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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
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Message started by M38A1 on 04/26/10 at 12:12:51

Title: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by M38A1 on 04/26/10 at 12:12:51

Hello....

My friend Sharon purchased a 2003 Suzuki Savage in March of '09 with 1,185 miles on it. The bike was purchased from a private party who had it from March '08 to March '09, and a dealer owned it before that. The bike currently has 6,600 +/- on it.

She made a passing comment to me the other day about how she can be riding and all of a sudden, the bike just quits running. Hmmm.... So I read many posts here and learn about the petcock gremlin of this bike which leads me to believe her issue could be that. She's indicated she can pull over, and by the time she's stopped, hit the starter and it'll fire up. I was following her yesterday and she just pulled over for no reason (to me) and said it died. She hit the starter a few times and it fired right up. Yes, she had fuel in the tank. ;)

So, my first thoughts are, wouldn't the vacuum problem associated with the petcock provide for any sputtering or loss of power as fuel is exhausted? Her comment to me was it 'just dies'. So I asked if it's a sputtering or literally as quick as a lightswitch or turning off the key to the ignition. Her reply, quick.

Now I'm confused on which way to turn. What does conventional wisdom say here regarding the dieing issue? Is it most probably the petcock and the Raptor replacement is the way to go, or could it be ignition?

Looking forward to your thoughts so I can get her back on the road.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 04/26/10 at 12:17:02

Very common problem, but before you suspect the petcock, just do a quick check on the vacuum line for cracks and splits.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by bill67 on 04/26/10 at 12:19:16

I would put some Sea Foam in the gas and see if that don't clear it up.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 04/26/10 at 12:23:22

Don't bother with the sea foam unless the vacuum line is okay and the petcock has been ruled out as the problem. Some people here think sea foam is the be all end all of bike repair. http://annemccaffreyfans.org/forum/images/smilies/shake.gif

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by bill67 on 04/26/10 at 12:25:37

Don't listen to the Indian hes got a junk bike.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by babyhog on 04/26/10 at 12:28:19

Also make sure her kickstand is not loose? If she could be accidentally flicking it, the bike would cut off. I'm not sure how low it has to go to cut the engine, but I'm sure someone will correct me.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by Serowbot on 04/26/10 at 12:38:33

686B6A67657F060 wrote:

Also make sure her kickstand is not loose?

I'm with Piglet,... fuel problem usually has a sputter,... electric is usually instantaneous...

Disconnect and reconnect the connections at the kickstand and clutch lever cut-outs... sometimes the contacts go bad... unplugging and replugging helps... ;)...

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 04/26/10 at 12:39:20

686366663C3D0A0 wrote:

Don't listen to the Indian hes got a junk bike.

This from the guy who admitted to beating his kids just before bed whether they deserved it or not.

Quote:

I always spanked my kids when they went to bed so they would be good the next day or they new what they were getting.

Don't piss me off further Bill. You will NOT like it. http://www.annemccaffreyfans.org/forum/images/smilies/bat.gif

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by bill67 on 04/26/10 at 12:46:43

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by M38A1 on 04/26/10 at 12:51:18

So does the petcock vacuum issue typically have a sputter with it, ie: lack or diminishing fuel symptom and then dies? She was quite explicit in saying it's quick and has been like that each time with no sputtering or loss of power. It's on - It's off, again leading me to think electrical.

Now the krinkie-dink in all this is, she said it typically happens after 45 minutes to an hour pointing back to a possible vacuum problem as the fuel load decreases in the tank?

What I don't want to do is replace a bunch of stuff chasing cats.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by Yonuh Adisi on 04/26/10 at 12:55:38

106E651C6C5D0 wrote:

What speed does it usually occur at? And yes, it has been my experience that it seems to just shut off like a switch. It usually happened to me when I was at speed but once I dropped RPMs I could just hit the starter and it fired right back up. Replacing the vac line cured it.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by bill67 on 04/26/10 at 12:56:08

Could be the fuel filter is a little dirty The Sea Foam can clean that up.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by verslagen1 on 04/26/10 at 13:00:39

put the petcock to prime, if the problem goes away, you got your problem isolated.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by M38A1 on 04/26/10 at 13:06:46

380E0F14092005081208610 wrote:

I recall it's while operating at speed. Yesterday we were running 65mph or so and she just pulled over out of the blue with the issue.

I'll chase down vacuum lines and have her leave the switch to Prime and see what that does. I'll also look around the electrical connections as noted.

I've since learned she's already tried the Seafoam additive with no change in the issue.

But I've got to get the clutch/cable sorted out before I can get to the fuel/ignition problem. Doh!

Thanks for all the leads/tips thus far.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by prechermike on 04/26/10 at 13:28:44

For what it is worth, check the fuses.

My fuse holder looks real bad, I looked all over town for something to replace it with, but could find nothing so I taped it up and put it back together. Last week the bike started cutting out, no real rhyme or reason, by the time I got it stopped, I would start back. It might run an hour or it might run 2 minutes. Anyway, I limped home and got to checking things out.

Neither of the fuses have blown, but one has been real hot and was very corroded looking. I took the fuse out of the messed up side, put on a couple of female wire connectors and put the fuse back in. For the time being, that has corrected my problem.

It is alot of fun chasing down an irregular problem.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by Trippah on 04/26/10 at 15:52:46

There is nothing on earth that will create self induced hair removal like an intermittent electrical problem (having just replaced a battery on the riding lawn mower when a slightly corroded connection was the culprit). :-[

For you folks in the desert South West, a riding lawn mower is a vehicle used to cut the grass (which is not of the hemp family and brought in at night by helpful southern neighbors.)

Perhaps you folks have cactus cutters?

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by thumperclone on 04/26/10 at 16:11:49

ive put over 13k on my 06 STILL every so often i hit the side stand with the heel of my boot..^ check vacume line for sure..dont care for those oem springs that hold the tube at both ends..
P.S. yon & bill go out back behind the dumpster itll make you both feel better..

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by bill67 on 04/26/10 at 17:14:11

6E48534A4A5B523A0 wrote:

I just did the same thing,cleaned the cables for the new battery but never check the old battery with clean cables but the battery was 8 years old, the new one at walmart was $19.95,So it wasn't to bad.

Title: Re: Issue #1 - Fuel or Ignition?
Post by thumperclone on 04/26/10 at 19:18:43

0D2B3029293831590 wrote:

i got a cactus cutter its called a knife..the broad leaf are the best kinda like green beans..the spanish name is (forgive the spelling!)nopalies..
good stuff maynard!!! 8-) tuna is the fruit..even better!!!