Remove seat without key- Now electrical Questions!

[kilika2]

You have a regular american 600 just like me. Only 2 years older. If your VR looks like a candy bar about 4-5 inches long it's the pre 95 and crap. If it's more square with fins on it. It's newer... But as Mawler said it could be bad because of the terminal swap. I think you're good to go now though. Good luck.

Chris.

PS here's a link the first 2 pics describe what I said. And if you have to change them then you have quick access through this thread. http://fzronline.com/wiki/doku.php?id=r ... conversion

[MaParkerColo]

Hey guys,

wanted to update and ask some more questions. It did turn out to be the main fuse, but I got to it without mangling anything just by getting a hand up in there. Since I still can't get to the battery to check voltage (long story, but the correct key is supposedly on the way...) I went ahead and started the bike. It started right up, but ran like crap. Only ran with choke, couldn't give it any gas with out it dying etc, etc. Now, it has been sitting for over a month so the high ethanol gas we have around here very well may have gummed up passages in the carbs. I have an Ebay R6 voltage regulator on the way just in case, but would a blown VR make it run like crap? The way it was running in my experience is often an indication of clogged passages in the carb circuits, but I've never dealt with a bad VR before. How do they run with a bad VR?

Thanks for all the great advice!

Mark

[kilika2]

With a bad vr on mine. I would be going down the street. Down shift at a light or something and when I would go to give it gas to match rpm it would just die on me. Imagine how i felt when I didn't have the clutch in when this happened. :S

Chris.

[MaParkerColo]

With a bad vr on mine. I would be going down the street. Down shift at a light or something and when I would go to give it gas to match rpm it would just die on me. Imagine how i felt when I didn't have the clutch in when this happened. :S

Chris.

Yikes! No fun when it locks up on you. I have a YZF600 VR on the way and hopefully that will take care of it. It sucks b/c this is the first problem I've had with this bike. Before this it had been rock solid dependable for me.

[MaParkerColo]

Two things. First I figured out that you can get the side panels off by bending the seat up just enough to get at the screw holding the side panel on. Once this is off you can pull the side panel off and trip the latch holding the seat on.

Now on to the electrical woes! I'm guessing that the VR is fried since parts of it had actually started to melt and drip down the plate that it sits on I wired in new YZF VR and started the bike. Still runs like absolute crap. If the bad VR had cooked the TCI (CDI, igniter box, whatever you want to call it). What would my symptoms be? Would it barely run and die when you try and give it gas? Does the TCI give any outward signs of being damaged? Is there anyway to test for a bad TCI?

Thanks for the continued help everyone. I'd love to get this on the road while the weather is still nice. We'll have snow before too long

[yamaha_george]

Two things. First I figured out that you can get the side panels off by bending the seat up just enough to get at the screw holding the side panel on. Once this is off you can pull the side panel off and trip the latch holding the seat on.

Now on to the electrical woes! I'm guessing that the VR is fried since parts of it had actually started to melt and drip down the plate that it sits on I wired in new YZF VR and started the bike. Still runs like absolute crap. If the bad VR had cooked the TCI (CDI, igniter box, whatever you want to call it). What would my symptoms be? Would it barely run and die when you try and give it gas? Does the TCI give any outward signs of being damaged? Is there anyway to test for a bad TCI?

Thanks for the continued help everyone. I'd love to get this on the road while the weather is still nice. We'll have snow before too long

MPC,
Ok put the battery on the bench & charge it, make sure the liquid levels are up to mark, overnight.

I would have the tank cover off & then the carbs. for a good clean make sure all the jets are 100%, check the float action IE not sticking & re assemble. Clean the spark plugs or replace with fresh

make sure you seat the carbs right (easy to make a mistake if you are impatient to ride )

In the morning put the battery back in the bike and let us know the result please


I am trying to rule out the TCI they do go wrong but they are usually fairly tough, we have guys on the forum who have fixed them so...........................

[MaParkerColo]

Thanks George, I was pretty sure a serious carb clean was in my future. The gas they sell here in Colorado is up to 10% ethanol and seems to go bad on the drive home from buying it! If I'm not going to be riding regularly I try and use a stabilizer, but this time I hadn't planned on parking the bike for 6 weeks! I won't be able to get to it for a week or more, but I'll let everyone know what I find out.

Thanks again for all the help!

Mark

[yamaha_george]

Thanks George, I was pretty sure a serious carb clean was in my future. The gas they sell here in Colorado is up to 10% ethanol and seems to go bad on the drive home from buying it! If I'm not going to be riding regularly I try and use a stabilizer, but this time I hadn't planned on parking the bike for 6 weeks! I won't be able to get to it for a week or more, but I'll let everyone know what I find out.

Thanks again for all the help!

Mark

Mark,
when you park it up drain the carbs & tank BUT brim fill the tank with some liquid NOT water such as diesel or paraffin & disconnect the line from tank to pump. (that way you do not forget & try to start the bike with diesel/ paraffin )
which is not a pretty job to remedy LoL

[DonTZ125]

A half-dead TCI (one blown ignition transistor) will make your bike run like a bag of hammers, since you are only firing on 2 cyls. A fully-dead TCI (both ignition transistors fried, or some other critical component) doesn't let the bike run at all.

[thatkid]

A half-dead TCI (one blown ignition transistor) will make your bike run like a bag of hammers, since you are only firing on 2 cyls. A fully-dead TCI (both ignition transistors fried, or some other critical component) doesn't let the bike run at all.

The FZR utilises waste spark.

I.E. #1 & #4 spark/fire simultaneously as do #2 & #3. If one transistor (there's two) in the TCI is fried you'll have no spark on 2 cylinders, either #1 & #4 or #2 & #3.

The TCI also controls the fuel pump relay (grounds it)

The only tests I know of (apart from oscilloscopes or expensive equipment, which I don't own) are but may not prove the TCI is @ fault are.

1. Switch the ignition on, the fuel pump should prime for 5/6 seconds approx. If the pump primes that side of the TCI is fine.

2. This is taken from other members I've helped (I have never had a fried TCI)

Sometimes if the TCI has a fried transistor, The voltage on the Orange wire (coil for #1 & #4) or the Grey wire (coil for #2 & #3) tested @ the solder connection's on the coils drop to near 0.5 Volts. If so you could have a fried transistor.

Of course you could also have corroded connections/ faulty wiring.

If your TCI is faulty, the guy you need to talk to is Don

Good Luck.

[MaParkerColo]

Thanks guys. So if check to see if the plugs are getting spark a "half dead" TCI would give me spark on either 1 & 4 or 2 & 3? That would be a quick check wouldn't it?

George, great point on taking care of the fuel until I get it running!

I prefer to keep gasoline in my gasoline tanks...the thought of accidentally starting one with diesel in it isn't pleasant. I remember a friend of my Mom's ruining a brand new Cadillac that way! I use either Sta-Bil or Seafoam in my stuff that is seasonal (Ski boat, waverunners, motorcylces) It does a great job of keeping the fuel from breaking down. I also fill the tanks completely which supposedly helps keep any moisture from condensing out of the fuel. My engines always start right up in the spring doing this, YMMV of course but I do this for 5 different engines and it has worked for me for years (knock on wood!). Some claim that Seafoam is better with EtOH gas so I have been using it more recently. Right now the fuel in the FZR has 1 oz Seafoam per gallon. Unfortunately it is getting to that time of year where I need to think about winterizing all the watersport toys

[yamaha_george]

Thanks guys. So if check to see if the plugs are getting spark a "half dead" TCI would give me spark on either 1 & 4 or 2 & 3? That would be a quick check wouldn't it?

George, great point on taking care of the fuel until I get it running!

I prefer to keep gasoline in my gasoline tanks...the thought of accidentally starting one with diesel in it isn't pleasant. I remember a friend of my Mom's ruining a brand new Cadillac that way! I use either Sta-Bil or Seafoam in my stuff that is seasonal (Ski boat, waverunners, motorcylces) It does a great job of keeping the fuel from breaking down. I also fill the tanks completely which supposedly helps keep any moisture from condensing out of the fuel. My engines always start right up in the spring doing this, YMMV of course but I do this for 5 different engines and it has worked for me for years (knock on wood!). Some claim that Seafoam is better with EtOH gas so I have been using it more recently. Right now the fuel in the FZR has 1 oz Seafoam per gallon. Unfortunately it is getting to that time of year where I need to think about winterizing all the watersport toys

Mark,
I have to put my toys away some time for 2 years in one location which is Tropical so I go with what i know, I am glad you also found out that BRIM filling the tank helps .

Unfortunately Seafoam has not made it to either of my home towns yet so i can give no advice on that but it does seem to have a good rep on this Forum.