No longer starts -- dash lit up

[sidejack]

Washed the FRJ -- (last time I washed it, it snowed)

5 days now dry --

Turn the key to on -- the dash lights up like a Christmas tree -- all indicators lit continuously -- even the turn signals -- "intelligent" dash flashes -- bike don't start.

Checked the error codes -- all looks fine -- can cycle through the codes and "see" correct operation of sensors (of course, not the coils, headlights -- they're not on)

Disconnected/reconnected battery -- no change

Any ideas? (hum, my R75/5 looks better and better) -- thanks

 

[UselessPickles]

Kill switch?

If it's something you don't routinely turn off and/or check for, and you accidentally turn it off while washing/drying, it could easily slip under your radar

 

[3dogs]

Please be more specific.

Does the starter turn, if so does it turn at what you would consider a normal speed?

If the starter is operating normally do the following:

1. Gain access to the air box.

2. Get a small bottle of propane and crack the valve open while directing the gas into the air box.

3. While your doing step 2 (adding propane to the engine) crank the engine over.

4. Does the engine start (even for a few seconds)?

If it does then the problem is not the ignition system. Also the cam and crank sensors are operating and the ECU has power.

The problem is no fuel which could be caused by numerous problems. Check fuel pump operation (turn on the key and listen for operation). Check fuses (especially the F/P and injector fuses).

Get this far and let us know what happened.

 

[TriggerT]

Kill switch?

If it's something you don't routinely turn off and/or check for, and you accidentally turn it off while washing/drying, it could easily slip under your radar

I have to admit that I have had that happen to me a few times. First thing to check in situations like this.

 

[jtnwevo]

The dash and indicators lit up sounds like the ground spiders to me...

 

[Silverbullet]

Yup, sounds like my '06 when it had spider failure.

 

[sidejack]

Checked the kill switch -- nope.

(A friend also has an FJR and with his kill switch activated, he doesn't any anything like my dash display)

NO starter at all -- nothing

I just checked all the fuses -- good.

Still looking (and what's worse, if I have to take it to a Yamaha shop, there aren't any here anymore! -- ok Beaverton)

 

[BkrK12]

Checked the kill switch -- nope.

(A friend also has an FJR and with his kill switch activated, he doesn't any anything like my dash display)

NO starter at all -- nothing

I just checked all the fuses -- good.

Still looking (and what's worse, if I have to take it to a Yamaha shop, there aren't any here anymore! -- ok Beaverton)

Lift the tank, remove T-bar and heat shield. Look at S4 (front left of engine bay) and see if wiggling it changes anything. Look first to see if it's burned. If so, don't bother wiggling.

Dan

 

[SLK50]

Ignition switch contacts wet?

Got a compressor? Try blowing some air into key slot.

If not, I'd try some WD-40, sparingly. What have you got to lose?

 

[phroenips]

it's not in gear is it? Make sure it's in neutral and/or side stand up and/or clutch pulled in.

 

[sidejack]

I'm screwed...

Can't find anything to fix this....

Bike hauled to Yamaha dealer -- in the rain...

Hope is that my service contract covers this ...

Really interested in what the solution is (and the dealer has NEVER seen this before -- wonderful)

 

[El Cajone]

I'm screwed...

Can't find anything to fix this....

Bike hauled to Yamaha dealer -- in the rain...

Hope is that my service contract covers this ...

Really interested in what the solution is (and the dealer has NEVER seen this before -- wonderful)

If it's the S4 ground spider, don't rely on the Yamaha dealer to diagnose or fix it. When I got bit, guess what my dealer said: "Geez, we've never seen anything like this before..". Next time I went back armed with some information from this site and I said "fix this" They did and everything was OK after and then I installed Roadrunner's harness to be sure it doesn't happen twice.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Sure sounds like the S4 "black widow" to me...

Griff

 

[sidejack]

Problem Solved! (but I'll never wash this thing again)

The Yamaha-dog dealer found a "subassy" connector "box", located under the left side of the gas tank (??) (which I haven't had the balls to look closer at to locate, nor have I found any reference to this in the 755 page of worthless service manual) -- they cleaned the connector contacts, and "regreased" (??) to keep the water out since there is never enough there provided at the factory. $90 and one week later -- the bike runs. Wow... Thanks for all the hints along the way....Back on the road...

 

[ionbeam]

Problem Solved!...dealer found a "subassy" connector "box", located under the left side of the gas tank...they cleaned the connector contacts, and "regreased" (??) to keep the water out since there is never enough there provided at the factory...

In all probabilities that would be the S4 connector. They packed it with insulating grease to keep water out. Electrically insulating grease is not ideal in an area where you want to promote CONDUCTION. Problem Solved! Problem deferred until it shows up again. See Brodie and Road Runner harnesses and SOLVE the problem.

 

[dcarver]

Problem Solved!...dealer found a "subassy" connector "box", located under the left side of the gas tank...they cleaned the connector contacts, and "regreased" (??) to keep the water out since there is never enough there provided at the factory...

In all probabilities that would be the S4 connector. They packed it with insulating grease to keep water out. Electrically insulating grease is not ideal in an area where you want to promote CONDUCTION. Problem Solved! Problem deferred until it shows up again. See Brodie and Road Runner harnesses and SOLVE the problem.

Here ionbeam loud n' clear lest yee be stranded or worse, lose power in a corner or when passing.. this is SERIOUS -don't ignore these warnings..

 

[bramfrank]

Not 'might have been', \but absolutely IS a Spider Bite. If your bike was under warranty or had an extended service agreement you should not have had to pay for the repair - in fact maybe you should send the bill to Yamaha for reimbursement because this was a latent defect.

I don't know how I missed the original thread because your description was absolutely classic.

Get your *** over to the NHTSA web site and file a report (you'll find the proper link in the thread I point to in the next paragraph) - if this had let go while you were riding in traffic, you'd be squashed flat. If it happened at night when you were riding a twisty road at the side of a gully at night, your broken, dead body might have been located a couple of weeks later - if your heirs were lucky. Hopefully you would have died instantly on impact.

Read up HERE to see just what this is all about. This is a serious design defect that seems to have affected as many as 20% of the Gen-II bikes so far and the NHTSA is doing absolutely ZERO about it. Yamaha has been sitting on their hands for more than two years and are only just now starting to investigate the issue, to a large degree because in Canada the government has rated the issue a 'Level 3' investigation - if it hits level 4 they will not be selling bikes in the country. Period.

The connector in question has been made brittle by the heating that takes place. Grease or no grease, the problem WILL recur. Brodie's harness is a stopgap, but you need to replace the connector to get the full benefit and even then it is a real piece of lame engineering.

That your dealer found the issue and 'fixed it' in $90 (what is that, an hour? ) means that they knew EXACTLY where to look.

Add your name to those whose bikes have suffered the dreaded bite and maybe you should also be calling the NHTSA (and maybe your Congrersspreson - politically correct - as well) to ask them why they haven't initiated a program (in spite of what others may try to claim - there is NO investigation open at the NHTSA). Those are YOUR tax dollars they're spending and you deserve the protection that the agency is supposed to provide.

 

[bramfrank]

Damn - I wish the mods would restore my editing priviledges . . . but they won't so here I am upping my post count;

Note that the 'lame engineering' I mention is not Brodie's, but rather Yamaha's - I don't want to give the wrong impression about just who is being lame.

 

[carlson_mn]

I'm gonna go ahead and say it -

funny how the OP more or less ignored everyone's advice to check the S4 harness.