The 4100 RPM problem could not be fixed!
Start & Stop: Vina del Mar, Chile – No riding day #4!
Mileage: 5 miles doing test loops
Hotel: Hotel Vancouver, Vina del Mar, Chile
Octane in green; Chilean Peso in White
The laptop PC is running the Suzuki M/C Diagnostic System. Several additional mechanics check out the computer data.
Visual observing the butterflies with fuel tank and air filter box hooked up.
The fuel injectors were removed for inspection and cleaning. All TB solenoids metered.
Fuel: $713 Chilean Peso /l liter ($1.51/1 liter) or $5.72 per gal!
Currency Exchange: $1 USD = $473 Chilean Peso
Chilean Toll Road: $400-1500 Chilean Pesos ($0.85-$3.17 USD)
Dean: If we ever leave Vina del Mar, it will be for the final push to Ushuaia. Cross into Argentina and make our way to the end of the road!
This morning, new NGK ELV2 plugs, checked TPS Throttle Position Switch, entire throttle bodies were removed! The fuel injectors were removed and cleaned.
Then the system was assembled without the air filter then they watched the butterflies as they revved the engine. What they saw was the top butterflies opening at 5-6 K which is causing the engine to bog down. When they manually close the top butterflies the engine runs great. When the butterflies open, too much air gets into the mixture and no power.
Around noon, Matias shows up with the EECU from a new DL1000. OK. It’s not the EECU! The problem exists with the new EECU installed!!!. Jose and I spent the next 3 hours metering every sensor/switch in the instruction manual. Of course we missed the one that probably is causing my grief but the clock is ticking.
Lisa: What. The. Heck. Not for lack of trying, now it’s after 2pm on day two, and we are pretty much where we were last Friday. This dealership, Matias in particular, has gone above and beyond what we could have hoped for to get Dean back up to speed and still, no joy.
Dean: It’s 4:30 PM and time to pull the plug! After 2 days of tech analysis, Jose and Matias could not find the cause of the +4100 RPM power loss. The decision is made. Tomorrow we push on to Ushuaia with the bike as is.
Lisa: Everyone is frustrated but this is something they haven’t seen before. We even contacted a Suzuki expert in CA and tried to follow all his recommendations. At the end of the day, Dean buttoned it up and we rode back to our hotel. Man, this has been a long few days but it is what it is.
In the meantime, the GOOD news is that Matias will have two vstrom crates for us when we return to the area after Ushuaia. That is so completely awesome and we are thrilled with that news. Bless his heart, he is even tracking down a GS crate for Davis. What a guy!! All in the midst of a personal issue that is really more than a bit overwhelming. We are so grateful to him for everything and I am looking forward to hosting he and his girlfriend during their US visit later this year!! :)
We got back to our (discounted tonight) hotel and decided to go out for our last dinner here instead of pizza. We ordered only one main course and one appetizer and still we left 30% of the food on the plates. But not to worry, gelato beckoned and we stopped to indulge on our walk home.
All night we went over places we’ve been, those we’d like to return to, the highs, the lows, the laughs, and it was a great night in anticipation of the final push south.
Just know we’re all behind you both 110%. So much has gone in your favor all along the way. You may scratch your head a bit at that statement but the reflections months and years from now will prove it accurate.
It’s great to see you’re eager to get back at it. Thanks again for sharing your adventures.
Keep Going! The best is yet to come.
OK, bummer that the problem has not been ID’ed. Put aside that frustration…because the bike does run and y’all can continue this awesome adventure. Let’s get this all star circus on the road again!
John
BTW, I know this is obvious and has probably been checked, but since don’t recall seeing it mentioned during the diagnosis: Did you make sure the exhaust pipes have not been bent or mashed closed under the bike while on a rough road or during one of the Strom “naps”?
Bit of a bummer with the problems. Then again, since Dean’s the problem – you could just tell him you’ll see him at the end of the roads – wait: did I type that out loud????
You guys are having an awesome adventure. Keep smilin’ and milin’.
I know this is a “duh” caution but Dean, be extra careful with the loss of power coming on that low. Stay safe…
What an adventure !! Lots of my head-shaking non-motorcycling friends have been following along, and all are envious! Lisa, you’re a hero to many of my female friends, a role-model to my 17 year old daughter – and Dean,, well, you’re just along for the humorous relief.
Be safe!!
Yo,
Dean – the bike probably feels like your dirt bike you rode in San Felipe the last time we were down there – crawling along – Wow – that Matias guy sounds like a real hero – nice to know they exist around the world – of course, most of the time, you get what you give – so you obviously you and Lisa gave off the positive vibe and that helps…right on – push to the end – don’t ever give up! Rock on Dean and Lisa!
I know it is “time to go”, but what you are talking about at the “secondary Throttle Butterflies” and I believe it is a common thing to just REMOVE them.
http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,423.0.html
You can see they been doing this since 04 on Stroms, mostly for lower RPM performance, but if the things are not operating correctly (opening at higher RPM), just remove them. Careful with those screws – do not drop one into the manifold!
Lisa, Hope Matias and his GF make it to Casa LA (Lisa and Alan) and enjoy themselves. It is very fun making international friends.
Argh, argh, argh!! Look at those gas octanes – and you can’t twist the throttle… rats!
I agree with Churro on that Matias guy-a hero and a friend now.
As Big Ben once said, there is more to this ride than just riding a road in foreign places – your best adventures seem to be when you have had the adversity and met the people in the surrounding area. So maybe this is a good thing and perhaps it will mysteriously disappear as it appeared. You will slow down, smell the roses, and Lisa won’t have to bail you out as you shouldn’t run out of gas keeping it at under 60 mph..
Stay safe and have fun as you push towards the bottom!
I didn’t see a single hammer in any of the pictures. You did try a hammer didn’t you?
Just curious if the bike has a cat converter. I doesn’t take a lot to plug that baby up, especially if fuel went too rich. Of course I would think it would have indicated an emissions fault on the PC Test, maybe.
Butterflies in motorcycles. Hmm. Who knew? Safe travels to you. xo
The road beacons – with new adventures down the way – and crates to transport either you or the bikes back to the USA (or maybe both you & the bikes). Good luck on the rest of the ride –
and I would agree with BR – not that I’m any sort of stromspert – but take those Butterflies off – and you are gold.
You mean, this adventure is coming to and end? Oh, say it ain’t so! I know we cannot truly be having as much fun reading about your adventures as you are having experiencing them. I hope everything goes smoothly for you from here on out.
Soldier on, Aventureros! I’m looking forward to those first pics from Ushuaia.
With all the extra time on your hands, you might as well take the ferry over to Antarctica at this point, it being Summer there and all…
Dean & Lisa, I’m dying of envy, glad you decided to move on and give it a final push to the end. Can’t imagin all the frustraion you must be feeling while dealing with Deans bike. Thank the good lord that you found those wonderfully patient people to work on the bike. I for one would like to be included to meet them when they come to the US to visit. God Bless, be safe.
Okay, so all the “last push” and wrapping up language drove me to the SPOT tracker… OMG! I set it to max number of days and reviewed your trip so far. Awesome, simply awesome. I’m so happy to have gotten to ‘ride along’. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this blog. Can’t wait for the next installment.
Like Chuck, I’m with BR too. When you said the secondary butterfly weren’t working right, first thing that came to mind was that guys are removing them completely from many of the FI duel sports (including the bid Katooms)to eliminate jerky acceleration off idle. If they don’t need ‘em maybe you don’t either. Anyways, the bike shouldn’t get any worse (knocking hard on my wooden head), by the sound of all the tests that have been done. Have a great rest of the ride down. BTW, did Lisa get her bike taken care of?