VFR not starting any help?

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by silverstoneF4i, Dec 30, 2009.

  1. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    So i was referred over here from a cbr forum member in hopes that you guys can help..a buddy of mine i ride with has a 02 vfr with 32k on it.. before it came time to store it we planned a last ride and it didnt start..it has never given him any trouble since he has owned it besides the occasional dead battery..the first thing we did was new plugs because it was due any how and that didnt work..the bike cranks has spark but doesnt turn over air filter looks decent..i assume its a fuel issue but any other thoughts or ideas would be appreciated..and since we all like pictures :cool:
     

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  2. mestoo

    mestoo New Member

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    Silverstone F4i:

    1. Do you hear the electric fuel pump when you have the ignition and the engine kill switch on?

    2. There may be a failure of the sidestand interlock that kills the engine with the engine in gear with the sidestand down.

    3. Try cranking it a few times, then pull a spark plug. Is it wet with fuel?

    Best of luck.

    PS: The F4i looks GREAT in the silver/black paint job!
     
  3. rccaulfield

    rccaulfield New Member

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    Fuel pump imo- check fuse for starters!
     
  4. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    Yea the fuel pump kicks on everything sounds like it wants to start cranks but nothing...i figure it has to be a pinched fuel line or clogged fuel filter
     
  5. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    Havent checked if its getting fuel or not on the plugs..thought about spraying a little starter fluid or just putting a little gas down the intake stacks..will this hurt a FI bike? only done that with carbed bikes
     
  6. Maggot

    Maggot New Member

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    Stupid question of the day, but I like to start at the beginning.......Got gas in the tank? I once set a set of points for a friend on the side of the road who swore his ignition stopped working. It still didn't start. We then put the petcock on reserve and fired it right up!! Next stop....gas station!!
     
  7. Meatloaf

    Meatloaf New Member

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    Does it crank or not? Turning over and cranking are the same thing. I'm assuming you mean it cranks and doesn't start.

    Maestoo is correct on checking the plugs after cranking a few times. If they are wet, its getting fuel to the cylinders... but that may not enough or the right mixture.

    Maggot, I've ran into the same problem as you suggest however the 6th gen VFR's don't have reserve or a petcock for that matter. We've got a fuel guage and we damn well better fill up before we sputter or we're screwed.

    Is the FI light on or have you shorted the system check connector to see if there are any codes? Sometimes the FI light will not be on but there are still codes that can be read for troubleshooting.

    The fuel filter is internal to the tank and attached to the fuel pump. If your plugs are getting wet it is doubtful this is the issue. The air filter shouldn't keep it from starting. If you are doubful about it, pull it out and try to start it. It wont hurt anything to start it and let it run a few minutes so long as the airbox is clean and you dont drop anything in the velocity stacks. It is hard to pinch the fuel line on the 6th gen VFR's. It is short and direct from the tank to the fuel rail. There really isn't anything for it to pinch on. If in doubt, prop the tank up then try and start it. This should straighten out the fuel line and remove any kinks from it if they are there.

    Yes, you can use starting fluid on fuel injection. You dont need much. Considering the design of the velocity stacks being mounted in the airbox, I'd say a 1/2 to 3/4 second spray on top of the air filter would be enough. If that doesn't yield any results, a very quick spray directly into each velocity stack should also be sufficient. I've never done gas down the velocity stacks on FI engines but have on carbs. It sure wouldn't take much but I dont think that you could get the mixture right for it to work.

    Two more things to check: Open the gas gap. If the air line/overflow to the tank is pinched or clogged, it might be creating a vacuum and not allowing the pump to push fuel to the cylinders. Opening the cap will let the tank breathe and bypass this. Replace the gas. I've seen it happen before... everything looks fine, gas smeels good, no debris in the tank... but there is some water in there or just plain bad gas. Drain the tank, put a half gallon or so of fresh gas in there, and then try to start it. It may take a few extra attempts at starting as the bad gas will still be in the fuel line and fuel rail and will have to be flushed out via cranking or draining. Cranking it a little extra is the easier option to flush it out.

    I dont think it could be a faulty kickstand switch or tip over sensor. These all stop the bike from turning over. If they did more than that, they would kill the spark. You have spark and the bike cranks, which kinda rules them out.

    If none of this works then we are down to just a few things which start getting costly. There is the possibility of a bad sensor somewhere for sure. Maybe the timing has slipped. The 6th gens are notorious for faulty cam chain tensioners. Some will slip a tooth and some more. I think that I've read a story or two about a crank position sensor being out of whack as well. Try all the above first before we move on to this advanced stuff though.
     
  8. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    haha not a stupid question at all i once spent a day helping a buddy figure out why his virago wouldnt start..he was set on buy a new starting and did only to find out he left it on prime and the fuel all ran out..brilliant! i should have the bike by the start of next week to work on but just wanted to see if there where any common issues with VFRs i didnt know about..pretty sure it must be a fuel issue.. thanks and anymore help is welcome

    mestoo thanks for the compliment on the f4i..i have ridden his vfr more than a few times and its a great bike and a good bike for when my back starts to go out lol
     
  9. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    meatloaf ur awesome..thats a lot to check but its a hell of start.. thanks i assume you short the f1 light the same as an f4i..is the plug under the seat?
     
  10. VIFFER RIDER

    VIFFER RIDER New Member

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    Id check all the fuses, but it sounds like you are saying it cranks but doesn't run. I would check the tip over sensor, the sensor that kills the bike when you drop it or lay it down. Ive heard of some Honda ones were defective where the oil dampened sensor would falsely think you laid the bike down and kills the ignition.
     
  11. Meatloaf

    Meatloaf New Member

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    No, the plug is up in the front fairing. You don't have to remove the front fairing to get to it but taking off the side fairing and meter panel will allow access. The meter panel is the painted peice that butts up against the dash and extends out to the side of the front fairing. On non-ABS models the connector is on the right side and on the left for ABS models. I believe the process is the same however I'm not entirely sure.

    Download the service manual. You can find it here on VFRWorld.com http://vfrworld.com/forums/specifications/3161-downloadable-parts-catalogs-service-manuals.html

    It is about 210MB in size and is a PDF. Its the full deal though and will have darn near everything you need to troubleshoot, test, and find things.
     
  12. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    well i have the bike now and still no luck.. took the tank off to drain the fuel to check for bad gas..refueled but no luck.. the bike now doest even try and start the gauges keep resetting themselves..no priming of the fuel pump nothing..the only thing that happens is the starting relay clicks but nothing else any ideas?
     
  13. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    The battery is now dead.
     
  14. crustyrider

    crustyrider New Member

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    stick a new batery in it of charge the other one up...your certain its getting fuel? and the fuses all check out?
     
  15. vfr2k2

    vfr2k2 New Member

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    Hope the following might help.

    Remove the seat.
    With the front of the motorcycle to your left you’ll see the battery with the positive terminal to the left and the negative terminal to the right.
    On the right close to the negative terminal you should see a 30 amp fuse connector. A red wire from the positive terminal of the battery connects to this fuse connector.
    A short thinner gauge wire is connected to the other side of that connector. The other end of the short wire fits in a single connector.
    On inspection, if the 30 amp fuse connector and short red wire and single connector are showing signs of overheating (browning & melted), this may be your problem. You’ll have to replace that fuse connector and short wire and possibly the larger red wire running to the positive battery terminal.
    The fuse may in fact be good but the resistance through the burnt connector and wire may be at fault.

    Obviously if the burnt conditions don’t exist I’m sending you up the wrong tree. Good luck.
     
  16. Maggot

    Maggot New Member

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    Listen to NorcalBoy. Your battery is now dead. Start at the beginning. Charge the battery fully! Test with a volt meter. 12.5 to 12.9 volts = Good battery. 12.0V to 12.5V = OK Battery. Less than 12v=Dying. 11.5v or less = Dead / Buy new one!!

    Do yourself a favor and go to Yuasa Batteries, Inc. Click on Literature and go to Yuasa Technical Manual. This is a great resource and everyone that works on bikes should read it. You may have other problems but you FIRST have to establish wether you have a good battery or not. A fully charged good battery will help point the way if there are other problems.

    Good Luck!

    Maggot
     
  17. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    Definitely sounds like the battery is now well drained - put it on charge and once its recharged, check the volts before you refit it. If its above 13 volts it should be OK, if its below 12 volts then replace it as its dead. Which sort of begs the question what killed the battery - is it another VFR with the RR/wiring problem? If so check the wiki for more info/and possible solutions. Finally one daft question you have checked the kill switch?

    Good luck and let us know how you get on.

    Skimad4x4
    6th Gen Militia #218
     
  18. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    after a night of charging the bike will now attempt to start but no real luck..i am kind of near the end of my mechanical knowledge of stuff to do..everyone keeps going back to fuses but would the bike try and start if a fuse was blown? if so where are the fuses for this bike i cant find them.. everything seems right and it tries to start but no luck..may try a little starting fluid to see if its fuel related and check if the plugs are getting gas ..as far as i know it has not been laid down but he is a pretty generous guy letting people borrow it so who know..again thanks for any help in advance
     
  19. silverstoneF4i

    silverstoneF4i New Member

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    well its fuel related..the bike turns over with the help of starting fluid..going to try and see if the fuel filter is clogged..just an update..any other ideas welcome
     
  20. crustyrider

    crustyrider New Member

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    ok.... lets get some nomenclature down on the same sheet of music..........

    turned over= cranked over= the engine is turning over= rotation of the crankshaft etc...
    The bike fired up = it tried to run then died ...you sprayed it with starter fluid it fired off and tryed to run etc.......

    just so everyone isn't confused... :peace:

    Crusty
     
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