Miltofeburg Posted January 31, 2017 Share #1 Posted January 31, 2017 New to this site and Yamaha Venture. Recent purchased a 2002 RSV. Ran fine when I purchased but previous owner said it was hard to start in cold. Get it home and I cannot start this bike. Removed tank, bypassed filter and even ran line with small funnel directly to carbs, still not starting. If I spray carb cleaner in the carbs, it will start and run until cleaner runs out? Pump was not pumping but when I disconnected line and turned on, pump sprayed gas that remained inside of pump. Reconnected pump, made noise and stopped working??? Ordered new pump but shouldn't bike start when I had a funnel with fuel connected? None of gas was sucked from funnel while cranking? Thoughts and/or comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbig1 Posted January 31, 2017 Share #2 Posted January 31, 2017 welcome.... Well the fuel pumps shut off after pressure is built up. Did you cycle the ignition a few times? I would not use cleaner to start it could get into diaphragms by accident. The choke is on the left side of tank almost middle. Would not go more than 3/4 way out max they flood easy. Flip the kill switch on handle bar a few times also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted January 31, 2017 Share #3 Posted January 31, 2017 OK, I am going to ask a couple of seemingly stupid questions. I ass-u-me the starter is turning over at a fairly fast speed like whir chucka chucka whir chucka chucka at a lively tempo? The reason I ask is a low battery might not have enough cranking power to turn it over fast enough, AND a somewhat weak battery will turn the bike over but the voltage may drop low enough that the ignitor will not supply spark. Now, speaking of spark, when was the last time the plugs were replaced?? These bikes like to eat plugs and should be replaced pretty much on a yearly basis. If you spend the extra money on the iridium plugs they will last longer. I highly recommend using only NGK brand plugs. The last thing to check out concerning plugs is the plug wire caps, there is a 3 piece assembly (4 counting the screw out cap) that can and will cause problems. The guts inside consist of very small discs, springs, and a resistor element. They do get corroded and cause increased resistance resulting in a weaker spark. Coils, by the way, can and do sometimes go bad! Get yourself a spark gap tester to make sure you are getting a good hot enough spark to each plug. If I recall, the spec is something like 0.109 inches of spark or something like that. How old and dirty are the air cleaners?? Air cleaners are something that does indeed require periodic changing. Also, these bikes do not run very well without the air cleaners attached. Now for the carbs themselves. For me, mine requires full choke and no throttle to start cold. Once started do not blip the throttle for about 10 seconds or it will flood out and stall. Starts and runs fine every time that way! Now, if your carbs are not synchronized properly, or if the float bowl levels are not set properly, you will have problems starting. Improperly synchronized carburetors will also cause the bike to run a little hotter and lack a little throttle response and run rough. The last thing I'm going to ask is when is the last time the valve clearance was checked and adjusted?? One of the main symptoms of improper valve clearance adjustment is hard starting! Yamaha recommends checking the valve clearance every 25,000 to 35,000 mile I think, and definitely by 50,000 miles! So to sum it up, a 2002 is a 15-year-old bike so there are a few items that may start to give you problems if not addressed. Keep in mind that these bikes will give you well over 200,000 miles of trouble free service but only if you give them the periodic maintenance they deserve. They are one of the most reliable and comfortable touring bikes out there! So welcome to the forum, I hope this information will aid you in fixing your starting issues. I am assuming that it ran OK before this issue so I am kind of doubting you need to rebuild your carburetors but I would indeed check the float levels and once you get it running again synchronize your carbs using the proper gauges. There is detailed information on this site on how to do it. We also recommend regular use of a gas additive called Seafoam which tends to keep your fuel system and your carburetors clean. Speaking of fuel, I would drain your tank and make sure you do not have any contamination in the tank. Also, stupid question, you do have the petcock turned on, don't you? Is the fuel fresh? As was mentioned, the fuel pump has a special circuit on it! When you turn the key on the pump only runs for a couple of seconds and then shuts off UNTIL the bike is running then it turns on again. If your fuel bowls are empty, like the bike sat for a week or two, then you need to cycle the fuel pump a few times to fill the bowls. This can be done by either turning the key off and on or by cycling the kill switch off and on supposedly. Each time you cycle you should hear clicking for a few seconds until the fuel bowls are full and then you may or may not hear one or two clicks. Good luck and feel free to ask about each and every step, we are here to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltofeburg Posted February 1, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted February 1, 2017 Thanks for the replies... Cranking appears good and since I am having issues with starting, I have been using a jump box due to the extra cranking to keep the battery up. As for valves and other services, I have no clue. Bike has 18,000 and ran fine when I looked at it. Like I mentioned, if I spray fluid directly into the carbs, it will start, run until the fluid is empty. Hard to keep 4 carbs full and running by spraying the carbs but I was able to accomplish that for a short bit and bike continued to run??? I did replace the plugs with NKG and since the plug replacement the bike was started with spray for the short bit until the carbs emptied, so I would believe spark is not the issue. I definitely believe it is carb/fuel related??? The bike ran and started fine when I was looking at it and purchased it? I test drove it and ran fine? Just between getting it home on my trailer (3+ hours) and unloading it, I couldn't start the bike. I haven't drained the carbs and that is my next plan of attack. Ordered new fuel pump, fuel filter and a manual. I currently have the fuel pump and filter bypassed. Would bike run with a short line and small funnel connected directly to carb, bypassing fuel pump? I attempted this set up and the fuel was not sucked into the carbs from the funnel? Not sure if carbs have any secondary fuel pumps? Reading on the forms, people mentioned running bikes on gravity feed in emergency? Is my set up enough for the bike to start and run? Fuel pump and filer are due to arrive on Friday, so I will connect my new parts and give it another go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted February 1, 2017 Share #5 Posted February 1, 2017 (edited) OK, do a little search on this site and you will find that there is an "emergency" fix for dead fuel pumps, an unfortunate fact of life with the 2nd Gen ventures. The fix is a rubber hose from the gas tank at the petcock directly to the input gas line to the carburetors and is called the "Gravity feed" modification. As long as you have at least a half tank of gas in it, the bike should start and run normally! The bike is turning over so obviously you do not have the kill switch in the wrong position! You say it will run for a short while so yes, I would temporarily rule out a spark issue, although you may need a hotter spark for better cold starting as I mentioned. So, I have to ask, how much gas is in the tank, and, are you sure your fuel petcock is in the right position?? Now, if you only have a couple of gallons od gas or less left in the tank, the petcock must be placed on the reserve position or nothing will come out of the tank. A quick test is to put the petcock on "off" and remove the feed line and install a temporary line into a jar, and then open the petcock and see if gas is flowing out at a somewhat rapid rate. It should flow out at a good steady rate, if not you may also have an issue with the petcock like a clogged screen... To address your "funnel feed" query, you do need at least a little bit of pressure to fill the float bowls. A full or partially full tank of gas will produce a downward force strong enough to fill them, but a funnel full of gas closer to the carbs may not. There is also an issue where the gas tank vent hose can get clogged not allowing air into the tank as it empties and the bike will not run because the vacuum on the top of the gas will not allow the gas to escape! If when you remove the gas cap you can hear a sucking sound, this may be the problem! Also, there is one other issue that may or may not be your problem source. There are two vent hoses for the fuel bowl to expel the air from the bowls to the atmosphere. If they are clogged, your fuel bowls will never fill up because the air is trapped and won't allow the fuel to fill the bowls! If just one of them gets clogged, the bike will only run on two cylinders, an issue that took three of us a couple of days to isolate on my bike... Edited February 1, 2017 by bongobobny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo3wheel Posted February 1, 2017 Share #6 Posted February 1, 2017 Welcome and sorry to hear of your problems. I faithfully put Seafoam and Stabil additives into my gas tank. Until recently, I was not using the RES petcock position. When I tried it one day, bike started sputtering. Reserve was full of water. Happened over period of 6 years. Drained gas tank, gave it good dose of Seafoam and Stabil and filled with fresh gas. No more fuel problems... As for fuel pump, bought a cheap gas pump to use if I ever get stranded. Haven't tried this pump yet. Waiting for spring to try it out. Ordered one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Fuel-Pump-For-Yamaha-1300-XVZ13-XVZ1300-Royal-Star-1996-2013-/331369030356 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted February 2, 2017 Share #7 Posted February 2, 2017 How long has the gas been in the tank? Ventures are very gas friendly but there are limits. Is the choke (fuel enrichment) working? Pull the hose from the petcock and check for fuel flow. This is also a good time to catch some fuel in a glass and check for water. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted February 3, 2017 Share #8 Posted February 3, 2017 OK For those who asked. To check for water put some fuel in a clear glass. Cover the glass and let it sit for a few hours. Overnight is better. The water and gasoline will separate with the gas floating to the top. You will be able to see the separation clearly. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltofeburg Posted February 4, 2017 Author Share #9 Posted February 4, 2017 New fuel pump arrive on Friday, connected and no change in status. Bike would not start??? I removed the carbs, float bowls and found some discoloration (dark red) and cleaned the bowl area. Removed the parts that I could and cleaned them. After putting the carbs back together I tested the floats with air. Carbs up in right position, I could blow air through the carbs. Flip the carbs upside, couldn't blow air through. Connected my famous funnel, poured fuel into carbs and fuel came out drain screw (when opened) and funnel level was decreasing. Floats appear to be working??? Reconnected carbs, fuel pump and connected my funnel to bypass gas tank and fuel filter. Bike sputtered but after several attempts, bike now runs with choke on at an idle but I cannot throttle or disengage choke without stalling. Based on my limited knowledge I'd say that the carbs need additional cleaning? Looking for more expert advice? I was surprised at how simple it was to remove the carbs, so I could remove them again. Not very comfortable with breaking down the carbs. I did read about a throttle sensor on carbs? Could that be a problem? Also, the carbs appear to have heaters? Could they not be working, causing problems with starting in the cold? Thank for the all the help! Milt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrlinEngh Posted February 7, 2017 Share #10 Posted February 7, 2017 I had a 84 Venture that would starve out on gas, it ended up being a pinched spot in the gas line it would let a small amount of gas to go threw. It would run at idle but nothing more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G in SC Posted February 9, 2017 Share #11 Posted February 9, 2017 OK, do a little search on this site and you will find that there is an "emergency" fix for dead fuel pumps, an unfortunate fact of life with the 2nd Gen ventures. The fix is a rubber hose from the gas tank at the petcock directly to the input gas line to the carburetors and is called the "Gravity feed" modification. As long as you have at least a half tank of gas in it, the bike should start and run normally! e... Bob, regarding "how to" on gravity feed, I have had to do it and posted a couple of times. I posted same on the VR Facebook page the other day. Here is copy/paste. (Yeah, I know he already proved the pump is okay, so just for info...) Gravity feed, more or less: Shut off petcock. Pull the seat off. pull the tank bolt. You do not have to remove the tank but will want to lift it and wedge a board or something to elevate it an inch or so. You should also pull the left side cover. Find the gas line from the tank to the fuel filter. Use a needle nose to squeeze the clamp and pull the line off. Need a rag cause you will be dripping some gas. Feed that line over to the right side of the bike. Use needle nose to squeeze the clamp on the gas line that goes to the carb input below the right rear of the tank. Now put the line from the tank on the carb input. At the left side by the gas pump, unplug the electrical connector to the pump to prevent it from puking out any remaining gas. Turn the petcock back on. If it was the gas pump, it should now start. Now, you should be able to put back the tank bolt and seat and side cover. Unless I missed something, you should be good to go. Keep the tank level over 1/4 tank, maybe 1/2. I ran over 1000 miles like this while I waited for my dealer to get a new warranty pump. Mike G in SC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyalRider05 Posted February 19, 2017 Share #12 Posted February 19, 2017 Seems like you are having an issue like my other thread .....ugh!! Do you have spark??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 5, 2017 Share #13 Posted May 5, 2017 New to this site and Yamaha Venture. Recent purchased a 2002 RSV. Ran fine when I purchased but previous owner said it was hard to start in cold. Get it home and I cannot start this bike. Removed tank, bypassed filter and even ran line with small funnel directly to carbs, still not starting. If I spray carb cleaner in the carbs, it will start and run until cleaner runs out? Pump was not pumping but when I disconnected line and turned on, pump sprayed gas that remained inside of pump. Reconnected pump, made noise and stopped working??? Ordered new pump but shouldn't bike start when I had a funnel with fuel connected? None of gas was sucked from funnel while cranking? Thoughts and/or comments? The pump will only make the ticking sound a few times and then stops because it is up to pressure so i`m sorry to say it is probably not your fuel pump perhaps it may be your fuel filter and thats not so easy to change, it is just a hard place to get to and if you are lucky you can pull it up enough to get at the clamps, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 5, 2017 Share #14 Posted May 5, 2017 New to this site and Yamaha Venture. Recent purchased a 2002 RSV. Ran fine when I purchased but previous owner said it was hard to start in cold. Get it home and I cannot start this bike. Removed tank, bypassed filter and even ran line with small funnel directly to carbs, still not starting. If I spray carb cleaner in the carbs, it will start and run until cleaner runs out? Pump was not pumping but when I disconnected line and turned on, pump sprayed gas that remained inside of pump. Reconnected pump, made noise and stopped working??? Ordered new pump but shouldn't bike start when I had a funnel with fuel connected? None of gas was sucked from funnel while cranking? Thoughts and/or comments? The pump will only make the ticking sound a few times and then stops because it is up to pressure so i`m sorry to say it is probably not your fuel pump perhaps it may be your fuel filter and thats not so easy to change, it is just a hard place to get to and if you are lucky you can pull it up from under the seat enough to get at the clamps, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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