engine randomly cut out
Discussion
hi all,
just got back from a great ride across leicestershire, running at the redline through the twisties. when i got back into town on the way home, the engine made a peculiar sound and the bike just lost power. i pulled the clutch in and the engine had cut out.
i pulled over (in one of the less desirable parts of town) to the side of the road and it was as though all the electrics had failed. the oil light came on but the started motor wouldn't engage. there was fuel in the tank, i had only done 80 miles since filling up. i switched the fuel to the reserve tank, but nothing. i'd switched the ignition on and off several times, but nothing. tried moving the choke but nothing. eventually, i moved the ignition from off to 'lock' and back on again, and fired her up and the engine started up again.
but then about a mile and a half further on, the engine cut out again. this time on a busy two lane road. this time the started motor would turn, but the engine wouldn't fire up. i switched the ignition on and off and still nothing, just the started motor turning, but no engine firing up. i then pullled the choke out and the engine fired up. very strange. i managed to get home, and nothing seems strange and out of place on the bike.
Any ideas? ps, the bike is a 1994 yamaha fzr 600
just got back from a great ride across leicestershire, running at the redline through the twisties. when i got back into town on the way home, the engine made a peculiar sound and the bike just lost power. i pulled the clutch in and the engine had cut out.
i pulled over (in one of the less desirable parts of town) to the side of the road and it was as though all the electrics had failed. the oil light came on but the started motor wouldn't engage. there was fuel in the tank, i had only done 80 miles since filling up. i switched the fuel to the reserve tank, but nothing. i'd switched the ignition on and off several times, but nothing. tried moving the choke but nothing. eventually, i moved the ignition from off to 'lock' and back on again, and fired her up and the engine started up again.
but then about a mile and a half further on, the engine cut out again. this time on a busy two lane road. this time the started motor would turn, but the engine wouldn't fire up. i switched the ignition on and off and still nothing, just the started motor turning, but no engine firing up. i then pullled the choke out and the engine fired up. very strange. i managed to get home, and nothing seems strange and out of place on the bike.
Any ideas? ps, the bike is a 1994 yamaha fzr 600
does it seem electrical or mechanical?
electrical faults tend to cut like you switched it off, mechanical normally give you a moments warning before dying.
i had a 1994 RF that started to randomly cut & nothing happening. turned out it was a rotten wire in a multi-plug & everytime it lost contact there was no power to the ignition switch.
electrical faults tend to cut like you switched it off, mechanical normally give you a moments warning before dying.
i had a 1994 RF that started to randomly cut & nothing happening. turned out it was a rotten wire in a multi-plug & everytime it lost contact there was no power to the ignition switch.
ok, just got back onto the bike, or rather tried to but it failed me again.
this time i think it's definately mechanical. the bike started up ok with the choke open. i closed it to halfway whilst donning my gloves and helmet when i started to hear the revs drop even though i'd not altered the choke position again. a bit odd, but then i'd not ridden it for nearly two weeks so i opened up the choke again and the revs rose a wee bit before dropping back down again. the engine idled at about 1000rpm for a few moments and then cut out.
with the choke open, the engine started again, but only for about a minute with the revs not rising above 2000rpm even with the throttle open. then the engine died and it won't come to life again.
i've checked and there is fuel in the tank and i've tried on main tank and reserve tank, but no joy.
Any ideas guys?
TIA, Anand
this time i think it's definately mechanical. the bike started up ok with the choke open. i closed it to halfway whilst donning my gloves and helmet when i started to hear the revs drop even though i'd not altered the choke position again. a bit odd, but then i'd not ridden it for nearly two weeks so i opened up the choke again and the revs rose a wee bit before dropping back down again. the engine idled at about 1000rpm for a few moments and then cut out.
with the choke open, the engine started again, but only for about a minute with the revs not rising above 2000rpm even with the throttle open. then the engine died and it won't come to life again.
i've checked and there is fuel in the tank and i've tried on main tank and reserve tank, but no joy.
Any ideas guys?
TIA, Anand
It sounds like fuel starvation of some description. This could be because the tank breather is blocked or the petrol feed is blocked. Try running the bike without the petrol cap in the tank. If the bike carries on running then it’s a blocked fuel breather that’s the problem.
Does (should) the bike have a fuel pump? If the pump is not working (perhaps fuse gone) then gravity may give enough to start the bike and run for a very short while. Do you hear the pump "whir" when you turn the bike on?
Also, the choke should be in the start position (closed) to start the bike but should be switched to the run position (open) pretty soon after the bike has started, especially in the warm weather we have at the moment. Running with the choke closed (in the start position) will quickly flood the bike and stop it working.
Hope that helps.
Does (should) the bike have a fuel pump? If the pump is not working (perhaps fuse gone) then gravity may give enough to start the bike and run for a very short while. Do you hear the pump "whir" when you turn the bike on?
Also, the choke should be in the start position (closed) to start the bike but should be switched to the run position (open) pretty soon after the bike has started, especially in the warm weather we have at the moment. Running with the choke closed (in the start position) will quickly flood the bike and stop it working.
Hope that helps.
the pump definately whirred when i turned the ignition. the bike did the same thing on the way back on the side of the road after a long ride when i last took it out a couple of weeks ago but fortunately it stayed alive long enough for me to get home.
i've called the lovely chap from the AA to come and have a look. after all, i haven't used their services in over 10 years of membership.
thanks for all your help though everyone.
i've called the lovely chap from the AA to come and have a look. after all, i haven't used their services in over 10 years of membership.
thanks for all your help though everyone.
PANTS, PANTS, PANTS!!!
the lovely chap form the AA came out and the bloody thing started first time and didn't cut out after several minutes of idling and revving.
i bid him an embarrassing farewell and tootled back upstairs to get my gear ( i live in a top floor appartment). started the bike up again, no probs. went to have a chat with the lovely lady from next door and helped her unload her golf clubs from her SAAB cabriolet. by the time i came back to the idling bike and put my helmet on, it only went and died on me. all efforts to revive it have failed. By this time the AA man had hot-footed it across town and when i phoned them up again, they said it may be over two hours
i've given up for today and am going to try again tomorrow. When the AA man comes to start it up, i shall insist on him following me around for a few miles until the bloody bike cuts out again.
right, rant over, im off to have a large glass of wine. another evening of excellent weather wasted!
the lovely chap form the AA came out and the bloody thing started first time and didn't cut out after several minutes of idling and revving.
i bid him an embarrassing farewell and tootled back upstairs to get my gear ( i live in a top floor appartment). started the bike up again, no probs. went to have a chat with the lovely lady from next door and helped her unload her golf clubs from her SAAB cabriolet. by the time i came back to the idling bike and put my helmet on, it only went and died on me. all efforts to revive it have failed. By this time the AA man had hot-footed it across town and when i phoned them up again, they said it may be over two hours
i've given up for today and am going to try again tomorrow. When the AA man comes to start it up, i shall insist on him following me around for a few miles until the bloody bike cuts out again.
right, rant over, im off to have a large glass of wine. another evening of excellent weather wasted!
TallPaul said:
I'd put my money on either a dodgy sidestand switch (pretty common), or possibly a bad connection at the ignition switch - less likely.
my boss'es bike last week in the car park,he started set off (about 1M) then conked out and fell sideways onto one of sales'
crappy cars
brilliant laugh
308mate said:
mojitomax said:
okay, in the words of a newbie simpleton, What is a regulator/rectifier?
As a fellow simpleton I must confess - i dont actually know 
But mine s
t itself once and the results were the same.black-k1 said:
308mate said:
mojitomax said:
okay, in the words of a newbie simpleton, What is a regulator/rectifier?
As a fellow simpleton I must confess - i dont actually know But mine s
t itself once and the results were the same.The fact that it runs, then cuts out does suggest a fuel related problem. When it stops, is the fuel pump still running- suggesting that fuel is not reaching it either due to a blocked breather (removing the cap as suggested is an excellent way to discount that), or a blockage in the fuel delivery pipe/fuel filter. If the bike doesn't get used that often, rust particles can form in the petrol tank, these can then clog evrything 'downstream'. Id check the fuel tap/petcock for sludge buildup, then look at the carbs to see if the float bowls are full of crud. Whilst they are apart, take the jets out and blow them through with an airline.
I've just noticed its an FZR600, does it have an electric fuel switch? These can give problems, when they start failing, often the solution is to switch it to reserve, even if the tank is full. There should be a float type sender in the tank, these can corrode and fail too. The system works by using the float level in the tank to detect when the fuel is low, it then cuts the signal to the ECU until the fuel switch is set to reserve. Had a very similar intermittent fault on my EXUP.
I had loads of trouble with my 2003 R6 doing a very similar thing - spent a week on a dyno, new fuel pump, new plugs, new coils - several hundred pounds later it turned out to be dirt/water in the engine kill switch (the big red one next to the throttle). When it hit a certain vibration it would make/break the connection and kill the engine. it looked like fuel starvation as it cut power to the fuel pump too.
It was a ten minute job to fix it (once diagnosed). My brother had similar problem last year on his ZX6R too.
It was a ten minute job to fix it (once diagnosed). My brother had similar problem last year on his ZX6R too.
right, enough is enough. either someone has put a hex on me or i must have done pretty damn naughty/evil recently and i'm pretty sure it's not the latter as i'm sure i would have remembered it (doing naughty things are always so much more fun right!
i am transportationally cursed. it's not enough that my bike doesn't want to play, but this afternoon on the way to work the battery light came on in my car and on the way back i lost all electrics. the alternator is buggerred. lots of hammering of it by the AA man (again) didn't help, so he kindly gave me a new battery so i could get back home and to the garage. i think that's it for the car. it's going to have to go (as long as someone can make my bike come alive again) and then i can spend the summer on two wheels and worry about the horrible winter later.
But as well as my bike and car being out of action, my pushbike has a puncture in the front wheel. i've just had a look at it and there are three huge thorns embedded in my inner tube
Anyway, i've got that sorted now so i'm off to cycle as far as my little legs can take me to vent off some of this frustration!
i am transportationally cursed. it's not enough that my bike doesn't want to play, but this afternoon on the way to work the battery light came on in my car and on the way back i lost all electrics. the alternator is buggerred. lots of hammering of it by the AA man (again) didn't help, so he kindly gave me a new battery so i could get back home and to the garage. i think that's it for the car. it's going to have to go (as long as someone can make my bike come alive again) and then i can spend the summer on two wheels and worry about the horrible winter later.
But as well as my bike and car being out of action, my pushbike has a puncture in the front wheel. i've just had a look at it and there are three huge thorns embedded in my inner tube
Anyway, i've got that sorted now so i'm off to cycle as far as my little legs can take me to vent off some of this frustration!
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