fuel leak - CONFIRMED

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 12:38 am

Ugh. My Blur220 has developed a fuel leak.

Warming it up this morning I smelled gas and noticed drops of fuel coming out of the tube near the centerstand bolt.

Drove it to a friend's house, noticed while idling in his driveway that it was still spitting fuel. As I rode it home, at each stoplight, same thing.

Annoying. Only 200mi on it.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:25 am

warranty

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:32 am

Yeah. I know. Just a pain in the arse.

The shop I use (UrbanMotoshop, Austin) is in the process of moving.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:52 am

Sorry to hear that - Sounds like either the fuel level in your float bowl is too high (can be adjusted) or your needle valve is sticking and not shutting off the fuel.

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:11 pm

He's got a 220i, so this is a new issue all together. Please report back when you know what the problem is.

It sounds like a fuel line has come loose or ruptured. It's still running, so it sounds more like a rupture. Let us know.

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:36 pm

Will do.

I'm hoping it's something innocuous.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:25 pm

we should ride sometime... i wanna see how the 150 is compared to the 220. im in the hyde park area near the triangle

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 12:23 am

Well, it may still be something innocuous, but it's not something I understand.

I started up the bike and then laid down next to it to see where the leak was coming from. Sure enough, fuel was dripping out of the vent tube that sticks down, pointing at the ground, near the centerstand mounts.

I traced the length of the tube looking for holes, gouges or other ruptures. Nothing. The tube is intact.

Took out the pet carrier to look at it from above and saw where the tube connects to....something. I don't know what it is, but this is it:

The tube comes off the side of the brass cylinder in the foreground with the little rubber "hat" on it. That thing in the top that looks like a nail is on a spring, so I'm assuming it has something to do with the fuel feed, but I'm not really sure what function it performs.

Again...there is no fuel leaking ANYWHERE other than out the end of the tube, so it is intact. Which means that the problem, I suspect, is somewhere inside that assembly or in something connected to it, and it's pumping or dripping fuel out through the tube. It's not spraying full stream, but it's a steady enough drip that it's a nuisance.

Taking it in to the shop next week, but any advice you guys have, I'd love to hear it.

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 12:53 am

Hey, isn't that the device that one of you guys used to clear up their rough idle problem? Some kind of flush/drain system for the fuel injector, no? If so, sounds like it's slightly "stuck" in I guess what you'd call an "open" position. Maybe a few cycles of the rubber plunger would help to put things right?

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 12:58 am

charlie55 wrote:Hey, isn't that the device that one of you guys used to clear up their rough idle problem? Some kind of flush/drain system for the fuel injector, no? If so, sounds like it's slightly "stuck" in I guess what you'd call an "open" position. Maybe a few cycles of the rubber plunger would help to put things right?

I had the same thought and tried it. Nothing happened. I mean...working that button didn't alter the flow or change the engine noise or anything like that. I'm not really sure what's going on there. If it did change something, I didn't detect it. But I don't know jack about fuel systems.

Wheelz · Post by **Wheelz** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:27 am

Just a thought, but can you tighten that nail type thing? maybe vibration caused it to loosen and now the seal is not there, just a guess good luck..

Rippinyarn · Post by **Rippinyarn** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:08 pm

Did you try it with the scoot "off"? There might be a tiny spec of something in there, and it might take a few cycles to remove it. I'd cycle it a bunch with it off, then pressurize it with the ignition switch (not starting the scoot, but going through the whole system check and tach sweep deal), turn the switch back to off, then try it again. If it doesn't work, it looks easy enough for them to replace that piece as a warranty item.

No smoking around the scoot in the mean time

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 5:08 pm

Rippinyarn wrote:Did you try it with the scoot "off"? There might be a tiny spec of something in there, and it might take a few cycles to remove it. I'd cycle it a bunch with it off, then pressurize it with the ignition switch (not starting the scoot, but going through the whole system check and tach sweep deal), turn the switch back to off, then try it again. If it doesn't work, it looks easy enough for them to replace that piece as a warranty item.

No smoking around the scoot in the mean time

When you say, "tiny speck of something in there", are you saying there is some kind of debris in that assembly that is causing fuel to vent through the tube?

I know that thing apparently flushes the EFI unit, so maybe that's the case.

I'll try what you suggested and report back. Either way, it's going to the shop next week.

-b

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 6:16 pm

Rippinyarn wrote:Did you try it with the scoot "off"? There might be a tiny spec of something in there, and it might take a few cycles to remove it. I'd cycle it a bunch with it off, then pressurize it with the ignition switch (not starting the scoot, but going through the whole system check and tach sweep deal), turn the switch back to off, then try it again. If it doesn't work, it looks easy enough for them to replace that piece as a warranty item.

No smoking around the scoot in the mean time

So I tried your suggestion, and while it didn't work, I did learn a few more things.

The leaking actually starts as soon as the system pressurizes. If, while pressurized, I hit the dump valve (I'm convinced that's what it is right now) it spits a much larger quantity of fuel on the ground.

Turning it off, working the valve 10-12 times, it drops a little fuel, but not much at all. Then re-pressurize with the key (note - the killswitch has to be in the 'on' position for this to happen - clever) and the fuel starts to leak again.

So the problem is DEFINITELY in that dump-valve-assembly-thingamajig.

At the very least, I'll be able to tell my dealer EXACTLY what is happening. Whether it can be repaired or needs to be replaced, I dunno.

-b

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 7:52 pm

While I'm not familiar with the PGO fuel injection (FI) system in particular, I do know something about FI in general. If it has an electric fuel pump (most modern FI systems do), then it will most likely start pumping as soon as the key is turned on. It will pump fuel to the injector at some steady pressure regardless what the demand is; in other words, whether the engine is idling or at full throttle the pressure remains the same. Well, obviously, fuel requirements when the engine is idling is going to be minimal compared to full throttle. To keep from putting undue stress on the fuel pump and the fuel lines, there is a pressure relief valve that will open when the fuel pressure exceeds a certain level and dump the extra fuel back into the fuel tank. I believe that part in your photo with the "hat" is the pressure relief valve. I'm just guessing here, but maybe that valve is not doing it's job and is allowing the fuel pressure to get too high thereby forcing fuel past a seal. Also, and I don't know if this applies to your Blur, fuel pump/system problems have been reported in Taiwan in regards to the PGO 220i engines.

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Sun Oct 10, 2010 1:51 am

babblefish wrote: I believe that part in your photo with the "hat" is the pressure relief valve. I'm just guessing here, but maybe that valve is not doing it's job and is allowing the fuel pressure to get too high thereby forcing fuel past a seal. Also, and I don't know if this applies to your Blur, fuel pump/system problems have been reported in Taiwan in regards to the PGO 220i engines.

Based on the behavior of the valve, I'm inclined to agree with you. We'll see what the dealer says. I will let y'all know.

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:34 pm

The dealer pretty much confirmed my suspicions...the valve is leaking and unfortunately it cannot be rebuilt or repaired. It has to be replaced.

So they're waiting on the part. It should be done by Monday of next week, but I'm out of town all next week so I can't pick it up until Friday. Drat.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:10 am

take it to urban moto?

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Fri Oct 15, 2010 1:21 pm

Yes. They're back up and running in their new location.

Mikie M. · Post by **Mikie M.** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 2:44 am

Hey, Killbilly. Would you do us all a favor and post both the cause as well as the solution to your problem when you have everything taken care of? It may help the rest of us at some future time. Thanks and good luck.