Troubleshooting help - bike isn't starting but also hasn't been ridden in a yr

Working_ZS · 02-28-2021, 06:37 PM

First thing that I would ask you is does the fuel pump cycle when you turn on the ignition? If not, make sure that the kill switch is in the on position and try again. If it still isn't cycling, you can try unplugging it's connector and applying a very brief pulse (1-2 seconds) of reverse polarity power to its terminals with jumper wires attached to the battery terminals or better yet, a PowerProbe. This will cause the pump motor to turn in the opposite direction than it normally does and hopefully break it free from any debris or gummed fuel that could be in it.

Given the length of time that the bike has sat, I would also replace the gas in the tank with fresh fuel, as well as install a new fuel filter. Another user on here recently experienced issues on a 2016 RX3 he had just purchased, with 1200 miles on it, IIRC, where the fuel filter came apart internally, most likely due to water in the gas dissolving the water based glue that is used to hold the filter element in place inside the filter canister. This choked off the fuel to the injector and cause the engine to lean out badly, lose power, and eventually die. Even though you are in Arizona, a dry climate, the ethanol in the gasoline can, and does, attract and retain moisture over time. You may be experiencing something similar.

Working_ZS · 02-28-2021, 06:44 PM

Also, when you drain the fuel tank, inspect the fuel pump filter sock inside the tank - a RX3 user on ADVRider had his disintegrate and the pump sucked debris into the gerotor and jammed. I believe he is now running his without the sock, once he got the pump unjammed, since the filter sock is not available as a separate part, but only as part of a whole new fuel pump assembly from CSC.

woodlandsprite · 02-28-2021, 07:04 PM

thanks for the suggestions, the pump *sounds* like it is cycling when the bike is turned on. I've an email into CSC as well asking if they have suggestions, but will plan on the fuel filter replacement at a minimum.

pyoungbl · 03-01-2021, 10:04 AM

When you drain the tank make sure to get 100% of the fuel out. I'd even take the tank off, flip it over, remove the fuel pump, and use paper towels to get the last of the liquid out. The problem is that ethanol will attract moisture and the combined non fuel will drop out of solution, falling to the bottom of the tank. Now the fuel pump is picking up that crap so you really need to make sure you are getting real fuel into the system. With the tank off it's super easy to replace the fuel filter, as others have mentioned. There is a chance that the injector is also plugged but I'd fix the tank and filter first (cheap stuff first) and injector only as a last resort.

02-28-2021, 06:37 PM	#1
Working_ZS Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 365	First thing that I would ask you is does the fuel pump cycle when you turn on the ignition? If not, make sure that the kill switch is in the on position and try again. If it still isn't cycling, you can try unplugging it's connector and applying a very brief pulse (1-2 seconds) of reverse polarity power to its terminals with jumper wires attached to the battery terminals or better yet, a PowerProbe. This will cause the pump motor to turn in the opposite direction than it normally does and hopefully break it free from any debris or gummed fuel that could be in it. Given the length of time that the bike has sat, I would also replace the gas in the tank with fresh fuel, as well as install a new fuel filter. Another user on here recently experienced issues on a 2016 RX3 he had just purchased, with 1200 miles on it, IIRC, where the fuel filter came apart internally, most likely due to water in the gas dissolving the water based glue that is used to hold the filter element in place inside the filter canister. This choked off the fuel to the injector and cause the engine to lean out badly, lose power, and eventually die. Even though you are in Arizona, a dry climate, the ethanol in the gasoline can, and does, attract and retain moisture over time. You may be experiencing something similar.
	1

02-28-2021, 06:44 PM	#2
Working_ZS Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 365	Also, when you drain the fuel tank, inspect the fuel pump filter sock inside the tank - a RX3 user on ADVRider had his disintegrate and the pump sucked debris into the gerotor and jammed. I believe he is now running his without the sock, once he got the pump unjammed, since the filter sock is not available as a separate part, but only as part of a whole new fuel pump assembly from CSC.
	1

02-28-2021, 07:04 PM	#3
woodlandsprite Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 366	thanks for the suggestions, the pump sounds like it is cycling when the bike is turned on. I've an email into CSC as well asking if they have suggestions, but will plan on the fuel filter replacement at a minimum.
	0

03-01-2021, 10:04 AM	#4
pyoungbl Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Portsmouth, Virginia, USA Posts: 632	When you drain the tank make sure to get 100% of the fuel out. I'd even take the tank off, flip it over, remove the fuel pump, and use paper towels to get the last of the liquid out. The problem is that ethanol will attract moisture and the combined non fuel will drop out of solution, falling to the bottom of the tank. Now the fuel pump is picking up that crap so you really need to make sure you are getting real fuel into the system. With the tank off it's super easy to replace the fuel filter, as others have mentioned. There is a chance that the injector is also plugged but I'd fix the tank and filter first (cheap stuff first) and injector only as a last resort.
	1