camos Posted October 29, 2011 Share #1 Posted October 29, 2011 Been having battery issues lately. Battery is due, actually overdue, for replacement however it has been good enough to start the bike twice in a row but not three times without a good run in between. About 4 days ago it would not start after work. Mary came and jumped it for me and I have spent the last few days at her place in town so I would not be stranded outside the city and could get to work. Today I'm off work and I was planning on getting a new battery. Started the bike on its own in the morning as would be normal. It was running well on half choke at 2500 RPM for perhaps 5 minutes when it dropped to about 1200 RPM. Took the choke off and it seemed stable at that RPM but after a few minutes the engine just quit. Mary arrived about that time so we hooked up the jumpers to her vehicle and it turned over really well but would not start. Don't have a freaking clue what is wrong with it. While it was idling it was smooth and was charging well, volt meter read just under the 15 v line. Bike is currently on the street in Victoria.. nowhere to work on it there. Gotta either ride it or tow it home but after that not really sure where to start. Almost anything could be wrong with it. Will get a new battery today. Perhaps the fuel pump quit. Possibly idled long enough to empty the bowl? Didn't overheat. Any thoughtful suggestions other than dynamite would be very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted October 29, 2011 Share #2 Posted October 29, 2011 Obvious question is "is it getting gas". Is there gas in the tank? You suggested fuel pump....if you open the drain plugs on the carbs and drain the bowls, (watch to see if there is any gas in there to drain!) close the drains and turn the key on you should be able to hear the fuel pump running. Plugged fuel filter? When you jumped it...hopefully it was with a NON running car....so just the battery..not the alternator....I've read on here that jumping with a running car can fry our electrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarges46 Posted October 29, 2011 Share #3 Posted October 29, 2011 Get that new battery in it first before knocking your head into a wall. You will be surprised what a bad battery will do to almost everything on our bikes....that includes the second gens. Try that first then see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufftom4 Posted October 29, 2011 Share #4 Posted October 29, 2011 Send it down here to Florida I am outta work and have many spare parts and if I fix it I may have to take it for a long ride...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted October 29, 2011 Share #5 Posted October 29, 2011 NEW BATTERY... You should be able to replace it while parked on the street with a philips screwdriver.... Pick up an AGM if available on short notice.. You may have a rectifier problem. It can show volts and not be putting out any amps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Eagle Posted October 30, 2011 Share #6 Posted October 30, 2011 Cody Condor is correct - changing a battery on the street (or parking lot) only takes a few minutes. That is a good area to start with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camos Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted October 30, 2011 Bought a new battery yesterday, charged it up last night and put it in this morning. Cycled the ignition to energize the fuel pump at least 8 times without filling the carbs. Cycling the pump 4 or 5 times is the most I have ever had to do in the past so figured there is a fuel problem. Had a coffee while thinking about what to do next. I know where the fuel pump is but not the filtre. Went out again and found the filtre, wasn't too difficult. Couldn't tell if it was full or not. Decided to run the pump again to see if I could determine whether there was any flow. Cycled the pump 3 times and could see fuel in the filtre about half full. On the fourth cycle the pump slowed and stopped as normal so tried starting the engine and was successful. I'm wondering if there is an issue with the fuel system since having to cycle the pump 12 times seems a bit excessive to me. I have run out of gas a couple of times in the past and do not recall having it take so long to fill the carbs. Is it possible the pump is going south? The pump motor ran strong throughout this process. There was just one bar on the gauge but that should mean there is still plenty of fuel for the pump. There has been no surging or shortage of power at WOT that would indicate to me the filtre was plugging up. Should I be looking for a new pump or a rebuild kit or whatever is available? Any thoughts or suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friesman Posted October 30, 2011 Share #8 Posted October 30, 2011 I would just pickup a new filter as its a lot cheaper than the pump, and then see how quick your carbs fill . I am suspecting your pump is giving you issues, though. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camos Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted October 30, 2011 My thought too Brian, are the filtres available at Canadian Tire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friesman Posted October 30, 2011 Share #10 Posted October 30, 2011 ive never bought one for the 85 , but i think it should be pretty standard, all you should need is the line size. maybe take it in... brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankd Posted October 30, 2011 Share #11 Posted October 30, 2011 Also make sure you have your gas petcock on "reserve" so all of the gas in the tank can flow out. If you have it in the 'on' position, you could be down near that level, and if you have the bike on the side stand, the gas may not flow out of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camos Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted October 31, 2011 Brian: I have never bought a filtre for the Venture either but then I've only been riding it for 4 months. Bought one for the Virago about 6 years ago but couldn't find an aftermarket one that fit in the holder and had to get it from the dealer for $18. Seemed kinda expensive. The Venture filtre looks just like the one for the Virago. Frank: I haven't looked for a while but am fairly certain the switch is on reserve. Now if I can just remember which way is on and which way is reserve. Is the filtre before the pump or after it? Perhaps the petcock screen is getting plugged up. Wonder if Seafoam will be able to clear it up? Can't hurt to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamamike Posted November 1, 2011 Share #13 Posted November 1, 2011 Trader wrote "When you jumped it...hopefully it was with a NON running car....so just the battery..not the alternator....I've read on here that jumping with a running car can fry our electrics." Just an FYI...that can happen to ANY vehicle! If the boosting vehicle is running and the boosted battery is really flat you get a spike that can cause damage to one or both vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted November 1, 2011 Share #14 Posted November 1, 2011 Just an FYI...that can happen to ANY vehicle! If the boosting vehicle is running and the boosted battery is really flat you get a spike that can cause damage to one or both vehicles. Didn't know that. thanks for the heads up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcarl Posted November 1, 2011 Share #15 Posted November 1, 2011 Next time if you have only one bar, set the bike up straight and you'll get gas. We pushed mine around the back yard a couple of times with a dead battery and a low tank. One bar is enough if it's up straight, but no works on side stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a1bummer Posted November 1, 2011 Share #16 Posted November 1, 2011 I've been using a reusable/rebuild-able glass and chrome fuel filter on my 84 for about three years now. I like it because I can plainly see when it's getting dirty as well as see when fuel is flowing properly. It fut a bit loose in the stock bracket so I split a short piece of clear fuel line lengthwise and slipped it over the inside of the bracket. The filter fit nice and snug then. As far as jumping vehicles, I have never had or seen any problems in all my years as a mechanic or driving a wrecker and using it to jump other vehicles. It had two 1100cca batteries hooked parallel and a high output alternator. That being said, I did have problems with my stator on my 84 after I jumped it with my 99 Bonneville with it at an idle a few years ago. But that in itself is inconclusive and anecdotal evidence at best. The bad stator may have been the reason I had to jump it in the first place. So until I see actual proof that it happens, I put it with the other myths, like the one that concrete floors will drain a battery. I've done plenty research, and it doesn't happen. I would also do the battery cable upgrade as well. That and a good AGM battery made quite a difference on my 84. I'm also planning on doing the four brush starter and starter drive upgrade in do time. That should make it about as good as it gets for my 84. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camos Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted November 2, 2011 Trader wrote "When you jumped it...hopefully it was with a NON running car....so just the battery..not the alternator....I've read on here that jumping with a running car can fry our electrics.". I don't know if a running vehicle will cause damage but since there no need to have it running when jumping a motorcycle, I always make sure it is off. Next time if you have only one bar, set the bike up straight and you'll get gas. We pushed mine around the back yard a couple of times with a dead battery and a low tank. One bar is enough if it's up straight, but no works on side stand. I'm still kinda new to actually using my Venture but I would have thought the last bar would indicate it was going on reserve soon. Good to know thanks. I've been using a reusable/rebuild-able glass and chrome fuel filter on my 84 for about three years now. I like it because I can plainly see when it's getting dirty as well as see when fuel is flowing properly. It fut a bit loose in the stock bracket so I split a short piece of clear fuel line lengthwise and slipped it over the inside of the bracket. The filter fit nice and snug then. I've seen them around somewhere, could be a good option. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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