| Author | Message | ||
     Gamdh |
So, got up checked the temp this morning..in the 30's but supposed to get close to 60. Decide to leave about 10am for a few hours. Get dressed go out to start the Uly.. it won't start. Did I mention this was the first ride since I got it back from the dealer (1K maintenance), to be fair it did start when I unloaded it and pulled it into the garage. It only sat for 3 days and the battery had plenty of juice. I really wanted to ride so I just couldn't give up trying to start it and of course ran the battery down (not dead but down). I tried to jump it off my truck.. no luck. It turns over but doesn't appear to be firing. I don't have the software so I can't hook it up and check codes etc. (and did I mention I was cussing the dealer pretty good at this point). Well.. can't give up now so I start checking for blown fuses, loose wires... anything obvious. Nothing (and yes there is gas in the tank). Talked to some friends who know much more than I do and they suggest checking for spark and checking plugs etc.... Time to get serious (and remember I'm not a mechanic), I pull the Air box and right side air scoop... pull the wire off the front plug. Check it and it has plenty of spark. So I pull the plug.. it's covered in a black sooty looking crap.. no idea if this is normal or not??? Well, might as well pull the rear plug.... same thing as the front. I replaced the plugs (after visiting 4 auto parts stores). By the way. Champion 810's seem to match the HD version of the plug. Put the plugs back in go to fire it up.... first time it works ......so I'm happy about that but not the day I wasted when I should have been riding. So the questions are... 1. Is this something that could have been caused by the dealer or something I've done/not done?? 2. I've seen really fouled plugs where there was actually crud built up on the ends etc.... given my description above were they really fouled? 3. If the plugs are fouled.. what might cause that? If not.. any other ideas as to why ?? Sorry for the long post (venting a bit). Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Mike | ||
| Stevem123 |
Do not give it gas when starting. If you did that then it's a good reason the plugs were fouled. The fuel injection system will adjust the mixture for cold starting and if you twist the throttle while trying to start it, it can easily foul the plugs. Other than that, I can't see a reason for the fouled plugs. BC Steve | ||
| Chadhargis |
After you changed the plugs, how did it run? Did you get your ride in? I love riding N. Ga. Great roads in that part of the country. Can't wait to head that way soon. | ||
| Gamdh |
Stevem... I really haven't been doing that, been starting it per the manual (I double checked the manual today just to make sure). Chad - It runs great.. of course it was running great before... it really is pretty strange. As for riding.. nothing more than a 20 minute test ride after I finished up.... with other things going on and driving around looking for plugs etc.. it blew the entire afternoon. Oh, if you ever head down this way.. let me know. | ||
| Stevem123 |
Hey Grimace, You should have the techs do a leakage test on the injectors with the bike turned off. There is enough pressure in the fuel rails that leakage of the injectors could send raw fuel into the intake ports and cause your fouling. It could also account for the reduced fuel economy. Hope that helps. Keep us posted! BC Steve P.S. They better not try to charge you for that either. If they do, call Buell Customer Service because the Stealership is screwing you over if they do! | ||
| Stevem123 |
Oops... not Grimace. Sorry dude. | ||
| Stevem123 |
Ooh..that's right..... Mike had the fouled plugs and Grimace has the bad mileage! Hmmm, Me wonders though if these two problems are related to leaky injectors? BC Steve | ||
| Aeholton |
Gamdh - When the dealer delivered it did you just start it, run it in the garage and turn it off? That could be when the plugs fouled. If you didn't give it a couple of minutes to warm up and revved it up to pull in, it's just like starting the bike and sitting there revving on it before warmed up and turning it off. Just a thought. | ||
| Gamdh |
Aeholton... its possible, it was getting late it was wet and I was in a hurry... I did start it and sit for a minute (more or less).. so its always possible that could have been the cause? I wasn't sure if the plugs could get fouled that quickly. Again, they were not horrible looking just covered in a black residue. | ||
| Lowflyer |
Can you post a close-up pic of the fouled plugs? I have never fouled plugs that I know of and would like to see what to look for. | ||
| Gamdh |
I'll do that tonight when I get home...I'm still not 100% convinced they would be considered 'fouled'.. but we'll see what everyone things... and besides new plugs did fix the problem. | ||
| Chadhargis |
Gamdh - I get over that way a few times a year. I'm planning on doing some camping this year, and may end up a TWO for a night. I hear that police activity has increased in that area though. Can you confirm that? | ||
| Gamdh |
Chad - Yes, it has increased significantly. They have even gone so far as to get GADOT to lower some speed limits on the twisties.... allows them to write more (and for larger $) tickets. On the weekends, If you ride in this area and north (Suches etc..) you are likely going to see a speed trap some where. I've gotten to the point that I don't go up there as often on the weekends. | ||
| Chadhargis |
That's sad. What about Richard Russell toward Helen? That's a fun road. Is it covered with fuzz? Guess I'll keep my tourism dollars in NC and TN.  | ||
| Gamdh |
Pics of the plugs. A little blurry but you get the idea.  (Message edited by gamdh on March 27, 2006) | ||
| Gamdh |
Chad - I've heard more stories about 60, 19, 180 but of course they do move around. The sheriff here is over zealous... he talks to the papers and over exaggerates a bit... and of course many believe him because it is in print. This habit doesn't just hold to speeding, he seems to apply it to what ever he wants to target. real or imagined. I'm probably making is sound worse than it is,. those of use here are just very sensitive about it... there are areas where the speed limit has been dropped to 35.. and could easily and safely be 50 (IMHO). Two Saturdays ago I rode 60 north, cut over to Blairsville and hit 19 South (riding at a good pace, but not really pushing it).....right where 19 and 180 connect there was a speed trap. I got lucky and was warned just before I turned the corner… I noticed a lot of bikes but no cars pulled over. This is one of the 35 mph areas. Anyway… a radar detector may be in my future. | ||
| Eor |
Re: Reading Sparkplugs I ran across this website a while back and found it to be very informative.... http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/spkplghnbook.htm#We | ||
| Gamdh |
Thanks! Looks closest to the 'Carbon Fouled' although I wouldn't classify it as 'Soft'.. I can't rub it off easily. From the site (there is a lot more of course) Soft, black, sooty, dry-looking deposits indicate a rich air fuel mixture, weak ignition or wrong heat range spark plug (too cold). | ||
| Stevenknapp |
Do not give it gas when starting. If you did that then it's a good reason the plugs were fouled. I'll 2nd that, and also DaveS said starting it for a short time, then shutting it off was bad too. I did the same thing unloading it. I took a short ride around the block. Starting it very cold was hard, so I did give it some throttle (BMW habit dies hard). The front plug was fouled. I replaced just the front and it runs great. | ||
| Gamdh |
Had to be what happened... unload the bike and start if for a short time to get it in the garage. Then it was difficult to start the next morning. My previous 2 bikes (KTM, Triumph) both had carburetor's.. so it very possible that after a few failed attempts to start, frustration set in and I hit the gas and just wasn't aware I was doing it. Which of course made things worse and really screwed up the plugs...  | ||
| Stevenknapp |
Sounds exactly like what I did. Except I got it to start, rode it to work where I discovered it was FUBARed when it wouldn't break 60mph. A quick call to DaveS and I was sorted. My wife picked up 6 replacement plugs from the local dealer. I got it started again and nursed it home. I did also change the oil. Hasn't been an issue for me since. | ||
| Gamdh |
user error  I hate when that happens! |
