FI light flashing

DavidR8

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Came out to the bike after work.
Turned the key, waited for FI light to turn off, fired her up. Low idle for a few moments then ran up to about 1200 rpm. Then FI light begins to flash: flash twice, four second pause then flash twice...
Ran it up to about 3000 rpm and it would hold and then drop about 500 rpm. Then settled into a solid 1000 rpm idle.
Three bars of temp came up sooner than I have seen before.
Any thoughts?


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Blrfl

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Two blinks is the MAP sensor. They fail rarely, but if I can put on my Igofar hat for a moment, there's also a chance that the tubing and tees that feed it are congested.

Everything you need to get at it is under the air box.

--Mark
 

Blrfl

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The solid on while underway and blinking with the sidestand down are normal behavior.

There are several parts of the bike that the ECM can't check out at startup, and the MAP sensor is probably one of them, so nothing surprising there, either.

--Mark
 
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Here is a couple of pages on FI from my Haynes manual. There is something about the FI light goes out when you are underway and comes back on when it is on its side stand. Happy reading.
 

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Thank Mark,
The light went solid when under way then flashing when parked again.


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Your gonna make me Call outside the USA and get in trouble aren't you :rolleyes:
PM sent with the White Courtesy Phone Number
Standing By....
 
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No worries, call me when you can, and I'll see what we can do to help you.
Life with the white courtesy phone is kinda like a Maytag repair man, I spend alot of time waiting by the phone :rolleyes:
 
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DavidR8

DavidR8

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Reading the Haynes manual pages ST460 posted (thank you!) the flashing pattern (2 flashes) seems to indicate a faulty MAP sensor (yikes!) or a vacuum hose disconnected or broken (that's more palatable!)


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What your probably going to find, are the lines and/or 5 way tee is clogged up. This would trigger the MAP sensor switch warning. As Mark pointed out, the sensor switches themselves don't fail very often.
You will simply need to remove some stuff, AIR BOX ASSEMBLY & BASE, MAP SENSOR SWITCH and vacuum lines, and then run a pipe cleaner soaked in solvent through the 5 way tee, then replace the lines with new ones.
With the proper tools (t-handle driver with JIS bit, a #2 JIS screwdriver, fine point paint pencil, some vacuum line, 3 hose crimping clamps, and an 8 mm and 10 mm socket/ratchet set and a 10 mm wrench)
I'll see if your up to the job after we talk, If not, I'm sure there are folks from this forum who are in your area that may be able to help.

Larry
 
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DavidR8

DavidR8

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A productive couple of hours in the garage working on STella.
Pulled up the tank and removed the air box lid.
The K&N filter had been over oiled so there was oily residue on the inside of the air box as well around the edges of the lid. A fair amount of grit and grime on the inside of the filter and where it sits.


Took photos of the snorkels so I could replace them correctly.


Pulled the air box bottom to get to the five-way T.


Pulled the T to clean it. Sprayed brake and parts cleaner through it from the straight part into the T blocking off pairs of outlets to force spray through all outlets. Same thing with the hoses.

The outlets nearest the straight part were definitely clogged as the spray came back through the straight part before working through the clog.

I didn't have any new vacuum hose or I would have extended the lines so I don't have to cram my hands between all the wires and mechanical bits to clean it again. I'll replace them when I do the sync.

I put in a new OEM filter, which was rather oily on top. Wiped it clean and buttoned everything back up.

Turned the key, waited for the FI light to go out and pressed the starter.

Vroom! STella sprang to life, settled in to a very smooth 1500 rpm idle which gradually dropped to 1000 rpm as two bars came up on the temp gauge.

I'm so grateful for this forum as I did this with the knowledge I've gained from the good folks who share so willingly!
My thanks to you! STella's other owner thanks you too [emoji846]


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Looks like you were busy tonight when I missed your call :rolleyes:
Looks like you did a pretty good job!
You said you used parts cleaner and brake cleaner to spray stuff, please tell us you didn't get that anywhere near the TB's.
The Moly coating on the butterflies, both upper and lower, are there for a reason, and can easily be wiped off by accident with carb or brake cleaner :eek:4:
You look like you know your way around a spanner or two.
Looking forward to talking to you tomorrow.
 
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DavidR8

DavidR8

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Thanks Larry I appreciate that.
Yes, a little busy [emoji1]
Not to worry about the Moly coating. Parts cleaner was used on the T when it was off the bike.

I'm always cautious using solvents on plastics as I'm aware that too 'hot' a solvent such as acetone can dissolve plastic parts.

Yes, I've had a bit of experience turning spanners. Not a pro by any means but learned to by fixing bicycles as a kid then moving onto air-cooled VWs when I started driving.
Rebuilt two engines that found their way into a 1971 Westphalia and a 1964 Karmann Ghia.

On the side I raced electric RC cars and flew RC planes for a spell.

I enjoy the mechanics of pretty much anything especially when it is part of a pastime I enjoy so much.


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SupraSabre

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Excellent job David! :clap2:

As for the oil around the edges of the air cleaner (not the oil in where the air comes flowing into, but on the "lip" of the air box), When I had my K&N filters, I always saw oil around there and in the "hole" where the front hose that connects to the leftside of the engine head. When replacing the K&N with a OEM Filter, most of that oil has gone away!

I have yet anyone explain to me why I would see more oil when the K&N is supposed to allow more air in the airbox!?!?! :think1:
 
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Excellent job David! :clap2:

As for the oil around the edges of the air cleaner (not the oil in where the air comes flowing into, but on the "lip" of the air box), When I had my K&N filters, I always saw oil around there and in the "hole" where the front hose that connects to the leftside of the engine head. When replacing the K&N with a OEM Filter, most of that oil has gone away!

I have yet anyone explain to me why I would see more oil when the K&N is supposed to allow more air in the airbox!?!?! :think1:
Really? :think1:
A K&N filter lets more air flow through right? What is a K&N filter coated with? OIL. With the more air that flows through the filter, the more oil it also pulls through with it.
The hose that connects to the right front underneath side of the air box base is the crankcase breather hose.
 
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SupraSabre

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Really? :think1:
A K&N filter lets more air flow through right? What is a K&N filter coated with? OIL. With the more air that flows through the filter, the more oil it also pulls through with it.
The hose that connects to the right front underneath side of the air box base is the crankcase breather hose.
And the hose connected to the left front head, is also a "breather hose"!

From my "Years" of observation, the K&N airfilter somehow allows oil to get pulled into and through that left side hose into the "little box" it is connected to on the right side of the engine. The oil I see is NOT coming from the filter! The engines of the bikes I've done this with were also "using" oil. I would have to put in about 6oz between oil changes. The only place I could figure it was going was up to the air box. Once I changed to the OEM filter, the oil quit disappearing from the crankcase and the amount of oil I found in the air box, that left side little box the left breather hose is connected to, was minimal at best!

Again, I would really like to know how that happens! :confused:
 

wjbertrand

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If the K&N were actually more restrictive than the paper filter you would develop a larger vacuum in the rest of the air box. This might "suck" more oil up the breather. I believe there are cases where the drop-in K&N is actually more restrictive than OEM paper ones due to the way they build their filters with shallower and fewer pleats compared to most paper elements. As an example, taken apart and spread out, the OEM paper filter in my car had more than 4x the surface area of the drop-in K&N. Even if the K&N passed more air initially there are some articles out there that show their limited capacity causes them become more restrictive quicker than paper. Then there's whole question of over-oiling them which I expect would increase restriction.
 
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The K&N filter is causing a hurricane like on wizard of oz and throwing oil everywhere :twist1:
And, if you use a K&N filter and live on the east coast, it may cause a shark-nado :rofl1:
 
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