Plea for advise/help

[84xj1100]

:starz:I had the most bizzard thing happen on the weekend. I came home after teaching a motorcycle crse and decided I would change my oil/filter before my trip to Toronto this week.

 

No problem, done it before all was good......until.....I ran engine to circulate the new oil for about a minute....topped it off and fired it up again just to double check.......it ran for about a minute - rpm dropped - it chugged then died. Every attempt to restart that bike failed.:puzzled:

 

I began my troubleshooting.......I figured with all the attempts to start the thing (maybe I flooded it - although I couldn't smell fuel) I would start by pulling one of the plugs to see if it was wet.......nope = dry. There's plenty of gas in the tank......lets go to the fuel filter/pump area.....fuel doesn't appear to be moving.....so....

 

There are two leads that go into the pump (checked the manual which says there should be x number of volts and alas there are none). Started pulling connectors cleaning them up, tore the entire fairing off to get at the relay etc, etc etc. I had also removed the fuel filter and blew it out, blew fuel through the pump to the carbs. I had done everything that the manual mentioned except diagnostics for the "ignitor unit" which I didn't know what it was or where it is located. Once I had blown fuel into the bowls it fired right up.

 

Since this little episode I've ridden about 150-200 km's with no further problem. I spoke with a mechanic who said that obviously I fixed the problem but my big concern is that I don't have the foggiest idea what I did. He also mentioned that electrics either work or they don't and the problem was probably one of the connectors that I pulled apart and cleaned.

 

Folks.....I put it to the floor.....should I be concerned taking her on a road Wed????

[Venturous Randy]

Since this little episode I've ridden about 150-200 km's with no further problem. I spoke with a mechanic who said that obviously I fixed the problem but my big concern is that I don't have the foggiest idea what I did. He also mentioned that electrics either work or they don't and the problem was probably one of the connectors that I pulled apart and cleaned.

 

 

Sounds alot like being married, sometimes you are the hero and sometimes you are the zero and in both cases you may not have the foggest idea what you did.

Since you did go thru some connections, you may have corrected the problem, but I would make sure I had a volt/ohm meter on the bike since flowers don't help it any.

RandyA

[Marcarl]

Fuse block could be your problem, is on a lot of 1st gens. Check the tension on the fuse holders, those little brass things that hold the fuse in place while in the fuse block and are supposed help to transfer the electrical current from one side of the block to the other. As they get old they loose their tension and could break off altogether and the signs of the times are that you start to have sparatic electrical issues that fix all by themselves it seems. Take a look, pull out the fuse and squeeze the ends together, you may find that they break off. Replace the block is the answer.

[6m459]

Hey,

 

From your description, sounds like a fuel pump problem to me. However, I don't quite understand what you mean by:

 

blew fuel through the pump to the carbs.

 

My blue '84's fuel pump failed a couple of seasons ago. It failed intermittently and would work sometimes but not reliably. Left me stranded a few times before I figured it out, but mercifully close to home each time. I replaced it with a used one from someone here and haven't looked back. I keep a spare on hand now.

 

When you first turn the key after the bike has been standing for awhile, you should hear a series of mechanical clicks for a few seconds. That's the fuel pump topping up the carbs. The first clue I had, was that I didn't hear that happening any more.

 

Fortunately its an easy item to change. I also changed the fuel filter while I was at it on the basis that I didn't know when it was changed last.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Brian H.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Ed,

I am a big fan of Dielectric grease on ANY connector I open. With that being said, It's almost too late to try to repair or replace a bunch of parts before your trip. A dab of the Dielectric grease on the connectors you opened might not be a bad Idea. When you get back, I have a fuel pump for sale, If you are interested, PM me.

You might want to take a look at this thread on the Fuse Box issue:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/2131/cat/6/date/1156391368

 

Also, make a copy of the VR.ORG members in the area where you are traveling, it may come in handy if that fuel pump or fuse box desides to take a dump on you while you are out on the road.

Earl

[GeorgeS]

Have you check the Big Red Switch, for continuity ??

 

Do you have Voltage " TO " the Ignition Fuse ??

 

( Read the voltage with a Volt meter, on both sides of that fuse )

 

That fuse, also feeds voltage to the Fuel Pump !!! And the TCI,

and the Pressure Sensor,

[84xj1100]

Thanks so much for all your input.

 

I have completed my trip and then some (1000+kms) with no problems.

 

Excellent suggestions to take multimeter (manual & a few other extras as well) on the trip. I also got info on club mbrs along the way just in case.

 

To answer some of your questions.....no I haven't checked the kill switch for continuity but I will be cleaning as many switches and connections as I can over the next little while.

 

Blowing fuel through the fuel pump was exactly what I did at one point. I disconnected the "in line" and blew (mouth on the pump inlet) the fuel that was in the pump right through to the carbs. BTW the clicking sound doesn't always occur when I turn the key on but I have heard it on occasion.

 

As far as the fuse block itself is concerned.....it is pretty much the same as on the xj1100 and my experience tells me that the prongs/holders may need cleaning but they are quite stong and hold the fuses firmly in place. That was one of the first areas I went looking at when I started.

 

I strongly suspect (although there's that little bit of doubt in the back of my head) that it was a particular connection (prongs were that oxidized white powder). Fuel pump should have X volts and when I took the reading there was 0 until I started pulling the connections and cleaning them up and came accross the one I just mentioned.

 

Again thank you all for your help.....if the problem rears its ugly head again I'll have a better idea what to do about it.