[fujimo]

I went out today and ran through a retention pond I thought was dry...



I got stuck and I was pulled out by some good Samaritans.



I washed the bike down with a pressure washer, and now it won't start.



I drained the carb, checked the plug... and I guess I should let it dry?



I feel stupid.

Any thoughts?

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

Did you get water or mud in your exhaust or air filter passage under the seat? You may also want to check your carbs vent hose. Other than that, I dont know.



Looks like a dinosaur stuck in a tar pit.

 

[fujimo]

Did you get water in your exhaust or air filter passage under the seat? You may also want to check your carbs vent hose.

I think I got water in the exhaust.



I don't know about the vent hose. I don't think I got water up in there. Do I take the hose off to check?

 

[FortPayne]

Geez, water in the exhaust? Not sure of which step to take next. My only advice is DONT try and start it! Leave it and wait for the other guys to respond. Water doesnt compress so if you crank it over hard enough you'll kill it dead.

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

I think I got water in the exhaust.



I don't know about the vent hose. I don't think I got water up in there. Do I take the hose off to check?

If it's not clogged youre fine. You can take it off to check. If you know you got water in the exhaust, take it off, dump it out and let it dry. Drain the bowl for good measure and try it again after it has fully dried!

 

[assquatch20]

First, does it turn over with the e-start and will it kick through?

 

[mhomadness]

Remove the spark plug before kicking/cranking the engine. This should clear any water that may have made its way to the cylender either by entry through the intake or exahust. Spray a little WD 40 down the spark plug hole & with the spark plug out, turn the engine over, preferably with the electric starter as it will turn the engine much quicker & help to clear water from the cylender. Also make sure your air filter is not saturated with water / oil, as this can choke off combustion. Better change your oil too, when you get the prob solved, as you may have water in it, water can slip past the rings if it is present in the cylender, as well as entering thru vents, etc. Just a good idea. Check for spark while you have your plug out. I've done the same thing on my old XL250 at a bark dump years ago, burried it up to the bars!! Ahhhh!

m.

 

[srs713]

Won't start, how??



Won't turn over at all, or turns over but won't run?



With all that mud, then cleaning, you might have pulled a wire loose on a safety relay.



Also, potato in the tail pipe... is the exhaust clogged? Is the air box clogged?

 

[fujimo]

Engine turns over. No ignition.



As soon as I read the posts, I stopped trying to start it.



I am pulling the exhaust off.



I will replace the plug, cause it's dirty...



I will see about changing the oil.



I am missing a drain tube for the carb.



I think there was some bits of dirt in the carb bowl when I drained it.



Dangit. I just had the carb done at the dealership. That was pricey. I bet the jet has mud in it.



Mud everywhere...

 

[elime]

Don't forget to clean and oil the chain.

 

[jontow]

Must be the only one seeing the novelty here, everyone else is giving advice on how to fix it. I'd like to add a different viewpoint:



*thats a crapload of mud*



good job

(..and good luck: I agree, pull the plug and crank it, let it dry out real well, etc)

 

[mhomadness]

When you say no ignition, do you mean no spark at the spark plug? Better check the safety switch at the kick stand, there is a way to simply by-pass it to test, with all that mud in that area I would be highly suspect of that switch.



As far as your carb goes, I would not get too excited about it being damaged at this point. The first thing here is to restore spark, leave your carb & exhaust alone until this has been accomplished. You might just find the bike will take off & go without any expensive repairs.



Further tips: After spark is restored, remove the air filter element, & with a flash light check the air box is not muddy or full of water. Leave your air filter element out, & with the choke off, spray just one tiny blast of WD-40 into the cylinder, followed by a small blast of starting fluid. Put your spark plug back in, Hold throttle wide open & turn over / kick over engine for at least 30 seconds, & see if you can get it to fire at all. Make sure your fuel valve is on, as it may start up!



If this works, clean & oil air filter element, change oil, lube all cables & moving parts, & like Tony said clean & oil the chain. m.

 

[fujimo]

You guys are awesome.



I followed all recommendations and she started and runs fine.



Mud is still falling out of nooks and crannies.



Best way to clean and lube chain?



Thanks-

Fritz

 

[mrlmd]

As a bit of advice for cleaning a motorcycle - do not use a pressure washer. A hose, preferably without a nozzle, and a stiff brush will maybe take a little longer but will keep water from getting forced into places you really don't want it.

Like was said, that's a crapload of mud and is much easier to get off while it's still wet, rather than waiting 'till it dries out like cement.

 

[mhomadness]

As for cleaning your chain, and I would say that’s a very good idea at this point, remove the chain from the bike & soak it in something like kerosene or paint thinner..NOT GASOLINE! NEVER!! I have a friend who had a very bad experience doing just that, so don't!! If you have never removed a chain before, read how to do it in the owner’s manual, available on this forum, and there should also be some tips & tricks about doing just this if you search around in here. If you have an O-ring type chain, & you'll know that 'cause you will have been the one to ha bought it & installed it, most likely, then you may want to soak it in something other than the fore mentioned fluids, perhaps liquid wd-40, you can buy it in a gallon can, a bit $$ but doesn’t attack rubber like other cleaners. Then good chain lube, adjust everything, & go have fun!!

m.

 

[mhomadness]

PS: next time you are at the bike shop, pick up a couple of spare master links for your chain. Put one on your key ring for your bike, it can save you many miles of pushing your bike home! m.

 

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

I'm one of twelve children. When one of us got real dirty/muddy, my mom would say "It'll be easier to have another than to try and clean you up".



Might think about getting a new bike...

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

Good job! What was the main culprit? Water in the muffler/cylinder?

 

[evan]

LOL. I laughed my ass off when I saw your pics. I did that when I was 16 with my first motorcycle. Tryed to cross a muddy farmers field. Was he pissed at me! Had to have a jeep with a very long chain pull me out the next day. As you already read, have to be very carefull with pressure washers and where you aim them. You probably got water on the spark plug where the plug wire attaches. just taking wire off and drying both plug and wire end fixes it. I also put a little silicone sealer to seal this so it won't happen again so easy. As far as water in exhaust, Ive drowned a few quads and dirtbikes. no need to take exhaust off. just get a few buddies and stand vehicle up and let water run out. check oil later and may need to change it a few times if water in it but you can still ride home. I've done a lot of creek riding with dirtbike/quads so we've done this more then a few times for drowned quads/bikes. one time my GF drowned my polaris in deep creek water. engine wouldn't crank. hydrolocked.... We got quad up high enough so exhaust was out of water and I slowly used pull rope back up starter thing and water moved thru cylinder. After that it started right up and water came flying out exhaust. Changed out oil to get water out of engine when I got home. Still riding the hell out of that quad today.

 

[Point37]

another tip for any metal parts...spray it down with wd40...the mud will come off easier