1999 Gl1500: starts > runs briefly > stalls > turns over but won't start

[Cervantes]

Hello all!

I just got a 1999 GL1500, and so far, it has been great.... mostly. (I still have my GL1000, bur need to find a few parts to her back on the road.)

So here is the trouble: Twice last week, within a few minutes of starting (typical easy start) she runs for a few minutes then stalls. No sputtering or anything; just shuts off instantly without warning. In both cases the battery was strong, and the starter motor works great, but she showed no signs of trying to restart. Both times I was late for work, so I didn;t have time to troubleshoot. However, when I came back after work, she starts right up. (making it impossible to really troubleshoot.)

So, over the weekend I rode back and forth (staying close to home) but could not recreate the problem. She just ran like a million bucks! I don't dare ride her anywhere out of fear of getting stranded.

Since I can't narrow it down much while she is running, I thought I would check for common causes. That way if it happens again I will have some ideas. Also, I figure I would try a few things that are cheap and could MAYBE have caused it. So I figure the fuel filter would be good to replace (though I would think it would have sputtered a bit before stalling if that was the cause.) OTOH, that migh explain why it did restart after several hours.

Any other suggestions to try until I can re-create the problem and troubleshoot??? If it happens again when I have time, I will check for fuel and spark. In the meantime, any ideas???

Thanks so much!
Cervantes

 

[Cervantes]

Oh, also, fuel tank was 3/4 full.

One of the times it happened after warming up with the choke pat of the way on... the other I was about 300 yards from my house. We are on a dirt road, but not real bumpy.

The first one made me think maybe it just flooded, except that it was running good up until then. The other made me wonder if there was something that got jolted a bit and shut things down. But in both cases, playing with the kickstand and the run/stop switch (thinking maybe one the switches was loose or something) and all that did not solve it. so... not sure. (Obviously I am not a mechanic! but I do most of the work on my own cars.)

Thanks again

 

[dan filipi]

Instantly shutting off would be electrical.
Check the kill switch is centered to ON, also check all the relays and fuses are tight and contacts are clean.
That's about all I got.

 

[Cervantes]

Dan,
That seems reasonable. Yeah, the instant off screams electrical... But the later restarting made me wonder. But a loose or corroded fuse or relay makes a lot of sense. I will take a look at them when I get home from work. I should have thought of weak fuse connections. I drive old Alfa Romeos, and they seem to require "fuse maintenance" from time to time. ;-)

I will still order a fuel filter and change the oil and kinda check for any loose connections anywhere while I am in there.

I will also buy a spark plug test light and make sure I have an ammeter and few tools in the bike in case it happens when I am not close to home.

If anyone has any other thoughts, pass them on!

Have a great day!
Cervantes

 

[zman]

Bring a small can of starting fluid spray, it does sound electrical but running for a little while also seems like it is running out of gas after the fuel in the bowls run dry, also is there an ignition kill in case of accident? or is that fuel kill?, some of those safety devices can get wonky with age.

 

[Cervantes]

Bring a small can of starting fluid spray, it does sound electrical but running for a little while also seems like it is running out of gas after the fuel in the bowls run dry, also is there an ignition kill in case of accident? or is that fuel kill?, some of those safety devices can get wonky with age.

Good thought. I will do that as well.

Yeah, I have wondered about a worn out cutoff of some sort. I will need to see what types of cutoff switches it has so I can check them next time... I know the kickstand beign down would prevent starting, if if you lay it down there is an inertia switch or something along those lines.

This will be good. The more ideas like that, the less likely I am of getting stranded somewhere!

All the Best,
Cervantes

 

[AApple]

I had a similar issue with my '96 a couple of years ago. I posted the ordeal HERE(culprit exposed in post #21). Your issue most definitely sounds electrical...look carefully to see if anything else on the bike does not work when the no-start happens. It's a good bet that somewhere you have a compromised connector....

 

[Workinman]

I had a similar problem with a Sportster I was working on years ago. I know… about as far from a Wing as you can get, but hear me out. This thing would fire up and run fine before just FLAT dying. No sputtering, no slowly running out of fuel, just BAM. Dead. Sometimes it would fire right back up, sometimes it would take awhile. Then it would do it again. It might run for 30 seconds, and it might run for ten minutes. It made no sense. Granted, this was an old Sportster, so it certainly didn’t have any fancy kickstand switches or anything like that, but it was still baffling. Turned out to be the ignition switch. I found that if I wiggled the key around ever so slightly when it went to die, it would kick back on and never miss a beat. Installed a new switch and the owner never had another problem with it.
May or may not be your problem, but it’s worth a shot.

 

[Cervantes]

I had a similar problem with a Sportster I was working on years ago. I know… about as far from a Wing as you can get, but hear me out. This thing would fire up and run fine before just FLAT dying. No sputtering, no slowly running out of fuel, just BAM. Dead. Sometimes it would fire right back up, sometimes it would take awhile. Then it would do it again. It might run for 30 seconds, and it might run for ten minutes. It made no sense. Granted, this was an old Sportster, so it certainly didn’t have any fancy kickstand switches or anything like that, but it was still baffling. Turned out to be the ignition switch. I found that if I wiggled the key around ever so slightly when it went to die, it would kick back on and never miss a beat. Installed a new switch and the owner never had another problem with it.
May or may not be your problem, but it’s worth a shot.

That does sound pretty dang close! I will check that. I have still been afraid to go far, and so far have not been able to re-create the issue. Dang!

Yeah, Sportster and Goldwing are about as different as oil and vinegar! Both are great bikes (for different purposes), in my opinion. But hey! They both use the same kinds of switches and such, so that could be it.

Thanks again!
Cervantes