'02 Running Rough At Idle, Smoke, And No Power In Low End. . .

Hi guys -- been away from the forums for while, but I'm having a pretty significant issue with the VFR, and need to reach out to see if anyone has had similar issues and what suggestions are out there for trouble shooting / solving this problem.

Here's the run down:

1. Moved the bike to the new house about 2 months ago. I noticed that she was running a little weird -- no low end power, and it took higher revs to start from a dead stop. Other than that, everything seemed fairly normal.

2. Today, went out to go for a ride, started her up, and got some white-ish smoke. The bike idled up, and then smoothed out and the smoke seemed to go away. However, on revving the engine in neutral, some white smoke was still produced.

3. Proceeded on my ride (short -- maybe 10 miles) and noticed the low end getting progressively weaker, to the point where I had to rev significantly to start from a dead stop. Felt like I was trying to take off in third gear. Lots of smoke being produced. Rough feeling throughout the RPM range.

4. Coming around a corner towards home, downshifted, and the bike completely died. Stopped, and she restarted, but only after I ran the starter and gave it about 20% throttle at the same time. Again, lots of white-ish smoke on start up.

So, any suggestions? My thoughts are that it could be some bad gas, but more likely a bad spark plug or something having to do with the fuel injection system. I plan do to the following:

1. Change Oil and filter

2. Change air filter

3. Check for head gasket leaks

4. Check and replace spark plugs

Any other suggestions if these things don't happen to rectify the problem? Any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

Nate

White smoke is often a symptom of coolant entering the combustion process. A compression test would be helpful - it can confirm you have a problem but not exactly what it is. The best test would be a leakdown test. Once a cylinder is pressurized, air would normally only have one of 3 ways out - past the rings, exhaust valve(s) or intake valve(s). Listening to any of the 3 tracts would confirm it getting out that way. The 4th way though would be a blown head gasket. In that case, air bubbles will appear in the coolant. If your coolant is low or you've had to keep adding it would be another sign that it's leaking past the head gasket. The loss of compression would also be consistent with the lack of power you're experiencing. You could also have the oil analyzed to find out if coolant is present. That can boil off after a prolonged ride though, so that may not be conclusive.

Best of luck with it.

While I'm sure Cogswell is right and his post is more relevant than mine, I can't help but think that I would check the obvious for 6th gens: gas in the tank (maybe something weird in it?), and then the main fuses and the state of the battery. Most likely not the problem but it does not take long to do all that anyways. Then I would tackle the most likely causes, which will require more work.

Good luck and keep us updated!

C

That's a really good point about water in the gas, it can easily happen if it's been sitting for a long period. I agree - check the easy things first then move on to the rest!

I suppose it could be the fuel, but I'd be surprised. It really feels and sounds like it's only running on 3 cylinders . . . .I'll continue to run some fuel through it. I filled it up with fresh fuel this afternoon first thing on my ride, so hopefully that will help.

If you do have a lot of water in the tank adding new fuel will generally not help much. The fuel floats on the water and the intake's at the bottom of the tank. There are additives such as Heet and others that are supposed to suspend the water in the fuel and help it burn - but if you really have a lot of water the best remedy will be to remove it. Once mostly empty the tank could be flipped over and drained, or propping the tank up will allow all the fuel/water to be siphoned out. Probably not a good idea, but once I used a microfiber towel and a long wooden dowel to work the cloth to the bottom of the tank to soak up the remainder to get it bone dry. The fuel pump could also be removed, but that's a lot of work. Once you have a known clean tank, trying fresh fuel should eliminate that as a possibility.

Leaky Head Gasket Check...

You can visual inspect for a leaking head gasket by pulling the spark
plugs and peering down each hole... if the top of the piston is black
then no leak that cylinder... if the top of the piston is a bright
shiny aluminum then leak detected... because a leaky head gasket
allows coolant in and that produces steam under the heat of
combustion... the net effect is a super clean piston dome and no nasty
black...

Thanks BLS -- I was going to pull the spark plugs and check / replace them anyway, so I'll be sure to have a look while I'm at it. Will probably start digging into this little project on Sunday.

By the way -- it's been FOREVER since I bought any replacement parts for the Honda on-line. Any suggestions for reputable, cheap, and fast vendors?

Thanks,

Nate

N8sVFR

Thanks BLS -- I was going to pull the spark plugs and check / replace them anyway, so I'll be sure to have a look while I'm at it. Will probably start digging into this little project on Sunday.

By the way -- it's been FOREVER since I bought any replacement parts for the Honda on-line. Any suggestions for reputable, cheap, and fast vendors?

Thanks,

Nate

Partszilla.com

The cheapest I have found OEM parts was at ProCaliber motorsports in Longview WA. Shipping is free on orders over $99 as well.

N8sVFR

Thanks BLS -- I was going to pull the spark plugs and check / replace them anyway, so I'll be sure to have a look while I'm at it. Will probably start digging into this little project on Sunday.

By the way -- it's been FOREVER since I bought any replacement parts for the Honda on-line. Any suggestions for reputable, cheap, and fast vendors?

Thanks,

Nate

You're welcome... I've had good experiences with Ron Ayers but they don't ship over seas...

http://www.ronayers.com/

Update: Need some help here guys.

So, replaced all 4 spark plugs, air filter, engine oil, and topped off the coolant.

Here's what happened: I start up the bike, and after a bit of cranking, she roughly starts . . . good sign, I think to myself.

Then, I see fluid coming out of the exhaust. I think, must just be water vapor. . . .I put my hand to it and. . . .no!!!!!!! IT'S RAW GASOLINE COMING OUT THE EXHAUST!!

So, here are my thoughts. I must have lost a coil (or more than one. . . .not sure if there are two or four), and therefore, I'm not getting spark in at least one of the cylinders.

I don't have a service manual. . . .so here's where I need the help. Do we have a link to one on here? Or can someone simply point me in the right direction? Obviously, this has to be a spark problem, because I'm getting fuel (as evidenced by the raw gasoline being spit from my exhaust) and air through my fresh air filter.

Thanks for the help. . . .hope I can get this resolved in short order.

-Nate

N8sVFR

Update: Need some help here guys.

So, replaced all 4 spark plugs, air filter, engine oil, and topped off the coolant.

Here's what happened: I start up the bike, and after a bit of cranking, she roughly starts . . . good sign, I think to myself.

Then, I see fluid coming out of the exhaust. I think, must just be water vapor. . . .I put my hand to it and. . . .no!!!!!!! IT'S RAW GASOLINE COMING OUT THE EXHAUST!!

So, here are my thoughts. I must have lost a coil (or more than one. . . .not sure if there are two or four), and therefore, I'm not getting spark in at least one of the cylinders.

I don't have a service manual. . . .so here's where I need the help. Do we have a link to one on here? Or can someone simply point me in the right direction? Obviously, this has to be a spark problem, because I'm getting fuel (as evidenced by the raw gasoline being spit from my exhaust) and air through my fresh air filter.

Thanks for the help. . . .hope I can get this resolved in short order.

-Nate

Here's the manual.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/files/file/220-02-09-honda-vfr-service-manual-optimized-bookmarked/

If you have just one cylinder not firing, the plugs should tell the story. It could be as simple as the wiring not fully connected to a coil pack. Best of luck with it.

The coils are on each plug on the 6th gen... I have 3 spares at 15€ each plus postage (from Spain)

Ok. Got some troubleshooting done today. I got the bike running again, and after shutting it off and preparing to start pulling the coils to test for spark, I inadvertently came close to touching one of the header pipes. . . .it was HOT. And then it dawned on me. . . . if the header is hot, then obviously, that cylinder is firing!!!! So, in about 10 seconds, I determined that cylinder 1 header was hot, 2 was hot, 3 was STONE COLD and 4 was hot!! So, pretty quickly isolated the problem to the #3 cylinder and the coil!! Unfortunately, in the process, I managed to cook my old 'already-in-doubt' LiFe4 battery from MOTY Designs. I've had that battery for about three or four years, and it gave me trouble when trying to use it this last time. I let one of the cells drop below 4 volts, and then used a trickle charger to enough voltage in it to then charge it properly. I'm not certain, but prior to having the issues with the battery, the bike ran fine. . . .so, I'm actually wondering if simply replacing the battery will fix my direct coil problem, or if the coil just happened to go bad at the same time coincidentally. I've ordered the new battery this afternoon, and will probably go ahead and order a new direct ignition coil, just to be safe.

Anyway, turns out that diagnosing the source of the issue was a lot simpler and more 'common sense' than I had figured on. Hope that replacing the battery (and possibly the coil) does the trick!!

You can check each coil pack individually with a know good plug. 9 times out of 10 when you have raw fuel coming out of the exhaust the fuel pressure regulator is the culprit. You will foul all the plugs but number 3 might have just been the first to go. The bike will run like crap if the fpr is leaking by. Personally, I would test all the coils for fire first. If they are all working, install a new set of plugs, but let the cylinders air out for a while after the old plugs have been removed. Pull the vacuum line for the fpr and if the inside of the line is wet, you have found the culprit. You will also smell a strong odor of fuel in the crank case too if the fpr is shot.

Well,test running was with all new spark plugs. . . .I didn't have a chance to test all four of the coils, just the front two cylinders, and they were both good. Now that the battery is toast, I'll have to wait until the new battery gets here to test some more, but I went ahead and ordered a new coil anyway. Hope that it doesn't need a fuel pressure regulator, but time will tell. Just as a side note, all four of the old plugs looked fairly similar, and that was with the bike running like crap. . . .

And, I'm also installing Tightwad's 'Vfr-ness' to ensure that the charging system is up to snuff. My main 30A fuse was a bit melted, so I wanted to go ahead and ensure that I wouldn't have a fire under the seat in the near future. I suppose this is the nature of things with a 13 year old motorcycle. :)

Ugh. No joy. After all the work indicated above, the bike had severe trouble starting. The starter relay is working (clicking) and is brand new anyway. I noticed that now the neutral light doesn't come on either, even though the bike is in neutral. Hold in the clutch, and press the starter, and hardly anything happens. After trying a few times, she will finally crank (sometimes), and eventually starts. Not sure what this is all about now. Seems electrical since I've now lost the neutral light (tested the switch, and it's inconclusive as to weather the switch is bad or not). I'm getting frustrated with trouble shooting. . . .not sure what would have happened to make this all go wrong. . . .almost seems like the motor is vapor locked. . . .like the starter can't turn it over. Would a bad FPR make this happen too?? Looking for any potential help here guys. :(

This royally sucks. :(

First thing to do is go back and check all your connections from your battery, to your R/R, and stator. Check the main fuse connector a well as they get crispy.

Now, back to your #3 cylinder. Did you replace the coil?

Tell me about it.

Connections have been checked, and will be re-checked. I am also going to put direct battery voltage to the starter motor to check operation. If it DOES work, then I may have an issue with a switch or relay elsewhere. . .

Yes. Coil on #3 cylinder was replaced. But still blowing raw fuel out the exhaust when I get it to run. It DOES appear that all cylinders were firing though (all headers were hot).

I just cant figure what caused this cascade of events. . . loosing the neutral light is really throwing me for a loop. Not sure why that would happen unless the issue were electrical in nature . . . .damn gremlins.

You may have a stuck / bad injector.

Pull the #3 injector out and test it on the bench (just Google on how to test / clean an injector - lots of vids and easy to do).

Before you do this though, test the #3 cylinder for spark.

More I think about it ... the more I'm convincing myself your injector is stuck open.

Either a short to ground on the control wire or a shorted PCM driver for the injector. The white smoke, fuel blowing out the pipe, and no signs of coolant in the cylinder are tell tale signs.

A short would make sense given the other electrical issues that have suddenly cropped up.

Ok. . . .so how do I diagnose a shorted PCM, and how to I rectify it?? And do I still need to pull the injector and test it?? Probably a good idea, I suppose . . .

Follow each wire back and make sure none are melted, exposed, or showing signs of extreme heat first.

Then test the grounds and control leads to each of the injectors with a digital multi-meter. (Google how to test these and it turns up videos - most are for cars / trucks but will apply to a bike as well).

Then test the injector outside the bike after since this takes more work.

UPDATE: so finally got around to starting to go through the electrical system. Checked every connector that I could find / reach. Disconnected, cleaned, and reconnected all ground points to the frame. Didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Took apart the air cleaner down to the fuel rails just to see if there was any damage to the wiring harness feeding the injectors. All looked good. Reconnected everything, installed the tank and battery, and turner her on. Started fairly easily, although, my neutral switch light still doesn't appear to be working. Then after about 30 seconds, the white smoke starts appearing, and she ends up stalling out. Right before she stalled, I noticed a lot of swirling in the oil level window. Held a light to it and it looked suspicious.

After the bike stalled out, I unscrewed the oil filler, and I HAVE GASOLINE IN MY OIL. I'm not talking about a little gas. . . .I'm talking about TONS of gasoline in the oil.

Any suggestions?? I'm thinking that I must have a bad / stuck injector, AND bad rings or scored piston walls to allow that much fuel into the oil.

What the hell is going on here?? Need some help guys.

:(

Thanks,

Nate

Did you ever bench test the injectors? Definitely sounds like stuck injector to me.

Fuel pressure regulator, pull the vacuum house and see if fuel is in the tube.

I haven't tested the injectors yet. Was hoping for a simple electrical fix. Guess it's back out to OHM out the injectors and to test voltage on the wiring. If all the injectors OHM out, seems like bench testing them is a bit more challenging. Haven't found anything online that indicates an easy way to test them for spray pattern just yet. . . .

As for the FPR, any way to test that??? Or is this just one of those things that's a 'replace and hope for the best?'

All injectors pass OHM test, and are within range. All positive legs of connectors have similar voltage with key in the 'on' position.

Pulled the vacuum hose on the FPR, and there's no fuel in there.

However, I am thinking that it must be the FPR. When I look down through the butterfly valves into where the valve seats are, I can see pools of fuel on the top of each of the cylinders. Since it's highly unlikely that there would be a problem with ALL of the injectors, I am thinking that it MUST be the FPR. Too much pressure = too much fuel in the cylinders, drowning the engine, and forcing unspent fuel past the piston rings and into the bottom end of the motor.

So, I think I'm going to order a new FPR and go from there.

Anyone think that there's a need for me to remove the throttle body for anything? If I was going to do it, now would be the time . . .

Still can't diagnose why my neutral switch isn't working.

N8sVFR

Anyone think that there's a need for me to remove the throttle body for anything? If I was going to do it, now would be the time . . .

If you wanted to refresh the vacuum and coolant hoses and clean the throttle body as a proactive measure.

That's a thought Knight.

Anyone think that all the fuel in my oil could have interfered with the neutral switch? I'm getting continuity in the wiring all the way from the neutral switch connector to the associated pin on the connector at the back of the instrument panel. . . .so not sure why the light isn't coming on. I get resistance from the switch and OL when in gear. . . .but the resistance is exceedingly low. . . .

Maybe you've checked this before, but have you looked at the ground bus to see that there's no corrosion/burning going on? That would tie in with the neutral light fault perhaps. The 6th gen has a blue bus connector I believe (I'm a 5th gen owner).

Regarding the FPR, the right way to test this is to attach a pressure gauge and check the output. They can fail with a tear through the vacuum diaphragm and that would allow raw fuel to pass through the tear and down the vacuum line, hence looking to see if there was liquid in there. I swapped my FPR out because I had high fuel consumption, but it wasn't that (more likely a problem with my right wrist).

A leaky or stuck injector will also let fuel drip through when the engine is shut off. I discovered during a FPR swap that just because the fuel pump is off, doesn't mean fuel won't gravity feed through to the rail and then through an open injector. That would explain why your crankcase has filled up.

I've had the wiring harness recall done. Even so, I checked all the connectors, including the infamous blue connector. All my grounds look good, as far as I can tell.

Well, I don't have a pressure gauge, so I'll just replace it. It's less than $50, so worth it anyway, since these appear to have problems occasionally. And since the bike starts, and runs fairly reasonably initially, I don't think that this is an issue where fuel is leaking down into the bottom end with the motor off. Wish that I had checked the oil before running, but will be doing that next time. . . .

How the hell do I test to see if I have an injector stuck open????

Six and a half months later and you haven't had the injectors flow tested and cleaned yet?

This is the company I used:

https://precisionautoinjectors.com/

"Our Service Process

• Injector Coil is Tested
• Injector exterior is cleaned
• Dynamic Ultrasonic cleaning breaks up deposits
• Reverse flush removes remaining debris and deposit
• High pressure leak test is performed
• Spray pattern and flow tests are performed
• Injectors are Flow matched and assembled with all new components (o-rings and all new filters included)
• Injectors are hermetically sealed and packaged for immediate shipping"

It was $12 per injector. They flow tested the injectors, totally disassembled them, ultrasonic cleaned them, replaced the injector filter/screens and seals.

They gave them back to me with less than one percent variance. Get to it already man. Even if it turns out that no injectors are stuck open, this is maintenance that everyone should do every five years or so along with a fuel filter change. I am sure your filter is dirty by now and I am sure your injectors are probably over 2% variance by now as well.

^^^ +1

That is so often overlooked. There's no way for the ECU to know if the injectors are dirty. I noted significant improvement in my 6th gen after sending the injectors our for service.

N8sVFR

How the hell do I test to see if I have an injector stuck open????

Swap injectors and note if the problem follows to the new cylinder...

Hey BLS -- I've decided to just bite the bullet. Thanks to CandyRedRC46 up there, I have removed all of the injectors and will be sending them out for servicing to the place he recommended this week. No need to keep chasing this issue -- would rather be sure that all my injectors are good. I'm also replacing the fuel pressure regulator, and ordered a new neutral sensor and will see if that ends up needing replacing after I get the issues worked out with the bike actually running and not POURING gasoline into my oil.

Also ordered three new filters and three gallons of oil -- will be changing the oil before I even attempt another start after the serviced injectors and new FPR are installed. I'll give you guys an update later in the week if all the parts arrive and I get around to installing everything before our Easter vacation at the beach. Will probably need another oil and filter change after running her a bit again, just to ensure that I have all (or the vast majority) of the gasoline out of the bottom end of the motor.

As everyone can probably tell, I haven't been riding all that much lately (for like 4 years), so this has been really a back burner project. Now that I'm up to my elbows in it, I remember how much I actually enjoy working on the bike. . . .as long as I can find a solution in a reasonable amount of time and get her running properly again. Otherwise, it just turns into frustration!!!!

Thanks for all the help, guys.

-Nate

Good for you sticking with it. If it were mine I woulda lit a match and let the leaking fuel put that sucker down for good.

LEGEND

Good for you sticking with it. If it were mine I woulda lit a match and let the leaking fuel put that sucker down for good.

:mad:

Any progress???

Hey guys -- was out of town for Easter weekend.

Got an interesting update though. Sent off the injectors to Precision Auto Injectors in FL. They did a great job -- I mailed the injectors to them last Tuesday and they were waiting for me when I got home yesterday. 4 day turn around, INCLUDING shipping!!

So to the news. . . .the injector that was in the #1 cylinder failed the leak down test both before and after cleaning, even after an overnight cleaning. All others tested good. Apparently, Honda does a pretty good job with their injectors according to Precision Auto Injectors:

"Over 25 seconds they flowed

Pre-cleaning

#1 110cc

#2 113cc

#3 108cc

#4 110cc

Post cleaning

#1 113cc

#2 113cc

#3 113cc

#4 113cc

For flow rate purposes that would be 270cc/minute @ 43.5 psi

One of the tightest spreads I've seen on a factory sets. Rarely do sets flow exactly dead on amongst each other."

So, I'll order a new fuel injector from Ron Ayers tonight and hope that it arrives quickly. . . .while I'm waiting, I'll go ahead and install the new FPR that I ordered, change out all the 'gassy' oil, and hope for the best when I install all the refurbished as well as the new injector.

And here are the photos that PAI sent me of the spray pattern and flow rates, post cleaning:

[image: 20160324 154712]

[image: 20160324 154656]

Note that the markings on the volume test are not even all the way across. . . .the two center cylinders have lower markings, but EXACTLY the same volume. Just wish that the #1 injector had stopped leaking after cleaning.

Oh well. :)

Just in case anyone is going to remove and send off their injectors, I'd highly recommend PAI. They did a great job, and were VERY fast. Their prices have apparently increased over the years -- they now charge $20 per injector. But if an injector fails testing post-cleaning, the charge is waived!! So, I ended up paying $60 to have them all serviced, and to get the diagnosis of the leak on the #1 injector. No return shipping either!! Pretty great service.

I love progress, thanks for the update!

Good to see you finally got it figured out. So now to get one new oem injector or pick up another set, have them cleaned and tested and pick the one closest to 113?

CandyRedRC46: Already ordered a new injector from Ron Ayers last night. Figure best to start off with one that's known to be good. Even if the new one flows a bit more or less than the other three, shouldn't be that noticeable.

I think that I've also determined that the trouble with starting was that the cylinder(s) were actually full or nearly full of gasoline, and it was as if the motor was vapor locked. The starter couldn't compress the liquid gasoline, and therefore couldn't turn over the motor. That's why after letting it sit for a week or so and all the fuel had leaked down past the rings, she would start fairly easily. Anyway, have to wait another week to get the new injector, and will then install everything and see how she does. . . .fingers crossed!!

I am just happy that you got it figured out and didn't hydro lock the engine.

Well, Ron Ayers let me know yesterday that the injector was back ordered through them until at least April 20th. I cancelled that order and placed a new one with Partzilla. It's supposed to ship on Monday. . . .we'll see. Seems like it always takes forever to get the last little thing that you need to wrap up a project, doesn't it??!?!?!?!?

New injector finally shipped from Partzilla. Should have it by Friday. Will see if I can get all this back together sometime over the weekend and update you all again. . . .keep your fingers crossed!!

You, sir, are one stubborn son of a gun. I would have given up and sold the bike. Good on you for sticking with it.

Will be waiting for a message about a happy ending. I love happy endings...

C

I was having somewhat similar symptoms on an 02, thought it was also an injector issue. I replaced all four and same problem, I finally ran the codes and got a 13(#2 injector short) & 19 (ignition pulse sensor). I plan to check out the wire to both the injector and pulse sensor before taking it apart.

Stick with it! :fing02:

She LIVES!!!  Re-installed the three serviced and one new injector.  Drained out over 10 quarts of mostly gasoline - oil, replaced with new along with a new filter.  Started, ran for 5 minutes, turned off, drained and replace oil.  Repeated two more times.  She is now running properly, no smoke, not blowing gasoline through the exhaust, and no fuel in the oil.  I'm relieved!!  Going to put all the fairings back on this afternoon and take her out for a ride.  Hopefully, all will be well.

The neutral switch was also replaced with new. . . .seems like the old one had just worn out at exactly the same time as this injector issue raising it's ugly head.  Weird, but true.  

I'll share another update after a couple of test rides.  

Sticking with it is what I do. . . .I'm way too stubborn to quit!!  And it all paid off. :)

Fantastic, please keep us informed on how she runs out on road.

I'm actually dealing with similar issues on a friends bike. 02 800, smoking, power loss at low rpm's , Ramon missing and popping!

I changed all four injectors and no change. Get codes 13(injector #2) & 19(crank position sensor or whatever the proper term is). I cleared all codes, it runs the same and no codes now, but haven't road tested it.

BR -- road testing went well.  I believe that there must have been some remaining fuel in the exhaust system, because she produced some smoke for about 10 miles or so before getting fully warmed up / burning off all the remaining fuel in the exhaust.  That being said, everything appears to be operating within specs now, and all seems well.  I am preparing for a significant road trip that is starting this Wednesday -- leaving DC, headed up to the Blue Ridge, and then headed southwest to meet up with some friends in western NC.  Will be a 5 day trip, so that will be the true test!!

Nate,

I followed this thread because I love a great mystery and troubleshooting mysteries are almost as good as true crime mysteries. But the internet has ruined both my memory and reading comprehension. I need one of those re-caps at the end of the episode where Fred and Velma tell me what just happened. So... among all the branches explored, the critical failure was a leaky fuel injector on the #1 cylinder? Unregulated fuel was perpetually leaking through the injector into the cylinder where it thwarted combustion and then seeped past the rings and fouled your engine oil? In which case, fortune-teller credit to JNBarrett for this back in December?:

JNBarrett, 12/30/2015 at 1:21 PM

More I think about it ... the more I'm convincing myself your injector is stuck open.

Is all of that correct?

Great news, glad it worked out for you!

Rob - you got it.  That appears to have been the issue.  I DEFINITELY had an injector that was leaking.  However, I also replaced the Fuel Pressure Regulator as part of this process.  I don't *think* that it was the point of failure, but for the price, it was simple and easy to replace.  

CandyRed - definitely. . . .me too!!

Baileyrock, ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 0:03 PM

Fantastic, please keep us informed on how she runs out on road.

I'm actually dealing with similar issues on a friends bike. 02 800, smoking, power loss at low rpm's , Ramon missing and popping!

I changed all four injectors and no change. Get codes 13(injector #2) & 19(crank position sensor or whatever the proper term is). I cleared all codes, it runs the same and no codes now, but haven't road tested it.

Hey bud, I just went through similar issue as the OP with purchasing a 2002 that sat for 7 years before me purchasing it, had all 4 injectors cleaned and matched in flow and replaced the fpr, the fpr was leaking fuel into the vacuum system and filled the oil with gas and bleeding excess gas and oil into the exhaust, my bike was really lacking in power in the bottom-end after all the work, took the stock exhaust headers off to clean them up and paint them with some exhaust paint since they were rusted some, noticed that you couldn't see hardly any light when pointing it through the cat.... turned out the cat was really clogged with crap from the fuel and such leaking into the exhaust, because I took a plumbers snake I had and ran it down through the exhaust to smashed it through the cat and the chunks I had come out were caked with some sort of black tarry stuff that was probably bottlenecking it, because afterwards the bike feels like it has twice the power and idles smooth now along with running much much cooler temp wise..

1 hour ago, Storx

Hey bud, . turned out the cat was really clogged with crap from the fuel and such leaking into the exhaust,

Thanks for the input. Good info.

N8sVFR, 5/9/2016 at 11:05 AM

BR --  Will be a 5 day trip, so that will be the true test!!

Enjoy the trip and be sure to post up about it when your finished.

Also remember to take it easy, you'll be a long ways from home and you need to make it back in one piece! 

BR

Well . . .I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that everything that I did made the bike run PERFECTLY for the duration of my trip.  Put about 1300 miles on her over 5 days.  Saw some beautiful scenery and spent some time with some really good quality people.

The bad news is. . . . .

I realize that I really haven't been riding my bike enough!!!!!!!!  In all seriousness, there are definitely a few things that need some further consideration.  The ride down to NC (490.1 miles in about 8 hours) made me realized that the stock seat, the stock bars, and the stock screen are not ideally suited for my height / weight / riding style.  I'll be considering helibars, a Sergant (or other) seat, and some sort of modification to the windscreen (either taller or with a laminar lip).  

The motor ran great.  I did happen to pick up a stainless steel screw in my rear tire, which required a plug on the third day of riding, but that was the only minor incident.

Thanks again to all for reading and providing input.  I'll try to post up a few pics of the ride within the next week (I'm out of town again already for some work travel, otherwise I'd do it now!!)