Kawasaki ER-6n Cutting Out

[JRH]

Hi Guys,

I I have a Kwak ER6 here, that has a random cutting out issue.

It's totally at random, it will just die like somebody has flicked the kill switch. It wont restart, the FI light will just flash as it's cranking. Turn the ignition on and off again, and it seems to reset and run fine - Until the next time!

No FI light at other times, and I've had it plugged in, and zero fault codes are stored.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

J

[Robby]

First thing I'd look for is a loose or chafed wire shorting out around the headstock, and bad battery connections. Could just be a loose battery connector, or one of the thick cables broken under the insulation.

To try to recreate the problem and narrow down chafed wiring around headstock, start the bike and swing the handlebars from side to side. If it cuts out, have a look at the wiring.

If it doesn't cut out, try jiggling the wiring around the battery and see if that causes the same problem.

[Chris45]

Would agree with Robby. Start with a visual check from the battery back to the handlebar and switches. Remove the tank and follow the wires, checking the connectors etc. Take your time. These electrical problems can be really frustrating to track down but well worth the effort. Have been there so many times...
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Honda CG125>Suzuki GT185>Honda CB 250N>Suzuki GSX400>Honda CX500B>Kawasaki GPZ305> Kawasaki GPZ550>Kawasaki GPZ500S+BMW 650GS

[Robby]

It is also worth being clear now, before you spend a load of money. It is highly unlikely that the problem is in an expensive, sealed black box. They are easy to blame because they are hard to test, but those assorted sealed black boxes tend to be very reliable. Problems are far more common in loose, dirty or corroded connectors and wiring - particularly where it has to frequently move, like around the headstock.

Also, if anyone has recently carried out any "modifications" to the wiring - such as different indicators - look there. Problems tend to crop up around poorly fitted cheap parts.

[Chris45]

Poor quality electrical cables and connectors have been the biggest problem for me over the years. Jap bikes were bad enough, Chinese variants are truly dreadful. Last year the GPz failed it's MOT on the rear brake light. You guessed it - corroded wires at a connector. Fixed it myself and the bike passed the following day.
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Honda CG125>Suzuki GT185>Honda CB 250N>Suzuki GSX400>Honda CX500B>Kawasaki GPZ305> Kawasaki GPZ550>Kawasaki GPZ500S+BMW 650GS

[JRH]

Tried Everything!

It's worse when then engine gets up to fan temperature (I've had it plugged in and the fan is kicking in at 103deg and back out at 97deg). When the engine is cool it's fine. Something is breaking down when it gets hot. The most likely candidate would be the ignition pickup going open circuit when hot, (my old Triumph did that), but if it was that then it wouldnt restart straightaway after cycling the ignition. I've just replaced it for a new one anyway, and it's still doing it. Someone has suggested throwing a pair of coils at it, but I would suspect it would drop down to 1 cylinder (unless the ECU shuts the whole lot down if it detects a misfire - I've seen that with some cars before).

No fault codes are getting stored, and watching the live data from the ECU shows nothing abnormal before it cuts out.

Any further suggestions?

Cheers,

J

[stinkwheel]

Dodgy sidestand switch would always have been my answer pre FI.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[JRH]

I'm not 100% convinced that the ECU is working properly. I have my suspicions that it it has been "Got at" (along the lines of a failed re map).

I'll post some pictures of what the diagnostic machine is saying, but quite a few of the parameters just say "Failure".

Not what I need on a Monday!

[JRH]

Thanks for your input guys, I've fixed it.

Turns out that somebody had been messing around with the secondary throttle actuator (probably a failed attempt to blank it off). The position sensor had been taken off and the whole lot had been thrown out. The position potentiometers are spring loaded, and it would appear that the moment they are taken off the shaft they ping back by 90 degrees. So you have to have around 90 degrees on it before you put it on the throttle shaft.... That was fun working out how to do that. And the endless hours working out the correct voltages/positions to make sure it was set right (luckily I had a 6f in the workshop as a guide).

Kawasaki say that it's not to be touched and to change the entire throttlebody!

Why do they make them so easily dicked around with then? Surely a couple of tamper proof torx screws isn't going to break the bank Mr. Kawasaki?



Cheers,

J