Intermittent ignition/fuel issue

[autocol]

Hey folks,

Great to find a community of peeps that love their Kymco's! I've had a decent search through old threads and I haven't found anyone with the issue I'm experiencing, so I hope you'll excuse the new guy immediately asking for help! 😂

I bought a 2017 450i second-hand, in great condition. Test drove it for 15 minutes or so, everything seemed great. The shifter was a little difficult to use, and the park brake cable was broken, but other than that it started and ran beautifully.

I got it back to my place and used it to collect a bunch of firewood from around the place, again about 30 mins of use, idling for a few minutes as I loaded it up, then driving back to the house, no issues at all. Then I took it out to the hills out the back, and after about 15 mins it started... dying. It would run fine, but then just completely stop responding, as though it was lacking either fuel or spark. Opening the throttle had no impact. It crawled to a halt, coughed and spluttered, then died. Switched it off, started it up again and it ran perfectly... for 50 metres, then same result.

Since then, it's done that consistently. Runs fine for at most a minute or two, then starts misfiring (never backfires though, in case that's important).

Today, I turned the key and while all the lights came up as per usual, it didn't start. Didn't even turn over. Turned it off again, same again. Then played around with the shifter, and this time it started.

I'm beginning to wonder if there's some switches related to the shifter that might be causing some kind of ignition cut-out or something? Is it likely to be an electrical gremlin (which is seems to me to be), or is there something else that might be at fault.

Any advice, guidance, ideas you could share would be much appreciated. If it's helpful, here's a video of the behaviour it's exhibiting... https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wfegoorh0fnh5hf/AABsXEJfHIs6y3FHwf5quEk0a?dl=0

Cheers,
Col.

[airshot]

Welcome to the forums.....first thing that comes to mind would be the fuel pump or clogged fuel line.  I would drain the fuel tank and check for crud or water.  Shifter doesnt control start, it will start in any gear as long as pressure is on brake pedal. At least that is the way my 2015 works. Flushing the tank and cleaning fuel line and the injector i s an inexpensive start to find your problem. You should get a factory service manual.  Mine came from "cyclepedia"  availiable online or in hard copy.  I have both and refer to them frequently for my maintainence routines. Keep us posted on your findings.

[CROSSBOLT]

"Didn't even turn over" tells me the pressure switch on the brake pedal is not turning on or you ain't pushing hard enough! Welcome!

[airshot]

Had a chance to watch your videos, still sounds like a fuel delivery issue to me.  As Crossbolt said the brake pedal needs firm pressure to make starter engage so look closely at that switch.  The whinning you mentioned in your video is the cvt clutches working, as you get up to speed you will hear that even more. When it stalls out, check your spark plug, if it is soaking wet then it could be a lack of spark issue, but if plug is dry, then you have a lack of fuel issue. Excess water in the tank will cause similiar issues.  Let us know what you find....

[autocol]

This is really great feedback, thanks lads.

I'll start with a check of the fuel situation because I have no idea what's in there - it came with some amount of fuel of unknown provenance, so it could be that.

I'll download a copy of the manual too, thanks for that suggestion (love the internet!). I'll report back soon.

[randyo]

I had similar intermittent issue on my V-Strom, turned out to be bad fuel  pump relay