R1150GS starting issue

Bikermike1411

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Hi everyone,

The issue is - it won't start!

I've had the tank off while I sorted out the front end tidy up (all done and looks great). I tried to start it two days ago but the battery was flat. I tied again after two days on the optimate and....I have issues.

1.It'll crank over but won't fire.
2.The fuel pump is continuously trying to prime.
3.There's a concerning 'sparking' noise coming from under the tank, but I can't see where from.

I'm going to take the tank off when I get in from picking the kids up from school, but any advice on where to start investing would be great.

Cheers
Mike


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Before taking the tank off, make sure your throttle cables are correctly seated.
There's a photo showing right and wrong, I'll see if I can find it.
Ref sparking noise, check your terminals and the wires to terminals are tight and not touching the tank
 
Here you go

Mike O said:
Bad:

i-ZFgzWtv-L.jpg


Good:

i-fzmP42v-L.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Do your fuel lines have quickfit connectors then ensure they are pushed fully home with a nice click.
 
Cheers lads. The cable wasn't seated right (thanks flat dog!), but it hasn't cured the problem. There's fuel in the tank and I don't have quick release connections on the fuel lines (but I wish I did).

I did get it started for about 20 seconds, then it died again.

I've taken the tank off and can't see any obvious loose connections.

Could it be something as simple as a duff battery? It wouldn't explain the shorting sound though.


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If you don't have quick fits then as big jets has said, try reversing the fuel pipes and see if she fires up,

The noise under tank doesn't sound good, but it may go away if you reverse the pipes.
 
There is no emoji for the face I've just pulled flat dog! ;)

WITH the tank on the rev counter flickers with each 'shorting' sound.....and the fuel pipe to the injectors vibrate slightly too. I can also hear fuel sloshing in the tank as the pump tries to 'prime'.

Any ideas?


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Okay Mike

When the motor is spinning over on the starter Tank can be off and maybe you can see if there is a split coil!

You say the rev counter is "flicking" is that "erratically all over the place"?

or "just Up and Down a little say 5mm" Basically More Info Needed

From what you say I am thinking Hall effect sensor! They do NOT like bad batteries as when you try to start these bikes with a bad battery you get voltage spikes and current surges

As I said before! The sensors on the hall sensor plate tend to get damaged by these spikes and surges, causing them to send false signals would probably be the best explanation (As I found out going to fit a test spark plug with the ignition on the bastardin Feckers!)

But Eliminate the rest before you just plump for that idea
 
Right..... The tank is currently on with fuel lines connected. With the ignition on, and without pressing the starter, it jumps between zero and the first mark on the Rev counter, just after zero, so about 5mm, with the occasional spike up to 1.

I'll be honest, I know where the coils are on my jap bikes, but I've no idea on one of these!

If it is the hall sensor sending a false signal, am I likely to have damaged the sensor trying to start/jump start the bike? And where do I start testing or rectifying the issue?

And yes. Even though I've googled it I still have no idea where it is. I do know it's hideously expensive to replace though.

Thanks for the help so far!


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I think the coils are up front, above the alternator..... Google does help! ;) I'll check for splits tomorrow.


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Morning everyone.

I've just been in the garage to check the GS's battery. It is showing 'good' on the optimate, so I disconnected the charger and turned the ignition. The pump primed, the shorting/fizzing sound fizzed and my bike backfired without pressing the starter.....

I hope this helps with a diagnosis, because I'd really like to get it running!

A used sensor plate seems to be about £100, with a new one twice that amount.

Unless anyone can point me towards trying something else I'll take the tank back off tonight and check the condition of the coils.

With the tank off I did notice that at at the front of the frame, on the top towards the headstock there's a block of six large harness plugs stacked 2x3. The middle-top one is a black one on top of a larger grey one, with (iirc) three thin wires. There's nothing plugged into the black plug.....is this significant, or is it a diagnostic plug or something else? I don't recall unplugging anything, and I can't see anything in the immediate vicinity it could be!



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Sorry, I'm stumped.
The fact she ran for 30 secs indicates not much wrong to me.

Checking hall sensor is discussed a lot on older threads here and certainly I wouldn't be ripping anything apart before checking you have spark, compression, timing and fuel.
Personally I would hit the starter and spray QuickStart at the same time and see if she runs on it.
Bit of a bodge but it eliminates spark, timing and compression issues.
.. in 15 seconds.
Of course it won't rule out a faulty hall sensor - that can cause many different symptoms if breaking down.(alledgedly as mine never had)
 
Cheers Flatdog. I'm going to have to work through it systematically I think, after working out what that system will be!

The pressing issue to me is this fizzing/shorting sound when the ignition is turned on, along with the simultaneous fuel pump priming. It's odd - simultaneously there's the noise, the fuel pipes to the injectors vibrate and the pump primes. This is before I hit the starter.

I had considered whether the battery could be shorting after I fit the optimate leads - in my mind this would trick the bike into thinking the ignition was being flicked off/on, and the pump would prime with each 'on' connection.


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trickytree said:
I'd be disconnecting the battery PDQ until you've found the short.
Click to expand...

Agreed! I will as soon as I get home...

It only seems to 'short' when the ignition is on. I say 'short', biting can't see any sparking, there's no odd smells and there's the associated mystery injector fuel line pulsing.


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