Rough running/misfire

[Boxergs]

Hi Guys,

Just wondered if any of you more knowledgable folk could maybe point me in the right direction.

About 3 mths ago I replaced the hall sensor on my 2000 1150gs...all went well and it has been running fine since then. However, a couple of weeks ago when we had a fair bit of snow it died on me on the motorway...no warning, stuck in the outside lane when it just lost power and cutout. Eventually fired up again on the hard shoulder and I carried on as normal. Put it down to something electrical getting wet possibly as there was loads of spray etc.

Anyway....on Monday this week after riding to work fine, it wouldn't start when i finished work. Turned over fine but no spark. Rac came out and diagnosed moisture in the hall sensor connection under the tank. Blew it out with airgun and it fired up but ran rough on 1 cylinder. Checked o/s Ht lead and discovered it was shorting out. So....wrapped insulation tape around it and off I trundled. (should mention that whilst it was running on 1 cylinder the rac guy was revving it quite hard and it ended up with the collector box glowing!!!) He also dislodged the throttle cable seating which I corrected.

So....ordered new plugs and HT leads, still waiting for delivery. Tues/Wed/Thursday runs fine, 60 mile round trip each day...gets home last night and hosed it down to get salt off. Went back out on it an hour later and 3 miles down the road it started misfiring/popping and losing power. Stopped, checked over, all seems ok...continued with no improvement. Same this morning .....

So I'm hoping my plugs and ht leads will arrive today so I can replace 'em when I get home....but....still have a nagging doubt....any idea's please?....Coil?

Thanks in advance....(I'm assuming that the popping/etc is unburnt fuel if the HT lead is playing up again)

 

[guzzimag]

Hi - sounds like a bit of a nightmare. Electrical gremlins are always a bugger.

I swear by dialectric grease. It's available from Maplin as a spray. It drives moisture out and leaves a seal around electrical contacts that prevents corrosion/water ingress. With all bikes I buy I whip the tank and panels off and spray it into all block connectors (no need to take them apart).

It's excellent stuff that I've used on problematic old hondas/guzzis that misfired in the wet to perfect effect. No problems since.

Along with HT leads it would beworth checking your coils aren't split or corroded too as this can cause intermittent misfires if they get damp.

Good luck

 

[guzzimag]

oh and the sidestand cutout switch as well

 

[Boxergs]

Well I had a really fun ride home tonight

Had to stop as it was only firing on one cylinder, ht lead was arcing across in another place. Tried to insulate it as best I could but then it started to p*ss it down....30 miles later with the cat glowing and the stubby crackling and banging, I made it home...phew!

Luckily new plugs and leads had been delivered so off with the old, on with the new, good spray of wd40 over everything under the tank and pressed the starter. Much better, sounds like a sewing machine in comparison to earlier as to be expected. At least I am more confident it was the lead breaking down and not the hall sensor or summat. It's an awful feeling committing yourself to an overtake or pulling out onto a busy road to have the bloody thing cough, splutter fart and then die

Anyway, now I'm looking forward to my commute tomorrow again instead of wondering if I'll get there

Thanks for the replies fella's

 

[davegs]

have a look around it when it's running in the dark, you can soon sea any sparks.

 

[rudiemoto]

Well I had a really fun ride home tonight

Had to stop as it was only firing on one cylinder, ht lead was arcing across in another place. Tried to insulate it as best I could but then it started to p*ss it down....30 miles later with the cat glowing and the stubby crackling and banging, I made it home...phew!

shop it in for a ducati you get free aa

 

[Boxergs]

have a look around it when it's running in the dark, you can soon sea any sparks.

Yeah....it was dark. I could see it arcing top and bottom where the lead enters the shoulder part by the hole the plug goes in. I cut up a plastic bottle to try to insulate it but it rained and so didn't work

Anyway, running sweet now, I suppose the cat's knackered now

How much is a y-piece?

 

[MattW]

Yeah....it was dark. I could see it arcing top and bottom where the lead enters the shoulder part by the hole the plug goes in. I cut up a plastic bottle to try to insulate it but it rained and so didn't work

Anyway, running sweet now, I suppose the cat's knackered now

How much is a y-piece?

A knackered CAT won't actually do anything to the bike's performance and as there's no emissions test for bikes it doesn't matter anyway

 

[sparkplug]

How much is a y-piece?

Much more than a cat from one of the many who have taken them off to fit a y-piece

I gave mine away FOC as have many others...

 

[techno]

Seems like mine is now suffering too. Got back from the Elefant Rally and all was fine. Washed all the salt/grit/crap off and put it away to 'dry off'. Two days later went for a 230 mile ride. Started fine and idled and free reved OK. As soon as I wanted to go quickly i.e. a few miles from the house - very lumpy above 3k5RPM. Decide to carry on as if it was water I figured it would dry out. It didn't.

In Ireland at the moment, so will check everything above unless anyone has any other explanations for the rough running when I get back...

Coil(s) or caps or something else?

 

[Keith Chapman]

Techno, could be water in the fuel tank ??

 

[Steptoe]

Coil(s) or caps or something else?

Could be, but you'll have to tell us if you have a twin spark bike or not.

In fact what model of bike would be a start.

 

[techno]

hmm. yes. Assumed you all knew what bike I had It's an 05 1150 GSA.

I thought it was water in the tank, but ran it almost dry and then filled up fresh in Tintagel.

I have another tank so I will swap it over and see.

 

[techno]

I swear by dialectric grease. It's available from Maplin as a spray. It drives moisture out and leaves a seal around electrical contacts that prevents corrosion/water ingress.

Don't suppose you have a part number for this do you?

 

[techno]

Was the stick coil. Spark one side, not the other. £65 later silky smooth (for a boxer anyway..).
replaced the other side too after that - just in case that one wants to fail on me.

The coil outer (metal) was corroded so I imagine some water got in over time and killed it.