Posts
782
Joined
8/21/2016
Location
Spring, TX
US
Braaaphole
8/6/2018 7:34pm
8/6/2018 7:34pm
Edited Date/Time
8/22/2018 5:28pm
Problem started the last time I rode. I made 2 1/2 laps, just enough to get the bike up to temp and heat saturated. Bike was running perfectly, just as it always has. Came into a corner 3rd gear fairly hot, as soon as I pull in the clutch and get on the brakes the bike died. I coast off to the side to get out of the way and go to restart, press the button and it doesn't want to start. It would fire but wouldn't stay started. Keep trying for a minute and it will finally start with just a little input from the throttle, let off the throttle and it immediately stalls.
I get it going and ride it back to my truck like this and let it sit for a few to cool off and think it over.
Start the bike back up and it fires right up and idles but it misses every couple of seconds, then after about 20 seconds it stalls again. Try again and it will stay running with just a little twist of the throttle and still a miss here and there, let off and it stalls. It gets worse the hotter the bike gets.
This was the Saturday before Loretta's and I didn't have time to mess with it before we left. So today I start digging into it.
Pulled the fuel filter at the quick disconnect out completely, no change.
Pulled out the fuel pump and checked that the line wasn't kinked. It looked great.
Checked that the fuel pump was kicking on and running, it seems fine and there appears to be no issue with the relay.
Checked the fuse and it was good
Checked the stator and it reads within spec according to the manual
Checked the coil and it's within spec
Checked the spark plug cap and it's within spec
It seems to be a weak spark or losing spark, but everything checks out fine. I also sanded the contact points on the frame and the coil to ensure it had a solid ground. I haven't checked the spark plug, I'll get a new on tomorrow and put it in.
I don't think it's a fuel issue, but could be wrong. If it were fuel, I'd expect it to stall at any RPM and not just at idle. I would check fuel pressure but don't have a way to do so, I'll have to bring it somewhere for that.
Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks
I get it going and ride it back to my truck like this and let it sit for a few to cool off and think it over.
Start the bike back up and it fires right up and idles but it misses every couple of seconds, then after about 20 seconds it stalls again. Try again and it will stay running with just a little twist of the throttle and still a miss here and there, let off and it stalls. It gets worse the hotter the bike gets.
This was the Saturday before Loretta's and I didn't have time to mess with it before we left. So today I start digging into it.
Pulled the fuel filter at the quick disconnect out completely, no change.
Pulled out the fuel pump and checked that the line wasn't kinked. It looked great.
Checked that the fuel pump was kicking on and running, it seems fine and there appears to be no issue with the relay.
Checked the fuse and it was good
Checked the stator and it reads within spec according to the manual
Checked the coil and it's within spec
Checked the spark plug cap and it's within spec
It seems to be a weak spark or losing spark, but everything checks out fine. I also sanded the contact points on the frame and the coil to ensure it had a solid ground. I haven't checked the spark plug, I'll get a new on tomorrow and put it in.
I don't think it's a fuel issue, but could be wrong. If it were fuel, I'd expect it to stall at any RPM and not just at idle. I would check fuel pressure but don't have a way to do so, I'll have to bring it somewhere for that.
Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks
Check in this area
If that is it, I’d try someone else ECU and make sure the TPS is set correct.
I have a set of fuel filters and a new spark plug cap on the way, I'll get those changed later this week and see what happens.
The Shop
Battery voltage sits at 13.3V, it drops to around 9V under load. While the bike is running it's at 13.5V. Disconnect the battery and check the voltage on the cables and I'm at 14.1V coming from the rectifier.
I'm struggling with the TPS. My understanding is that I should be getting around .5V at idle. However, I'm getting the full 5V across the 2 outside pins. Maybe the TPS is bad?
I'm stuck on the in tank fuel filter being the issue but won't know until I get the new one in. I didn't think it was a fuel issue at first but now I'm leaning/hoping that's what it is. Either way, I need to get this thing running.
Maybe water in the fuel?
Did you test your stator while hot? If its cold its very possible it reads fine and the output is good. Once hot it could be bad. Same for other ignition related parts. Im not sure where the coil is exactly on your bike, but if its close to the engine it can get hot and short out or cause the resistence to climb high enough to be too hard to send voltage to the plug.
Just a small reference story..
Kawasaki themselves had to work with my kawi dealership to solve this same issue on my kx450. They basically described it as chasing a “ghost”. Everything on the bike measured perfect until it got hot after 5 mins or so of running. My bike didnt idle until the rpms were held high. And to get it started you had to kick it as fast as you could to build a charge. The stators output got weaker as the bike warmed up and the only way to keep power to everything was to get the rpms up for a higher output. Which on a kawi is 37v. It caused a mean misfire as well.
I don't know that it's water, but you saying that did make me realize that I had opened a new can of T4 and poured it in there when the issue started. I rode it 2 nights previous on T4 from another can and the bike ran fine. I'll try some pump gas today and see if that has any affect or if it's just a coincidence.
I was thinking the water would have come in from washing the bike but who knows? T4 has a very small capacity for water while ethanol based pump fuel has a much higher capacity. So adding some ethanol pump fuel would be a good idea or you can also go to the auto parts and get some gas tank drying additive, which is isopropanol. A very small droplet of water sitting on top of the fuel injector can cause all kinds of issues. I do have pure methanol, ethanol and isopropanol if you wanted to squirt some in the fuel line at the quick connect and then crank the engine over to make sure the fuel system is dry.
Let me know if I can help...
Greg
Pit Row
250 and 350 are the same.
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