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Need Help! Was Emergency.

M

mtlla70

New member
Hi!

I'm in dire need of help. I just rode up to San Francisco from LA on my 98 R1100RT. It was getting a bit weird on he way up. When I shut it off, it would take a few times to start it. It would be nothing at all when I hit the ignition button, then I would do a few random things (side stand down then back up, shift into 1st and back to neutral etc) and it would start. Got to SF, left it sitting for 6 hours. Now it doesn't start at all. Instrument panel comes on as normal, but absolutely nothing when I hit the button.
Could it be the dreaded HES? Does that fail intermittently over the course if a day and then quit for good?
Does anyone know of any trouble shoots or anyone I might call here in San Francisco who might be able to help me?

Thanks!
Neil
 
I just came out to try it again, and it started! If anyone has any clues as to what might be going on, it would be much appreciated.
 
There are lots of people here who can help. On intermittent problems you have to go step by step to rule possible problems in or out.

When you turn on the key, does the Rider Information display always show fuel level?

Does the Nuetral light always turn on.

When you turn on the key, before cranking the engine, do you hear the fuel pump run for 2 seconds?

When it won't start, does pressing the start button always result in the starter cranking the engine?
 
/ Mod hat on /

I changed the title to be a bit less dramatic as it appears there was no present danger involved! :wave

/ Mod hat off /
 
HES is a definite possibility - was the tach jumping around at all? That would confirm it.

"Instrument panel comes on as normal" ... does it dim or blank out when you hit the button?

Easy to check the connector at the right rear of the gas tank, and those do corrode - separate, inspect, clean out & reconnect.

Got your Anonymous Book in the glovebox...? The City has a dealer, and lots of members show the "e" in their listing.
 
roger 04 rt said:
There are lots of people here who can help. On intermittent problems you have to go step by step to rule possible problems in or out.

When you turn on the key, does the Rider Information display always show fuel level?

Does the Nuetral light always turn on.

When you turn on the key, before cranking the engine, do you hear the fuel pump run for 2 seconds?

When it won't start, does pressing the start button always result in the starter cranking the engine?
Click to expand...

Started no problem again this morning. As for above questions:

1) yes
2) yes
3) yes
4) when it doesn't start, nothing at all happens when I press button. Nothing at all.

???
 
Pauls1150 said:
HES is a definite possibility - was the tach jumping around at all? That would confirm it.

"Instrument panel comes on as normal" ... does it dim or blank out when you hit the button?

Easy to check the connector at the right rear of the gas tank, and those do corrode - separate, inspect, clean out & reconnect.

Got your Anonymous Book in the glovebox...? The City has a dealer, and lots of members show the "e" in their listing.
Click to expand...

Started perfectly this morning...

To above:

1) nope; all normal
2) thanks, I'll take a look.
3) nope, but had my wife take photo of SF page and text me. I will keep it in glovebox from now on. :)

Thanks!
 
Although it likely needs a new or rewired HES it is unlikely that is causing your immediate problem.

Please clarify "Ignition Button"

Do you mean Ignition switch or Start Button?

This will help narrow down the troubleshooting.
 
GSAddict said:
Although it likely needs a new or rewired HES it is unlikely that is causing your immediate problem.

Please clarify "Ignition Button"

Do you mean Ignition switch or Start Button?

This will help narrow down the troubleshooting.
Click to expand...

Right. Key on, ignition switch on, start button. The times it doesn't start, when I press start button, nothing at all happens.
 
mtlla70 said:
Right. Key on, ignition switch on, start button. The times it doesn't start, when I press start button, nothing at all happens.
Click to expand...

In that case the components controlling are starter button, starter relay, side stand switch, neutral switch, clutch switch.
Listen/feel the yellow relay in the fuse box (fwd left front), do you get a click when you hit the starter button?
An intermittent contact at the starter may also be possible
Send me your email via PM and I'll send you a picture of you bikes schematic so you can trace thru.
 
Well, I managed to get back to LA. Thanks for the help here on the forum; it was handy and lowered my stress!
There is definitely something wrong with the ignition system, as it still intermittently won't respond at all. It did manage to start after each fuel stop after following a seemingly random sequence of switch toggles and gear shifts back to N. But I suspect that is voodoo.

How hard and expensive will this be to diagnose...?
 
Maybe your series of random exercising a switch temporarily "fixed" the problem. Are you trying one thing at a time THEN each time trying to start the bike? Exercise one switch at a time and try to start to narrow it down. Apologies if you're doing it this way, or doing a bunch of things together then trying to start. It wasn't clear to me which.
 
Agreed - to expand on GSA's post, the bike [probably] has a clutch interlock switch (a tiny button inside the clutch lever assembly), a neutral interlock switch (on the bottom rear of the trans, piggybacked on the gear indicator switch), and a sidestand interlock switch (a common failure, many just wire around [bypass] it). All three have to be working correctly to start (electronic voodoo! - with a caveat about the relationship between the clutch switch and the gear position that is out of scope at the moment). And the relay, as GSA said.
 
ClassicVW said:
Maybe your series of random exercising a switch temporarily "fixed" the problem. Are you trying one thing at a time THEN each time trying to start the bike? Exercise one switch at a time and try to start to narrow it down. Apologies if you're doing it this way, or doing a bunch of things together then trying to start. It wasn't clear to me which.
Click to expand...

It has been mostly random. I will try a more systematic approach now that I am back home and not on the road simply praying it will start each time. šŸ˜›
 
mtlla70 said:
Well, I managed to get back to LA. Thanks for the help here on the forum; it was handy and lowered my stress!
There is definitely something wrong with the ignition system, as it still intermittently won't respond at all. It did manage to start after each fuel stop after following a seemingly random sequence of switch toggles and gear shifts back to N. But I suspect that is voodoo.

How hard and expensive will this be to diagnose...?
Click to expand...

It won't be costly to diagnose and you will probably have to do it yourself since its intermittent.

Next time it won't start do just one thing. Pull in the clutch and see if it turns over. Let us know.
 
Pauls1150 said:
Agreed - to expand on GSA's post, the bike [probably] has a clutch interlock switch (a tiny button inside the clutch lever assembly), a neutral interlock switch (on the bottom rear of the trans, piggybacked on the gear indicator switch), and a sidestand interlock switch (a common failure, many just wire around [bypass] it). All three have to be working correctly to start (electronic voodoo! - with a caveat about the relationship between the clutch switch and the gear position that is out of scope at the moment). And the relay, as GSA said.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll try to look into that. I am new to this and my learning curve will be long and shallow for the first little while...
Every time I put side stand up, turn key to 'on' position, and flip the kill switch on, I hear the fuel pump for a second. This happens every time, whether or not it starts when I press the start button. Does this narrow it down at all..?
 
roger 04 rt said:
It won't be costly to diagnose and you will probably have to do it yourself since its intermittent.

Next time it won't start do just one thing. Pull in the clutch and see if it turns over. Let us know.
Click to expand...

Ok. I'll try that this morning and report back.
 
roger 04 rt said:
It won't be costly to diagnose and you will probably have to do it yourself since its intermittent.

Next time it won't start do just one thing. Pull in the clutch and see if it turns over. Let us know.
Click to expand...

Was just reading a bit more about the ignition system. To be clear: when I was trying to start, I was always pulling the clutch in (it is a habit). Didn't seem to be a factor. What should I try next..?
 
Fuel pump priming at turn-on is normal.
Pulling in the clutch does not necessarily bless the little switch.
 
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