CEL and Low Fuel Lamps

[pushr0d]

Is it possible that some water in the fuel could cause some very strange behavior?

I took the bike out for a ride this morning after servicing the rear axle yesterday. (Note: Make sure you have a pair of BIG snap ring pliers! And plenty of time. The cleaning alone takes quite a while.)

I met up with some friends for breakfast, then we ran over to ones house so he could change bikes. I stopped on the way to top off the tank.

Not long after, but several miles later, the bike started to do strange things. It has cut out on me a couple of times; one time the CEL and the LF lamps came on, then went out; the bike started but then died when I put it in gear.

The latest was the CEL and LF lamps came on, but then the LF lamp went out. The CEL is still illuminated. And, on the way home, I sat at yet another traffic light, with the bike idling. It died when I put it in gear, but it started immediately when I hit the starter button.

Other than the above action, the bike runs normally.

My thinking is that I may have picked up something other than petrol when I filled up, or maybe the fuel sender connection isn't made properly, and I'm getting an intermittant break. I think maybe that would cause an error in the ECU.

Any ideas? I saw on another forum that codes can be pulled from our bikes with 'any' OBDII scanner. Is that true? If I still have the CEL tomorrow, I'll run over to Autozone and see if I can pull a code.

Cheers!

pr

[pushr0d]

Well, well, well...

Just took the (formerly) trusty steed over to my 'local' (90 miles away) Dealer for the 24K valve check and general going-over.

As in the 12K check, the bike needed no adjustment in the valves! He said that one or two is fairly common, but none is still outstanding.

Plugs checked and gapped, and then they took it out for a test ride. The bike ran fine, but then it threw a Low Fuel and a CEL.

They got it back into the shop, and put the GameBoy on it. "Overvoltage condition on the fuel sender." (Or something like that)

They cleared the code, but it took a couple more power cycles before the system was stable.

He told me the fuel senders can go bad. They use a 'puck' that floats inside a tube. The puck (and this is where one of the electrical gurus can chime in) apparently makes contact across the tube, where two conductors are embedded. Somehow, this system can go bad. It seems the failure is usually the 'puck'.

He told me that years back, a vendor had made a bunch of senders that leaked, and they were replaced by VIN, or when discovered. The 'good ones' have a pair of wires that exit the sender before they go into the protective sheathing.

Anyway, a new puck is $25 or so; the whole sender assembly is $96 (but wait! If you order now, you get a new gasket, too!)

I asked about riding the bike with the CEL and low fuel lamps. He said it is considered a 'non-critical' alarm condition by the ECM, and thus it will not put the system in 'limp-home' mode. He said he has seen several bikes with the problem 'fix themselves'. He told me to ride the bike. If it didn't clear up, I could order the new puck.

BTW, I had a concurrent failure in my original post. I discovered (when my bike failed to crank, finally) that I had a very loose positive battery connection. It was losing contact intermittantly, and that was causing the bike to stumble.

Another reminder to look for the simple cause first!

[DaveM]

Push on the valve adjustment thing, I think it is pretty normal not to have any out of spec at 12,000 miles.

They tend to stay good for a fare while from the indications I have read here over the last 4 years.

This is also normal on lots of Jap sports bikes too, I remember my previous GSX R600 being still ok no adjustment at over 30,000kms and this was not unusual, I don't remember about other bikes I have had but I think they were similar.

DaveM

[pushr0d]

Dave, my motor has required no adjustments in 24,000 miles! And my Dealer is the cautious sort. He makes the changes if the valve measures anywhere near 'too tight' and if close to 'too loose. Mine has been neither.

Yep, those 955's are a peach!

Now, the electrics lately have been another story altogether!

[DaveM]

Push

I have 64,000kms and only 2 valves have needed adjusting, bearing in mind my engine has done mostly very hard mountain 2 up work.

The only issue I have had was a faulty speedo sensor replaced under warranty, faulty CF can replaced under warranty and an O ring went on my fuel quick connectors.

I had my rear shock rebuilt at 20,000kms but I am a big lad and ride two up a lot on it.

That is all I can think of since March 05 when I picked her up.

I have had no electrical issues but I have used rather a lot of tyres!

DaveM