Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Need help troubleshooting

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
    #1

    Need help troubleshooting

    I have a 1982 GS400. It's never charged properly, so last season I took it to a Suzuki dealer and they replaced the R/R. I just got it insured for this season and sure enough it still doesn't charge, and of course it died in the middle of nowhere. I took the battery home and charged it up, and took it back to the bike the next day.
    This is where the second problem came up that I need help with.The bike now starts on full choke, but dies 3-4 seconds after, and dies completely if you blip the throtle. I figured it might be a fuel problem, so I completely cleaned the carbs, but the problem still persists, so I suppose it's and electrical problem.
    As for the charging problem, I went through the stator pages... and found a 100000 something ohm wire going into the stator, so thats been replaced.
    Could both problems be related? The only idea I have is the spark plugs maybe aren't getting enough voltage, which is why it dies when I give it more gas.
    Any one have any ideas? Any help is appreciated!
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Need help troubleshooting

    When the bike dies after 3-4 seconds, have you immediately turned the ignition off and taken out the drain plugs in the float bowls to see if there actually is fuel in the float bowls?

    Earl



    Originally posted by bobbyl
    I have a 1982 GS400. It's never charged properly, so last season I took it to a Suzuki dealer and they replaced the R/R. I just got it insured for this season and sure enough it still doesn't charge, and of course it died in the middle of nowhere. I took the battery home and charged it up, and took it back to the bike the next day.
    This is where the second problem came up that I need help with.The bike now starts on full choke, but dies 3-4 seconds after, and dies completely if you blip the throtle. I figured it might be a fuel problem, so I completely cleaned the carbs, but the problem still persists, so I suppose it's and electrical problem.
    As for the charging problem, I went through the stator pages... and found a 100000 something ohm wire going into the stator, so thats been replaced.
    Could both problems be related? The only idea I have is the spark plugs maybe aren't getting enough voltage, which is why it dies when I give it more gas.
    Any one have any ideas? Any help is appreciated!
    Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

    I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

    Comment

      #3
      No, but if its runs for a while there is fuel getting to it, and the carbs are squeky clean.... so that shouldn't be a problem shoud it?

      Comment

        #4
        ...I checked and there is fuel in the floats

        Comment

          #5
          Try to run the bike with the petcock set to prime. I had this problem after I messed up reinstalling the carbs on my 400.

          Steve

          Comment

            #6
            If it runs initially, that tells you there is fuel filling the bowls at startup. It does not tell you there will be sufficient fuel flow to keep the bowls filled once it is running.

            Earl


            Originally posted by bobbyl
            No, but if its runs for a while there is fuel getting to it, and the carbs are squeky clean.... so that shouldn't be a problem shoud it?
            Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

            I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

            Comment

              #7
              How much in each float bowl?

              Earl

              Originally posted by bobbyl
              ...I checked and there is fuel in the floats
              Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

              I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

              Comment

                #8
                I would say they're pretty much full.
                Another thing is the spark looks a little weak, my clymar manual says it should be a 'fat blue flame', but both plugs have wimmpy looking orange/yellowish sparks...

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by bobbyl
                  I would say they're pretty much full.
                  Another thing is the spark looks a little weak, my clymar manual says it should be a 'fat blue flame', but both plugs have wimmpy looking orange/yellowish sparks...
                  That is an interesting situation. If you have enough voltage to bridge the gap/ arc the gap, the spark should be blue, even if it is a faint and fleeting blue. If it appears yellow/orange, that suggests combustion, so you may have something on the plugs that burns as they spark.
                  Bertrand Russell: 'Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.'

                  ​

                  Comment

                    #10
                    OK. so it appears we have sufficient fuel. I want you to do one more thing for me. Without starting the bike, measure the voltage of the battery at the battery terminals. Then, turn the ignition switch on and again without starting the bike or touching the starter, measure the voltage at the + terminals on your coils. Let me know what those readings are. :-)

                    Earl


                    Originally posted by bobbyl
                    I would say they're pretty much full.
                    Another thing is the spark looks a little weak, my clymar manual says it should be a 'fat blue flame', but both plugs have wimmpy looking orange/yellowish sparks...
                    Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

                    I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      The battery is 13.5

                      The coils are 9.7 and 11.6

                      Appreciate all the help Earl. How do you know so much anyway, are you a mechanic?

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Bob wrote:

                        Appreciate all the help Earl. How do you know so much anyway, are you a mechanic?
                        Hey Bob,

                        I'm trying to figure that out myself. Word has gotten around that Earl raises gators, in fact owns several gator farms down in S. Florida. However, I have the suspicion that he is actually a major stockholder in a company that manufactures "induction tube O-rings".
                        Frosty (falsely accused of "Thread-Hijacking"!)
                        "Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot."

                        Owner of:
                        1982 GS1100E
                        1995 Triumph Daytona 1200

                        Comment

                          #13
                          With good connections (good grounds and clean contacts in the harness plugs) the voltage to the coils and the voltage at the battery should be pretty close to the same thing. As an example, on my 750, with a battery voltage of 13.5, my voltage to both coils is 13.4 You do need to clean some contacts and recheck voltages to be sure you have the system "electrically clean". :-) You cant trouble shoot anything if you dont have a properly functioning electrical system. (one step at a time huh) :-) :-)
                          Hang in there, we just need to take care of the groundwork first. :-)

                          Earl


                          Originally posted by bobbyl
                          The battery is 13.5

                          The coils are 9.7 and 11.6

                          Appreciate all the help Earl. How do you know so much anyway, are you a mechanic?
                          Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

                          I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            I was a bike mechanic in the late 70's, early 80's. :-) Now, I just fix things for a yacht repair facility. I get to play in a lot of different areas. eh eh

                            Earl



                            Originally posted by bobbyl
                            Appreciate all the help Earl. How do you know so much anyway, are you a mechanic?
                            Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

                            I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              I gave the battery a good charge, and it now starts on full choke and eventually will idle a little rough with the choke off. However when I give it gas it gasps and dies. I did clean the carbs, but after looking at the carb clean up pages for a second time I've realized I didnt clean the needle jet and pilot jet. From what I've read on the forum this seems a like a big ommision! Another thing to note is just before I started having the problem I put the petcok on res (I thought I had run out of gas, but the battery had died... that's second on my list to fix). That was the first time it had run on reserve in a long time, and may have sucked some gunk into the carbs.
                              Do the symptoms described sound like a dirty pilot/needle jet?

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next
                              Working...
                              X