SuzukiSavage.com - Losing fire

Yonuh Adisi FSO

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Losing fire
08/03/09 at 12:03:32

Okay, here's the deal. I have been having trouble with the FireLizard, I thought it was the battery, but I just installed a new one and it is still doing the same thing.

Symptoms:
I can fire it up, and ride about a half mile or so then she starts cutting out on me, I can sometimes keep it running by blipping the throttle, but that only works for a little while, then she dies. After the bike cools down for a couple of hours, I can fire it back up again without any problems only have it do the same thing again after she gets warmed up again. I know I am getting plenty of fuel, what I believe is happening is it is losing fire. Could this be a symptom of a bad coil? Or could she be vapor locking? It has been extremely warm lately reaching almost 100 degrees with little breeze.

I have checked all connections already and they are secure. Battery is new as I said and fully charged. I have a new spark plug which I will install shortly to see if that will help, but the symptoms doesn't fit a bad plug. I really need some help here. I am afraid it might be a bad coil.

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Savage_Amusement Serious Thumper Offline On this steel horse I ride. Posts: 1004 Omaha, NE Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #1 - 08/03/09 at 12:08:40 Yeah I wonder if it is getting hot and has too much resistance and starts to grow really weak. That does sound like an odd problem.
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Charon Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 1811 Harvard, NE Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #2 - 08/03/09 at 16:34:55 You could try heating the coil with a hair dryer (yes, I know it is under the tank) and see if you can reproduce the problem.
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rigidchop Serious Thumper Offline don't feed the drama llama Posts: 1105 ravenswood wv Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #3 - 08/03/09 at 17:17:08 you sure its not crap in the fuel filter?
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Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #4 - 08/03/09 at 17:35:50 Bad plug maybe.
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verslagen1

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Re: Losing fire
Reply #5 - 08/03/09 at 17:54:54

Yonuh Adisi FSO wrote on 08/03/09 at 12:03:32:

Symptoms:
I can fire it up, and ride about a half mile or so then she starts cutting out on me, I can sometimes keep it running by blipping the throttle, but that only works for a little while, then she dies.

After the bike cools down for a couple of hours, I can fire it back up again without any problems only have it do the same thing again after she gets warmed up again.

Sounds like a bad petcock (of which I know yours is different)
Take her out (1/4 mile out, 1/4 mile back) and when she cuts out, pop the gas cap. And see if she starts right up again.

Change your plug, what does it look like? Shocked

Again take her out when she quits test ol' sparky.

I would clean all the electric contacts in the controls for the hell of it.

And maybe take a look at those flaky HD hardware we can't help you with. Roll Eyes

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Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #6 - 08/03/09 at 18:49:04 I will check out all of that stuff when/if it finally cools off this evening. (my garage is an oven) I have already got a coil found on ebay and have snagged it. If it isn't the coil, that just means I now have a spare.
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smokin_blue

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Re: Losing fire
Reply #7 - 08/04/09 at 10:09:51

first do the pop the gas cap thing...if the vent plugs it pulls a vacuum

if you think it is electrical don't forget about the plug cap.....these are resistor caps that have a built in resistor in them. They can burn out over time. Usually this comes out as a rough idle when spark is weak. The caps should unscrew from the wire and can be checked with an Ohm meter. If memory serves me right it should be around 10-12K ohms. You can get replacements from NGK for about $3-6. If you do, cut off the last 1/4 of the plug wire and then make sure the screw get buried right into the wire bundle when you screw it back on. You need to really push and turn at the same time.

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Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #8 - 08/04/09 at 10:26:50 Thanks Smokin, I will check that today while I am doing a good once and twice over of everything.
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Yonuh Adisi FSO

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Re: Losing fire
Reply #9 - 08/04/09 at 13:57:49

smokin_blue wrote on 08/04/09 at 10:09:51:

first do the pop the gas cap thing...if the vent plugs it pulls a vacuum

if you think it is electrical don't forget about the plug cap.....these are resistor caps that have a built in resistor in them. They can burn out over time. Usually this comes out as a rough idle when spark is weak. The caps should unscrew from the wire and can be checked with an Ohm meter. If memory serves me right it should be around 10-12K ohms. You can get replacements from NGK for about $3-6. If you do, cut off the last 1/4 of the plug wire and then make sure the screw get buried right into the wire bundle when you screw it back on. You need to really push and turn at the same time.

Hey Smokin, what color is the resister supposed to be in the plug wire? Mine is white but do not know if that is the color it is supposed to be. Also, I took off the magic sh!t box (aka the CDI) and I discovered some white flecks that look almost like corrosion.

By the way, sparky was very dark indicative of a rich condition, replaced it with my new plug. All connections are secure.

Am gonna take it for a spin her shortly to see what she does.

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Yonuh Adisi FSO Serious Thumper Offline Savage Jedi (Knight) Posts: 3622 Pilot Valley NV, aka Tatooine Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #10 - 08/04/09 at 14:23:58 Well, it didn't work. Once she got warmed up she began to do exactly the same thing. It's either the coil or the CDI, I sure hope it ain't the CDI, those things are PRICEY!!!
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smokin_blue

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Re: Losing fire
Reply #11 - 08/04/09 at 18:59:51

the resistor is built into the plug cap its self. there you cannot get to it unless you smash open the cap. You take the cap off (un screw it from the wire) and measure the resistance from the contact on the inside that makes contact with your plug to the brass screw that sticks out of the other end where it screws onto the wire.

Before you unscrew it from the wire peel back the rubber boot/seal that connects the wire to the plug cap. Slide that up the wire a 1/2" and then grab the wire tight and unscrew the cap. Pretty soon it will spin off then you can check the resistance. If it is open or well above the 12k then the resistor is burned out.

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smokin_blue Serious Thumper Offline From Cafes to Streetfighters! I build them all! Posts: 830 St. Paul, MN Gender:	Re: Losing fire Reply #12 - 08/04/09 at 19:00:39 have you checked compression hot??
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Yonuh Adisi FSO

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Re: Losing fire
Reply #13 - 08/04/09 at 19:18:12

smokin_blue wrote on 08/04/09 at 18:59:51:

the resistor is built into the plug cap its self. there you cannot get to it unless you smash open the cap. You take the cap off (un screw it from the wire) and measure the resistance from the contact on the inside that makes contact with your plug to the brass screw that sticks out of the other end where it screws onto the wire.

Before you unscrew it from the wire peel back the rubber boot/seal that connects the wire to the plug cap. Slide that up the wire a 1/2" and then grab the wire tight and unscrew the cap. Pretty soon it will spin off then you can check the resistance. If it is open or well above the 12k then the resistor is burned out.

I must have been looking at the wrong resister then because when you take the plug wire off of the spark plug, a flat head screw driver will unscrew the contact, then under that is a white resister and a spring that comes right out from the plug wire end.

No I haven't checked compression because I do not have a compression tester.

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smokin_blue

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Re: Losing fire
Reply #14 - 08/05/09 at 03:05:49

Yonuh Adisi FSO wrote on 08/04/09 at 19:18:12:

smokin_blue wrote on 08/04/09 at 18:59:51:

the resistor is built into the plug cap its self. there you cannot get to it unless you smash open the cap. You take the cap off (un screw it from the wire) and measure the resistance from the contact on the inside that makes contact with your plug to the brass screw that sticks out of the other end where it screws onto the wire.

Before you unscrew it from the wire peel back the rubber boot/seal that connects the wire to the plug cap. Slide that up the wire a 1/2" and then grab the wire tight and unscrew the cap. Pretty soon it will spin off then you can check the resistance. If it is open or well above the 12k then the resistor is burned out.

I must have been looking at the wrong resister then because when you take the plug wire off of the spark plug, a flat head screw driver will unscrew the contact, then under that is a white resister and a spring that comes right out from the plug wire end.

No I haven't checked compression because I do not have a compression tester.

You are looking at the right one....I had totally forgotten that some of the caps you can unscrew the contact and do what you just said. I don't know that you can check the assembly resistance that way (or for breaks in continuity when assembled) but you saw the basics there. Anyway based on your problem I don't think that is it. That should show up more at idle I would think.

How are your valves? hence the compression question of my previous posting.

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