Picked up the bike about a month or so ago and I just started riding it on the street 2 weeks ago.
I have 2 problems:
1. The bike randomly will idle like garbage. It will stall if I dont manually hold an idle. At this point when I come off idle say at a light the thing spits and sputters until I yank the trottle until it smooths out with a violent jerk.
I have only lubed the chain and changed the oil and filter so far.
Could it be plugs? Coils? Fuel Filter?
2. I get a strong coolant smell once the bike is at operating temp. The wierd thing is I have no obvious leaks and the coolant level doesnt change.
The bike does not run hot, ever. 165F cruising and I've seen 209F in traffic. I havent even had the fan kick on probably due to the fact that I'm riding in 30-65 deg weather.
Mileage? 25k on mine and it idles fine. That's not from being treated well either... check your blue connector(search "blue connector fix"), it might be one of the symptoms of the harness recall not being done.
Fan kicks on at 215. 165-180 is normal operating temp. There's something that can leak coolant in small amounts under the throttle bodies, but I forget what it is. I get the smell too sometimes, but have to admit that I haven't checked it yet.
[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 19 March 2010 - 07:31 AM, said:
Mileage? 25k on mine and it idles fine. That's not from being treated well either... check your blue connector(search "blue connector fix"), it might be one of the symptoms of the harness recall not being done.
Fan kicks on at 215. 165-180 is normal operating temp. There's something that can leak coolant in small amounts under the throttle bodies, but I forget what it is. I get the smell too sometimes, but have to admit that I haven't checked it yet.
Only 11k
I'll check the connector and your coolant mention this weekend when I install that fpr...
I have an '05 with 6k on it and have been having the same problem, mostly the poor idling. It doesn't do it too often, but it seems to happen when I pull in the clutch when coming to a stop with some speed without down shifting (20-30 mph maybe, say pulling up to a stoplight/sign).
It idles down to what looks like 200-500 rpm and is very glitchy when you twist the throttle to go. It won't stall but it doesn't want to move either. I have to give the throttle a good quick snap, or shut the bike off and re-start it, in which point it runs fine again.
Never over heats but does smell occasionally. I have had the recall done.
I will be doing an oil change soon and am also going to flush the radiator.
Only one thing is both dependant on idle and coolant, and that is the wax unit. Coolant run into the wax unit and heats it up melts it and it expands pushing a rod that controls the starter vavles that lowers the starting idle. Its under the airbox too. The wax unit is the automatic choke.
lets get all of the funny solutions out of the way
Did you try giving it the "Fonzi smack"?
Did you try adding NOS to the fuel tank?
it sounds like a problem in the engine management system, since it's random and not constant I'd start with checking the fuel filter and O2 sensors (I'd take them out and spray them with some brake cleaner) and are you using good gas? that ethanol shizz makes my cars idle rough randomly and I've heard it cloggs the injectors, I don't know about VFR's cause I never put it in mine. one more thing to play with is the idle adjustment screw.
Is your bike a 6 gen? If so, It is likely the IAC (Idle Air Control) unit. It operates with a small plunger that regulates the idle air flow. It may have crap on it keeping it from functioning smoothly, or the air hole it uses to regulate the idle may have debris in it. A little carb cleaner sprayed on it might fix it right up or it may need replacing if that doesnt work. It is on the throttle body assy. Get a parts diagram and you'll see what Im talking about. Chevy used to have problems with their units too. Pretty common as they are a low bidder type part.
I seriously doubt its a computer software issue. Those problems are rare and usually they either work or they dont. My 2 cents.
[image: View Post]StuntManDan, on 19 March 2010 - 10:33 AM, said:
lets get all of the funny solutions out of the way
Did you try giving it the "Fonzi smack"?
Did you try adding NOS to the fuel tank?
it sounds like a problem in the engine management system, since it's random and not constant I'd start with checking the fuel filter and O2 sensors (I'd take them out and spray them with some brake cleaner) and are you using good gas? that ethanol shizz makes my cars idle rough randomly and I've heard it cloggs the injectors, I don't know about VFR's cause I never put it in mine. one more thing to play with is the idle adjustment screw.
I'm on my first full tank of 93....The PO used 87!!! I almost shit when he told me. Oh and he added sta-bil to the tank over the winter. All of thats gone now.
No NOS...lol
I plan on swapping the fuel filter if I get to that point in the process.
[image: View Post]flash1034, on 19 March 2010 - 10:41 AM, said:
Is your bike a 6 gen? If so, It is likely the IAC (Idle Air Control) unit. It operates with a small plunger that regulates the idle air flow. It may have crap on it keeping it from functioning smoothly, or the air hole it uses to regulate the idle may have debris in it. A little carb cleaner sprayed on it might fix it right up or it may need replacing if that doesnt work. It is on the throttle body assy. Get a parts diagram and you'll see what Im talking about. Chevy used to have problems with their units too. Pretty common as they are a low bidder type part.
I seriously doubt its a computer software issue. Those problems are rare and usually they either work or they dont. My 2 cents.
Flash
Yep 6th Gen.
I'll definatly be in and around the t-bodies this weekend so I will consider cleaning the iac while im there.
My bike only seems to act up when the engine is warm. I'll look into cleaning some of the different parts for gunk.
Any ideas though as to why when it idles so low shutting the bike down and restarting does the trick? Makes it sounds like an electrical/mapping problem...
I have been reading more and more about the ill effects of ethanol, is there a site or way to find out which gas stations sell the good stuff?
I will start to check the local ones I normally use...
[image: View Post]smittyrider03, on 19 March 2010 - 10:50 AM, said:
My bike only seems to act up when the engine is warm. I'll look into cleaning some of the different parts for gunk.
Any ideas though as to why when it idles so low shutting the bike down and restarting does the trick? Makes it sounds like an electrical/mapping problem...
I have been reading more and more about the ill effects of ethanol, is there a site or way to find out which gas stations sell the good stuff?
I will start to check the local ones I normally use...
Mine does it more consistenly when its at op temp.
[image: View Post]8716valver, on 19 March 2010 - 10:45 AM, said:
[image: View Post]StuntManDan, on 19 March 2010 - 10:33 AM, said:
lets get all of the funny solutions out of the way
Did you try giving it the "Fonzi smack"?
Did you try adding NOS to the fuel tank?
it sounds like a problem in the engine management system, since it's random and not constant I'd start with checking the fuel filter and O2 sensors (I'd take them out and spray them with some brake cleaner) and are you using good gas? that ethanol shizz makes my cars idle rough randomly and I've heard it cloggs the injectors, I don't know about VFR's cause I never put it in mine. one more thing to play with is the idle adjustment screw.
I'm on my first full tank of 93....The PO used 87!!! I almost shit when he told me. Oh and he added sta-bil to the tank over the winter. All of thats gone now.
No NOS...lol
I plan on swapping the fuel filter if I get to that point in the process.
Absolutely nothing wrong with using 87, it is what is specified for the bike. Using 93 is mostly a waste of money as the bike doesn't have high enough compression to need the higher octane.
[image: View Post]Tightwad, on 19 March 2010 - 12:08 PM, said:
Absolutely nothing wrong with using 87, it is what is specified for the bike. Using 93 is mostly a waste of money as the bike doesn't have high enough compression to need the higher octane.
+1
But this is an age old debate. Tires, oil, fuel, ect...
[image: View Post]Tightwad, on 19 March 2010 - 01:08 PM, said:
[image: View Post]8716valver, on 19 March 2010 - 10:45 AM, said:
[image: View Post]StuntManDan, on 19 March 2010 - 10:33 AM, said:
lets get all of the funny solutions out of the way
Did you try giving it the "Fonzi smack"?
Did you try adding NOS to the fuel tank?
it sounds like a problem in the engine management system, since it's random and not constant I'd start with checking the fuel filter and O2 sensors (I'd take them out and spray them with some brake cleaner) and are you using good gas? that ethanol shizz makes my cars idle rough randomly and I've heard it cloggs the injectors, I don't know about VFR's cause I never put it in mine. one more thing to play with is the idle adjustment screw.
I'm on my first full tank of 93....The PO used 87!!! I almost shit when he told me. Oh and he added sta-bil to the tank over the winter. All of thats gone now.
No NOS...lol
I plan on swapping the fuel filter if I get to that point in the process.
Absolutely nothing wrong with using 87, it is what is specified for the bike. Using 93 is mostly a waste of money as the bike doesn't have high enough compression to need the higher octane.
The way I see it, anything I can go 140+mph :wheel: on or in is getting 93. I know it doesn't need it but it cost me about $40 more a year, to me that's not a big deal. It's also a safety issue, 93 has a higher flash point so in the event of a crash it's less likely to catch on fire. :goofy: LOL
End of thread · 16 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 10 Apr 2010