Tons of trouble... Long story, but any help would be appreciated.

[Æon]

Ok so here's my story. I bought a 2000 GS500E from a guy, with around 9000km on it this spring for $3500. It had just had the service done from Garage A before being put away for the Winter. It seemed to run fine, though my friend said it felt like it needed a tune-up. I had fun with it, but am now selling it. It now has just over 11,000km on it.

I dropped it when I first rode it, and took it into Garage B for an insurance claim, and they fixed up the cosmetic bits that needed replacement (bar-end, lever, oil cover). I also asked them what they could do to make it run better. They said they could re-jet it, or get a jet kit. I said that would be great. So when I picked it up, I asked about the jet kitting. The guy said something to the effect of "No I told you we weren't going to do that because I found out the jet kit wasn't really much in the way of parts and we could do it ourselves, so we just re-did the shims so it should run a little nicer now." Ok. I brought it back a couple weeks later and asked them if it was running ok. I said it felt a bit sluggish but wasn't sure. THe guy rode it up and down the block and said it ran great and that I was just used to my new Triumph street triple so it probably felt a bit slow. Ok again. My friend who had originally picked up the bike rode it too, and said it seemed ok.

So a girl wants to buy it, for my asking price of $3000, but she wants to get a pre-purchase inspection, at Garage C. So we go ahead, and Garage C tells me I need new tires (fine) and that there's a flat spot in the power just above idle, and I definitely need the carbs cleaned, among other things, including fork oil, a small oil leak... All told about $800 bucks. I know most people would say just take the price off the bike and sell it to her as is. But she's a very new rider and I want her to have a new, working bike, and not have to deal with tons of crap, so we agree to split the repair cost and she'll buy it. I also called Garage B and asked them how they didn't notice that the carbs were so gunky and he insisted "No they seemed fine, and remember, I rode it and it ran fine". Ok. So I tell Garage C to go ahead with the repair.

Now yesterday, once the work's done, Garage C calls me and says the have bad news. Apparently only 1 cylinder's firing until about 3000 RPM. It's something to do with oil getting in the cylinder and preventing it from igniting properly. Nothing they can do, possibly a header leak, and they say I'd have to take it to a machine shop (not affiliated with them) and pay at the very least 500 bucks. They say they're puzzled but can't figure out where it's coming from. Also, they keep asking me what Garage B told me about "re-doing the shims" and are telling me that absolutely nothing's been done in there, from what they can see. 

So now instead of paying 400 and selling the bike, I've paid nearly 900 and I haven't sold it, and apparently it isn't running properly. I'm going to take it to Garage A, as apprently they've a good reputation for being honest, and get a second opinion on how it's running...

What do you think? Any slim chance that someone's seen this issue with the cylinder?

[The Buddha]

Wowwww in what world in a gs 3500 ... wait a sec ... what currency is it ...
Anyway your question is too vague ... header leak will spit carbon out that side usually ... you can also see fire when dark @ the exhaust.
1 cyl firing more than likely is a vacuum leak - carb side and easy to find and fix ... no machine shop needed.
Dude you dont need to machine nothing I am cerain.

I can jet it etc, but you seem to be in katmandu ... dunno what mailing will be ... the GS is easy to work on and in the US we dont ever take these to a shop.

Cool.
Buddha.

[adidasguy]

Look at the plugs. That will tell you if running lean or rich.

Carb Sync: That can account for one cylinder not firing very well until the RPM's get up because one side would be closed off until the throttle is opened up. That costs nothing to fix. If you don't have the carb sync tool, a cheap way is do a search here for "hillbilly carb sync". Not ideal, but much better than nothing at all.

Oil leaking into a cylinder makes no sense. It would take a lot of oil. Plus, the gas is mixed with air. Oil on the sides of the cylinder or elsewhere wouldn't do anything except lubricate the engine then when the cylinder fires, it would burn. Exhaust would have white or bluish smoke.

A jet kit isn't many parts but they are important parts. If someone messed with the carbs, replacing the jets with new ones would be a good idea. A dirty pilot jet on one side can make one side not fire well until higher RPM's.

Where are you located?

[Æon]

Hey man, don't knock Katmandu. The Buddha is very big in Nepal!

It's Canadian dollars. Bikes are usually 15% or so more expensive here. So if it's a header leak I still wouldn't need to take it to a machine shop? I'm looking forward to seeing what the next garage says...

[cbrfxr67]

Has anyone ever posted a thread about a garage that knew wtf they were doing?  Seems like the gs is a cosmic dark energy mystery or something to 'shops.'

[bombsquad83]

Of course they know what they are doing.  They are taking your money because you don't know any better!

[Æon]

So a tiny bit more info. They said they gathered, from the fact that there is oil on the plug when they pull it out, that it's being fouled by that, enough that it's not firing right away.

They also replaced a couple o-rings on the carbs, cleaned them and re-synched them, and confirmed there are no vacuum leaks...

[BassWoW]

So a tiny bit more info. They said they gathered, from the fact that there is oil on the plug when they pull it out, that it's being fouled by that, enough that it's not firing right away.

They also replaced a couple o-rings on the carbs, cleaned them and re-synched them, and confirmed there are no vacuum leaks...

I wouldn't trust a shop with my bike anyday. Last time I got a tire replaced, they didnt have the correct one in stock and subbed it out with a radial tire vs bias ply.

Riding 110 miles daily is a bit harder coming into corners awkwardly.

Plus with all the other issues shops gave me, it was so much eaiser just to do it myself.

I'd recommed forget the shop. Spend a day with your gs; this forum and all the information out here. 

Recheck what they did with the carbs. I wouldn't believe them and if you open up your carbs and find out an o-ring or two is missing- raise hell.

[fraze11]

Wowwww in what world in a gs 3500 ... wait a sec ... what currency is it ...

I hear you, in Ontario Canada where I am newer (2001+) E's and F's sell for $3500-$4500 USED ... its stupid.  and now that you can't get them new around here used is your only option.  What the market will bear I guess... 

[adidasguy]

Get a Haynes manual. There is a nice trouble shooting guide in the back. Wiring diagrams are color coded.
Be patient and learn a little so if you still want to go to the dealer, you can call their bluff and ask them to prove what they say. If that offends them, they are not a good dealer.
In the US, if a dealer replaced a part they are required to give you the old parts as proof they replaced them. If not required by law, insist on it or don't pay for parts as they can't show you they replaced them.

Work with us here on the board. You can do it yourself. Hell, without this board I never could have built a bike from scratch! I never could replace heads or clean a carb.

[Æon]

So I'll post the end of this story, since you guys have been such a help.

I went to pick up the bike from the shop that had done the inspection and told my I needed all the fixes, and then that it was only running on one cylinder. I was going to take it out to another garage to get a 2nd opinion on my supposedly hopeless bike. So that's where we left off.

Well, I try to start the bike, and it hardly starts. I mean, it's idling really low, and it feels like it's going to die. I point it out to the mechanic, who takes a look and says it looks like the vacuum hose isn't attached. So he attaches it, checks a couple things, and then starts it, runs it for a while and then says "you know what? It's running on 2 cylinders." So he rode it around the block, I rode it around the block, and it's fine. Totally fine. Runs much better with the carbs cleaned.

Unbelievable. I just sold it today. Sometimes things just work out? Kind of upset that they scared the hell out of me, and that they almost scared my buyer away, but just glad it turned out ok...

[BockinBboy]

Wow.  Mega face slap.

I wouldn't return to Garage B or C again... and I would probably go out of my way to make sure Garage C doesn't pull that crap with anyone else...

- Bboy

[Paulcet]

Glad it worked out. Almost wondered if Garage C had some vested interest in getting the price down for the buyer.