crank but no start Griso 1100 2007

[The Mad Hatta!]

I'll try to keep this as short as possible. I'm hoping someone else has run into this problem and knows exactly what it is.

Quick back story just in case any of it is relevant. I filled the fuel tank last night, rode around a bit, stopped for about 2 hours, and when I turned the bike back on and rode about 2 miles, the SERVICE message came on with the exclamation red light, then it went back out after about a minute. This happened many times when I lived in NC due to moisture (I didn't have a garage there). It never caused an issue and it would always go back out on it's own, or by cycling the key. It has not happened until now since I moved to NM about 8 months ago.

This morning, I rode a few miles to my friend's house to build a wiring harness for his boat. It ran fine and shut off normally. When I tried to leave about 4 hours later, the griso just cranked over, but would not start. I'm not talking bout the click-no-start problem. My starter was actually turning over, and as strong as ever, but no start. the engine would randomly give a slight combustion, but just barely. Opening the throttle did not help, and in fact it eliminated the slight random combustion that was occurring during cranking (like it was already getting too little fuel and opening the throttle exacerbated the problem). The battery voltage was fine and the amperage, though not measured, was good enough to run the starter many times while trying to get the bike started. The bike was sitting out in the NM sun while I was working on his boat. After trying to start the engine a few times, I opened the tank and it was VERY pressurized (fuel sprayed out onto the tank), likely from sitting in the sun, though probably not more than it normally would have been after sitting in the sun.

First things first, the 2 main fuses and 5 auxiliary fuses are all good, and the engine IS getting air, fuel and spark, though it acts like it isn't getting enough fuel. I didn't pull the inboard spark plugs, but the outboard plugs sparked fine. The injectors are both spraying fuel. I don't know if the pressure is normal because I've never had to pull the injectors before. When I turn the key on to make the fuel pump run (the pump sounds normal), I can hear fuel pouring back into the tank itself. I don't know whether this is a normal function of a pressure relief system to prevent the pump from over-pressurizing the fuel line, or if it's a leak in the pressure line. I've never really listened for the sound of fluid pouring back into the tank before, so I don't know if that's normal, but I don't remember hearing it. I pulled an injector out of the fuel line and it does spray fuel out the line when I run the pump, so it has at least some pressure. I was able to get the engine running (roughly) for a moment by spraying engine starter into the intake.

At this point, I could do no more on the side of the road at my friends house, so I put it back together and pushed it home.. all uphill unfortunately. I'm headed back out into the garage now to remove the tank and take out the pump to inspect everything. I'm sort of expecting to find a pressure line with a split in it.

 

[The Mad Hatta!]

Well I was right. Split pressure tube. All that work for a 5 cm-long fuel line. As an aside, whichever tech performed the fuel pump TSB decided to apply some mechanic's wire to hold down the clamp and hose, rather than perform the repair per the TSB.

Pics of the split hose and the mechanic's wire 'repair'. This split hose (and my day wasted) would not have happened if the filter had been zip tied down along the pump with a longer hose, as it should have been.



Here's the INCORRECT, lazy fu**er way to perform the recall.

 

[GuzziMoto]

I am not sure how zip tying the filter to the pump would have prevented this from happening, but glad it turned out to be an easy fix.
The original issue was that the OEM fuel line was not rated for submersion in gasoline and as a result if would become soft enough to slip off the pump and/or filter in spite of the clamps. Mine failed about a week after I bought it, the fuel pump/filter assembly popped apart inside the tank. Mine was the first in the state and the recall did not exist yet.
I did some work on mine some time back, as I had the tank off for other work. I found the original repair done by the dealer was still holding but I replaced the fuel line with higher quality line and new clamps. I also used safety wire to secure the hoses together, kinda like what they had done but a much cleaner job as you tend to do when working on your own stuff.

 

[Brian UK]

You can usually see fuel swirling in the tank when that happens.

 

[The Mad Hatta!]

I am not sure how zip tying the filter to the pump would have prevented this from happening...

Yes I understand the original reason for the TSB. If the filter had been zip tied against the side of the pump, and the long hose/short hose switched, then the weight of the filter full of fuel would not have been pulling down on the short length of tubing, stressing it every time the tank was low on fuel (no fuel around the filter to provide buoyancy and support). The way mine was in the tank, Everytime the fuel was low, that short length of tubing was being stressed by the weight of the filter full of fuel pulling sideways against it, causing a weak point over the years, and a rupture. There are pictures on this forum of how to strap the filter to the side of the pump, and switch the hoses. Regardless of the original reason for the TSB, doing the repair correctly would still have prevented the problem that arose with my unit.

 

[Brian UK]

The original issue was the half plastic filter fitted which burst. When I asked the filter manufacturers about this I was told that filter KL150 was only intended for diesel use. The correct one is KL145.