Help --- '99 Won't Start

[Highwayman]

Everything works, engine spinns over but will not fire. Don't know where to look or what to look at for that matter. Shop said to bring it on in, we'll only charge you $85 to check it out.

[BigSexxy]

have you done anything since you last rode the bike in the form of maintenance? HAve you checked your fuses? When you first turn your key to on do you hear the fuel pump? Just some ideas till the pro's answer up in a few

[Squidley]

I'll 2nd the fuel pump, listen to hear if it's working and I would tap on it to see if it intermittenly clicks. Did you pull a plug wire off and stick a plug in to see if you do have spark. Also wiggle the ignition key around a little bit, might be the switch is going bad. Fill in a few of the gaps here and we'll help you figure it out

[jburrell]

If it spins but doesn't fire then we know your switch is most likely working. Now pull a plug wire to see if your getting ignition. If you have ignition then we move forward to fuel. Most likely fuel. If you want to check the switch pull your gastank and there are two wires connected to your switch. you disconnect the plug with the two wires (see article in tech section for ignition bypass) and just put a jumper across the female plug that goes back toward the seat. Then try starting the bike. More is available on this in the tech section covering replacing/bypassing the ignition switch. You can use this quick test to just see if the ignition switch is working. However, when mine went out I did not hear the fuel pump spinning up unless I used the jumper ergo (bad switch). IF its not the switch and you have spark then remember the last thing you need is fuel........

[SaltyDawg]

10 to 1 it's the ignition switch. I had the same exact thing happen to me 4 time so far and every time I cycled the switch off and on several times and it fired up. Not only does the switch have the ACC and Electrical going through it, but it also has the circuit for the coils and that is where mine is failing just the coils circuit, everything else is works when this problem rears it's ugly head.

 

I have since put the bypass switches in for the electrical and coils. I didn't want to get stranded anywhere. For the longest time I carried a switch, wire, and the writeup on how to bypass and finally I just made the install, neat, clean, and simple.

[SaltyDawg]

If you want to check the switch pull your gastank and there are two wires connected to your switch. you disconnect the plug with the two wires (see article in tech section for ignition bypass) and just put a jumper across the female plug that goes back toward the seat. Then try starting the bike. More is available on this in the tech section covering replacing/bypassing the ignition switch.

 

 

Ahhhhh But the tech section doesn't show the bypass for the coil circuitry and from everything he said this part of the switch is working.

 

 

If he doesn't get spark then I suggest doing the same thing as described above but do it to the blue/yellow and blue/black wires on the other connector of the ignition switch. Then try and start the bike.

[Seaking]

Everything works, engine spinns over but will not fire. Don't know where to look or what to look at for that matter. Shop said to bring it on in, we'll only charge you $85 to check it out.

 

Ooh If *I* may interject..

 

If you recall, I recently went through a huge problem while down visiting Skydoc in PA a few weeks ago where my bike died on the side of the road and wouldn't start.. I went through a lot of diagnostics and troubleshooting dilemma and it took the right guy 30 minutes to find the fault..

 

The bike turns over but will not fire so that means one of two things: Spark or Fuel.

 

(A) Is the fuel pump working? Ideally, you'll want to make sure it's pumping fuel.. Several ways to test this, fuel out put from the pump itself is the sure way, etc.. Another way, and this is how they determined it was the pump was to crank the engine over, then pull the 4 spark plugs. The front ones were DRY.. The front jugs of our engines require the fuel pump to start.. If these are dry, then the pump isn't getting fuel up there to fire them up. The rear jugs can get fuel via gravity feed but the front ones need the pump.. no pump no fuel.

 

At the same time, also check to see that your fuel filter is not clogged. My bike was affected by this early in the spring where as it would act like it was starving for fuel only because the filter was SO clogged, the pump couldn't suck enough fuel out of the tank unless if had a lot of fuel in it so that head pressure in the tank would assist the pump. Once fuel got so low, it would act as if I was on reserve except that putting the bike on reserve didn't help.. only adding more fuel to create more head pressure to assist the pump (like the extra weight of the fuel in the tank pushing the fuel out the line). This in the end, helped speed up the pump failing later this summer.

 

I've also been told that you may want to check fuel in the carb bowls is another way to determine if you're getting fuel to the cylinders..

 

One ODD feature of my fuel pump failure is that it did not die immediately, which caused a lot of the problems in troubling shooting and diagnostics. When it finally died, the weird thing is that the signal lights all started to flash quick rapidly, acting as if one of the bulbs had died, that in itself being a self-diagnostic feature. Once the pump was replaced, the flashers worked normally again.. Out of curiosity, are your signal flashers flashing rapidly?

 

(B) Are you getting spark? Pulling the spark plugs and checking for spark is one way.. changing the plugs out for new ones, gaping them again etc.

 

Some people recommend checking the kick stand safety switch but this is only relevant if you couldn't turn the engine over at all.. Same goes with the ignition switch by pass, though someone pointed out that there is a low level power side to the switch that might also affect it..

 

So basically, check for fuel feed, and check for spark..

 

Please do let us know what it turns out to be..

 

best of luck M8..

 

been there done that and got rolling again..

[Highwayman]

OK, I finally had the time (work, family in from Norway, etc...) to try and figure out what was causing the problem. Checked fuses, electrical, fuel pump, etc. Someone on the forum or one of my riding buddies suggested changing the plugs before going too much further. Three of the four were toast, gunked, black, and unserviceable. Changed them out and it started right up. Guess I have not ridden enough lately to keep the gunk burned off. Glad that is all it was. Thanks for all you help and suggestions.

[Squidley]

Good to hear you got it going, just remember dont lug this engine. This engine wants high revs, I dont shift into 5th on a G2 until I'm at about 70 mph.

[sarges46]

I am glad this worked out like it did for you. The last time it happened to me, I had forgotten to turn the fuel back on after removing the tank!

[BradT]

Ahhhhh But the tech section doesn't show the bypass for the coil circuitry and from everything he said this part of the switch is working.

.

Correct When I wrote the bypass it was for the main power and there would be no power or the bike would not turn over, nothing but a radio.

 

Not only does the switch have the ACC and Electrical going through it, but it also has the circuit for the coils and that is where mine is failing just the coils circuit, everything else is works when this problem rears it's ugly head.

 

Correct the smaller wires are for the coils

 

GLAD to hear you got it going.

 

BRad

[V7Goose]

This information is not correct. There is NOT a separate coil circuit in the ignition switch - at least not directly. If you check the schematic, you will see that the main 12V power to all four coils comes off the same power wire that fires the rest of the bike (through the kill switch).

 

There IS a separate section of the ignition switch, but it passes only a ground from the neutral switch to the "SS" pin on the Ignitor.

Goose