Change the sparkplug

[patrick_777]

I love the smell of Cosmolene in the morning.

[alanmcorcoran]

Thanks Sarris, that's the stuff.

I sort of remembered that name but it sounded so stupid (kind of like a cross between Cosmo and Maybelline) that I thought I must have got my circuits crossed. In the early eighties (when Reagan imposed the "voluntary" quotas on the Japanese cars) we could (and had to) sell our meager monthly allocation of Nissans for well above list. Removing the Cosmolene was one of the many inventive fees we added on (along with pinstripes, floor mats, fabric protectant, paint sealant and undercoating. When you think about it, those last two are kind of like putting the Cosmolene back on.)

[alantf]

I remember back in 1973, buying a Datsun Sunny, & discovering that the floor appeared to be made out of baked bean cans, The first ( & real messy job!) was to underseal the car. I didn't keep it for long, because at 5' 10" I was too tall to fit in it comfortably. I subsequently found that the Japs hadn't realised that the Europeans were much taller than themselves, so had built cars that were only big enough for the small Japs. The build quality was also atrocious, & I Discovered that in Japan, their cars had to be tested annually, & at the seven year test they had to be virtually stripped down & rebuilt with new parts. This was so expensive that it was cheaper, in Japan, to scrap a seven year old car & buy another new one. This meant that they built cars that were built to fall apart at 6 years 11 months - not realising that in England cars were meant to last for a minimum of 15 years.

They were also velly clafty! In 1980 I was working in a factory, in Sheffield, that made springs & anti roll bars for world wide car manufacturers. The guys there told me that they used to make these parts for Datsun, but, a few years back, the Datsun bosses asked if they could visit the factory. These Wily Oriental Gentlemen duly arrived, armed with the ever present cameras, & proceded to photograph everything. Guess what! When the contract came up for renewal, it was found that they had quietly built a spring/anti roll bar factory in Japan, & didn't need our services anymore.

Just as an aside - We used to have bumper stickers to put on our Jap cars - "I'm backing Blitain" (sic)

[alanmcorcoran]

Yes, English cars have always been known for their quality and reliability here stateside. :whistle:

[Suzuki_Girl_41]

I just wanted to say Thank you for this valuable information.

I am trying to get my '03 Suzuki GZ250 up and running again after 2 or 3 years of sitting and found this information very easy to follow. I replaced the dead battery Friday with one of those new tech Acid-Gel media types and viola, I have power, it cranks but no turnover. I investigated some more and found that the spark plug was not the issue prevening it from starting (but hey, I learned how to change a spark plug on my bike! . There is something preventing the spark, possibly a broken wire some where? I guess that would mean removing the tank in order to find the damage? Or could there be another (easier) explanation and fix?

I would appreciate any leads offered as I have my Motorcycle Ohio class beginning this Friday at 6PM.

Thanks

[Water Warrior 2]

Did you drain the tank and put in fresh gas ? Did you put the fuelcock in the prime position for a minute to prime the carb ? The GZ normally has carb problems when left to it's own devices for a long period of time.

[Suzuki_Girl_41]

ok, but what would explain the no spark to the spark plug?

[Water Warrior 2]

I would pull the tank and start tracing the wires. Also check the fuses first with a meter to verify they are good. Was the bike in storage where mice and other rodents could get at the wiring ? Oh yeah, check the air filter for a small nest too. You may have to displace some small neighbors.

[Suzuki_Girl_41]

Yes, I did find evidence of furry critters and this is not the first time these pests have invaded where they weren't welcome(they nested on my in-line 4 between the spark plug wires and chewed through the insulation)...so then you would say it is pretty likely they chewed a critical wire? Ok, well no easy fix but that is ok...at least I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

Thank you
PS the spark plug wire looks to be in good shape from what I can see...until it gets lost behind/under the tank.

[Water Warrior 2]

Keep us informed about your progress. Good hunting.