Hello........(help)

[Viirin]

Hello all - I bought my GZ about 9 months ago as a fast and enjoyable method of commuting to college and for those nine months I loved it and it never let me down. It says its a 04' model but I'm pretty sure it's an older, re-registered import. I bought it with 2000 miles on the clock and a story from the dealer that the original owner never used it and it was just sitting outside his apartment until he asked his friend (the dealer) to sell it for him. I looked over the bike but I don't/didn't really know all that much about them so I said I'd take it if he got it serviced as part of the price - it got an "A+" report from the mechanic and so I took it.

About 3 weeks later it stared cutting out on the way to college and so (forgoing a 9am lecture) I pushed it to a local mechanic which wasn't far from where I broke down. He told me I was running it from the reserve tank but he noticed a couple of more things that were wrong with it (he gave it a diagnostic because I had bought my helmet and jacket from him recently). He said that it had:

-had a knock
-a seized choke cable
-out of alignment headlamp...
...and a tendency to wander

"how did he miss all that when he was buying it?" you ask - well, quite simply I'm an idiot

So anyway he gave it a service and fixed up a make-shift choke cable for me because he didn't have a proper one in stock but it was better than having it seized on all the time even though I had to rubber band the clutch to use it, haha

After that it ran like a metronome everyday for the rest of the year, rain or shine...until just recently - there seems to be one reoccurring problem I can't seem to get fixed - I've been in and out to three different mechanics four times so far this summer each one reassuring me that they had fixed the problem this time but ten days later the same problem strikes again and I'm left bouncing around to them like some role-reversed hooker! I work part-time in Domino's pizza so I don't make a lot of money and because of this problem and mechanics that are all to happy to take my money I can't afford my insurance renewal next month! But it's beyond insurance premiums and tax now, I just want to fix this problem so yesterday I went down to my local hardware store and with what little money I had left bought some tools so I can try and fix it myself!

So the symptoms are that the ignition will fire but the engine won't catch and turn over, after a while the engine will fire once or twice (and it sounds like it's off in the distance it's so quite) and then after a good seventy seconds of holding on the ignition it seems to build up some momentum and starts finally ticking over but then one of two things seems to happen: either it seems to loose that momentum it worked so hard to build up and cuts out (over about twenty seconds) or i try to use the throttle or choke to try and prevent scenario one from happening and i flood the engine or something but either way it ends with the engine quite and me frustrated. I tried turning up the idle but it was running way too hot and was at the point where you could drive it without a throttle cable before it would stay running for more than twenty seconds.

The mechanics claimed to have:
-changed the air filter
-stripped and cleaned the carburettor
-changed the oil and filter

I'm going to drain the tank tomorrow and see if the inside is corroded and if it's causing sediment to block up my carburettor and try to clear out the tube that feeds the petrol to the carb but if this isn't the problem I fear I'll be at the mercy of the local mechanics again!

If anyone has encountered this problem before please let me know and if there's any way of fixing it for someone without too much mechanical experience

Any help would be greatly appreciated and sorry for ranting on for so long (I'm a forum virgin)
- Vii

[RamAir]

These mechanics you take it to are they auto mechanics who just work on cars and gave it a try or is it a shop for bikes?

[alanmcorcoran]

I went through a similar period of frustration with rough running when cold, drifting idle, stalling, racing, etc. Took me three trips to a dealer to get it resolved. They only charged me for the first visit, but the place is a 30 mile drive and dropping and picking up a bike is often a two person task. I never really got a clear answer as to what fixed it (and they DID fix it finally) but I suspect it was a carburetor problem that was not properly attended to in the first place. (BTW, mine is relatively new. [2008]) Other possible culprits: valves (doubt it), emissions system (possibly, but you probably don't have the canister), sediment (doubt it.) If you can't fix it yourself, try to find a good mechanic that will charge you a flat rate to work on it until they find the problem. Sometimes these things are not the first or second "guess" (and some mechanics don't know what they are doing.)

I can tell you this - when it's properly serviced, it will run pretty smoothly at about a 1000 rpm idle. You do generally need to choke at about 2/3rds or so to get started, but you can back that to half after a minute or two and take it completely off after 3 or 4. I'm in a warmer climate than you, so adjust accordingly. They do start and run better if you ride them everyday. But I've let mine sit for six weeks and could still start it with a little coaxing (fuel petcock set to prime for a few seconds.)

I think you just need to find a better mechanic. Good luck.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

emissions system (possibly, but you probably don't have the canister), it will run pretty smoothly at about a 1000 rpm idle. You do generally need to choke at about 2/3rds or so to get started,

Don't forget, these guys are talking about American spec. Mine's European spec, & I would imagine that yours is also. The American carbs are set up much weaker to comply with emissions regulations, & some have the "canister", which ours don't. With the richer mixture, you may find that you don't need ANY choke, except when it's below zero. Over here the temperature goes down to around 10ºC in winter, & I've NEVER needed the choke.

For the European spec., Suzuki recommend 1200 - 1400 rev/min for the tickover, so use that as a starting point for setting it to your preference. I don't understand what you mean when you say that the engine gets hot when you set the tickover higher. It's an air cooled engine, so it's going to seem hot if you're not used to them.

Also the gz LOVES an occasional dose of carb cleaner or fuel additive. We can't get carb cleaner over here, so I use fuel additive (the one for CARBURETTOR, NOT INJECTORS) I had problems with jerkiness when closing the throttle. Fuel additive cured it like magic! I'm not saying that this is the answer to YOUR problem, but it can't hurt to try. :2tup:

[Viirin]

wow, thanks for all the rapid responses! - first yes they are all solely bike mechanics and ones even a dedicated Suzuki dealer! - secondly i NEED the choke every time to get it going i can't even fathom running the bike without it, maybe i am trying to run it too lean though - i'll try turning up the idle and i'll definitely get some fuel additives and carb cleaners , they sound pretty promising - well i'm just about to take the tank off now so i'll keep you's posted and thanks again for all the quick responses

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Viirin

secondly i NEED the choke every time to get it going i can't even fathom running the bike without it, maybe i am trying to run it too lean though - i'll try turning up the idle and i'll definitely get some fuel additives and carb cleaners ,

Good advice you got so far. Did you ever get a "proper" choke cable? If not, that might be a big part of your problem. I doubt that you need to turn up the idle stop any as the "choke" mechanism should also increase the idle speed when it is in use.

Berryman's B12 Chemtool is a good carb cleaner and I think is available on your side of the pond.
Regardless of what kind of additive you use, stick to ONLY ONE at a time.

You should need the choke ONLY when the engine is cold; about 1/2 operated and then reduced slowly as it warms up. Might take a good LONG 5 minutes or 5 miles to get it off completely.
When the engine is hot or even warm, you should NOT need the choke at all.

I found that mine would start better in all conditions if I gave it just a tiny bit of throttle on about the second revolution of the starter.

[Viirin]

well i have good news and well...confusing news, i just finished draining the tank and checking the "on","res","pri" component it seemed pretty clean and both the vacuum pipe and the fuel pipe were clear - the confusing thing is what i found in the fuel tank, i was worried about corrosion but the petrol was pure and the inside walls were fine but... something was rattling around inside of it when it was drained - took me about twenty minuets to find a spot where enough light was passing through the top to see what it was and it was what looks like a transparent and more rigid version on a vacuum pipe which isn't connected to anything! For the life of me i couldn't get it out because of the way the tank curves back around at the top and the fact that it's a bit longer than the mouth all together! So i'm going to buy a really long pair of forceps and try to fish it out - the tools i bought didn't allow the angle to remove the "on","res","pri" thingy fully at the bottom side of the tank but i assume the pipe was from that - but the weirdest thing is that the bike is running again! I'm gonna get some more tools over the next couple of days and do the air filter (just in case and to learn how) and the mechanic from Domino's (who never charged me a penny) said he's take a look for some of those carb cleaners at the main domino's mechanic shed - Thanks again for all the responses and i'll let you know how the filter cleaning goes and where that mysterious pipe goes if i ever get it out!

[New GZ250]

You might just take the tank off, relatively simple, turn it upside down an remove the foreign obstacle.
:roll:

[Viirin]

yeah i shook it for a good 25 minuets - i just ended up with knackered arms and petrol dregs on my pants haha

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by New GZ250

You might just take the tank off, relatively simple, turn it upside down an remove the foreign obstacle.
:roll:

The "foreign object" likely IS the "stand pipe" that creates a reserve in the bottom of the tank.
It is supposed to be attached to the top of the petcock assembly. It won't hurt anything to leave it in there ......EXCEPT....that you will NOT have a reserve anymore without taking the petcock off and cramming that tube firmly back where it belongs.

Resist the temptation to use glue to re-attach it...as the gas would likely dissolve any glue over time. I think I heard of someone else tacking it in place with a tiny bit of solder......applied only after it is thoroughly dry and using an iron.....NOT a torch.

P.S. When you find the price of a new air filter, you will probably decide to just INSPECT it and change only if really necessary. In the US, I think the price was around $30.