Re: Ideas?? Quit in rain.

[Karl Johnson <karljohnson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the tip on checking the ignition trigger and the warning 
about toasting the Motronic.

I guess the one time I pulled the plugs to check the spark I was lucky. 
On my RS, there are lots of thing which look like bare metal, but 
aren't. I believe I used the reinforcement flange on the exhaust pipes 
(right by the heads) for the ground. It did help me identify a bad plug 
wire.

So what would be a good way to check if the plugs are getting a spark?

I was more worried when I pulled the injectors to see if one was 
clogged. Do you have any concerns or tips for checking the injectors?

Duke...now that your bike has some time to dry out, is it still the 
same?

One time the right hand throttle body pulley on my bike got a pebble in 
under the cable. It happened during a rainstorm. I guess a lot of crap 
was thrown up there in the wet and one little stone made it in. Anyway 
the bike didn't die, but it did run rough. It was a tiny little bit of 
gravel...maybe something bigger would be enough to kill it.

Let's see...I do put a bit of dialectic grease in the electrical 
connectors for the injectors, in the hopes of keeping those water free.

Karl
'94 R1100RS
some beemer stuff: 
http://members.macconnect.com/users/k/karl/karlindex.html

On Jan 2, 2005, at 10:33 PM, Tpcutter@xxxxxxx wrote:

> In a message dated 1/2/05 11:00:05 PM Eastern  Standard Time,
> karljohnson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> <<It sounds  rain-related, but maybe it's just a coincidence. How about
> beginning with  the basics?
>
> You can hear the fuel pump, so it and its relay are  okay.
>
> So is it getting spark? You could pull the plugs and see if they're
> firing.>>
>
> The rain relationship is a clue to  a known problem with the early R11
> models. If you want to test it quick and  dirty, just turn on the key 
> and put the
> bike in fifth gear. You will hear the  fuel pump run when the key is 
> turned on,
> then stop. Now turn the rear wheel in  the normal direction of 
> rotation. The
> fuel pump should start again when the  ignition trigger sends an 
> "engine
> rotating" impulse to the Motronic computer. If  it does not, you have 
> located the
> trouble to the ignition trigger and saved a  lot of potentially 
> dangerous
> efforts.
>
> For instance,  pulling the plugs to test spark can EASILY lead to total
> ignition system  failure, because there are no good grounds within 
> reach of the
> plug wires. All  the exposed bits are painted. If you fire the plug 
> without the
> plug properly  grounded, that spark will travel SOMEWHERE to find a 
> ground. If
> that somewhere  is up in the ignition circuit of the Motronic, it will 
> take
> out the  brain.
>
> Tom  Cutter

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