Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Dear Mark,
I recently washed my '95 ZX7 and left it idling briefly while I went to retrieve my helmet. It died just as I came back and has since refused to start. It has been 2 days so far and it still won't start. The battery is good and it's got a full tank of gas. What could be the problem? The bike's got about 9k on it. Any advise would be appreciated.
Regards,
Richard S.
Answer -
Hi Richard,
Dielectric Grease Therapy
Here's a fairly quick and inexpensive way of preventing electrical problems and other miscellaneous diagnostic codes on your motorcycle.
Water is a great electricity conductor. Sometimes, water can find its way into a connector producing a temporary short circuit which will then give an error code to your computers. Dielectric grease prevents water shorting at connectors. Also prevents corrosion formation on connectors.
A loose connector doesn't make a good conductor and may produce heat which can melt plugs and connectors. This is the main cause of regulator/rectifier failure.
Buy a tube of silicone dielectric grease and go through the entire wiring on your motorcycle. Work dielectric grease into each connector. All wire connectors should be serviced for best protection. Removing the tank and bodywork may be necessary in some cases, but its well worth it. Dielectric grease will get rid of the problems, or at least help prevent them.
Afterwards, you shouldn't get false error diagnostic codes just because you simply washed your pride and joy.
You may discover loose connectors that could have been troublesome if left unattended.
Respectfully,
Mark Shively
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Hi Mark,
I checked most of all the plugs. I went as far as removing the gas tank and recharged my battery -- still no go. Here is a note of interest: when I tried starting this morning, it wouldn't start with the choke on and when I tried it with partly open throttle, I noticed small amounts of smoke from the exhaust but it still wouldn't catch. Your thoughts?
Best wishes,
Richard S.
AnswerBaffling problem (no pun)
It's a long shot, but remove and inspect spark plugs. The plugs may be wet fouled by now. Cleaning the spark plugs with brake spray cleaner (leaves no residue like carb cleaners).
If the above doesn't yield any results, start testing electrcal components.
Mark
