Sudden ENGINE Shut Off - Help

bjalphasud · Dec 27, 2014

I'm stumped. My 2005 ST1300ABS has started to suddenly shut off while in idle. Last month it got so bad it shut down when driving. It would shut down and get hard to start. When it starts, it idles for a few minutes then cuts out. If I try to ride, it does a few miles then cuts out. Last month I got towed to the Honda shop and the techs could not replicate the problem. There are no codes and all lights are fine. He thinks it's the battery though even when it's hard to start, all other lights are on just fine. no dimming. Today I rode 80 miles one way and on the way back while stopped at a light it cut out again. It was hard to start but it started. I shut off the PIAAs just in case it's a battery drain issue and made it home fine.
I'm at a loss on what to do or check. Could it be the battery? All accessories are wired to active power meaning they don't go on unless the engine is running with exception of cell phone charger. Any one experienced this problem before? Please help.

v8-7 · Dec 27, 2014

Check out this thread :

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?124335-Fixed-my-electrical-problem-(headlights-dash-lites-horn-turn-signals-windshield)&highlight=

MiniBenz · Dec 27, 2014

Check all the ground wiring and connectors and find out if they are ok and free of corosing.
Also check the wiring on damage especially where it moves along side the frame.

st1300r · Dec 27, 2014

It dies when you're on the throttle and at speed as well as being unwilling to idle? Just letting the clutch out didn't restart it?
Does it surge and buck at all, that could be a fuel pump maybe bad gas but that's a stretch if you've had a few tanks thru it with this problem.

I don't see a battery doing this but if Monkeyville cycle center thought it was the battery did they load test it? You could always measure the voltage at the battery when you start it and see what it drops to as it cranked. If the charging circuit cut out enough that the battery sagged to the point of killing the fuel injection it wouldn't have any juice to crank after that.

I was never clear if it flashes if there are stored codes but no current fault. Couldn't hurt to see if there are stored codes.

With it running on the ctr stand in gear side stand up you could turn the bars back and forth and gently move the wiring at the ignition switch, that 24 pin connector inside the left cowling, switch clusters etc. and see if you can force it to fail. Don't deploy the side stand (that should kill) it but wiggle it around a little. Battery cables main star chassis ground are places to sniff around.

If it runs fine and dies like a kill switch and not sputtering and coughing then probing around might give you an ahha moment.

I don't think 05 had any wiring / ground cap recalls, but looking for chafed wires could be useful as well.

ChucksKLRST · Dec 27, 2014

As said before, this issue. https://www.st-owners.com/forums/show...)&highlight= Or it could be a faulty ignition key switch.

bjalphasud · Dec 27, 2014

Thanks John. Have checked the items you mentioned (as far as I can) and all seem good. Don't think salt is a factor this year but I might have some effects from previous winters. Will check the underside next, anything I can see.

bjalphasud · Dec 27, 2014

Minibenz- How do I know where all the ground wiring is found? I know- sounds uninformed but I imagine there're tons of grounding wires- no?

bjalphasud · Dec 27, 2014

st1300r said:
It dies when you're on the throttle and at speed as well as being unwilling to idle? Just letting the clutch out didn't restart it?
Does it surge and buck at all, that could be a fuel pump maybe bad gas but that's a stretch if you've had a few tanks thru it with this problem.

I don't see a battery doing this but if Monkeyville cycle center thought it was the battery did they load test it? You could always measure the voltage at the battery when you start it and see what it drops to as it cranked. If the charging circuit cut out enough that the battery sagged to the point of killing the fuel injection it wouldn't have any juice to crank after that.

I was never clear if it flashes if there are stored codes but no current fault. Couldn't hurt to see if there are stored codes.

With it running on the ctr stand in gear side stand up you could turn the bars back and forth and gently move the wiring at the ignition switch, that 24 pin connector inside the left cowling, switch clusters etc. and see if you can force it to fail. Don't deploy the side stand (that should kill) it but wiggle it around a little. Battery cables main star chassis ground are places to sniff around.

If it runs fine and dies like a kill switch and not sputtering and coughing then probing around might give you an ahha moment.

I don't think 05 had any wiring / ground cap recalls, but looking for chafed wires could be useful as well.

It chugs and jerks then dies when driving. I was at 60mph and I had to hold the clutch in to stops the jolts. They thought it was the fuel pump but they tested that completely and it's fine. Like I said, I did 80 plus miles today before it shut down. I just pulled the spark plugs and I think one of them had not been fully connected to the wire, it just felt too loose. I'm changing these tomorrow as it's an easy one as I work my way through all the items I should check. Checked voltage when I got back- getting a steady 12.83.

bjalphasud · Dec 27, 2014

v8-7 said:
Check out this thread :

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?124335-Fixed-my-electrical-problem-(headlights-dash-lites-horn-turn-signals-windshield)&highlight=

I'm thinking if its electrical it must be very specific as everything else works. Lights, horn, windshield, cluster- all are working fine when the engine dies.

bjalphasud · Dec 28, 2014

jfheath said:
In that case - be aware that the leads screw into the plug caps - and they go in a long way. See photo, put a mark on the HT lead so that you know how far there is left to go when you are screwing it onto the pin in the spark plug.

View attachment 160406 View attachment 160407

The Multimeter reading for the plug cap is wrong ! A healthy one reads 5Kohms. 5.02 is Ok, 4.56 is not. This reading was taken from a plug cap which was on its way out.

Thanks. I pulled out two plugs from the left side last night, they re long. Testing the caps today.

bjalphasud · Jan 4, 2015

UPDATE:

Thanks to a similar experience by another member here and the very detailed information he was willing to share, I believe the problem has to do with the fuel pump system. I ordered the whole system ($366 partszilla) the best offer I could find and installed it this weekend. There're very good detailed instructions elsewhere on this site on how to do it without almost disassembling the bike as the Honda service manual recommends. I didn't fully empty the tank before the job so had to contend with unplanned fuel spill in the garage.
As you can see in the pic, there was some junk in the filter mesh which may or may not have contributed to the problem. I still have to run the bike for a long distance maybe a couple rides to confirm if this problem is solved but I'm optimistic. Will update after the said tests.
Total job time for a non-mechanic like me, about 1.5 hours.

Highrider · Jan 4, 2015

bjalphasud said:
UPDATE:
As you can see in the pic, there was some junk in the filter mesh which may or may not have contributed to the problem. I still have to run the bike for a long distance maybe a couple rides to confirm if this problem is solved but I'm optimistic. Will update after the said tests.
Total job time for a non-mechanic like me, about 1.5 hours.

I just went through a similar exercise on my 05 this past week. That mesh in your pic is for the fuel return line and should not affect the fuel supply to the injectors regardless of junk at that point. It looks like that may have been replaced in the past. The factory had a steel mesh bundle in that rubber pocket instead if filer material. If you empty and remove the upper tank, you can check the fuel pressure at the banjo bolt connection on the lower tank. That will allow you to safely keep about a gallon of gas available for testing. Also under the upper tank in the center of the frame is one of the main grounding points for most of the bikes circuits, that should be check and cleaned. By your description of the intermittent failures, it does sound like an electrical problem. Good luck with the new fuel unit.

bjalphasud · Jan 4, 2015

Thanks highrider. This incident reminded me of one of my earlier cars, a '97 Sentra. It started jerking and slowing down suddenly for no reason. The fuel filter then was a $5 change and it solved the issue. We'll see how it does in a few rides.

970mike · Jan 4, 2015

Well glad you found the problem with your bike. Now go enjoy riding it.

Sudden ENGINE Shut Off - Help

bjalphasud

v8-7

MiniBenz

st1300r

ChucksKLRST

Team Colorado

bjalphasud

bjalphasud

bjalphasud

bjalphasud

bjalphasud

bjalphasud

Highrider

Part time mechanic

bjalphasud

970mike

Mike Brown