Odd starting behaviour?

[great white]

Something My Fj has done since I bought it several months ago.

If you don't get it to kick off on the first start attempt, it will refuse the next several start attempts. Same if it starts and you don't keep it running with a little throttle/choke.

You're stuck for a good 10-15 minutes before it will even consider starting again.

Hot or cold, makes no diff.

Choke makes no diff. Actually, it doesn't like to start of choke at all. Once running, it will take choke, sort of. It will rumble along on choke (setting determined by what it will take without stalling), at some point shoot up in rpm them drop down to idle. At that point it will die if you're not fast with dropping choke.

Little crack of throttle eases starting, which (from what I've read) seems to be a common theme with these bikes.

Once it's running, it's fine and pulls like a freight train.

Carb balance done, no diff. Idle screws are the oem 2 1/2 turns. Idle setting is just a tick over 1000 rpm, warm.

I know the carbs are worn (140,000 kms on teh bike), they need likely need needles and emusion tubes ( can see some wear on the needles)

It's not a big deal right now, just a bit of a PITA. If it doesn't start, I just take the Venture which starts every time.

Hmmm, could be a battery without much reserve in it I guess. I only get about 3-4 good start attempts before it starts to drag. I keep it on a Genius charger all the time, but it is the battery that came with the bike.

[ribbert]

Something My Fj has done since I bought it several months ago......

......Hmmm, could be a battery without much reserve in it I guess. I only get about 3-4 good start attempts before it starts to drag.

What you describe sounds very much like battery for several reasons. Next time it does that, chuck some jumper leads on it and see if it fires right up.
Old but still serviceable fuel pumps seem very sensitive to anything but full voltage too.

Noel

[great white]

Hold the phone!

When it stalled out on a start and would not restart this morning, I just switched over to the Venture and went to work.

Just got home at the end of the day and tried the FJ again (on charge all day).

Crank but no catch. Gave a rev once as I cracked the throttle but died out afterwards.

Usually, it doesn't accept choke at all until it's running.

On a larf, I yanked the choke all the way and stabbed the start button.


VROOOOMMMM!!!!


Idled nice on high idle and as it warmed, it responded as you would expect to too much choke and then when taking choke out.


It's still very early to tell, but what I think has happened is the bike was all messed up in carburetion from the PO messing with stuff. Yesterday I put the idle bleeds back to factory, synched the carbs and set the idle to factory.

Today it seems to now respond normally to cold choke and hot.

Maybe.......just maybe that was it.



This poor old bike sure has been messed around in it's life. I'm really thinking it's going to take almost a full teardown to bring it back to rock solid again. Problem is; I don't think I'll have time or money with two other projects already waiting in the wings....

[jscgdunn]

On one of my 92s the choke seems like it is out all the way but needs an extra 1/8 inch pull to work correctly. 

Will not fire when cold until pulled out all the way.

Jeff

[great white]

Yep, pretty much confirmed. It was the carb adjustments messing it up.

Cold start: pull choke full on, thumb starter, starts right up with no throttle work. About two cranks and it catches. Just need to reduce choke as it warms for good idle.

Any heat in block at all: half-ish choke, starts right up on 2nd or so crank. No need to crack throttle. Stable idle. No choke needed after a few seconds running.

Hot start: no choke, thumb starter, kicks off on the 2nd crank or so. No need to crack throttle. Stable idle. Quick blip to clear it's throat and ready to ride away.

Poor old girl was so messed about, I don't know how it even started for me before I fettled the carbs.....

[FJmonkey]

Awesome, glad you found your happy place. Now ride it!!!