idle in cold temps

[05yamahafz6]

I have a 2005 yamaha fz6 that i have owned since june. since october we have been having low temps in the range of 20-40 degrees. These temperatures seem to affect how the bike idles when it is warm. i wouldn't call it a misfire, but the idle sounds like it goes up and down slightly when in neutral, with occasion putt noises from the exhaust. if i rev in neutral and hold it their say at 4000 rpm's their will be the same putt noises, yet when in gear and riding i hear no such noises. i have also lost about 7-8 mpg's.

i took it to the dealer and the mechanic who owns a 2006 fz6 himself said the bike ran just like his and couldnt find a misfire or anything wrong, he said throttle sync was dead on. he said these bikes weren't made to sound consistent when idling or reving in neutral. just to make sure everything is running right i performed the following:

****
seafoam in tank(actually made it run worse on old plugs.)
new spark plugs
air filter
flush tank and clean sock on pump--had practically no build up
throttle body sync
pump pressure is at 42 psi
cylinder leakdown is within 8-10%
****

i am wanting to know your opinion if this is normal for how it will run in winter or do you think their may be a problem. does your bikes sound this way

ultimately i want to get a set of two brothers, but i don't want it to sound like crap because of a problem.

 

[youngy]

what's your idle set to?

does your bike need the TPS recall work?

Mine doesn't seem to do what you describe. It just growls away on a very even idle at about 1300 rpm.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Did you put in the approproate amount of Seafoam? It really shouldn't make it worse...

Checking the TPS (see tech section) wouldn't hurt either...

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-...ou-experiencing-poor-idle-mileage-stalls.html

 

[Motogiro]

I have a 2005 yamaha fz6 that i have owned since june. since october we have been having low temps in the range of 20-40 degrees. These temperatures seem to affect how the bike idles when it is warm. i wouldn't call it a misfire, but the idle sounds like it goes up and down slightly when in neutral, with occasion putt noises from the exhaust. if i rev in neutral and hold it their say at 4000 rpm's their will be the same putt noises, yet when in gear and riding i hear no such noises. i have also lost about 7-8 mpg's.

i took it to the dealer and the mechanic who owns a 2006 fz6 himself said the bike ran just like his and couldnt find a misfire or anything wrong, he said throttle sync was dead on. he said these bikes weren't made to sound consistent when idling or reving in neutral. just to make sure everything is running right i performed the following:

****
seafoam in tank(actually made it run worse on old plugs.)
new spark plugs
air filter
flush tank and clean sock on pump--had practically no build up
throttle body sync
pump pressure is at 42 psi
cylinder leakdown is within 8-10%
****

i am wanting to know your opinion if this is normal for how it will run in winter or do you think their may be a problem. does your bikes sound this way

ultimately i want to get a set of two brothers, but i don't want it to sound like crap because of a problem.

Some bikes have different timing from the ECU depending on the gear you are in and whether the bike is in neutral or the clutch is pulled in. This could be the reason you're experiencing a difference. Again cold air at the intake may also make it run differently.

I've been told there is no timing retardation on the FZ6 but there must be a Gear Position Sensor (GPS) That must be what the aftermarket gear position indicators are looking at when they are installed. I'm betting there is timing retardation and it can also be eliminated on the FZ6 to give the motor a little more bottom and midrange power.
Try unhooking the battery for about a half hour. This should dump the volatile memory and then the ECU will relearn. That might help.

 

[05yamahafz6]

from the vin# the tps has been replaced twice under recall. if its not running differently due to the cold weather, do you have any idea what it could be other than what i have completed already. it doesnt seem to be at a loss of power. i also measured the header temps and they are at around 215-235 degrees at idle.

 

[05yamahafz6]

also i forgot to say that it idles from 1320-1440, it bounces around in increments of 60 rpms, i did check the tps and it was 15-98. i have unplugged battery before and no real difference, with the seafoam i put in about a 1/3-half a bottle to a full tank.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I have my 07 FZ set to idle at 1000 RPMs and its pretty steady when warm.

My 04 FJR bounces the idle a little bit, maybe 50 RPM at about 1100 (recomended is 1000-1100 RPM). The FJR seems leaner than the FZ and does have what appears a slight miss when cold, (idleing high) like yours.

The amount of Seafoam you have in there is not excessive. You may try some Chevron "Techtron" which is a good fuel cleaner as well (Walmart and most automotive stores carry it) and can't hurt.

I gather you haven't had any trouble codes show up....

I'm wondering, with such cold temps, the ECU is hunting for the correct idle speed with such cold air incoming, its kicking up the idle (cold idle rich circuit), thinking the bike is still cold. That might explain the loss of MPG.

Something you might try (and others will disagree), is turn down your idle to 1000 to 1100 and see how it performs. I know the specs call for 1300+_ .

As you stated earlier, with the slightly higher RPM's it tends to hunt. With the lower RPM's, it may be more steady... I've had mine set at 1000 RPM's since I've owned it for the last 2 + years and its been fine...

Just a thought, hope it helps...

 

[Motogiro]

from the vin# the tps has been replaced twice under recall. if its not running differently due to the cold weather, do you have any idea what it could be other than what i have completed already. it doesnt seem to be at a loss of power. i also measured the header temps and they are at around 215-235 degrees at idle.

Check for a vacuum leak. Boots or hose?

 

[novaks47]

My FZ's idle can be erratic at times as well. Especially in cold weather. My throttle bodies are sync'd correctly, and everything checks out fine(TPS, plugs, etc). It's done this since I've owned it, both before and after I sync'd the throttle bodies. I find humidity can have a rather large effect as well. Since I moved from dry, San Jose, to damp(humid), Pescadero, my idle has been especially erratic, but it usually smooths out once warmed up. Heck, even once warmed up, it can idle funky at an intersection, for seemingly no reason at all! I say your FZ is just fine. I find I've grown to like the occasional lumpy idle. And trust me, with an aftermarket exhaust, it sounds pretty cool! It gives it that mean, lumpy cam sound.

 

[05yamahafz6]

i finally got a chance to check for codes, none showed up. i also put in some chevron techron and plan on running it for a few tanks to see if that will help.

another thing that happens is when you turn it off hot and come back to ride it like 5 minites later, it will start right away, but it sounds like the idle is stumbling and then it will for the most part even out a few seconds later.

it also seems like if im going say 65-70 in 6th gear and go wot that the bike sort of chokes itself and feels restricted versus how it feels if i only turn the throttle part way in that same condition.

maybe this is because this is my first bike and i have nothing to compare it to and the bike is fine, but it seems weird to me. more opinions would be appreciated.

 

[05yamahafz6]

i think i may have found the problem, but i haven't had a chance to test it out yet as im a full time student.

I was looking with a flashlight and i noticed that all four throttle body joints are absolutely covered in cracks. one of the clamps looks like it isnt even on straight. i'm thinking i do have a vacuum leak, as with this many cracks, one is bound to have gone all the way through, but i'll have to look when i get more time. thanks for all the help and ideas so far.

 

[youngy]

Those rubber joints are pretty thick. It normally takes years to crack right through them.

Check the service manual - maybe the clamps are supposed to be at odd angles.

 

[05yamahafz6]

I was doing a little more diagnosis today and i noticed that the true symptoms dont really show up until right when the cold indicator stops blinking then it starts and gets a little worse after warming up some more.

i also checked the header temps again right after it stopped blinking and 1-3 were around 220, but number 4 was about 290, which makes me think of a lean condition. my idea is that maybe my injectors are slightly clogged and i should take them out for cleaning as when its cold it is such a rich environment that the lean condition is not really noticable on that cylinder.

i just dont feel that a coil and wire-boot problem or a vacuum leak would appear right around when the light stops blinking.

if you guys could give me some of your opinions again that would be great. if you do think that i should get the injectors cleaned whats a trustworthy place to send them off to.

 

[youngy]

From what I read in your thread here this only affects idle and neutral running.

My opinion is you should stop worrying about it and get out there and enjoy riding your bike. :thumbup: It's probably nothing. The mechanic said it was fine, didn't he?