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bogging down when taking off..

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by coastie550XJ, Aug 2, 2007.

  1. coastie550XJ

    coastie550XJ Member

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    OK i just noticed this tonight when i went riding with my dad who came up from ohio.. well i met them up with them about 70miles away and rode back with them to my place.. No problems what so ever ran great!
    Then we got back here and put the bikes in the garage and jumped into the car to get somethings for my dad's friend's bike at the store and got dinner also.. got back about three hours later, decide to go out for a ride again...
    Well right off the bat not even getting 500ft down the road and my oil light comes on, and my bike starts to be really slow taking off.. I told Dad and we immdiately turned around and went back to the aparment, and checked the oil, WAY low, so we added some, and then let the bike run alittle bit and then went back out, and everytime i took off from a stop it would bog way down, RPM's were about 1.5k and it wasn't until i creeped past 2-3k RPM's that it would then take off.. also it wouldn't matter how much throttle i gave it, it would creep up and then take off...

    anyone could give me some advice???
     
  2. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    You need to have a Compression Test done.

    We begin by doing and investigation and ruling-out possibilities.

    Compression Test
    Fully charged battery
    All Spark Plugs removed
    Wide-Open Throttle.
     
  3. coastie550XJ

    coastie550XJ Member

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    umm... how do i do a compression test??
     
  4. samsr

    samsr Member

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    Check the air cleaner. It may be clogged with the oil that dissappeared from the crankcase. Good place to start anyway. The ride may have cleaned a few things out of the carbs as well. May need colortuned.
     
  5. crewwolfy

    crewwolfy Member

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    I have the exact same problem, though you described it much better than I could, coastie.

    Is a compression test easy to do? If I remember correctly, can you get the tool at AutoZone (or similar)? Is there a link to the details of a compression test (how to test, what's good/bad, how to fix)? I really wish auto stores stocked ColorTunes..
     
  6. Sbmaxim

    Sbmaxim Member

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    The test is easy, the tester cost me about $30 from advance. Instructions included, make sure you hold the throttle open. Also make sure to blow off around the plugs so dirt doesn't fall in your holes when you pull the plugs.
     
  7. Hvnbnd

    Hvnbnd Active Member

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    If the oil being low was just something you had neglected.
    My thought was that perhaps your petcock was leaking or just started leaking and flooded your carbs or a couple of cylinders out.

    I'd pull the plugs and see if they were wet or excessivly rich.

    They may have fouled out and just not be able to recover if they are older plugs.

    If that is not the case, you then better figure where the oil went at any rate a look at the plugs could tell the story.
    If your plugs are oily or if only 1 plug is oily maybe there is trouble with that hole(s).

    If those plugs all look good the air cleaner may be all gunked up.

    Good Luck there!
     
  8. coastie550XJ

    coastie550XJ Member

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    ok..now heres to throw a wretch in the whole thing.. went out for a ride this morning, didn't bog down what so ever.. then this afternoon, it did it again, BUT it wasn't as bad as last night.. I'll check the spark plugs and the air cleaner...
     
  9. coastie550XJ

    coastie550XJ Member

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    Its also been since june when i did an oil change.. and that ride yesterday was the longest ride i have done ever.. and going about 65-70mph for the first time for a long period of time (about hour to an hour and a half)
    so according to my dad, its common to run a little low on oil, after a long ride like that, and not touching or thinking of the oil for two months.. Plus the low oil light had come on.. sorry should of metioned that..
     
  10. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    Hey, Bow-sinn-mate:

    Well, then ...

    You could be running a scootch lean. That would eat-up some oil.

    Why don't you pull the Spark Plugs ... lay them all together, nice, shoulder-to-shoulder ... and take a picture of the business ends and let us see how she's running.

    THAT would be an excellent start to us guessing what's troubling your Land Dingy!
     
  11. coastie550XJ

    coastie550XJ Member

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    ok, i'll do that as soon as i get a chance.. but now, i'm going for a ride with my dad.. be back later!!
     
  12. MiCarl

    MiCarl Active Member

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    Boy, this sounds a lot like the problem I was having.

    Started to have trouble with idling and poor performance when I left work at 5:00 PM. After the freway ride home everything was great.

    Next morning no problem at all. Afternoon, problem back.

    I think I had one of my carbs a bit rich. With the cooler temps this was ok, but with the choke on for the afternoon start I was fouling a plug. After the choke was off and a spin on the freeway to burn the soot off everything OK.

    This wasn't a problem earlier in the season when we didn't have the 90deg+ afternoons.

    Seems to be just fine now that I re-did the idle mixture.
     
  13. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    I put the blame right on the Gasoline they are serving-up these days.
    Loaded-up with a much Ethanol as the Law will allow.

    ""Ethanol, when mixed with gasoline, causes the mixture to evaporate very quickly. That forces refiners to dramatically alter their gasoline to compensate for the ethanol. (Throughout the year, refiners adjust the vapor pressure of their fuel to compensate for the change in air temperature. In summer, you want gasoline to evaporate slowly. In winter, you want it to evaporate quickly.)

    There's a final point to be raised about ethanol:

    It contains only about two-thirds as much energy as gasoline. Thus, when it gets blended with regular gasoline, it lowers the heat content of the fuel.

    So, while a gallon of ethanol-blended gas may cost the same as regular gasoline, it won't take you as far; nor will it help you get the bike started without a little extra cranking to get the damn stuff fired-up!""
     
  14. Hvnbnd

    Hvnbnd Active Member

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    I'm with you on that Rick.
    Everybody wants something for nothing....
    They have forgotten the rule, of tradeoff.

    You can have more power but you give up a certain amount of reliability....more reliability comes at the cost of usually less power, and more mileage usually comes withe the cost of less performance or less cabin comfort. etc.
    There is the rule of tradeoff.

    There is only a given amount of work to a specific unit of energy.

    Goes back to what my dad always taught me, you dont get something for nothing in this life.

    No free lunch!
     
  15. coastie550XJ

    coastie550XJ Member

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    Rick, would the Ethanol do that to my bike on bogging down... cuz now that you metioned it, I had filled up at a gas station that had i think 10% Ethanol after the long trip and then we went out that evening and thats when i noticed the bike was bogging down... could that be the reason why my bike would do that then.. Oh and i will get the picture of my spark plugs up soon, as my camera is being a pain in the ass...
     
  16. Hvnbnd

    Hvnbnd Active Member

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    Coastie, that ethanol could cause problems alright.
    Might be that the ethanol broke some junk loose in you carb that had just been laying around, stuck to the float bowl or something.

    Another thing most folks dont think about, DONT buy gas at a station that has a fuel truck unloading or one that has recently had one unloading (that you know about). Seems that when they unload, they tend to stir up the sediment that is already in the underground tank.

    I had some trouble with my BMW 320 in Vegas that way once.
    Wish I had known about that then!

    Also that ethanol could cause a vapor lock in real hot instances but I'm not sure iabout that happenong on a bike like ours.

    Good luck there Coastie
     
  17. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    I personally think that the Ethanol loaded gas is causing detonation and pre-ignition. I experienced it in my 750. I don't run Regular anymore.

    What's a buck to run a tank of High Test through it and see???
     

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