Hello all I have been lucky enough to enjoy owning a blade since the summer. Having commuted daily for the past two years on a cbr600f it felt like the right time to move up- I had been apprehensive about the change but the blade lived up to her reputation for being smooth and mild mannered and I've loved every moment until now. So I'm hoping that you guys and girls will be able to give me a few pointers to get back on the road I've been using my 2012 blade daily since July...Putting a few thousand miles on her- all lovely. Thursday morning last week I got her out...She started fine and I went the short distance to the end of my road- I was about to pull out and the engine stopped- I thought I might have stalled her so I tried to start her back up but she didn't want to know- the oil light then also came on- so I thought I'd leave it- top the oil up and then try again. I topped her up with 250ml oil. She started up briefly (seconds) on the side stand and then cut out again. She's not started since. Prior to this the left indicator was flashing rapidly for about a week. All bulbs seem fine- they're leds. I've checked the fuses in the main box and a few other obvious ones but no joy. I tried a new battery- weirdly it fixed the indicator prob but still won't start. The only other thing I've done is install a Scotoiler about a month ago- I obviously needed to lift the tank to cut into the vacuum hose. I've since lifted the tank again to check that nothing is pinching- all looks fine. I also checked the MIL code- 6 long blinks- but I couldn't find any error codes with 6 long blinks! So now I'm not sure where to go... Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and for any help- apols for the essay! Keith Herne Bay
Check the fuel pump primes the fuel rail. There should be a union there somewhere to be able to check for fuel rail pressure. Does the pump prime when you turn on the ignition switch, you should hear it if it does. If the pump has failed or the fuse feeding it has failed without fuel it'll not run. Check the obvious like the side stand switch is healthy although the bike should start so long as it is not in gear if the stand switch was the cause. What about the HISS system? Could be an imobiliser fault? Not really sure what the system on the blade does so cant offer advice.
Thanks for the speedy reply- love the pic too My hearing is not the best and I don't know what all the sounds reflect when I turn the key- but there are certainly less noises. So the fuel pump sounds a promising avenue to explore. Will google the location of the union and fuse...
I found a thread HERE which mentions 6 led flashes when the HESD electronic steering damper is disconnected.
I did find that thread too. But not convinced it's relevant- I've not messed with the HESD. Also not totally sure about the MIL blinks- the engine light hasn't been coming on. But I got the blinks to appear when I used some old speaker wire to bridge the green and brown wires from the red dsc connector adjacent to the battery- so maybe it was an old code that wasn't cleared?? Thanks again matey!
Put your ear to the tank and turn the ignition on. You should hear a whirl type noise which is the pump priming.
Ok- had a good listen. There is a whirring type sound when I turn the key. It also sometimes backfires when I try and start the motor- but doesn't actually start. I've checked the FI fuse- looks fine. Not sure how to check if the fuel pump is priming the rail yet...Need to do a quick bit more research
Wondering if it might be the spark plugs...She's done 27k and due to be changed at 32k...Never changed them before- will it be obvious on inspection if they are knackered? I guess it would still start if one or two had gone? Unlikely that have all have gone at once??
The bike would still start with a duff plug and you'll not lose all 4 at once. Far more likely to either be lack of fuel or lack of spark both could be due to the HISS immobiliser kicking in. Not sure
Sounds like the fuel pump relay! Same thing happened to me! Fuel pump would prime sometimes but not everytime and would occasionally start briefly then cut out. Removed fuel pump relay and noticed the spade connectors were corroded cleaned them up and fired straight away and no problems since! could swap it with the fan relay just to test it starts!
Just a little advice for anyone who starts disconnecting stuff, get a tube of corrosion block from the makers of ACF-50 (it's only around £3) and when you split connectors and relay plugs etc before plugging them back in, run a line of CB across each spade terminal. It'll stop any future electrical issues caused by corrosion. Spraying connections with ACF-50 will also do the same thing but CB is thicker.
Thanks for this! Unfortunately it didn't work- I tried switching the fuel pump and fan relay switches as suggested. Thinking about it, I guess the PGM-FI light would come on if this was the problem? I just have the oil light. I'm wondering if I should try adding a bit more oil. I read somewhere that it can be a rare cause of starter probs. I actually only put 125ml in when the light came on...And it was at the bottom of the range when I checked the dipstick- albeit from a cold engine...
Thanks for this Dave...But I'm not sure how relevant the MIL blinks are for my problem- the engine light isn't actually coming on...It was only when I bridged the wires in the DSL connector as described in the same thread you referenced...So perhaps not a current problem? The interval between each blink def seemed the same- my gf was watching and agreed- 6 long blinks.
You should be able to test the oil switch for continuity to see if it is playing up. You need to pull the fuel pipe off going to the primary injectors and stick it into a jug. Turn it over and make sure fuel is def coming out. If fuel pump is priming then that means kill switch etc, side stand switch etc are all fine so they can be ruled out. Is it turning over fast enough?
When I turn the ignition there is a whirring sound so I think the fuel pump is priming. Seems to be turning over at the normal rate- just not cranking. I had a chat with the local mechanic- he suggested checking the switches- clutch, sidestand, ignition...I checked the clutch last night which was fine and then started thinking- if the starter motor is running surely all those switches must be fine? My Haynes manual also arrived in the post and the fault finding section led me to the starter clutch. I also checked the service manual trouble shooting section which also seems to point towards the starter clutch. So mission today is to remove the starter motor and check it out- are starter clutch problems common?? Thanks again for all the support guys.
