MM Venture - Will not Run - Help

[MMVenture]

Hello fellow Venture's;

 

My 2000 Venture will start easly with full choke, and while running on full choke when I twist gas, it wants to stall out. I can sometimes get an idle with chock off, but again when I try and give it gas it chokes out. Any suggestions....

 

Thanks for all your help.

[V7Goose]

Need a lot more info here. What you described could easily be a bad fuel pump or clogged fuel filter (that is the first thing I'd try). But when did it start? How long has this been going on? Have you let it warm up? Have you checked the fuel flow from the tank petcock? Do you hear the fuel pump click when you turn the key on? For how long?

Goose

[Rick Butler]

Keith,

 

In my experience, if it will start and run only with the choke is on, you have a main or pilot jet gummed up in the bowl and the carbs need to be cleaned out. Especially if it will not take throttle. I'm guessing that you have let the bike set up for a good length of time before now. But, you might want to try a dose of Sea Foam to see if that will help the situation out.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[MMVenture]

Sorry I was away on vacation, and am just getting back to address my Venture's problems. To answer some of the questions asked: The bike was rode about 2 weeks prior to the problem starting, it starts fine with full choke. However, with full choke is on, I cannot give it gas because it will stall out. Once I let it warm up, and close the choke, it will not stay running. Now after a few carb adjustment, I have been able to keep the bike running with the choke off. However, now it rev's up and takes second to drop back down. It will not rev down between shifting. I have noticed dirt and fuel around the carbs that has never been there before.

 

I have never replaced the fuel filter myself, and don't recall the last time it was done. Anyone with pictures and discription of how it is done would be greatly appreicated. I'm trying to save myself a trip to the shop, but I feel that getting it running I have messed the carbs up beyond my scope of repair.

 

Yes I'm one of those with many year of expierence riding, and not many years of turning the wrench.

 

Thanks

 

Keith

[GeorgeS]

Put a good dose of Sea Foam in gas, open drains on carb bowls on at a time, let the fuel pump run some gas thru each bowl.

 

Try to get some run time on the engine.

 

Give it a few days for the Sea Foam to chemicaly clean things out. This might solve the problem.

 

Check your Throtte Pull cable, make sure there is about 1/16 inch of slack, with the throttle at full closed. ( If not, back out the main Idle Adjust Knob -- lft Fwd carb -- check cable for some slack, now bring the Idle adjust knob back to just makeing contact with the Linkage assembly )

 

Try to run the engine , see what you have.

 

Now its time to Start the Sync proceedure useing the 3 Sync Screws.

 

DO NOT CONFUSE THE 3 SYNC SCREWS, WITH THE MAIN IDLE ADJUST KNOB

 

The Idle knob, is Under the Lft Fwd carb, Might be hard to see, I know it is on the 1st gens.

 

There is a good photo of the entire Linkage assembly in the Service manual, chap 2 I believe. This will identify all the adjustments.

[BuddyRich]

An easy way to get seafoam in the bowls is to remove the line from the tank and put it in a can of seafoam. Let the bike run till its starts missing and then shut it off. Now all the carbs are full of seafoam. Let it sit overnight and then start it the next day. You'll need to choke it and it will smoke big time for a few minutes till you get all the seafoam cleared but will clean the carbs out real good.

[MMVenture]

I must admit I have never seen or heard of seafoam, but am willing to give it a try. I have read a few post on here concerning it and it seems to have worked for others as well. I see it can be found at Advance Auto and will check them out for availability. I will keep you posted, and hope to be back on the road soon. Hate to have problems with a MM with only 35K miles on it. She has been a great one, and my second Venture. Loved my 89 Venture and MM has been even better.

 

Had a few Harley's between them and always come back to the Ventures.

 

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

 

Keith

[ediddy]

Hey MMVenture,

 

I have had the same problem with my 05. Took it to the dealer last week and left it so they can deal with the problem. Will let you know what the problem was. After a long ride I would let my bike set for a few days and when I started to ride again it wouldn't start unless I gave it full choke. It wouldn't take any throttle. I put seafoam in each time and it would finally start and run ok until I let it set up for a few days. The last time it did this it wouldn't start at all. You can look up my post "strange things going on with my bike." I sprayed the ignintion switch with WD40 but that didn't help. I took the fuel line from the petcock and gas poured out of the petcock. I think the fuel pump isn't working. The dealer said it could be a relay switch going to the fuel pump. I should hear from the dealer by tuesday or wednesday. Will let you know the problem. Oh, by the way. Loading a venture onto a trailer without power is not easy.

[ediddy]

Just got a call from the dealer. The full pump is bad, thats why my bike won't run. When the mechanic tapped on the fuel pump it started right up. They have ordered a fuel pump but don't know how long it will take to get it.

[MMVenture]

I would think if my fuel pump is gone south, then it would not run.... am I correct? My bike will run now and would run with full choke. Now I cannot get the idle set to allow it to de-rev between shifts. I can ride it as it, but with it not slowing the RPMs down, it like I'm speed shifting. Again, I would not think it would allow me to ride it with a bad fuel pump. I will still give seafoam a try in a few days and see if this will help. I have a feeling I have turned one to many screws and have set the carbs way off. I don't have the tools to fix myself.

 

Very happy to hear that shop found your problem and hope you get back in the saddle soon.

 

[Steve S]

While you are choking it you could be pulling enough suction to get the fuel to the carbs. Do you hear the fuel pump run when you turn the switch on? If you dont, try tapping it with a screwdriver handle or plastic hammer(it's under the seat and behind the left side panel). Not hard, but just enough to give it a little jolt. Sometimes this makes the brushes make contact to turn the pump.

 

One way to be sure you are getting fuel is to take the fuel line off at the filter, put it in a can the turn the switch on for just a min(The filter is behind the left side panel too) to see if the pump is building pressure. It can be a bugger to get out so put a new one in while it is out.

[MMVenture]

As I start to trouble shoot my problem... I have taken everything off to gain access to the fuel filter... My question is how do you ensure you have shut off the gas before you disconnect the filter? I have not removed the gas tank and am in hopes of not having to do so. I have got the filter loose to where I can disconnet the hoses and will be looking for a replacement at the local auto parts stores. If I cut the fuel cock off will this ensure I will not spill fuel all over the shop floor?

 

Thanks for all replies.

[MMVenture]

Well after a long battle, I wanted to follow-up and put a ending to my saga with my MM. After attempting to put Sea Foam in the gas tank, and trying to adjust my carbs alone, I managed to get the bike not to run at all. So off to the shop it went, where the carbs were gummed up and carbs were so out of synic that it would not run. After a bill of $390.00 I have the bike back and I'm back on the road. . My local shop did not recommend Sea Foam and did recommend that I use Sta Bil when not riding. He indicated that the new gas can go bad in 3 weeks time. Although he indicated the carbs are in synic, I'm not 100% I like the way it runs. I have lost most of my sound from the Bubs and now I have to be doing 60 mph before I can use OD. Never was like this before. Another change is the higher revs between shifting. Never had this before also.

 

Lets hope it does not have to go back to the shop, otherwise DW will be looking to replace me and the bike.

 

Thanks for all your help on this problem, and until next problem, ride easy..

 

Keith

[BuddyRich]

Of course they don't recommend seafoam. Its cuts into their profit margin a bunch.

We have cleared up many a problem with this stuff. Glad you got it fixed