Unicycle52
Well-known member
Here is an update to my Cold Start Fast Idle issue I posted about 4 weeks ago.
Turns into Starter replacement then Valve Job. (All legit)
Bike History: The bike is an 04 FJR with 82K miles on it. Well maintained, former "ticker" that had the entire cylinder head assembly replaced at 8900 miles back in 05 under warranty.
Bike has run trouble free for the past 73K mile with few maintenance issues. Replace one CCT at 40K under warranty and replaced it again at 75K with the updated CCT.
For several weeks with riding limited to weekends for me this time of year(New England)the bike starts immediately then stalls. Then doesn't want to start. Only way to start it is with the throttle wide open and then hold the rev's up to 2 grand for 30 seconds or more to keep it running.
Well,it turned out to be a quite a process.
Trouble code 14 indicated possible stuck TPS or possible blocked intake air pressure system.
Replaced the TPS as a hopeful quick fix but it made no change. Re-installed original TPS no change.
Next day NO START. Get it to dealer. He can't get it to start and upon "digging-in" soon discovers that the starter is drawing twice the current it is supposed to draw. Remove starter, it is all loaded with "guck". I take it to rebuild shop hoping to save the expense of a new starter and they confirm bad armature and can't rebuild it because the armature is un-available and they are not set up to rewind such a small armature.
Starter has to be dealt with whether or not it is related to the fast idle issue. Bite the bullet and order new starter which is on back order. Wait 2 weeks. The hope is that the starter is zapping the battery big time upon start up and once the bike starts and I need to keep the rev's up for the alternator to "juice back" the battery and keeps it running.
Replace starter and still no joy. No start.
Run a compression check. Compression WAY down. Run a leakdown test and leakdown is like 50% instead of 7%. Massive leaking out all the intake valves. Pull the cylinder head order all new intake valves and gaskets on Monday. On Saturday bike is back together running like a top.
Hind sight being 20/20 I have noticed a distinct drop in my fuel mileage over this past season (10,500 miles). I got to a point where I was getting 50 miles less per tank full than I used to get. Way back when I would go 220 -225 mile after fill-up before the "low fuel" would flash. The last tank I ran it hit "low fuel" at 175 miles!
Also during the course of the summer I had notice that the bike didn't seem to have the punch it used to have. It used to "launch" at 2500 rpm and during the season seemed to need to be above 4K rpm before it would start pulling. I kind of attributed it to a bit of aging from high mileage on the bike and maybe an over active imagination about its earlier performance.
Bike now runs like a "***** ape". I realize my memories about early performance were not inflated and now realize the the degrading of performance was so gradual that it only showed in subtle ways. But upon reflecting upon it I can definitely say that it all makes sense now when I think about the decreasing fuel mileage and the "aging" performance. (Of coarse the aging rider (59) has nothing to do with these perceptions.) The diagnostic code indicating a possible blocked intake pressure system was actually not that far off. The intake air pressure sensor wasn't able to send a correct pressure signal to the ECU because the "blow back" from from the intake valve leak was throwing the air intake pressure out the window.
All is well with the FJR. Mechanic says the cylinders looked great. Bike has lots of life left in it. I was bummed that I had to drop some substantial cash into it at this point but I'll get over it. It runs like new.
I have nothing but good things to say about Hudson Cycles in Hudson, NH. They worked closely with me on the issues, kept me up to date, diagnosed the problem(s) efficiently and made the necessary repairs promptly. I had similar experience with them in 2005 when they did the "ticker repair". Highly recommend these guys.
Bill Hamilton
Turns into Starter replacement then Valve Job. (All legit)
Bike History: The bike is an 04 FJR with 82K miles on it. Well maintained, former "ticker" that had the entire cylinder head assembly replaced at 8900 miles back in 05 under warranty.
Bike has run trouble free for the past 73K mile with few maintenance issues. Replace one CCT at 40K under warranty and replaced it again at 75K with the updated CCT.
For several weeks with riding limited to weekends for me this time of year(New England)the bike starts immediately then stalls. Then doesn't want to start. Only way to start it is with the throttle wide open and then hold the rev's up to 2 grand for 30 seconds or more to keep it running.
Well,it turned out to be a quite a process.
Trouble code 14 indicated possible stuck TPS or possible blocked intake air pressure system.
Replaced the TPS as a hopeful quick fix but it made no change. Re-installed original TPS no change.
Next day NO START. Get it to dealer. He can't get it to start and upon "digging-in" soon discovers that the starter is drawing twice the current it is supposed to draw. Remove starter, it is all loaded with "guck". I take it to rebuild shop hoping to save the expense of a new starter and they confirm bad armature and can't rebuild it because the armature is un-available and they are not set up to rewind such a small armature.
Starter has to be dealt with whether or not it is related to the fast idle issue. Bite the bullet and order new starter which is on back order. Wait 2 weeks. The hope is that the starter is zapping the battery big time upon start up and once the bike starts and I need to keep the rev's up for the alternator to "juice back" the battery and keeps it running.
Replace starter and still no joy. No start.
Run a compression check. Compression WAY down. Run a leakdown test and leakdown is like 50% instead of 7%. Massive leaking out all the intake valves. Pull the cylinder head order all new intake valves and gaskets on Monday. On Saturday bike is back together running like a top.
Hind sight being 20/20 I have noticed a distinct drop in my fuel mileage over this past season (10,500 miles). I got to a point where I was getting 50 miles less per tank full than I used to get. Way back when I would go 220 -225 mile after fill-up before the "low fuel" would flash. The last tank I ran it hit "low fuel" at 175 miles!
Also during the course of the summer I had notice that the bike didn't seem to have the punch it used to have. It used to "launch" at 2500 rpm and during the season seemed to need to be above 4K rpm before it would start pulling. I kind of attributed it to a bit of aging from high mileage on the bike and maybe an over active imagination about its earlier performance.
Bike now runs like a "***** ape". I realize my memories about early performance were not inflated and now realize the the degrading of performance was so gradual that it only showed in subtle ways. But upon reflecting upon it I can definitely say that it all makes sense now when I think about the decreasing fuel mileage and the "aging" performance. (Of coarse the aging rider (59) has nothing to do with these perceptions.) The diagnostic code indicating a possible blocked intake pressure system was actually not that far off. The intake air pressure sensor wasn't able to send a correct pressure signal to the ECU because the "blow back" from from the intake valve leak was throwing the air intake pressure out the window.
All is well with the FJR. Mechanic says the cylinders looked great. Bike has lots of life left in it. I was bummed that I had to drop some substantial cash into it at this point but I'll get over it. It runs like new.
I have nothing but good things to say about Hudson Cycles in Hudson, NH. They worked closely with me on the issues, kept me up to date, diagnosed the problem(s) efficiently and made the necessary repairs promptly. I had similar experience with them in 2005 when they did the "ticker repair". Highly recommend these guys.
Bill Hamilton
