Bike won't start.

[aff-man]

Right as usual just bought the bike, ran fine for 3 days, now it won't start. It turns over fine but just won't fire. And when trying to push start (tried for about an hour in total yesterday) it kinda fires but then just dies. WHAT is wrong people, anybody got any ideas. I think the spark plugs might be totally rooted, as well as the clutch cable(very hard to push bike when in first and clutch is in), any ideas would be helpfull.

[White trash]

Fucken Jap imports! Checking the plugs would be my first port of call, although the fact it sort of started when pushed but then dies would be to maybe check the fuel supply.

Have you tried draining the carbs into something clear to see if there's any water or shit in the carbs? Maybe a blocked fuel filter?

Did you get it off a dealer?

[toads]

what a bummer affman, I would check the spark on each plug before assuming they are stuffed, check that fuel is getting to the carburettors and check also to see that the wire to the coil is crimped on nice and tight, my son had that problem a few weeks back, remove the plugs give them a clean and test each one by turning the motor over while one plug is out and with it plugged into the ht lead and shorted against the engine housing., we often stick screw drivers in to hold them in place ( paranoid of getting a shock). It may just be that it's flooded, or you have got too low on fuel or something ridiculously simple, let us know how you get on. cheers Lucy

[dss3]

Sounds like the same thing that happened to me. Bike wouldn't fire up, couldn't push start, and then couldn't push foward in gear with clutch in. Thought that motor was siezing or something! But now found that best way is to push in neutral and then jump on and click it into gear. Apparently it's something to do with the way the clutch works, you cant just keep pushing it around in gear with clutch in. Anyways new plugs sorted it straight out.

-Daryl

[boris]

i was having trouble with my sv ran like shit at 4000revs then it woundn't start.so i cleaned the plugs it started, went for a ride it still ran like shit. so i replaced the air cleaner with a new one , i put iridium sparkplugs in( not cheap $30) stuck some isopropyl alcohol in the tank.Now it runs real well ,better than it has in a long time.Don't know what did it but it worked so i am happy.


Boris

[FROSTY]

Aff man --I had the same problem with mine. Your plugs will be soaked in fuel
and your battery isn't pumping out enough power to give you a healthy spark. You need to replace the plugs and charge up the battery
Sorry to tell ya -New plugs are $25 each.
If you haul em out Ive got a mate who will sand blast em for you which will clean em up so they work again. Itll cost about $25
I might have a set that will get your bike going and Ive got a jump pack that will spin her up for ya.

[aff-man]

Cheers guys i was gonna get the bike shop to put some new plugs in anyway cause i am almost sure that is the problem. As for the battery man it is a good un, i have like turned the thing over for 40 odd seconds at a time and done that a few times now and the battery still isn't dead. When i get home tonight i'll try get the plugs out give em a good clean, check the air filter and then try again. As soon as she runs it will be straight into the shop (if i find some funds) and get the engine sorted so it's running sweet. If not hmmmmmmm i dunno. But from what was happening i am almost sure it's plugs. (bike hasn't been seviced in 4 years). On the plus side when she was running (on monday and tues) for the short rides i had it seems to be a winner ,quick and handels loverly

[jrandom]

(bike hasn't been seviced in 4 years)

Did you buy it straight off the boat, then?

One of the mechanics at Albany Toyota commented to me recently that Jap import cages often arrive after being driven for a hundred or more thousand kays without a single oil, filter or sparkplug change.

Doing that to a *bike* is just criminal.

[aff-man]

nope it was new zealand new The last owner had it for 4 years and it was serviced when bought but not since then so 20000km later i am "reaking the benifits" but i got a good price on it i think so we'll just have to see.

[erik]

nope it was new zealand new The last owner had it for 4 years and it was serviced when bought but not since then so 20000km later i am "reaking the benifits" but i got a good price on it i think so we'll just have to see.


jeeze, how could anyone do that to a bike!?

It's not like changing the oil and filter is hard or expensive.

[aff-man]

I know they had the impression that if it had oil in it it was fine. Oh well you live you learn. The thing that gets me is that except for the minor things that i knew needed fixing it got through a pre-puchase check just fine. So either the mechanic missed it or i dunno. Hell i have only done about 35km on it since i got it.

[FROSTY]

I know they had the impression that if it had oil in it it was fine. Oh well you live you learn. The thing that gets me is that except for the minor things that i knew needed fixing it got through a pre-puchase check just fine. So either the mechanic missed it or i dunno. Hell i have only done about 35km on it since i got it.
Aff man sorry if Im teachin gramma to suck eggs but my zxr -well basicly had me at the stage of wanting to throw a bloody match at it.
I FINALLY figured out my problem was how I shut the bike down after a ride.
I used to blip the throttle a couple of times as much as anything cos it felt good. With a ZXR400 not a good move because the blip tells the fuel pump to work. The result is a shut down engine with a big load of fuel just dumped into it. Nett result was flooded plugs.
Nowadays I shut her down like this 1-Turn fuel off then 2 turn ignitoion key off.
Starting after not running for days is -Half choke, no throttle and let her settle a while before touching the throttle.
I'll bet ya all the tea in china that if ya sandblast ya plugs and charge the battery she will start mint.

[aff-man]

Cheers man i will give the plugs a good going over when i get home, so either i will be enjoying the bliss of a smooth running machine or cursing it's mother later tonight. Hopefully it will be the former. Now the hard part......getting to the plugs :sweatdrop

[moko]

If I`d bought a bike with that many K`s mate and that long since the last service it`d have to be a good price and I`d factor in the price of a full service when deciding whether it was a good deal or not cos it`d be straight down to the dealers before I went anywhere on it.That`s well on the way to neglect and the guy you got it from could have done all kinds of damage to a bike like that by ignoring the servicing.At the very least you want the carbs cleaned and balanced,new plugs,valves checked,oil-change and new filters.

[Coldkiwi]

err... you have checked its not just out of gas haven't you? (i'm not laughing... you'll remember I've missed that before!)

I was wondering why we haven't heard you screaming past our place in the morning!

[aff-man]

^&@#$^%$#!^%&@#$#%!@%$^%*$$%@# i bloody took the thing to pieces,cleaned the plugs and she still won't go. Will give it one more try and then off to the bike shop on a trailer.


The reason i bought it was the mechanic said it was in pretty good shape with no hassels. He told me all the problems so i knew i would need to put some work in but he never said anything about this. I'm real pissed off, the first day it doesn't rain and i can't ride the new bike $@$@!%$ :buggerd:

[FROSTY]

Aff man -gimme a call --come over and borrow a set of my plugs.
Trust me dude NO amount of cleaning of ya plugs is gonna make her run.
The only option is new plugs Believe me Ive been through the same shit.

[aff-man]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (psyco laught) It's alive alive i tell you. Well i got her running but the big question is will she start in the moring. :wacko:

Cheers XJ/FROSTY maybe we could meet up sometime and you can give me the ins and out of the 400 as well as some good maintanace advice. P.s. is that thing on the ize a fuel pump or filter ause it was clicking away when running (250 didn't have one i don't think)

[FROSTY]

its the fuel pump dude. Dont be disheartened if it don't start in the morning.
Mine pulled the not starting stunt on me

[riffer]

The fuel pump is definitely the clicking thing. My fizzer does that whenever I start it up, but only for a couple seconds.

Is it possible there's a bit of a blockage between the tank and the fuel pump. Or alternately, a hole in the pipe?

[merv]

Are you sure its sparking at the plugs? You haven't mentioned doing the good old test of having a plug out hanging on its lead and earthing it to the motor and then hitting the start button to check its sparking. Do that first and if that's OK, check you are getting fuel through and so on.

Usually its one of two things - electrics or fuel (unless of course the motor is so worn it won't go, but I think you can rule that out because it was running). Electrics worse case scenario can be blown black box (big $$). Fuel problems are usually not so expensive to sort.

[aff-man]

Once it was running it was sorta sweet so i am sure it was the plugs. But she will be going in for a good service soon so that will sort everything out. Cheers for the help guys i'm now off to see if it will start

[aff-man]

I must have the magic touch cause she started up first go. Well bike is booked in for next week so hopefully will get everything the needs doing done.




P.S. Rididng in the dry and she is not a slow machine aye :msn-wink: :msn-wink:

[pete376403]

Weak ignition coils are sometimes a problem. The spark at the plug is crap at the best of time and when the starter motor is pulling most of the available juice, there's bugger all left to power the coils. Some ignition systems use a ballast resistor and a lower voltage coil to get around this problem. When the starter motor is operating the resistor is switched out of the circuit. When the engine is running the resistor drops the voltage to a level the coil can live with.