'04 1150GSA will not start after fuel pipe connector came apart.

[fozzy2926]

Thought I would make life a little easier for myself by removing the fuel tank to replace the battery.

So..........I replaced the battery, reconnected the fuel pipes and started the bike up. All was well for around 30 secs. at fast idle. Then I let the revs. drop and, as is often the case with my bike, it conked out (I've recently been told it needs one, or possibly even two, new coil sticks). No problem I thought, but then on trying to restart the bike the male and female parts of one of the fuel pipe quick-connectors parted, squirting out a little fuel (I would still swear that on reassembly I pushed the male and female parts of the connector back together until they clicked!). Anyhow, still no problem I thought. I reconnect the fuel pipe and try to restart the bike but when I turn the key in the ignition there is a bit of a clattering noise which I assume, not having any mechanical knowledge, is the fuel system replenishing itself after its little squirt. But nothing that simple it would appear because this time round, when I press the starter button the engine turns over a treat but the bike absolutely refuses to fire.

I've done a search here but didn't come up with anything that sounds similar. I have checked the throttle cables are seated and have reset the throttle but still nothing, despite numerous attempts to start the bike. Any help will be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[Gecko]

Could you have crossed over the fuel lines during reassembly?

 

[MikeO]

Recheck your quick-disconnects are seated properly - they won't pass fuel otherwise. If they're correctly seated you should be able to rotate them at the joint IYKWIM...

Mike

 

[Steptoe]

Push in both the fuel Q/D connectors, and then give them a little twist to make sure they are both fully connected.

Definately make sure that both throttle cables are fully seated. Double check...


Check the throttle body butterflies are fully closed by lifting the throttle wheel behind the throttle body with your finger and then letting it snap closed. You should hear the throttle stop screw "whack" the stop arm.
Do this on both sides.
If you don't hear a "whack" then your cables are caught, if not at the point where you've already checked then at the junction box.

Try twisting the throttle full on (with the ignition off) and holding it full on "rattle/pull" around the throttle cables on both sides, that can reseat the cable outers if they've popped out at the junction box.

.

 

[Steptoe]

Could you have crossed over the fuel lines during reassembly?

Factory fitted Q/D fittings, impossible to do.

 

[fozzy2926]

Wow; lightning response - many thanks all.

I'm afraid to say that I managed to break the remaining original plastic connector during my second or third attempt to remedy the problem by disconnection/re-connection. I was getting a little frustrated at that point! However, a new (metal) one is in the post, together with coil stick and a couple of O-rings, and should be with me tomorrow.

I'm fairly sure I did rotate the connectors during reassembly but will definitely do so in future now that I know (rather than guessing) I should. I will check throttle cables, butterflies etc. and, subject to the parts arriving, I will report back tomorrow.

Thanks again for the excellent advice,

Steve

 

[fozzy2926]

May have discovered the problem - no fuel flowing through the pipe (front) from the tank when I went to replace the broken QD connector. I have tried sucking fuel through; it's possible but there is a lot of resistance, whereas fuel happily flows through the rear pipe. I have a reasonable pair of lungs on me but blowing through the pipe is impossible. Could there be a problem with the fuel pump following its little squirt or just a blocked pipe? Also there was the clattering noise that I originally mentioned which I assumed at the time was the fuel pump. Any suggestions? (I would have checked for a pipe blockage but don't have a pipe clamp to replace the single-use one fitted)

 

[Captain Black]

May have discovered the problem - no fuel flowing through the pipe (front) from the tank when I went to replace the broken QD connector. I have tried sucking fuel through; it's possible but there is a lot of resistance, whereas fuel happily flows through the rear pipe. I have a reasonable pair of lungs on me but blowing through the pipe is impossible. Could there be a problem with the fuel pump following its little squirt or just a blocked pipe? Also there was the clattering noise that I originally mentioned which I assumed at the time was the fuel pump. Any suggestions? (I would have checked for a pipe blockage but don't have a pipe clamp to replace the single-use one fitted)

How low are you on fuel in the tank ?

 

[fozzy2926]

How low are you on fuel in the tank ?

Very low after I accidentally severed the pipe that links the 2 sides of the tank but prior to that, the tank was probably around a third full.

A couple of points that I possibly should have mentioned before: Since developing this problem ie. post squirt, although the engine turns over on the battery, it makes absolutely no attempt to fire......at all. I would have thought that with fuel only flowing through one pipe, the bike would at least try to have a splutter . Could something have happened to stop the engine sparking?

Secondly; when, yesterday evening, I again undid the fixing bolt between the tank and the bike frame and moved the tank slightly, a significant amount of water came out of one of the vent/drain pipes (or whatever they are ) that discharge below the bike. I had noticed shortly before that water had built up under the fuel filler cap, so I assume it was just that I had trapped the drain pipe the day before. Thought I'd better mention it though, in case it's significant and due to my ignorance of things mechanical.

Thanks in anticipation

 

[Steptoe]

May have discovered the problem - no fuel flowing through the pipe (front) from the tank when I went to replace the broken QD connector. I have tried sucking fuel through; it's possible but there is a lot of resistance, whereas fuel happily flows through the rear pipe. I have a reasonable pair of lungs on me but blowing through the pipe is impossible. Could there be a problem with the fuel pump following its little squirt or just a blocked pipe? Also there was the clattering noise that I originally mentioned which I assumed at the time was the fuel pump. Any suggestions? (I would have checked for a pipe blockage but don't have a pipe clamp to replace the single-use one fitted)

How are you testing that the fuel isn't flowing through the pipe ?

The fuel pump has to be working and sucking blowing on the pipe is pointless as the fuel pump is at the other end.
The other pipe where the fuel flows freely is a return pipe, so there are no restrictions.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing

 

[Packer]

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing

Come on Johnny, the guy is trying to learn and paying someone else may not be an option for him.

Check the black flat connector to make sure that 1) there is no corrosion on the terminals as this is the power supply for the fuel pump, 2) that the plug is correctly connected.

Is the fuel pump running? When you first switch on the ignition you should hear the pump whine until the system is pressurised.

Where did all the spilt fuel go? Around a third full on a thirty litres adventure tank down to not much is a lot fuel to be swilling around. I'm guessing big adventure tank because of the link pipe that you broke.

 

[fozzy2926]

How are you testing that the fuel isn't flowing through the pipe ?

The fuel pump has to be working and sucking blowing on the pipe is pointless as the fuel pump is at the other end.
The other pipe where the fuel flows freely is a return pipe, so there are no restrictions.

No testing; I wouldn't know how to! In my ignorance I assumed fuel ran through both pipes toward the engine .
While I was turning over the engine (and there was still fuel in the tank!) it occurred to me that I never smelt unburnt fuel. Should I have been able to? BTW the cat. has been removed, if that makes any difference. Thanks Steptoe for your continued help.

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing

I probably would, especially seeing as I know a very nice man several miles away, but I have no means of transporting the bike. Plus, seeing as I broke it, I would like to try and fix it...........if at all possible .

 

[fozzy2926]

Come on Johnny, the guy is trying to learn and paying someone else may not be an option for him.

Check the black flat connector to make sure that 1) there is no corrosion on the terminals as this is the power supply for the fuel pump, 2) that the plug is correctly connected.

Is the fuel pump running? When you first switch on the ignition you should hear the pump whine until the system is pressurised.

Where did all the spilt fuel go? Around a third full on a thirty litres adventure tank down to not much is a lot fuel to be swilling around. I'm guessing big adventure tank because of the link pipe that you broke.

Thanks for the advice Packer - have only just seen your post. I need to get some more fuel later and a length of fuel pipe from somewhere west London way. The latter, as you correctly guessed is to replace the link pipe on my GSA. The fuel became very expensive weedkiller for the front yard! - on my own, by the time I had disconnected the long end of the broken pipe and attached it the the tank to stem the flow, what petrol was left was hardly worth worrying about! Another lesson learned

I will check the black flat connector as suggested.

I can confirm the short whine when I turn on the ignition still happens, even since the clattering noise that I originally mentioned. However, possibly confusing matters, the bike has servo-assisted ABS; does that also makes a noise?

 

[Packer]

......., the bike has servo-assisted ABS; does that also makes a noise?

Yes but I seem to remember (I've removed mine) that it's only when the brakes are in use, itused to whine all the time I was stationary at a junction with the brakes on.

 

[magno]

Fuel pipe come off filter in tank. Pump will blow it off if qd's not seated correctly and fuel cannot flow.

We fixed this at the side of the road in France once IIRC.

 

[fozzy2926]

I finally got round to sorting the bike to get it to Steptoe, for him to do some skilled work on it. To do so, I ended up taking out the fuel pump and when I did I could hear what sounded like a little bit of plastic rattling round inside it. Only having two hands, I recruited the help of a friend to connect it to a 12v battery to run some fluid through it. The pump worked when we did, and my mate, who was holding the pump while I held the electrical connections on the battery, said something shot out of the pump with the fluid when the pump ran. We were outside and couldn't find the culprit but I guessed it was a bit of the impeller that had broken off.

A neighbour who owns three Alfa Romeo cars happened to mention, after the event, that Alfas can have a problem, the fix for which is to replace the factory fitted fuel pump (with plastic impeller) with an older part that has a metal impeller.

Apart from sharing my experience for the sake of the forum, I wished to thank everyone for their knowledgeable and speedy replies. It seems that this was a bit of an odd one though, from what I can gather. I've certainly learnt plenty in the process though . Still a long, long way to go!

Thanks again,

Steve

 

[Slipperyeel]

Am I reading those dates right? It took 2 years to fix it?

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