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Display Mesage #112221


Bike won't start
Written by brianjmcmurry on 4/16/2012 at 12:42 am

I hadn't started my bike for a few months. I've kept it on a battery tender.
It cranks over but wasn't sputtering or attempting to start. So, I got to the
carb intakes and used starting fluid. And, it runs for a few seconds. So, I am
concluding it is a fuel supply issue. I don't know for sure what someone else
referred to as the 20 sec starting procedure. Does that mean cranking it for 20
seconds? and this jumping the relay, what page is that in the manual? Thanks
for any help you can provide.

--- In ipcrc@yahoogroups.com, "Marc" <mlipmd@...> wrote:
>
> I did crank it for a while thinking just that but I could never get it
started, even with the fresh battery. My thoughts for the past few days was that
no fuel was getting up there after going though all the electrical stuff, spark,
safety switches, etc. I eventually determined the fuel pump was not operating -
not vibrating, not pumping, no noise, no nothing, even when hooked up directly
to another 12v battery.
> I tested the relay, shorted it out (bypassed it) like in the manual and
nothing happened with the pump. I removed the pump and there is a black plastic
cap on one end that comes off after removing one screw, so I just had to look
inside there. There is a set of contact points and a small spring mechanism,
just like ignition points, and they were kind of black and ugly looking, so I
cleaned off both contact areas and made them shiny with some mild sandpaper
rubbed between them, hooked it up to the 12v again, and now it works, works
great, pumps gas as long as there's current flow. So, I reinstalled it, hooked
everything up again, and cranked it enough to allow the gas to get pumped back
up into the line to the carbs, (that does takes a while) and it started up and
RUNS GREAT.
> I found out a few things taking my bike apart - there's no problem with the
petcock because the PO did the brass Tee mod, and there is a Mitsubishi
triangular logo on the black plastic cap on the fuel pump. I don't know if this
is OEM but it looks the same as the pics in the service manual. Maybe one
supplier makes all of these and puts different logos on them for whoever they
sell them to.
> Anyway, thanks all for your input, if anyone else has a problem where their
fuel pump craps out, take it apart as you may be able to fix it. This is
probably one of those things supporting using your bike on a regular basis
instead of letting it sit for an extended period - what in the medical
profession we call "atrophy of disuse". Possibly the low voltage from the
initial bad battery caused the points in the fuel pump to stick together instead
of sparking in between - who knows?
> Again, thanks for everyone's help.
>
> --- In ipcrc@yahoogroups.com, "Alfred W" <alfred.wams@> wrote:
> >
> > He Marc,
> > Since there has been no change made whatever, except the battery being
empty, I suggest you conciser and perform the twenty seconds starting procedure.
I had the same thing when my battery had been completely empty. I have been
thinking - reading about it - that this was a safety feature from the starter
relay on the bike but since there was no further information on that subject I
feel more that it is the fuel-line being completely empty. The running bike asks
fuel when the pump has stopped due to not having had enough electricity. This is
all just guessing for me but have had the same problems. Not cranking for 20
seconds will not allow to start the bike when it was tipped over or had been
run/started in-vain with almost no electricity.
> >
> > I wonder if there is any knowledge on the subject from the group and have
you been cranking it for this incredibly long span of time? Alfred
> >
>

Message Thread for message #112221