So I went down from Berkeley to Fremont this morning, and as I was coming back up in the afternoon, my bike started having fuel starvation issues again. I was in the carpool lane, so I pulled over to the left shoulder hoping that the bike would start up again after letting it sit for a bit in prime like it usually does, but this time I couldn't get it back up and running. Luckily, a Harley rider by the name of Matt was just coming back up from Fremont (he delivers ice for Glacier Ice Company), and was able to bring me and my bike back up to Berkeley in his pickup. Really nice guy, went out of his way to help me out. Good to know that no matter what the ride, riders look out for one another.
On a separate note, I'm at a complete loss for what could be the problem. I tried starting the bike with the gas cap open, but it wouldn't start, so it's not a vacuum issue. I tried switching to prime when the bike started to lose power, but that didn't help either. The shop just recently cleaned out the carbs, plugged a couple vacuum leaks, checked the petcock and tank, and blew out all the hoses to make sure it was all working fine. Just a thought, but could it be that the lower half of the screen in the tank is too clogged, and so at a lower fuel level the fuel can't flow out? I've only experienced the problem running with less than half a tank of gas, never had the issue with a full tank. I guess maybe sometime this weekend I'll go get some gas to see if I can start it with a full tank.
How many miles did you have on that tank?
Quote from: Egaeus on December 01, 2006, 09:34:28 AM
How many miles did you have on that tank?
+1
Also.. check the routing of the fuel hoses.. if the dealership did carb work, I wouldn't put it past them to switch the connections..
I think around 100 or so mostly city miles.
About 100 miles a tank is all my '92 ever wanted to go, no matter how much gas he still had in his tank. When I got to 100 miles, I always filled up. Otherwise, he'd act as though he hadn't had a drink of gas in months. Check the lines, but it's not beyond the realm that your GS is a princess who likes a full like mine. ;)
Quote from: pingpong on December 01, 2006, 03:03:13 AM
The shop just recently cleaned out the carbs, plugged a couple vacuum leaks,
They plugged some vaccum leaks? This I dont understand?
Quote from: pandy on December 01, 2006, 12:34:23 PM
About 100 miles a tank is all my '92 ever wanted to go, no matter how much gas he still had in his tank. When I got to 100 miles, I always filled up. Otherwise, he'd act as though he hadn't had a drink of gas in months.
Your GS was a he?? :cookoo:
Quote from: WildBlue on December 01, 2006, 02:52:17 PM
Quote from: pandy on December 01, 2006, 12:34:23 PM
About 100 miles a tank is all my '92 ever wanted to go, no matter how much gas he still had in his tank. When I got to 100 miles, I always filled up. Otherwise, he'd act as though he hadn't had a drink of gas in months.
Your GS was a he?? :cookoo:
Pandy is a female.
Quote from: scottpA_GS on December 01, 2006, 12:38:47 PM
Quote from: pingpong on December 01, 2006, 03:03:13 AM
The shop just recently cleaned out the carbs, plugged a couple vacuum leaks,
They plugged some vaccum leaks? This I dont understand?
Mechanic said there were a couple lines uncapped running to the carbs that they capped off
Quote from: pingpong on December 01, 2006, 02:58:31 PM
Quote from: scottpA_GS on December 01, 2006, 12:38:47 PM
Quote from: pingpong on December 01, 2006, 03:03:13 AM
The shop just recently cleaned out the carbs, plugged a couple vacuum leaks,
They plugged some vaccum leaks? This I dont understand?
Mechanic said there were a couple lines uncapped running to the carbs that they capped off
OK...
That could be the problem.. or part of it... The GS only has one vacuum line. It should be connected to the petcock. If not, the gas will not flow unless in the (PRI) position.
If yours doesnt have the vacc. line connected and will still run in the (ON) or (RES) positions then your petcock is not working properly and could be part of your problem. :thumb:
Also if they plugged "A couple" of lines.... there will definitely be some problems... The only lines on the carb are Fuel in, Vacc, and an overflow. :cheers:
QuoteYour GS was a he?? cookoo
Pandy is a female.
i was about to second that...
i have the habit of naming everything (family tradition), so when i got my gs, i was thinking of names and decided on jimmy (i don't remember why...) and after thinking about it i realized, i don't want a guy between my legs, so her name is leila.
My SV650S is a boy, too. I don't ride girls. ;)
Quote from: dgyver on December 01, 2006, 02:56:50 PMPandy is a female.
And what a female she is!
Three cheers for females!
Hip-hip Hooray!
Hip-hip Hooray!
Hip-hip HOORAY!
There. I feel better.
And back to the original intent of this thread....have you looked over the fuel system hose routing linked
HERE (http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm)??
Quote from: pandy on December 01, 2006, 05:00:58 PM
I don't ride girls. ;)
That's good to hear! :laugh:
Pingpong, I have a feeling you have a petcock problem. Check your vacuum lines and fuel hose connections. There is a fuel hose routing diagram on the main page. If that's OK, it's probably your petcock. Common problem...
Interesting to note, the bike will turn over and start if it's being shook left and right and given throttle, but it sounds like its on the verge of dying, and as soon as the throttle is left off a little, it stalls.
Did you ever put gas in it?
Never got a chance to, shop was able to take it back and try to figure out what's wrong (before, they couldn't reproduce the problem, but now that it won't start up, I don't think that will be an issue anymore). Hopefully I'll have it back by this weekend.
A helpful Harley rider? You Lie :laugh: :thumb: :cheers:
When I was driving to AR to visit my mom and had the GS in the back, a Harley rider was the only one to give me the wave.
Edit: Before you spend any money, spend $5 on some gas.
Since the shop wasn't able to resolve the problem the last time they took it apart, all this isn't costing me anything. Heck, maybe I'll even get a free tank of gas :laugh:
Actually, Harley riders aren't as bad as some say. :P I've had them pull up next to me on the freeway in traffic (before I was splitting) to admire the ears on my helmet, and I'm always friendly at stop lights. If they don't pull up next to me, I turn around and give them a wave. They pull up, and we chat while we wait for the green. Almost invariably, they admire my bright red "crotch rocket" and tell me they wish it wouldn't kill their back to ride a sportbike, and I admire their beautiful, loud pipes and tell them I wish they could ride in front of me always when we're splitting! Then we ride on with a wave. :thumb:
P.S. +1 on what Egaeus said about buying a few bucks worth of gas. It really can make a world of difference. ;) My commuter GS usually coughed and sputtered if he had anything less than half a tank in him...seriously! :dunno_white:
Quote from: pandy on December 01, 2006, 05:00:58 PM
My SV650S is a boy, too. I don't ride girls. ;)
Anything with a petcock is a he. Think about it. :o
Quote from: pandy on December 05, 2006, 10:16:20 PM
Actually, Harley riders aren't as bad as some say. :P I've had them pull up next to me on the freeway in traffic (before I was splitting) to admire the ears on my helmet, and I'm always friendly at stop lights. If they don't pull up next to me, I turn around and give them a wave. They pull up, and we chat while we wait for the green. Almost invariably, they admire my bright red "crotch rocket" and tell me they wish it wouldn't kill their back to ride a sportbike, and I admire their beautiful, loud pipes and tell them I wish they could ride in front of me always when we're splitting! Then we ride on with a wave. :thumb:
P.S. +1 on what Egaeus said about buying a few bucks worth of gas. It really can make a world of difference. ;) My commuter GS usually coughed and sputtered if he had anything less than half a tank in him...seriously! :dunno_white:
Did you ever figure out the reason as to why it would run rough with less than half a tank? I seem to be having the same problem, but I'd like to get it resolved because going just 100 miles between fill-ups is a pretty big hassle.
Prolly petcock related. Have you tried running it in PRIme?
Quote from: indywar360 on December 06, 2006, 12:45:15 AM
Anything with a petcock is a he. Think about it. :o
Oh...I could do SO much with this one...but we're in General, so I'll be good.... :flipoff: :icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: pingpong on December 06, 2006, 02:41:45 AM
Did you ever figure out the reason as to why it would run rough with less than half a tank? I seem to be having the same problem, but I'd like to get it resolved because going just 100 miles between fill-ups is a pretty big hassle.
No, never dug too hard. I simply filled up every 100 miles, ran him in PRI on the freeway and in ON for the street. Upgrading the petcock might help.
Quote from: pandy on December 06, 2006, 09:06:56 AM
Quote from: indywar360 on December 06, 2006, 12:45:15 AM
Anything with a petcock is a he. Think about it. :o
Oh...I could do SO much with this one...but we're in General, so I'll be good.... :flipoff: :icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: pingpong on December 06, 2006, 02:41:45 AM
Did you ever figure out the reason as to why it would run rough with less than half a tank? I seem to be having the same problem, but I'd like to get it resolved because going just 100 miles between fill-ups is a pretty big hassle.
No, never dug too hard. I simply filled up every 100 miles, ran him in PRI on the freeway and in ON for the street. Upgrading the petcock might help.
Yea, hopefully it's just a petcock issue and not something more serious. Running it on Prime hasn't helped me with the problem, which happens so randomly. I can be moving along nicely at 80mph on the freeway with no problems, then suddenly get hit by it when I'm on the streets at 30mph. Annoying little problem to say the least. Especially when it happens to me while I'm on my way to class...on a fatty hill....with one lane and no shoulder.
So the shop filled up the tank with 3 gallons of gas and the bike fired right up. They checked the petcock and fuel screen but everything seemed find, so they're stumped. I guess maybe I'll just have to live with fillups every 100 miles?
Give it a try! ;)
Are you absolutely sure that the ON/RES aren't backward? That could very well be your problem.
Quote from: Egaeus on December 07, 2006, 02:59:40 PM
Are you absolutely sure that the ON/RES aren't backward? That could very well be your problem.
The mechanic was the last person to put the bike back together so hopefully it's put together correctly. But I'll probably double-check it or just run with the petcock pointed to RES and see if switching to ON the next time it feels like its bogging down.
The problem with that is that if it dies, you won't get the carburetor bowls to fill back up because PRI doesn't work once you've gotten to your reserve.
I trust the average bike "mechanic" about as much as I trust my dog with a steak.
Quote from: Egaeus on December 07, 2006, 07:30:06 PM
The problem with that is that if it dies, you won't get the carburetor bowls to fill back up because PRI doesn't work once you've gotten to your reserve.
I trust the average bike "mechanic" about as much as I trust my dog with a steak.
'
So prime only draws through the ON line? I always thought it drew from reserve.....in that case, I guess I'll actually have to check the hose routing then.
It draws from reserve, BUT ONLY IF THEY AREN'T BACKWARD.
I checked the hoses and they were all hooked up properly. For some reason, gas will flow through the reserve line on Prime, but not on Reserve, which makes it sound like a vacuum issue. But if it was a vacuum problem, wouldn't that affect the main line as well? This sounds more and more like a problem with the frame-mounted petcock. Should I get a replacement Suzuki petcock (I'd like to have a reserve, otherwise I'd just go with a Pingel), or should I just leave it as it is and use the PRI setting as my reserve?
Hey, what about improper fuel line size? Is is possible the line is too small? I am rebuilding mine and the guy that had it last put 1/4" SAE fuel hose on it. By looking at the way it fits on the posts, I would say it is too small. Does't it need something like a 9mm hose?
Damien
Also, quick question, when running the bike in RES, does it also pull fuel through the main line as well?
Just as a thought, has anyone considered carrying a small can of gas in their tailbags? Or maybe that's just too dangerous or something?
Quote from: pingpong on December 08, 2006, 05:26:38 AM
Also, quick question, when running the bike in RES, does it also pull fuel through the main line as well?
I don't think so.
Quote from: pingpong on December 08, 2006, 05:26:38 AM
Just as a thought, has anyone considered carrying a small can of gas in their tailbags? Or maybe that's just too dangerous or something?
I've done it once when I wanted to run her dry to check extreme range, but I wouldn't do it regularly.
Quote from: pingpong on December 07, 2006, 08:15:38 PM
I checked the hoses and they were all hooked up properly. For some reason, gas will flow through the reserve line on Prime, but not on Reserve, which makes it sound like a vacuum issue. But if it was a vacuum problem, wouldn't that affect the main line as well? This sounds more and more like a problem with the frame-mounted petcock. Should I get a replacement Suzuki petcock (I'd like to have a reserve, otherwise I'd just go with a Pingel), or should I just leave it as it is and use the PRI setting as my reserve?
Was the engine running?
The frame-mounted petcock is simple to check. There are 4 screws that hold the diaphragm and cover on. Take those out and check the diaphragm. Is it intact? If it has a hole in it, then it will not work properly.
The ON, RES, PRI selector is held in by the metal clip that says ON, RES, PRI. Take a small flathead screwdriver and unclip it and pull it out. It will come out with a little force. Check the o-ring and replace if it looks cracked or your petcock will leak all over your bike. Notice that the selector will only go back on one way since the slot it fits in is asymmertical one way. The thing that actually redirects the fuel will sometimes come out as well, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Make sure the passages are clear when you turn it to its proper setting. Clean it out and put it back together.
Quote from: Egaeus on December 07, 2006, 07:30:06 PM
I trust the average bike "mechanic" about as much as I trust my dog with a steak.
You need to retrain your dog...I can put a steak dripping with juices on a plate inthe middle of my kitchen floor and tell my Husky "NO" and he won't go near it. I've even tested and left the house for 2 hours and it was still there :icon_mrgreen:
Lucky
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a209/Wrongside/Lucky/Lucky2yrsOld.jpg)
Quote from: Wrongside on December 08, 2006, 09:41:25 AM
You need to retrain your dog...I can put a steak dripping with juices on a plate inthe middle of my kitchen floor and tell my Husky "NO" and he won't go near it. I've even tested and left the house for 2 hours and it was still there :icon_mrgreen:
Actually, I can tell my dog to leave it, and it won't get touched. However, it only lasts as long as I'm there. There's no way meat would survive 2 hours. :)
that dog looks bad... I wouldn't f with that dog... and apparently he wouldn't f with your meat either
Quote from: Egaeus on December 08, 2006, 08:47:45 AM
Quote from: pingpong on December 07, 2006, 08:15:38 PM
I checked the hoses and they were all hooked up properly. For some reason, gas will flow through the reserve line on Prime, but not on Reserve, which makes it sound like a vacuum issue. But if it was a vacuum problem, wouldn't that affect the main line as well? This sounds more and more like a problem with the frame-mounted petcock. Should I get a replacement Suzuki petcock (I'd like to have a reserve, otherwise I'd just go with a Pingel), or should I just leave it as it is and use the PRI setting as my reserve?
Was the engine running?
The frame-mounted petcock is simple to check. There are 4 screws that hold the diaphragm and cover on. Take those out and check the diaphragm. Is it intact? If it has a hole in it, then it will not work properly.
The ON, RES, PRI selector is held in by the metal clip that says ON, RES, PRI. Take a small flathead screwdriver and unclip it and pull it out. It will come out with a little force. Check the o-ring and replace if it looks cracked or your petcock will leak all over your bike. Notice that the selector will only go back on one way since the slot it fits in is asymmertical one way. The thing that actually redirects the fuel will sometimes come out as well, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Make sure the passages are clear when you turn it to its proper setting. Clean it out and put it back together.
Here's the weird thing. When the gas level is too low for ON but high enough for RES, the bike won't run on RES or PRI. When I add more gas so that it'll run on ON, it also runs on RES and PRI. Petcock looked fine, so I'm totally confused now. Hoses are stock (I believe), and they've all been blown out to check for gunk.
And I am telling you that is the classic symptom of having your hoses backward.
Quote from: Egaeus on December 09, 2006, 08:23:37 AM
And I am telling you that is the classic symptom of having your hoses backward.
+1
Clymer has been known to show the house routing backwards, search this site for house routing and author "kerry", he's got a diagram that's correct.
Quote from: Egaeus on December 09, 2006, 08:23:37 AM
And I am telling you that is the classic symptom of having your hoses backward.
I compared it with Kerry's diagram and I'm fairly sure that they were connected correctly when I checked. I'll double-check when I go for another ride, but I'm thinking that it's probably something else.
When you find it, let us know, because that is the only conceivable thing that I can think of that's causing your problem. And when you finally figure out that it's misrouted hoses (almost always switched at the tank), you'll have to own up so that we can say that we told you so.
Ok, you got me, I traced the lines wrong the first time (that's what happens when you pull 2 all-nighters in a row). I'll switch the hoses around tomorrow (my friend still has my ratchet and socket set), but thanks for the help everyone.
Egaeus + NGFL FTW!
Quote from: pingpong on December 10, 2006, 03:37:56 PM
Ok, you got me, I traced the lines wrong the first time (that's what happens when you pull 2 all-nighters in a row). I'll switch the hoses around tomorrow (my friend still has my ratchet and socket set), but thanks for the help everyone.
:laugh: Yeah, I thought that might be the case. :icon_mrgreen: Don't feel bad, I misrouted my hoses once and sputtered to the gas station.
Now about that 100 miles per tank...you might want to see what's going on there. You should get at least that far before RES. Has you bike been modded? Are your carbs balanced? Are you filling the tank up?
The carbs were recently balanced and sync'd. The bike has been rejetted and has a Kerker exhaust, though. Also, I find it kind of weird that even when starting the bike up in the morning in 50 degree temperature, I don't need to use the choke at all (although the bike idles at around 800-900RPM at first). Maybe the bike is running too rich or something?
O, I just rerouted the hoses. I didn't have any pliers with me at the time, so I wasn't able to clamp down the hoses on the tank-mounted petcock, although the hoses do seem pretty securely attached anyways. Is that gonna be a problem (maybe too much pressure from the fuel going through the hoses might pop it off from the petcock?)?
Quote from: pingpong on December 11, 2006, 01:23:07 AM
Is that gonna be a problem (maybe too much pressure from the fuel going through the hoses might pop it off from the petcock?)?
Ok, I am a noob, but to answer this in the spirit of GSTwins more experienced members:
Buy some Pliers or a Wrench and put the Hoses on Right. Why Take a chance when you Don't have to? :cookoo: (that would be Jughead)
My bike is stock and definitely needs choke at 50 degrees F. Cool. (Srinath)
Yea, I decided to err on the safe side and clamp the hoses down. Went to my friend's place to pick up a pair of pliers, and clamped both hoses down now, so the bike is happy as can be. Also, i noticed that the shop left my fuel shutoff about 20 degree's off from what it should have been. Geeze.
pingpong: I'm glad you found the problem. Next time, could ya' just whisper what really happened in our ears, and don't tell Egaeus the truth.... He's impossible to live with when he's right! :cookoo: :icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: pandy on December 11, 2006, 09:00:23 AM
pingpong: I'm glad you found the problem. Next time, could ya' just whisper what really happened in our ears, and don't tell Egaeus the truth.... He's impossible to live with! :cookoo: :icon_mrgreen:
Fixed!
And pingpong, that rejet/exhaust will definitely kill your gas mileage. However, I agree that it could be running a bit rich.
:laugh: