups are faster and run very well and they DO NOT give better fuel economy or more HP compared to NGK-Regulars that are 100% operational.

 

My second 2 cents is Coil going bad.

 

Keep us informed.

Edited June 11, 2009 by frogmaster
spelling

[SaltyDawg]

I think you have a coil going bad. Better order a new one. I left one day, with one plug wire disconnected ( stupid mistake ) and got up to 50 MPH, before I even realized something was wrong.

 

My thoughts exactly I will change the plugs when I do an oil change this weekend just in case. I am going to order a coil and have it on the bike in case this happens again. Not going to just shotgun one right away. I seem to remember it bogging down once before but only for a few seconds. That was a couple months ago.

[hig4s]

I have had a problem with my 1999 rsv for about a month now and can't figure out what to do. I first thought it was my fuel pump, but after I drained the carb bowls, the fuel pump worked fine. I have changed the fuel filter, plugs, checked for a vac. leak, I have even poured sea foam in a bowl and before I put the fuel filter on I sucked the sea foam thru to the carb. and let it soak for over 12 hours. I even carbtuned the carb. My problem is that the bike runs good about 1/4 to 3/4 throttle and above that it spits and sputters. It runs excellent for about the first mile when it is cold. Sometimes going down the road and you have 3/4 throttle it sputters and then it will take off and then it starts sputtering again. I even put a bypass key switch on it because I thought the key switch may be going bad. That didn't help either. I'm afraid it might be carb problems, but I am afraid to tear into it because I am a shade tree mechanic. I don't know anything about adjusting floats. HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Assuming it is carb issues and not spark issues, other than the possibility of the float being too low it could be the jets.

 

Pilot jet and air screw have most effect on performance from idle to about 1/8 throttle.

Shape of the throttle body cutaway has the most effect from about 1/8 to a little over 1/4 throttle.

The needle has most effect from a little over 1/4 to about 3/4 throttle

and the main jet is almost solely responsible for the performance from 3/4 to WOT.

 

Seeing this is a 99, perhaps one or more of the main jets are corroded or damaged and not allowing full fuel flow. I had an older single that acted similar and I replaced the main jet and it cleared right up.

 

Of course on an older single pulling the carb is fairly easy. Not so on the Venture, so if you decide to pull the carbs or if your have the jets replaced, you might as well replace the pilots with fresh jets too so you don't have to worry about having to do it ever again.

[hairman]

Wednesday after I checked the diaphrams I took the bike for a ride to check it out. I rode it like I stole it. It done good until it got real high rpms. It was sputtering and spitting, but when you change gears it would run good until you got high rprms again. Then it would start spitting and sputtering again. It did this thru all 4 gears. I got it up to 110 mph. I noticed that when you let up off the throttle and let it hold itself back for a while and then give it gas it spits and sputters. Then when you let off the gas again and grab a handful again most the time it takes off without spitting and sputtering. Today I took the battery out, the black box, the back coil, and cleaned them. I put it back together, took off again and it did real good. This time when you got high rpms and wouldn't spit and sputter. I went about 7 miles and it only acted up about 3 times. It did it once on high rpms and the next 2 times when it was holding itself back. Any advice. I'll post pictures of the plugs later. I put new plugs in it back in the winter, but I took them out and put new ones in on Wednesday.

[hairman]

Here are the pictures of the spark plugs.

[rjmalizia]

focus.

you might try setting your camera in the 'macro' or 'micro' mode. Usually its associated with the 'flower' icon on a camera setting dial. (just a thought)

 

they look tan to me...i'm putting my money on a bad coil or coil wire (assuming new plugs don't fix the problem-start with the cheap parts).

good luck

[SaltyDawg]

I got to say even though the pics are out of focus it looks like there is a pretty good spark gap and that may just be causing some problems. The color doesn't look bad, at least what I can make out.

 

When you are having the problem have you checked to see if any of the cylinders are cooler than the others? I'm still inclined to think it's a coil.

 

Let us know how changing the plugs did.