Is this the first recorded failure of a Facet fuel pump?

[lootch67]

OK, so I'm not 100% sure that my pump is in fact a Facet but it looks just like one and we sourced it from the same dealer. DaveS, please feel free to correct me on this.

On my way back from Maverick's place last night the bike started showing classic symptoms of fuel pump failure i.e. cutting out due to what felt like fuel starvation and then running fine for another mile after I let it stand for a couple of minutes. I checked that no fuel lines were blocked when we refitted the tank but didn't didn't check any of the electrics feeding the pump. I couldn't hear or feel the pump running so I'm pretty sure it's a fuel pump issue. The plan was to by-pass the pump this morning but I don't have a link with which to connect the fuel lines running in and out of the pump. (Memo to self - get one and carry as a spare at all times!) Will check the electrics tonight as it might be either the wires leading to the pump or the fuel pump relay. Hope it's not the really as they're bloody expensive. Mmm, so's the pump. Let's hope it's a loose wire connecting the fuel pump.

I've done about 12,000 miles since fitting the pump. What sort of mileage have you guys done on your Facet? I've not been too kind on mine because I often run it onto reserve and when we fitted the electrics for the heated grips last night the bike did run without the tank connected for a while.

[BobA]

Lootch

'tis funny (and 'tis the season to be jolly) but I was reading your "heated grips" thread last night and chuckling to myself, and now you seem to be suffering a similar problem to which I had yesterday on my way to a job...namely losing power.

So, what was my problem?

Let me first tell you about the part of your"heated grips" post I was laughing my head off about when I eventually got home last night...namely the part in point 6: where you say something along the lines of...

"why do manufacturers put glue in the box for the grips when they are SO tight in the first place"

Well, I fitted my Oxford grips to my current RD04 about a week ago (they're the same ones that have been on two previous AT's) and when I got to fitting the grips discovered I didn't have any glue. Oh well, they're such a tight fit, I just whacked 'em on with my rubber mallet (a most excellent tool!!) and all things were great...until...

On a 90 mile run, I noticed although my hands were toasty, my bike was about to die (at 85mph on the M4) and I was slowly losing power. I pull over to the hard shoulder, but notice she is idling spot on, and not wanting to cut out at all. A little blip on the gas, and she's OK still...BUT THEN...I notice the right grip...it's not where it should be...the cable is spun around the bar, and is restricting the throttle movement!! So it was this that slowly strangled the power. I yanked it back round to it's correct position, but had to turn the grips off to stop 'em rotating again.
Now where's that superglue?!!!!

Could be your problem maybe, but in my experience, a pump failure after you've been dabbling with electrickery on the bike points to a loosened connector or similar, or maybe just a crap tank of fuel from a garage that run it's tanks low over the christmas period.

Good Luck finding it, and Happy New Year to everyone out there.


Bob

[robelst]

Could even be carb-icing. I am not using the AT at the moment but need to run both my Buell and Yamaha TDM on winter fuel-additive. Typically this happens between just over 0 and 5 degrees C and moist conditions but can even happen at slightly higher temperatures. Normally the bike starts well, goes fine for a couple of miles and then the throttle-response becomes erratic, esp after a blast on the motorway and coming back to secondary roads.
Another famous problem causing irregular cut-outs in the wet are old- or damaged sparkplug-leads or -caps, causing current-leaks through the wet air. Obviously this can also cause starting problems and running on a single cylinder.
Also check simple things like battery connections, earth connection and connectors near the fuelpump relay.

But yes, the pump- or relay may have broken as well. Any pump can break, even good ones BTW: Depending on how the pump is controlled, it may not always run when there is enough fuel-pressure. And also: In my experience, short-cutting the pump reduces top-speed to just over 50 mph and better top-up at every fuel station you see. Still, better than pushing of course.

[stageonesimmo]

Haaa, Bob, you beat me to it!

I had the same thing yesterday! The LH grip on mine had spun round and was stopping the clutch lever travelling all the way - I only noticed it when I went to put her in first to pull off and she stalled, something Dessie never does. It felt like clutch drag straight away and sure enough it was - then I looked at the RH grip and yep, it too had rotated around and was perilously close to stopping the front brake lever from pulling all the way in

Needless to say, they are glued on now - though just at the ends to make it easier to get 'em off.

So thats why they come with glue!

[Slimie]

Haaa, Bob, you beat me to it!

I had the same thing yesterday! The LH grip on mine had spun round and was stopping the clutch lever travelling all the way - I only noticed it when I went to put her in first to pull off and she stalled, something Dessie never does. It felt like clutch drag straight away and sure enough it was - then I looked at the RH grip and yep, it too had rotated around and was perilously close to stopping the front brake lever from pulling all the way in

Needless to say, they are glued on now - though just at the ends to make it easier to get 'em off.

So thats why they come with glue!

Did the same on the way down to the Fleet Meet, slower and slower on the M3 'till it was embarrasing. Stopped and had a look around and noticed the same thing!

A quick twist of the wrist the wrong way and normal service was resumed

-Simon

[lootch67]

Well the good news is that the pump is fine. It was, as I'd hoped, simply a wire which had come loose. Now soldered back in place and give a stern warning that none of this sh!t will be tolerated in future so hopefully that's now taken care of for good.

Another problem seems to have reared its head and I'm not quite sure what it is. I had a look at the rear spark plugs while the tank was off and got a fright when I saw the plugs. I have iridium plugs which were fitted when I bought the bike 16k miles ago. I was told that I shouldn't need to replace them for at least another 25k miles and since the bike has always run fine I've never bothered inspecting them. This is what the plugs look like.



I didn't know that iridium plugs look slightly different to normal plugs so got a bit of a shock when I saw these.

Anyway, on the motorway after fixing the pump I noticed a strange noise coming from the airbox - the noise was slightly deeper and quite a bit louder than usual. Also, the bike wasn't running very smoothly - a slight surging at times. This only happened above 60mph. Any ideas? I'm thinking of bringing the major service forward by 1000 miles to see if that cures it but where am I going to find the parts at this time of year.

Thanks for the advice regarding the grips. I will go dig out the superglue. First I've got to get them to work though as there's no way I'll get them on properly without heating them first. And yes, I did try the rubber mallet

[KTiM]

What do you feel is the problem with the 'plug? - It looks like a pretty good colour to me.

[Chad]

just a thought mate is the air box all seated properly. could it be drawing air from anywhere else ....and that plug look fine to me mate

[xrv_jim]

What do you feel is the problem with the 'plug? - It looks like a pretty good colour to me.

Ditto. The plug looks in good shape but I found it impossible to measure the gap - my feeler gauges keep slipping off the computer screen.

If you're worried about the 'thin' centre electrode, that's standard on Iridium plugs.

[lootch67]

I Googled Iridium plugs when I got home and saw that they'e supposed to look like that. Quite a relief.