Engine Cranks, will not start

[fjrb0]

Here it is 24 hours before I am supposed to be at SFO in Eureka, went out to start the bike.

Bike cranks,but sounds like it has jumped time. Started to crank strong when I first hit the starter, but then sounded "funny", like it's jumped. mBike started Sunday night just fine, ran it for about 5 minutes, and shut it off.

Bike is a 2004 with about 32,000. Could it be the CCT? Could it be something related to the Audiovox? Best method to diagnos? I can skip SFO, but I can NOT miss the ride to Yellowstone in 31 days!!!! HELP!!!

 

[FJRay]

Wide open throttle and a good batt. crank it until it starts. If you only ran it for 5 min. its probably flooded.

 

[fjrb0]

Nope, didn't work. I think it's jumped time the way it cranks. Doing research now, looking for my FSM.

 

[Geezer]

Do you get any firing at all? Just a pop every once in a while?

If it jumped time then you should have had a lot of noise coming from the right side for a couple thousand miles or more.

When I had the flooding problem it took me a lot of trying to get it started. I had to recharge the battery a couple of times. While the battery was charging I pulled out the plugs to let the fuel evaporate from the combustion chambers.

 

[fjrb0]

just a pop every once in a while, and not enough to get close to starting. I put it on a trailer and dropped by local Yamaha dealer, they were perplexed as well. It's never given me one bit of trouble before, and I don't think it's flooded. Anyone else had trouble with the FJR flooding with FI?

 

[Geezer]

just a pop every once in a while, and not enough to get close to starting. I put it on a trailer and dropped by local Yamaha dealer, they were perplexed as well. It's never given me one bit of trouble before, and I don't think it's flooded. Anyone else had trouble with the FJR flooding with FI?

Oh yes. It has happened enough times that there are several threads about it. Most often it happens when someone starts the bike and then shuts it off before it runs through a complete warm up cycle.

In my case it happened after I returned from a two week trip of hard riding. Then it sat in the garage for more than a week with no use. It only happened once to me.

 

[mcatrophy]

Happened to me couple of days ago. I'd had my tank off to check on those "spider" connectors, when I put everything back together, I started the engine to make sure it worked.

Immediately turned off the ignition. After another half hour or so went to start the engine (nice sunny day was beckoning). Engine spun but didn't catch.

So, WOT and let it churn.

After a LLLOOONNNGGG time (well it seemed like it, I guess about a minute), it gave one fire, then after another long time a couple. After a bit more churning, it eventually caught on all four.

Doesn't that engine spin up quickly when on full throttle and no load?

Just for the record, my original 2 year, 8 month old battery, with many three-mile city commutes under its belt, never showed any signs of losing its charge, the starter just kept on spinning.

But what a good excuse to go for that run "because I've got to charge the battery, dear" .

 

[fjrb0]

Update.

Dropped it off at local dealer, me and the wife DROVE the fricking car up to Eureka for SFO, but I was in one foul assed mood, so we came home today. And BTW, those SFO riders were getting absolutely drenced with the rain!

Dealer called this afternoon, had the bike apart and had run compressions checks, number 1 was at 30 PSI, number 4 at 60, etc. Said they could not get the #1 piston at TDC when the timing gear was lined up with the mark. Also said they didn't think they could have it back together by May 22, for my ride to Yellowstone. So, I told them I'd come and get it. Talked to them about options, they were thinking valves, lots of parts, lots of time, which translates to lots of money.

I brought it home on the trailer, straight to work on it. #2 plug was still in the hole. How the heck did they run compression with a plug still in? Pulled the plug, ran compression on all four, not as strong as I would like, but tolerable, considering cold bike, no fuel, etc. running close to 90 psi on each cyl.

I also got the side cover off, lined the TDC mark up with the casing, and #1 piston WAS at TDC.

So, you guys think it was flooded? I'll put her back together in a heartbeat if I have spark at the plugs tomorrow when I go back out to the shop.

 

[Dirt bikr]

This may be completely unrelated, but how much fuel was in your tank when this first occured, and if very low (last bar flashing), was it on the side stand when you attempted to start it?

Ive had this happen twice now, once this past week. Apparently the fuel pump pickup is not on the left side of the tank, but the fuel is when on the sidestand. If I stand the bike up strait, then wait a few seconds, she'll start fine. This happened to me thursday after work. I then went to the nearest station (about 2 miles) and filled 'er up, took 6.0 gallons. So apparently the remaining six tenths of fuel I had left wasnt enough to cover the pump intake after sitting on the sidestand all day. BTW I had about 40 miles on the fuel tripmeter.

Its probably not that that simple but I had to ask.

Good luck.

Dan

 

[fjrb0]

Full tank! Going back out to put it back together, at least to try the WOT and crank it like hell. Pretty sure it's not timing now, so feel more comfortable cranking the shit out of it....could be electrical or TPS or something besides mechanical, I think. I do think I am going to run the valves and do a TBS while I have it down, if I can get it running first....

 

[RadioHowie]

WALK AWAY, HOWIE......JUST WALK AWAY.

 

[fjrb0]

:yahoo:

Well, put the side cover back on, (cam chain was tight), put the plugs back in, sat the tank on top, hooked up the fuel lines, wires to tank, turn key on. Crank. Nothing, Crank some more, nothing. Crank some more, nothing. Stop, think, turn key back on, don't hear pump pressurizing, so raise tank, green connector is not on good, re-seat it, turn key on, hear pump running. Crank it again, IT F*%&ING STARTS!!!! Let it warm up good, shut it off. Played with it all day, still running!!!

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Can't wait to ride it by Yamaha Tuesday....

Thanks again guys. After reading Radiohowie's trials and tribulations, I was afraid to really crank it for so long. But after what Yammy said, probably a complete overhaul, and after confirming the timing was not out, what the heck, nothing more to loose. Going to keep looking it over before leaving for Yellowstone, but it's like a ton of bricks came off when the baby started purring again!

THANKS AGAIN!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :clapping: :clapping:

 

[Texan]

Great ending to your story. It is remarkable that you recognized the missing sound of the fuel pump. Good for you.

 

[McRuss]

Great ending to your story. It is remarkable that you recognized the missing sound of the fuel pump. Good for you.

I've had this problem once before. Now this time I've almost run the battery down (heckuva strong little battery but starting to fade) and still no joy. The fuel pump runs up each time I turn on the key and there was a smell of fuel so I thing it is flooded. So letting it sit until tamale, then will try again. Oh, I didn't run it a short time like some, it just sat for two weeks (I was giving it a rest, riding my new '09 Triumph Bonnie..)

 

[fjrb0]

What year and how old is the battery, and do you have it on a tender? Charge it up good, hold the throttle WFO, and crank away, this board convinced me!! Just don't over heat the starter.

 

[mcatrophy]

... Just don't over heat the starter.

Anyone know the time rating for the starter motor? I seem to remember 6 seconds on, 30 seconds off for a car I had many moons ago. That would be no good for the FJR WOT start :mellowsmiley: .

 

[fjrb0]

No, I don't know, but 6 seconds is pretty quick. You can put you fingers on the starter from the left side of the bike, if it's too warm, stop. It should start way before you are in danger of over heating it.

 

[Bananas!]

FJBO,

Had the same thing happen to me. The bike sounds as if there is no compression when it spins. I did the on board self diagnostics (with ignition key off, hold in the select and adjust buttons on the digital display. With the buttons still held in turn ignition on. Screen will change to DIAG.) and found the TPS to be throwing a code. The TPS had recently been replaced under a recall. The stealer wouldn't replace it again. After being quoted a price of $135 for the part, I decided to tinker with the one on the bike. To make a long story short, I got it working. That was 3000 miles ago. Food for thought.

Bananas!

 

[fjrb0]

There's another thread bashing the stealerships on the ignition switch re-call. When I dropped my bike off at the local stealership, I had the TPS recall letter with me. They never checked it. The problem was in the engine, compressions, valves, rings, hell, they were all as good as dead from what they checked.

I have to admit, I was in a little of a panic when the bike would not start, not because of SFO, but because I knew I was leaving for Yellowstone in a couple of weeks, and figured it would take some time to diagnos. But you'd think they would have checked it????!!!!!!????? Only after bringing it home in pieces and confirming the timing was not out by myself, that I got it running. I said it earlier, this Forum is the shit when it comes to working on a the bike.

So, here's my new plan. Putting it back together for the ride to YNP. When I get back, I start working out of Atlanta, traveling back and forth to home. I am going to drop the bike off at D&H where I bought it and let them adjust the valves, TBS, TPS, etc etc. I trust them. I don't trust the local shop any at all. I will have to have tires and will NOT take it to the local dealer.

Thanks for the info, I am printing it off to take with me on the long ride...