2022 Kawasaki KX450X TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Owners Manual

2022 Kawasaki KX450X TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

Troubleshooting Guide

NOTE
This troubleshooting guide is not exhaustive and does not give every possible cause for each problem listed. t is meant simply as a quick guide to assist you in troubleshooting for some of the more common difficulties.

Starting failure or difficulties

The starter motor does not rotate:

• Main switch not “ON” position
• Starter lockout switch trouble
• Starter motor trouble
• Battery voltage low
• Starter relay not contacting or operating
• Starter button not contact
• Starter system wiring shorted or open
• Engine stop button trouble
• Main fuse 20 A blown

Starter motor rotating but the engine does not turn over:

• Starter clutch trouble
• Starter idle gear trouble

The engine does not turn over:

• Valve seized
• Rocker’s arm seized
• Cylinder or piston seized
• Crankshaft seized
• Connecting rod small end seized
• Connecting rod big end seized
• Camshaft seized
• Transmission gear or bearing seized
• Improper installation of the vehicle-down sensor

Fuel does not flow

• No fuel in the tank
• The fuel tank cap air vent obstructed
• Fuel line clogged
• Brake down of a fuel pump
• Brake down of a fuel injector

Spark missing or weak:

• Spark plug dirty, broken, or gap improperly adjusted
• Spark plug cap or high-tension wiring defective
• Spark plug cap not contacting properly
• Spark plug type Incorrect
• Crankshaft sensor defective
• ECU defective
• Ignition coil defective
• Engine stop button wiring defective
• Alternator damaged
• Wiring shorted or interrupted

Compression low:

• Spark plug lose
• The cylinder head was insufficiently tightened
• Cylinder or piston worn
• No valve clearance
• Crankshaft oil seal leak
• Valve spring broken or weak
• Valve not seating properly (valve bent, worn, or carbon accumulation on the seating surface)
• Piston ring worn, weak, broken, or sticking
• Piston ring side clearance excessive
• The cylinder head gasket damaged
• Cylinder head warped
• Cylinder gasket damaged
• Decompression trouble

Poor low-speed performance

Spark weak:

• Spark plug dirty, broken, or gap improperly adjusted
• Spark plug cap or high-tension wiring defective
• Spark plug cap shorted or not contacting properly
• Spark plug type incorrect
• ECU defective
• Ignition coil defective
• Crankshaft sensor defective
• Alternator defective
• Wiring connector not in good contact

Fuel/air mixture incorrect:

• Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
• Fuel tank cap air vent obstructed
• Throttle body assy holder lose
• Air cleaner duct lose
• Fuel pump defective

Compression low:

• Spark plug lose
• The cylinder head was insufficiently tightened
• Cylinder or piston worn
• No valve clearance
• Valve spring broken or weak
• Valve not seating properly (valve bent, worn, or carbon accumulation on the seating surface)
• Piston ring worn, weak, broken, or sticking
• Piston ring side clearance excessive
• Cylinder head gasket damaged
• Cylinder head warped
• Cylinder gasket damaged
• Decompression trouble

Other:

• ECU defective
• Brake dragging
• Clutch slipping
• Engine overheating
• Engine oil level too high
• Engine oil viscosity too high
• Drive chain trouble

Poor or no high-speed performance

Firing incorrect:

• Spark plug dirty, broken, or gap improperly adjusted
• Spark plug cap or ignition coil defective
• Spark plug cap shorted or not contacting properly
• Spark plug type incorrect
• ECU defective
• Crankshaft sensor defective
• Alternator defective
• The wiring connector is not in good contact

Fuel/air mixture incorrect:

• Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
• Fuel contaminated with water or foreign matter
• Fuel tank cap air vent obstructed
• Throttle body assy holder lose
• Air cleaner duct lose
• Fuel line clogged
• Fuel pump defective

Compression low

• Spark plug lose
• The cylinder head was insufficiently tightened
• Cylinder or piston worn
• No valve clearance
• Valve spring broken or weak
• Valve not seating properly (valve bent, worn, or carbon accumulation on the seating surface)
• Piston ring worn, weak, broken, or sticking
• Piston ring side clearance excessive
• The cylinder head gasket damaged
• Cylinder head warped
• Cylinder gasket damaged
• Decompression trouble

Improper acceleration

• The throttle valve does not fully open
• Air cleaner element clogged
• Muffler clogged
• Fuel contaminated with water or foreign matter
• Brake dragging
• Clutch slipping
• Engine overheating
• Engine oil level too high
• Engine oil viscosity too high
• The crankshaft bearing is worn or damaged
• Crankshaft sensor defective

Knocking:

• Carbon built up in the combustion chamber
• Fuel quality poor or type incorrect
• Spark plug type Incorrect
• ECU defective

Engine overheating

Firing incorrect:

• Spark plug dirty, broken, or gap improperly adjusted
• Spark plug type incorrect
• ECU defective

Fuel/air mixture incorrect:

• Throttle body assy holder lose
• Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
• The air cleaner duct is poorly sealed

Compression high:

• Carbon built up in the combustion chamber

Engine overloaded:

• Brake dragging
• Clutch slipping
• Engine oil level too high
• Engine oil viscosity too high
• Drive chain trouble

Lubrication inadequate:

• Engine oil level too low
• Engine oil quality poor or type incorrect

Coolant inadequate:

• Coolant level too low
• Coolant deteriorated
• Cooling system component defective:
• Radiator clogged
• Radiator cap defective
• Water pump not rotating

Clutch operation faulty

Clutch slipping:

• No clutch lever play
• The Clutch cable was improperly adjusted
• Clutch cable defective
• The clutch plate is worn or warped
• Clutch spring broken or weak
• Clutch release mechanism defective
• Clutch hub or housing unevenly worn

Clutch not disengaging properly:

• Clutch lever play excessively
• Clutch spring tension uneven
• Engine oil deteriorated
• Engine oil viscosity too high
• Engine oil level too high
• The Clutch housing froze on the drive shaft
• Clutch release mechanism defective
• Clutch hub nut lose
• Clutch plate warped or rough
• Clutch hub spline damaged

Gear shifting faulty

The transmission does not go into gear; the shift pedal does not return:

• Clutch not disengaging
• Shift fork bent or seized
• Gear stuck on the shaft
• Shift mechanism arm spring broken
• Shift mechanism arm broken
• Shift return spring broken or weak
• Shift return spring pin loose
• Shift pawl broken
• Shift drum broken
• Gear positioning lever operation defective

The transmission jumps out of gear

• Shift fork worn
• Gear groove worn
• Gear dogs and/or dog grooves worn
• Shift drum groove worn
• Gear positioning lever spring broken or weak
• Shift fork pin worn
• Driveshaft, output shaft, and/or gear splines worn

Transmission skips gears:

• Gear positioning lever spring broken or weak
• Shift mechanism arm spring broken or weak

Engine noise abnormal

Knocking:

• Carbon built up in the combustion chamber
• Fuel quality poor or type incorrect
• Spark plug type Incorrect
• Engine overheating
• ECU defective

Piston slap:

• Piston clearance excessive
• Cylinder or piston worn
• Connecting rod bent
• Piston pin or piston pin holes worn

Valve noise:

• Valve clearance incorrect
• Valve spring broken or weak
• Camshaft bearing or cam face worn
• Rocker arm worn

Other noise:

• Connecting rod small end clearance excessive
• Connecting rod big end clearance excessive
• Piston ring worn, broken, or stuck
• Piston seized or damaged
• Cylinder head gasket leaking
• Exhaust pipe leaking at the cylinder head
• Crankshaft runout excessive
• Engine mounts loose
• Crankshaft bearing worn
• Camshaft chain tensioner trouble
• Camshaft chain, sprocket, chain guide worn
• Alternator rotor lose

Abnormal drive train noise

Clutch noise:

• Clutch housing/friction plate clearance excessive
• Clutch housing gear excessive
• Metal chip jammed in clutch housing gear teeth

Transmission noise

• The crankcase bearing is worn or damaged
• The transmission gear is worn or chipped
• Metal chip jammed in gear teeth
• Engine oil level or viscosity too low

Drive chain noise:

• Drive chain slack improperly adjusted
• Drive chain worn
• Rear and/or engine sprocket(s) worn
• Drive chain inefficiently lubrified
• Rear wheel misaligned

Frame noise abnormal

Front fork noise:

• Oil level or viscosity too low
• Spring broken or weak

Rear shock absorber noise:

• Shock absorber damaged

Disc brake noise:

• Pad installed incorrectly
• Pad surface glazed
• Brake disc warped
• Brake caliper defective
• Brake cylinder damaged

Other noise:

• improperly mounted or Bracket, nut, bolt, etc. tightened

Exhaust smoke

Excessively white:

• A piston oil ring worn
• Cylinder worn
• The valve oil seal damaged
• Valve guide worn
• Engine oil level too high

Black smoke:

• Air cleaner element clogged

Brownish:

• Air cleaner duct loose
• Air cleaner poorly sealed or missing

Poor handling and/or stability

Handlebar hard to turn:

• Cable, hose, and wiring incorrectly routed
• Steering stem nut too tight
• Steering stem bearing damaged
• Steering stem bearing inadequately lubricated
• Steering stem bent
• Tire air pressure too low

Handlebar shakes or vibrates excessively:

• Tire won
• Swingarm sleeve or needle bearing damaged
• Rim warped or out of balance
• Front and/or rear axle runout excessive
• Wheel bearing worn
• Handlebar clamp lose
• Steering stem head nut lose
• Spoke loose

Handlebar pulls to one side:

• Frame bent
• Rear wheel misaligned
• Swingarm bent or twisted
• Swingarm pivot shaft runout excessive
• Steering maladjusted
• Steering stem bent
• Front fork bent
• Right/left front fork oil level uneven

Shock absorption unsatisfactory (suspension too hard):

• Front fork oil excessive
• Front fork oil viscosity too high
• Front fork bent
• Tire air pressure too high
• Rear shock absorber was improperly adjusted

Shock absorption unsatisfactory (suspension too soft):

• Front fork oil level insufficient and/or front fork leaking oil
• Front fork oil viscosity too low
• Front fork and/or rear shock absorber spring weak
• Rear shock absorber leaking oil or gas
• Rear shock absorber was improperly adjusted
• Tire air pressure too low

Poor braking performance

• Air in the brake line
• Brake pad or disc worn
• Brake fluid leaking
• Brake disc warped
• Brake pads contaminated
• Brake fluid deteriorated
• Brake master cylinder primary and/or secondary cup(s) damaged
• The brake master cylinder scratched
• Brake maladjusted (lever or pedal play excessive)

Battery trouble

Battery discharged:

• Charge insufficient
• Battery faulty (too low terminal voltage)
• Battery cable making poor contact
• Alternator trouble
• Wiring faulty
• Regulator trouble

Battery overcharged:

• Alternator magneto trouble
• Regulator trouble
• Battery faulty