Suzuki GSX1400
Problems and troubleshooting

I wasn't looking forward to create a page with a list of problems I've had with my bike. I bought a new bike to be able to avoid problems. But even a great bike like GSX1400 seem to fail sometimes.

Problem: It's too damn cold and there's too much snow

The autumn of 2001 was mild here in Sweden and and I actually rode my bike every now and them until the middle of December. The grass was green and no sight of snow. Great. But then one fine morning everything was white and there was this whitecold stuff everywhere. And the next day it was -28° C, which is very cold even for us here in Sweden. Take a look at the picture; Would you believe that I haven't touched it for couple of weeks? =) I'd guess I get hate mail now from people who think I should have found a more pleasant place for my bike when it's cold and snow outside. Please be gentle with me, the snow will soon melt away and then I ride my bike to winter storage. I haven't got a garage at home and I don't want to ride it when the streets are covered with ice.

Solution

Actually there's nothing wrong with my bike (I think, I haven't touched it after the snow came). Perhaps I could move to Southern Spain to avoid snow and ice... Jarmo Haapamäki January 2, 2002 Update January 14, 2002: First ride after winter

Problem: malfunction at the fuel injection system — the bike wouldn't start

Mileage: 1 707 km I was quite surprised when I my GSX1400 failed to start yesterday. The electric starter was working OK but the engine just wouldn't start. I noticed that the red FI indicator was flashing and the letters FI were also showing on the display, showing signs of trouble in the fuel injection system. I couldn't get in touch with anybody at Suzuki who could tell me what the trouble might be. They asked me to call again the following morning. I checked the fuses and they seemed to be OK. I was afraid that I had to take my machine to a authorized Suzuki dealer to sort the problem out. What had I done with my bike? Nothing. I hadn’t touched any settings on my bike and there was nothing wrong with it the last time I used it. The fuel tank was almost full and the battery was charged. The bike simply broke down while it was standing outside my house. Maybe it was the humidity. It had been raining a bit and the weather was humid but that shouldn't be a problem for a motorcycle. I'm very disappointed if my bike fails to start because of some moisture! Troubleshooting The guy who gave the initial service to my bike told me how to display the error code on the bike if situation like this occurs. Under the seat, in the battery area, there is a loose electric contact with four pins, two of them used. The contact is for troubleshooting. When you set a metallic paper clip or a steel wire in both of the contacts (there must be contact between the two pins) the FI display disappears and you can read the error code on the meter display instead. If the malfunction was just a non-permanent error, the FI disappears for good. In my case, the error code was C42, but that didn't tell me nothing. Only guys at an authorized Suzuki service knew what it meant. The error was apparently a permanent one, 'cause the FI error came back directly I took the paperclip off the service contact. I tried this several times, about an hour between. Nothing. I gave up and hoped I could get help from authorized Suzuki service soon. Solution Today morning I phoned the service technician Jörgen at Kenneth's Motor in Eskilstuna. He did the initial service to my bike and seemed helpful. I asked him if the problem was a serious one. Could I do something about it or should I take me bike to the shop? Jörgen wasn't sure exactly what the error code C42 meant but he guessed it had something with the ignition to do. ”I have a faint idea that in Hayabusa C42 meant ignition failure of some kind. But I can't be more specific than that. I must contact Suzuki in Stockholm before I know for sure”, Jörgen replied. ”I call you back soon!” Meanwhile I went outside to check out if my bike was still crummy. And to my surprise the bike started right away! No FI-messages, no flashing lights. The problem was gone! I phoned Jörgen at Kenneth's Motor again and said there was no hurry with the information, the bike had mended itself! Yes, I still wanted to know what C42 meant - and while he was at it, the whole list of error codes could be nice to have... He said he'd try to fix one. ”I'm glad you could start the bike today. I'd guess it was some moisture in some electric contact somewhere. It happens sometimes. I know it shouldn't happen, but occasionally it does. Especially with new bikes”, Jörgen said. So the problem is no longer or problem. Hopefully it won't come back. Jarmo Haapamäki October 17, 2001 Update October 19, 2001: A friendly GSX1400 owner from Norway looked up the error code from the service manual: the code C42 stands for: Ignition switch signal ..... "Ignition switch signal is not input in the ECM " This means that the switch itself, or the wires/coupler are the problem... Update November 11, 2001: The problem has not occurred again. I have been advised to use WD-40 or similar to spray the electrical contacts with, just in case. I haven't done this yet. I have just used my bike (when the weather has allowed it, it's winter here now). I have even used the bike in a storm. No problems what so ever!

Problem: The same kind of FI error

Mileage: about 11 000 km Exact the same Fuel Injection malfunction occured again, this time on the road. It had been raining earlier and I believe some moisture had found its way to the electric contacts. The engine fired up as normal at home and I had ridden a few kilometers when I saw a friend and stopped to chat with him. After ten minutes or so I tried to ride on but the bike wouldn't start anymore! The FI warning light was flashing, the starter motor was spinning but the engine just wouldn't start. Troubleshooting and solution I started to check the contacts behind the left side cover, found some moisture there and sprayed them with WD-40 (a friendly biker living nearby stopped to help me and fetched a WD-40 spray can for me), with no result. Shortening the white service contact pins beside the battery showed that the problem was the same one (error code C42) as in October 2001 (see the text above). Spraying the contacts wouldn't help so I decided to light a cigarette and wait a while, hoping that the problem would simply disappear by itself, like it did once before... It didn't. But then I tried another thing. I lifted up the CDI box placed behind the battery (under the seat), disconnected it and connected it again. Problem solved! There was probably some moisture between the multiconnector and the CDI box (see the picture) and deattaching and reattaching the box solved the problem. The FI error indicator was no longer on, the fuel pump started working and the engine fired up instanly when I pushed the start button. Everything has been working fine after that. This happened yesterday, I have ridden the bike today in rain and there is still no problems. I can't say that the GSX1400 don't like moisture, the problem has only occured twice during the one and a half years I haven owned the bike, but still... Now I know where to start looking, if the problem occures again! Jarmo Haapamäki May 2, 2003

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