Dies after washing???

[craigabusa]

Has anyone experienced this. After washing the fuses will blow and the FI code comes up. Water keepes getting into the fuel pump. It usually has to sit in the sun for a while, fill the tank with stabalizer or gasline acohol. Then keep replacing fuses and turning it over until it get's blown out.
My question is where is it getting in?? The filler cap? Maybe the ram air?

 

[pward76]

never use high pressure water - not even the garden hose.

Use a bucket and a rag/ chamois / sponge / or lamb's wool mitt

keep water away from electronics, ignition, etc, and the ram air intake.

 

[Sloto200]

I use a water hose on my bike all the time... have for the last year and 8 months... no issues. I would obviously not spray water down the ram air intakes but the rest of the bike gets sprayed regularly... contrary to popular belief... motorcycles arent allergic to water...

 

[johnstein]

do you have an aftermarket fuel cap ? sombody gad problems with thier cap . stay clear of tank /dash area with water , quick rinse thats it !

 

[craigabusa]

The cap is stock. Where is it getting in? The cap seal. The bike is a 99 with 70000klms. Seal could have dried out a bit?

 

[SLA1500]

(Sloto200 @ Mar. 25 2007,16:06) I use a water hose on my bike all the time... have for the last year and 8 months... no issues. I would obviously not spray water down the ram air intakes but the rest of the bike gets sprayed regularly... contrary to popular belief... motorcycles arent allergic to water...

I agree when considering "mainstream, factory bikes." However, I've found that custom bikes are sometimes another story.

A little soap and water shouldn't cause any problems. I agree that somethin else is goin on and "amiss" given the problems described above IMO.

 

[Sloto200]

I'd check the ignition wires and battery cables and the wires up under the tank to include quick disconnects for corrosion and or dry rot. Get some lithum grease to keep water out of your quick disconnects and make sure none of them are loose or again corroded.

 

[guido4512]

(Sloto200 @ Mar. 26 2007,12:27) I'd check the ignition wires and battery cables and the wires up under the tank to include quick disconnects for corrosion and or dry rot.  Get some lithum grease to keep water out of your quick disconnects and make sure none of them are loose or again corroded.

+1
Water in yer electricals.........

Still doesn't make sense. I spray mine off occasionally and ride in the rain all the time. Never any trouble.
Water in yer gas tank should not happen - its sealed and vented to the bottom of the bike, I believe.
You may have other issues.....

 

[craigabusa]

I know its not getting into the electrical. I have pulled the fuel pump apart and found water in in during these times. Once it does start you can see the water get blown out the pipe in a mist. I dont recal it happening in the rain and I have ridden in some pretty heavy rains. Mind you there has always been a tank bag on. Could my fuel overflow be plugged leaving the water no place to go but into the tank? Airbox is stock other then a K&N. Its getting into the fuel and going straight to the bottom of the tank somehow. I am almost positive the water conducts between the pos/neg connections in the pump (they are exposed if you have opened your pump up) and shorts out causing the fuse to blow and the FI code to come up. Having said all this "How the F##k is it getting in??"
What are the choices, 1)cap 2)??
If it is going in from the ram air it would never make it to the pump. Right?

 

[guido4512]

I think you may be getting bad gas then.

Washing the bike should not introduce water into the gas tank. There are only two gaskets I know of.

Shown here......
1 is the lid seal. Check it for tears.
2 is the seal for the vent. Check it for tears

Let us know what you find......

 

[craigabusa]

(guido4512 @ Mar. 28 2007,08:29) I think you may be getting bad gas then.

Washing the bike should not introduce water into the gas tank. There are only two gaskets I know of.

Shown here......
1  is the lid seal. Check it for tears.
2   is the seal for the vent. Check it for tears

Let us know what you find......

thanks for responding, they both visually look fine. I have had bad fuel problems in the past but the resent malfunctions happened at the carwash. Possibly spraying the cold water on a warm tank?? I do not spray the cap directly. Hard to find a bucket and water to get rid of bug guts after a long day of riding. I will just have to be more careful. I will also check all the drain hoses making sure they are not plugged.
Have a great day

 

[rubber2burn]

Or instead of washing the bike with water you could just use Yamaha polish. I would normally say use honda polish but it is no longer made. Also owners manual says not to use high pressure water to wash the almighty BUSA

. But if you want to wash it like most everyone said use a bucket and water.

 

[dmoss33]

My problem after washing my Bike is. When you throttle for gas it chokes a couple of times then rapidly picks up speed. Or it would die out after while. I never had this problem before!! Any suggestions????

 

[Pine]

never use high pressure water - not even the garden hose.

Use a bucket and a rag/ chamois / sponge / or lamb's wool mitt

keep water away from electronics, ignition, etc, and the ram air intake.

I agree using a water hose or worse a high pressure spray is looking for trouble on a bike. A rag and bucket with water is all that is needed.

When washing the engine on my Jeep I keep the high pressure hose away from electronics.

Common sense I would think.

Pine

 

[300Busa]

Honda Polish won't do that!

 

[Mr Bogus]

never use high pressure water - not even the garden hose.

Use a bucket and a rag/ chamois / sponge / or lamb's wool mitt

keep water away from electronics, ignition, etc, and the ram air intake.

I hose my bike all the time, should not be an issue..

Two things here that I question:

water "in" the fuel should not blow fuses.. your replacing fuses "till the water blows out" is really unlikely... you are in fact drying out a circuit somewhere (and probably making a mess of a plugin somewhere.. this needs found before the problem happens with everything dry and a bit of humid air...

Mist out tail pipe.. is not an indicator of water in fuel.. that much water would never let the bike start.. For every 1 gallon of fuel you burn in a motor, 1 gallon of water goes out the tail pipe...

I do not think you are getting water in the fuel, the bike would not run

I DO think you are gettin water in a connector somewhere..

first suspect area would be the fuse/relay block..

Depending on which circuit is blowing, start backwards from the last item in that line.. I might even suspect a "rub" through somewhere in the harness.. to blow a fuse, you need a short path to ground normally..

I think you are connecting some of the wrong dots with your diagnosis is all....