Not rough idle....now rough accel and sputtering

[ericboutin]

Background: a couple weeks ago I posted about a rough idle issue I seemed to be having. Bike is a 2004 with 823 miles on her, yah she obviously must have sat for a long time. Anyway per suggestions here I gave her a seafoam bath and it seemed to cure her....idle was much smoother and power was awesome. All better until a couple days ago I went out for a quick run and she started sputtering on acceleration....just no good power. It was a quick run so I picked up some more seafoam figuring it was probably gonna take a couple treatments. I did the seafoam bath again, letting it sit a couple days because of weather and some other things. Anyway today we (me and the misses) were gonna take a ride up to Competition Accessories about 75 or so miles away. I figure this will be a good run to clean it out.....so just like last time I went and filled with fresh gas (89) this time and we head up the road. It's still a little rough but thats what it did last time and eventually started running great and had for about 500 or so miles until today.

She never did clear out....if anything it got worse by the time we got back. Crazy thing is it is "running" great, fires right up sounds real good, quick cracks of the throttle sound good no sputtering; until you go to twist the throttle with a load. Then it just spits and sputters and surges. We ended up just coming home the highway so we could just make a straight shot home without lights etc. Once it is sitting at 65 or 70 it will hold but as soon as you go to twisting the throttle it spits and sputters, it acts like it has no power. It does accelerate but very slowly and mad about it the whole time. When holding at 65 you wouldn't know anything was wrong, occasionally it would surge but it runs fine. It also doesn't quite sound the same...it's a little "throaty".

Anyway I'm confused, it's acting like it's running on 3 cylinders or something? Maybe it's time for plugs? Anyway the collective brain trust came up with the solution last time, any ideas for this one? lol BTW...it has about 1600 miles on it now.

Thanks all!

 

[ionbeam]

Does it have a Power Commander?

Access the diAG screen and check to see if it had had the Barbarian Jumper Mod done, the diAG will display CO if the jumper has been done.

I know you say that it won't accept throttle under load. Is it in the same RPM range regardless of gear or at all RPM ranges? Have you called or talked with a Yamaha service department and had them look up your FJR's VIN for recalls? (For that matter, you are trying this >3k RPM?)

Have you checked to see if the hoses under the tank may be pinched? While under the tank, are there any open vacuum ports?

When you turn on the key does the pump motor turn on and sound strong for a few seconds?

 

[ericboutin]

Does it have a Power Commander?

Don't know for sure but I'm thinking not.

Access the diAG screen and check to see if it had had the Barbarian Jumper Mod done, the diAG will display CO if the jumper has been done.

No Jumper Mod....verified this when I was messing with the idle issue.

I know you say that it won't accept throttle under load. Is it in the same RPM range regardless of gear or at all RPM ranges?

It will accept throttle and will get up to speed; it is just by no means smooth or quick.....and yes at all rpm ranges.....it will "surge" - "normal throw your head back" take-off but for a split second then sputtery again. (new tech term)

Have you called or talked with a Yamaha service department and had them look up your FJR's VIN for recalls? (For that matter, you are trying this >3k RPM?)

Yes when I was checking the idle issue....all recalls completed and yes above 3000.

Have you checked to see if the hoses under the tank may be pinched? While under the tank, are there any open vacuum ports?

Didn't get this far with the idle issue because the Seafoam cleared it up and had no need to go any further. This is what I'm after though...ideas of what to check this time.

When you turn on the key does the pump motor turn on and sound strong for a few seconds?

Yes it definately does and I'm pretty deaf but even I can hear it.

 

[Hornet Pilot]

I think you have one or more plugs fouled! Change em!

 

[FJRBluesman]

Eric - A few things I'd like to recommend.

1) Check the Air filter, clean or better yet change it.

2) Change plugs if you're unsure of them.

3) Check your battery cable at the battery. Make sure both leads are tight and making good contact, no corrosion.

I'd do these one at a time and check to see what works. If you do them all at once, you won't know if it was one thing or a combination.

Check my battery issue here.

 

[Ed Sidders]

Sounds like the Seafoam did its job a little too good and years of nasty crap are floating around in the fuel system....If a little is good ----too much is bad--

 

[bluesdog]

If none of the other suggestions pan out, you may want to take a gander at the injectors. Last spring I had a partial clog on #4 that caused pretty similar symptoms. I pulled the rack and had the injectors cleaned.

If you do pull the injectors, be prepared with new o-rings and screens, and take care removing and replacing them in the fuel rail, as the nozzle seals are fairly soft and can be damaged if the injectors are not lined up evenly.

Good luck

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

There is a main electrical harness under the fuel tank with a connector(as I re-call, it was white).. It tends to collect moisture and turn green causing the above mentioned problems.

Do a search, there were pictures posted on the plug. My 04, with low miles at the time started acting up the same as yours. Intermediate, misfire, occasional stumble upon acceleration.

Once that plug was cleaned and a little dilectric grease added, ran like a top, no future problems..

 

[ericboutin]

Would someone please tell me how we fixed stuff before the internet and user forums??!! Cus I can't remember!!

Anyway "ding ding ding - we have a winner!"....I made a list from the suggestions here on what I was gonna check and I started out with FJRBluesman and his battery issue. Very similar to my problems and I did add my battery tender when I got the bike so it was very plausible that's what it could be...plus it's one of the easier suggestions to check. So I pull the panels covering the battery and both leads to the battery are tight....damn it! ....no good luck here......but wait....while reading his post it seems I remember he posted another link to another post referring to that goofy rubber cover over the postive terminal....sometimes it will get wedged between the wire and terminal when clamping down.....worth a shot.....i loosen the positive cable and flip it over.......Ta Da!!.....sure enough that protector had wedged itself in there, the picture he posted was EXACTLY what I was looking at!!......soooo in conclusion I cleaned up the wire and terminals real good with battery cleaner and then trimmed that rubber protector so it couldn't become lodged in there again.

I'm buttoning it back up thinking that I'm kidding myself because as bad as it was running there is no way it could be this simple....that a piece of rubber could turn what should have been a beautiful 150 mile ride on a gorgeous day with the misses into a white knuckle hell ride. I figure I better leave the panels of the battery off just in case.....anyway I fire her up....sounds the same as yesterday but of course like I said it ran and idled great...the proof was in the wrist....took it out for a test spin in the neighborhood fully expecting stutter stutter stumble....but nope pure FJR power!! NO WAY! Came home put on gear and took it out onto the real roads....running like a top!! Night and Day difference! She's back!! So I would suggest to everyone that when doing maintenance on your batteries to go ahead and snip the rubber protector so it cannot become wedged between the terminal and wire!

Thanks to all once again and especially FJRBluesman for pointing me in the direction of your post and then your other post after that!! LOL! Man I love this place!!

 

[FJRBluesman]

I'm glad it's all running well for you.

I too was surprised how the bike ran with poor electrical contact at the battery. I would have never guessed this was the issue and only stumbled upon it as stated in my post, . Rather interesting. I've stumbled on a few things like this with mechanical items like the clutch bushing on the lever.

This collective body of forum rats has a vast knowledge of little issues that help. I'm glad my sharing this helped you out.

Ride safe.

 

[RossKean]

I'm glad it's all running well for you.

I too was surprised how the bike ran with poor electrical contact at the battery. I would have never guessed this was the issue and only stumbled upon it as stated in my post, . Rather interesting. I've stumbled on a few things like this with mechanical items like the clutch bushing on the lever.

This collective body of forum rats has a vast knowledge of little issues that help. I'm glad my sharing this helped you out.

Ride safe.

The Venture I had before my FJR had the identical bushing and it ended out looking just like the one in your linked post. I take it out and grease it about once per year. Thanks for the reminder - haven't done it this year.

To ericboutin, glad its running as it should. A 2004 with 800+ miles on it! You had a lucky find. I predict many happy miles to come!