06' F4i oil light on and won't start

[Jfaden23]

Tendered the bike to "Fully Charged", tried starting and it ALMOST wanted to go, maybe even started for 1 seconds, then of course died and wouldn't start. Tried for about 5 seconds more, wasn't starting and in that time the tender showed it wasn't fully charged anymore. Going to leave on over night and try again in the morning. The tender was on for maybe 3 hours before trying to start...maybe some way somehow overnight will change something (I doubt it).

Next step is plug inspection even though the bike only has 8500 miles and I know guys who've gone 22k without replacing.

[Jfaden23]

Prior to jumping on the spark plug project I pinned it for about 10 seconds while holding the start button, fired up at the end of 10 seconds, I held it at 6k rpms as to not let it die again and as of 2 PM today it's started up no problem about 4 times. Maybe it was bad fuel due to the DUMPING rain on the way home.

[RugbyCanada]

Originally Posted by Jfaden23

Prior to jumping on the spark plug project I pinned it for about 10 seconds while holding the start button, fired up at the end of 10 seconds, I held it at 6k rpms as to not let it die again and as of 2 PM today it's started up no problem about 4 times. Maybe it was bad fuel due to the DUMPING rain on the way home.

Dude, you seriously should not be working on your own machine.


*A trickle charge for three hours will achieve next to nothing. Dollars to donuts you simply hooked whatever charger you had around and attached it to your battery while still in the bike.
*Another dollar says you tried to start it with the tender attached as a "booster"
*You purposely revved your bike on a cold start to 6,000 RPM and held it there???
*Your bike is fuel injected, not carburated--if you honestly think that water got into your fuel lines or spark plugs and somehow bunged your bike due to rain, you really really need to take a basic mechanics course.


I am happy you got it going, and that it doesn't seem to be a serious problem. Now that its working, ride to the library and get a basic motorcycle maintenance book.

I hope I'm not coming off as a dick, because that is not my intent. I honestly want you to be able to understand the basics of your machine, and to increase your knowledge of how it works. Don't wreck it because of your current knowledge limitations.

We all started somewhere.

Cheers

RC

[jeffo8]

rugby i have to disagree with you.
he should only be working on his own bikes, i sure as hell ain't letting him work on mine.

Jfaden23, now that you have the bike running, get yourself a factory manual.
do all the maintenance things to the bike, this way you know that the bike is set.
it will also get you more familiar with the bike.
Motorcycle Repair Course

[Jfaden23]

I revved it for maybe 3 seconds at 6k rpms on a 15k redline bike. Wouldn't be the smartest thing to do every morning, but doing it once really isn't going to be detrimental to my bike's health.

I've also heard from a buddy who works at a gas station when he checks fuel levels while it's raining a decent amount of water gets into the station's gas (flash floods were everywhere for about 3 days in california) and I'm sure we all know water sinks in gas...strait to the pump outlets. Was a POS town anyways as I didn't realize the HUD showed reserve only and not my actual tank so I had to fill up in a random station, so it's very likely it was bad fuel that had settled while it sat.

Tendering the battery was just the first step in a long list of to-do's, many people stated start with that step anyhow, was just leaving up to date steps in case anyone wanted to chime in with a "Oh well if it was fully charged after 3 hours..." or whatever...and as I said it WAS fully charged after 3 hours on a tender, which is why I attempted a start.

I read the tender instructions, gives clear instructions on plugging in the tended in a specific order as well as removing when attempting to start your vehicle. All good there too.

Appreciate your advice but it seems like you're looking at each situation as negatively as you possibly can. Do you not see ANY logic in my actoins now that they've been explained? I'm obviously not a master mechanic like many of the people on this forum, but you're trying to make me come across as straight stupid.

[max384]

Originally Posted by RugbyCanada

Dude, you seriously should not be working on your own machine.


*A trickle charge for three hours will achieve next to nothing. Dollars to donuts you simply hooked whatever charger you had around and attached it to your battery while still in the bike.
*Another dollar says you tried to start it with the tender attached as a "booster"
*You purposely revved your bike on a cold start to 6,000 RPM and held it there???
*Your bike is fuel injected, not carburated--if you honestly think that water got into your fuel lines or spark plugs and somehow bunged your bike due to rain, you really really need to take a basic mechanics course.


I am happy you got it going, and that it doesn't seem to be a serious problem. Now that its working, ride to the library and get a basic motorcycle maintenance book.

I hope I'm not coming off as a dick, because that is not my intent. I honestly want you to be able to understand the basics of your machine, and to increase your knowledge of how it works. Don't wreck it because of your current knowledge limitations.

We all started somewhere.

Cheers

RC

I hate when people give that advice to people new at wrenching. In case you're wondering, you are coming off as a dick, at least to start with.

You can read as much as you'd like (and reading is good)... But reading will never take the place of actually doing, and making mistakes along the way. We all make mistakes... and often pretty stupid ones. If he doesn't ever work on his bike, he'll never learn.

BTW, are you suggesting that water can't get into a fuel injection system??? A leaky gas tank that lets water in (which will sink to the bottom) in the rain is a good way to get water in the lines. There are plenty of other scenarios to explain water in fuel lines in a FI vehicle.

You also made some pretty bold ASSumptions.

[kevinwilly]

If he got water in the tank, simply trying to start it a few times wouldn't get the water out.

I've only ever seen a significant amount of water get into fuel one time in my life.... with my wife's motorcycle. There was about 16 ounces of water in the bottom of her tank somehow. Filled the whole fuel filter and all the carb float bowls. Bike was DOA until we drained it.

Now, on an FI bike, you'd at least get some circulation. But if there's any water, it recirculates right back to the pump inlet. Or close enough. It's not like it dumps it back in at the top of the tank.

I'd say it's not bad water. I'd suspect the battery. Was the bike being ridden before you picked it up? Or lightly ridden? Sometimes ridden? Just sitting in the garage most the time?

So you started it up and drained the battery by letting it idle. You put it on a charger, it wouldn't start right away. Because you had been trying to start it so many times you probably fouled the plugs a bit. Then it finally starts when you have a fresh charge.

Why would you think there's anything wrong besides the battery?

With motorcycles having random problems after sitting, 99% of the time it's the battery. The other 1% of the time, about half the time it's the battery.

Motorcycle batteries are TERRIBLE. Get used to that.

[Jfaden23]

I don't think it was being ridden MUCH, not enough to maintain a charge at least. Bought it from a bike flipper who had bought it from the original owner about 3 weeks prior to me even seeing the bike on craigslist, so it's probably a safe bet that it was sitting a bit.

My thought was after having charged the battery to read "fully charged" on the tender that if the battery was the main cause of the problem of course it would negate the perhaps small negative effects other symptoms would be contributing to it and be able to start. From what you're saying I may have dug a hole that simply could have been filled by throwing it on a tender immediately.

[serpentracer]

some newer vehicles need a good strong battery for the electronics to work properly for the engine to start.
even bikes..

and about the not holding the throttle open trying to start...that used to somewhat true. but not so much in the last 6 or so years. I couldn't get a 2008 nissan sentra to start the other day until I held it to the floor while cranking the engine. and it finally started.
I've seen at least 5 other cars needed to be done this way and they were all 2005+ models. Im less impressed with how newer cars run than I am with how good a car from the 1960's ran with carbs. they're all over complicated messes that often need fixed via hundreds of dollars in diagnostics first.

[RugbyCanada]

Originally Posted by max384

I hate when people give that advice to people new at wrenching. In case you're wondering, you are coming off as a dick, at least to start with.

You can read as much as you'd like (and reading is good)... But reading will never take the place of actually doing, and making mistakes along the way. We all make mistakes... and often pretty stupid ones. If he doesn't ever work on his bike, he'll never learn.

BTW, are you suggesting that water can't get into a fuel injection system??? A leaky gas tank that lets water in (which will sink to the bottom) in the rain is a good way to get water in the lines. There are plenty of other scenarios to explain water in fuel lines in a FI vehicle.

You also made some pretty bold ASSumptions.

Ok MadMax, go back and read what the OP said originally. Based on what he said, i gave him the best advice as a first step to identify the problem.

My advice worked.

Now, as to him gettin a bunch of wrenches and having at er, THAT is what you consider as good advice???? You have to have basic knowledge of something before you attempt to identify a problem and apply an appropriate solution.
If you want to build a house, would you simply go to home depot, buy a hammer and wood, and have at 'er?? Of course not. You would learn the basic steps along the way, read as much as you could, take courses, get advice in person, work on small projects and work your way up.
If the guy has no knowledge of basic mechanics, why would you suggest he just swings away and possibly damages something he paid some good hard money for?? THAT is being a dick.

He started at the beginning by asking advice, and thats good. If you re-read what he asked, and what the symptoms of the bike that he provided, my response my more than valid.
If he would have offered more information, like he did later on in the thread when he started getting defensive, Im sure someone would have offered an explanation BASED ON THE INFO PROVIDED.

As to fuel injected cars like Serpent mention, fuckin hell dont get me started!! You have to see the cheat codes they put in new Subarus---BRUTAL!!! ie, if you change the battery, it resets the ignition interlock.
You would not believe the crap you gotta go thru to get the vehicle to start.

Anyway, to the OP, Im glad you got it figured out. You learned a lot I hope, and now have some experience you can use in the future.

Cheers,

RC

[Jfaden23]

Originally Posted by RugbyCanada

My advice worked.


If he would have offered more information, like he did later on in the thread when he started getting defensive, Im sure someone would have offered an explanation BASED ON THE INFO PROVIDED.

I just had to reiterate what I had already said, I didn't add anything new.

The battery was charged fully the first night I went back to it (after 3 hours), still no start.

What fixed it was treating it like a flooded bike.

Still appreciated your advice though.

[Sequentialshift]

Keep yer hand away from the throttle from now on when your starting it . Fi bikes do not like throttle while starting .