HARD START

hayfarmer

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Re: Very hard starting today

I just had the hard starting problem again today.

I have 17000 klms on it now but it has played up twice at starting. The first time was after standing for two days in my mates garage and I put it down to high humidity as there was a lot of rain at the time.
The second time was today and it has been dry for the past week and warm. BUT....

After reading this post I may have found a common denominator. Both times a few days before the problem I had been showing my mates the bike and swiching the ign. on and off, and starting it for a few seconds.
It seems that just swiching the ign on is flooding it and affecting it for days later.

I have been on many long trips in all kind of weather and started it in minus temps and high temps and have had no problems ,

SO , if your not goingto ride it dont play with the ign.

Brian :-\
 

Dirt_Dad

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Re: Very hard starting today

Definitely a theory worth watching. I think that sometime during the week of my episode I had found a blown fuse (not the bike's fault) and had cycled the key a few times before and after replacing the fuse. Seems surprising a flooded status would last that long.
 

freeflow

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Re: Very hard starting today

I had this issue today. freaked me out....glad I found this thread....cranked and cranked at WOT and it fired just fine. I had turned the ignition on and off mutlitple times over the weekend while I was working on the bike (adding heated grips). and a buddy wanted to hear it so he started it up the other night for a minute or so. so yes, I see it was flooded and held that state for a few days....and it was a little cool and humid the last few days...so just a FYI...cuz I really didn't want to have to trailer this bike in ::)
 

tkad

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Re: Very hard starting today

I was installing a wiring harness from easternbeaver and heated grips. in the process of disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and making sure the relay function was correct, I guess I fell into the fuel system pressurization problem, the bike was very hard to start. walked away several times, maybe 5, before the bike finally fired up. shtinky
 

tkad

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Re: Very hard starting today

Tremor38 said:
Yeah, I remember having a bad distuributor cap that was causing failure to start on my Nissan Sentra. When I finally isolated the problem, I remember pulling the plug and shining a light into the cylinders out of curiousity...couldn't believe how much fuel had built-up in those sons-o-guns! I let the plugs dry and spun the engine with the pump fuse pulled. I owned nothing but carbureted cars prior to that (1992ish), so you can image the surprise of finding small lakes in my cylinders. ::013:: In fact, I'm wondering if pulling the pump fuse on the S10 would help to clear the condition a little quicker.
after having it happen, I would disconnect the fuel pump, if it was easy, next time I attempted this type of mod.
 

Dirt_Dad

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Re: Very hard starting today

Easier to leave the kill switch turned off. Prevents the fuel pump from running but all other electrical still work.
 

Rynn Storm

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Re: Very hard starting today

Dirt_Dad said:
Easier to leave the kill switch turned off. Prevents the fuel pump from running but all other electrical still work.
I believe that is the most useful statement I've read all week on the Internet. (I'm planning to install a fuze block soon).
 

colorider

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Re: Very hard starting today

Rynn Storm said:
I believe that is the most useful statement I've read all week on the Internet.
::026::

great suggestion!
 

SisuTen

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Re: Very hard starting today

Dirt_Dad said:
Easier to leave the kill switch turned off. Prevents the fuel pump from running but all other electrical still work.
+1

Hmmm... Unconsciously, I've managed to do the right thing once again. ??? I have always shut down after a ride with the kill switch then turned off the main with the key switch. Conversely, the last thing I do before starting is to enable the kill switch. I guess I have no concerns about flooding at all. On..off..on...off...on..off all day long. ::015::

Undoubtably, someone will pipe up and explain why this is a poor practice. I'm eager to hear why.

Paul
 

Skiptonian

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Re: Very hard starting today

Hi Guys, New to the forum so please be gentle with me. I have also had the starting problem. Ignition had not be turned on but the bike had been stood for a few days after a long weekend trip to Italy (1800 miles), during the trip the bike had never missed a beat, but would not go after a rest at home. This is the second time this has happened. Spoke with local dealer who listened to it cranking over the phone and has just replaced the battery under warranty (I do not believe that to be the problem though). The previous time was again after a European trip and the bike been stood for a couple of weeks, I could only get it runing after using jump leads from the car and cranking for about 15 - 20mins. There was a strong fuel smell on both occasions and the dealer said not to touch the throttle at all when starting !! as this could flood the engine and then they are very difficult to start....... I really do not know.. I suspect there is more to this then we know ...
 

Dirt_Dad

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Re: Very hard starting today

Rynn Storm said:
I believe that is the most useful statement I've read all week on the Internet. (I'm planning to install a fuze block soon).
Shucks...I'm pretty sure I was not the first to post that solution.
 

colorider

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Re: Very hard starting today

Dirt_Dad said:
Shucks...I'm pretty sure I was not the first to post that solution.
Perhaps not, but we're going to give you credit for it!!!
::003::
 

switchback

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Re: Very hard starting today



Ethanol mandated in gasoline has caused me serious headaches with my carburated vehicles and I can see how it could cause issues with FI bikes as well. Stumbled upon this stuff in my local Ducati dealer and they highly recommended it for their bikes. Use it in all my bikes now, at least on occasion. A year later everyone I know that rides swears by it as do I. May want to try some, available at any Carquest auto parts store.

Seriously, my DR 650 carb was orange inside, yet it was used daily. Star-Tron is the only stuff that would keep it running. Ethanol just plain sucks. Don't know if this is causing this particular issue but for $10 it treats something like 125 gallons.

No, I do not have any interest in the company.
 

fredz43

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Re: Very hard starting today

I also had read the tip about the kill switch some time back, after having this problem when installing heated grips about a month ago. There had been other times when I turned the key on several times, but didn't have the flooding problem. Today while experimenting with some more electrical items, I purposely left the kill switch in the normal running position, while I turned the key on 5 different times. Each time I heard the fuel pump prime when I turned the key on. When I finally decided to start it, it started tight up.

Since it seems that several of us have had this problem after fitting heated grips, I wonder if the problem is our opening the throttle several times after the fuel pump has primed the system. I know that I had the key on and off several times when I installed the grips and was experimenting with the relay and wiring. When I put the throttle side grip on, I know that I twisted the throttle several times while sliding the grip over the heating element. The key was off at that time, but the system had been primed several times. When it was all finished, I tried to start it and it was flooded. I then had to do the full throttle while cranking routine to get it started.

Since then, I turn the kill switch on if I am going to be turning the key on and not starting the bike, until today, when I tried it several times, but didn't touch the throttle. I'll still use the kill switch to be safe, but still wonder if opening the throttle after the system is primed is the culpret that causes flooding.
 

Dirt_Dad

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Re: Very hard starting today

ColoRider said:
Perhaps not, but we're going to give you credit for it!!!
::003::
Cool...I rock!



My episode was not related to heated grips and no throttle twisting was involved. Instead it happened while installing a hyper light, 3 days after the last ride and 4 days before the next attempted start. I did turn on and off the key many times while testing which wires to use and the light itself.
 

fredz43

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Re: Very hard starting today

Dirt_Dad said:
Cool...I rock!



My episode was not related to heated grips and no throttle twisting was involved. Instead it happened while installing a hyper light, 3 days after the last ride and 4 days before the next attempted start. I did turn on and off the key many times while testing which wires to use and the light itself.
Good to know, thanks. As I said, just to be safe, I will continue to turn the kill switch switch off as a good habit when fooling with the key switch. Just had to try an experiment today and evidently I got lucky.
 

Dirt_Dad

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Re: Very hard starting today

Tremor38 said:
Not exactly. What I'm trying to accomplish is turning over the engine to expedite clearing of a flooded condition. With the kill switch in kill position, the starter won't engadge. You might have taken what I said earlier out of context, but if you really do believe that 'all other electricals work,' try spinning the starter with the kill switch in kill position. I know this doesn't hold true for every brand or model of bike...but it does for the S10.
Touche. I've never had a bike that would engage the electric starter with the kill switch off. I did misunderstand your goals. Good luck with the experiment.
 

fredz43

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Re: Very hard starting today

Well, my experiment yesterday with leaving the kill switch off for 5 times while I turned the key on, not touching the throttle, followed by it starting successfully backfired today. Yesterday, when it started successfully after my repeated turn ons of the key lead me to believe that perhaps that was because I had not touched the throttle. When it did start, I only let it run for a short time and then shut it off for the day.

Today I finished installing a horn relay and my Piaa horn and then installed my Akra slip on and then tried to start the bike and guess what? IT WAS FLOODED! Damn!

Finally got it going using the full throttle cranking deal, which took quite some time. Lesson learned, always turn the kill switch to the kill position when I am going to turn the key on but not start the bike.
 

Tremor38

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Re: Very hard starting today

Dirt_Dad said:
Touche. I've never had a bike that would engage the electric starter with the kill switch off. I did misunderstand your goals. Good luck with the experiment.
1979 CX-500! I darn near drained the batttery in the middle of nowhere Tenesse before figuring out I had bumped the kill switch slightly off of the run position . ...dumb, dumb...dumb.
 
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