1997 CBR F3:
Background: When I first started my bike early this morning I turned the key and I heard a click and the bike was lifeless. The lights wouldn't turn on. I unplug the battery and plug it back in and it was fine. Rode for about 40 minutes this morning and developed a stumble under 2k rpms. After that, ran great. Got home and waited for my buddy to show up. Bike sat about 30 minutes. Ran fine, more of a stumble below 2k rpms. Got to a stop light and it died. Got to a sidewalk and it wouldn't crank like the battery was dead. Waited some more and it would crank very slowly. Got a jump from my buddies bike and it started, but wouldn't hold a charge. Put a brand new battery and everything was fine. Yay!
Got about half an hour away from home and it seemed like it ran out of gas (I have a full tank). It would stumble, come back to life, then I ran it up to red line and it was fine. On decel it just gave up and the RPMs wouldn't come back. Coast to a side road and it died. Cranked over fine, but wouldn't hold an idle. Put the choke on and it ran for 10 seconds then died. Any touch of the gas and it would die. Gave up, sent my buddy to go get my grandpa's trailer (45 minutes away).
Didn't try starting it for about 40 minutes. STARTED FIRST TRY! Ran for a few minutes, no stumble or anything. Actually got it to my neighborhood 30 minutes away, had highway speed, city stop and go, ran fine. Turning into my neighborhood, any gas input was pointless. Pulled the clutch in and it died. Walked it back home.

I don't have any good plan of attack. I'm assuming it is getting spark because it runs great when it wants to. I checked the air filter a month ago and it is fine. I had my bike out in February and it ran fine.

I want to say there is a gas issue. Fuel pump dieing? School me on the R/R going out, I know those are a common F3 problem. I don't think it is a carb issue because it will run great when the problem isn't there. So electrical stuff can be intermittent...fuel pump?

Given those symptoms, what should I focus on? Did I have 2 separate problems? Or one that is just getting worse?

Thanks in advance for the help guys!

 

Self diagnosis = bad fuel pump contacts. Hope that is it! The bottom contact wasn't there.

 

let us know if that was it... hope its back to riding time for you.

 

sounds like its your pump or the fuel relay

 

I'm hoping it is the fuel pump contacts...because that is what I ordered. I am starting to find evidence that it is my relay because my bike will run fine for a while until it just doesn't want to. I would think that once the fuel pump contacts are dead, then they are dead.

Oh well, I'll get this thing figured out eventually. Too bad my whole spring break's worth of riding is now gone.

 

u can unplug the fuel relay and stick like a per clip in 2 of the holes its a 3 pin conn i just cant remember which colors for sure and it will make your pump run if that relay is bad. its a easy way to check. my relay went out but it took the connecter with it tho melted pretty good.

 

SO assuming my fuel cut relay is the culprit. The OEM relay is about $60. I can't justify that if I can find a relay for cheap that does the same thing.

If I can find an automotive 3 prong relay, can I just use that and hillbilly rig it in there? What would I need to look for to make sure the important power (amps or whatever) is correct?

 

check ebay i saw some on there pretty cheap. heck i drove a few weeks on the paper clip.

 

The only ones I've found on ebay are used and don't have a promise for working. And those are more than I'd like to spend. Especially knowing a friggin paperclip will work. lol

Anyone know what kind of amp requirement the fuel relay needs? I'll be ok with buying a simple relay if it does the same thing.

The paperclip trick is just inserting the paper clip into the two outside ends correct? I saw the color code on another thread but I'm making sure it is that simple. And when you do that, the pump will always run with the key on correct? black/white and black/blue right?

 

Here we go again!

Ok I put in the new fuel pump contacts and made sure they worked.

Started it up, and yaaaay it works! let it run for 5 minutes then turned it off. Tried to restart it and the battery was dead. Took the battery out and put it on a charger/tester. The charger said the battery was in good condition. Charged it for 15 minutes and put it in the bike. Started right up. Rode around my block for maybe 10 minutes and each time I got to my driveway I turned it off and restarted it. The first time I did it, the battery was clearly weak but it turned over. Second time around I turned it off and tried to crank it but no power at all. It seems to run fine, but once it turns off, it is a goner.


What's next? R/R? Stator? The troubleshooting page in my service manual points to the R/R. But I want a professionals opinion.