Wont start - UPDATE

[Matt_the_pirate]

Hi all.

My first post, and not a good one at that.

My bandit has been playing up since it got a good soaking in the rain. Ive tried all i can think of....

Ive replaced the plug caps and leads, cleaned the plugs and cleaned out the carbs. Im getting a spark from all the plugs, so i thought it could be the mixture. What is the standard factory setting for the mixture screw?

Any help is appreciated!

[ED]

Have you drained you gas tank and carb bowls?  Some times you can get water in their and it causes havoc.

[PitterB4]

Yeah man, if getting wet caused it and everything is dry now and you've got good spark, I agree you must have water in the fuel somehow.

BTW - stock setting for the screws is supposed to be 1.75 out, IIRC.

[pmackie]

No start can be frustrating, but keep one thing in mind...if an engine has sufficient compression, approximately correct fuel/air ratio, and spark at approx the correct time, by the laws of physics, IT HAS TO RUN. If it ran previously and won't now, it had approx the correct mixture which has NOT changed. Don't start changing the idle screws until its running again.

Start with the simple things first.
1. Drain the float bowls of the carbs to ensure there is no water in them. An easy way to see is to put the drained fuel into a glass jar, the water will drop to the bottom and you will easily see it.
2. Make sure the battery is in good condition. Sometimes a weak battery will not have enough current to turn over the engine AND fire the plugs when they are under compression.

[Kenyan01]

My bandit has been playing up since it got a good soaking in the rain. Ive tried all i can think of....

What would a good soaking in the rain disrupt in a bandit:
1. Fuel in tank or in float bowls.
2. Electrical connections? hence short-circuit, hence burnt fuse(s). Or drain the battery through grounding it via a short-circuit.
3. I really cannot think of something else.

That is why I agree with pmackie. Check your fuel, then your electricals - connections, fuses etc. I discovered water in one of my headlight connectors after a wash.

This could be your opportunity to apply dielectric grease to all the connections.
Kind regards,
Patrick.

[Matt_the_pirate]

Thanks for the info guys. I drained the carbs well back when i cleaned them the first time. Im in the process of cleaning them again, but i havent tried draining the tank.

Whilst i think about it...... is there any way to bleed fuel into the carb float bowls once i get them back on the bike? It took way too much juice out of the battery before the fuel even reached the engine last time.

Also, for any experts out there.... ive tested the ignition coils before and i got a reading of about 25ohms from both coils from their plug caps which is below what the manual suggests (30-50ohms). It was a while ago so dont quote those figures, all im sure of is that both coils read lower than the manual said. Could this mean that the rain has messed them up and im just getting a really weak spark?

[Kenyan01]

Matt,

I am no expert but I have got streetwise on my bandit... (Have you ever got a puncture on your bandit in the middle of nowhere, with the puncture repair guys who've never seen a tubeless tyre? )

To get fuel into the carbs easy, connect a pipe to the vacuum port of the fuel petcock and suck on it for a few seconds then plug the pipe with your thumb for a few minutes.

On the ohms you get from your coils, unless you are using a Suzuki multitester, you could still have very good coils - or so says the manual.

Cheers,
Patrick.

[PitterB4]

To fill the bowls, turn the fuel tap to the Prime position.  It's unmarked and my memory of such stuff is fading but I think it's straight up.  If you have a little screw blocking the movement in that direction, remove it.  That bypasses the vacuum and drains gas directly into the carbs.  Let it go like that for a minute or two and then put it back to On and fire her up.

[Russtang]

Rob is correct.  This is a crappy pic I drew up when I was trying to figure it out myself.

[Matt_the_pirate]

Thanks alot guys, i really didnt expect to get this much feedback. I really appreciate it.

I drained the tank today and found there was a little bit of water there. Spoke to a local mechanic beforehand and he thought it was most likely to be water in the tank too. He said it can only take as little as a centileter of water to mess it up.

Whats the best way to avoid getting water in the tank in the future? (Apart from keeping out of the rain )

Should get a chance to test it out on thursday. Fingers crossed!

[Red01]

Whats the best way to avoid getting water in the tank in the future? (Apart from keeping out of the rain )

Well, if you can't keep it out of the rain, cover it up so it stays dry.

[ED]

Whats the best way to avoid getting water in the tank in the future? (Apart from keeping out of the rain )

The only way really to get water in your tank is through the gas cap.  Chances are that your seal is deteriorating and water is seeping in through the top.  You should inspect the seal, and if necessary, replace it (if possible) or get a new gas cap.

[Herr Tod]

Make sure the drain hose isn't kinked.

[stormi]

Well, if you can't keep it out of the rain, cover it up so it stays dry.

Just don't seal it tight! If you block it completely, you'll find the bike won't run again.  (This also ties in with the "make sure the drain line isn't kinked or blocked".)

I had that problem when we went to the mountains.  I put my tank bag on the tank and proceeded up a HUGE hill.  Then the poor girl started bogging like crazy, half way up the hill, then she started stalling, and wouldn't run.  Imagine the thoughts in my head when I realised that we were about 100kms from the truck, and one of us would have to go back for the truck, and load the bike onto the truck, and one would have to wait for 3 hrs!  

As soon as I took the bag off the tank, she started right up, and chugged up the hill.

Whew!

[Herr Tod]

I've had a problem like that once. It was a hot summer day and I had just filled the bike up with fuel and about 5 km's after doing that I had to stop for a traffic light. After 20 seconds it stalled, so I rode it to the side of the road, opened the fuel cap and loads of fuel came out Guess I filled it up too much with the cold fuel from the gas station