2022 Kawasaki KX85 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 some of the more common difficulties.
Starting failure or difficulties
The engine does not turn over:
- Cylinder or piston seized
- Crankshaft seized
- Connecting rod small end seized
- Connecting rod big end seized
- Transmission gear or bearing seized
- Kick shaft return spring broken
- Kick ratchet gear not engaging
Fuel does not flow:
- No fuel in tank
- Fuel tap turned off
- Tank cap air vent obstructed
- Fuel tap clogged
- Fuel line clogged
- Float valve clogged
Engine flooded:
- Fuel level too high
- Float valve worn or stuck open
- Wrong starting technique (when the engine is flooded, kick with the throttle fully open to allow more air to reach the engine.)
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
- Igniter defective
- ignition coil defective
- ignition coil resistor defective/disconnected
- Stator damaged
- Wiring shorted or interrupted
Fuel/air mixture incorrect:
- Idle adjusting screw improperly adjusted
- Slow jet or air passage clogged
- Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
- Starter jet clogged
Compression low:
- Spark plug lose
- The cylinder head was insufficiently tightened
- Cylinder nut loose
- Cylinder or piston worn
- Piston ring worn, weak, broken, or sticking
- Piston ring side clearance excessive
- Cylinder head gasket damaged
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
- Igniter defective
- Ignition coil defective
- Stator damaged
Fuel-air mixture incorrect
- Idling adjusting screw improperly adjusted
- Pilot jet or air passage clogged
- Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
- Starter plunger stuck open
- Carburetor fuel level too high or too low
- The fuel tank air vent obstructed
- Carburetor holder lose
- Air intake duct lose
Compression low
- Spark plug lose
- The cylinder head was insufficiently tightened
- Cylinder nut lose
- Cylinder or piston worn
- Piston ring worn, weak, broken, or sticking
- Piston ring side clearance excessive
- Cylinder head gasket damaged
- Cylinder head warped
- Cylinder gasket damaged
- Reed valve damaged
Other
- Igniter defective
- Transmission oil viscosity is too high
- Brake dragging
Poor or no high-speed performance
Firing incorrect
- Spark plug dirty, damaged, or gap improperly adjusted
- Spark plug cap or high-tension wiring defective
- Spark plug cap shorted or not contacting properly
- Spark plug type Incorrect
- Igniter defective
- Ignition coil defective
- Stator damaged
Fuel-air mixture incorrect
- The main jet is clogged or the wrong size
- Jet needle or needle jet worn
- Jet needle clip in the wrong position
- Carburetor fuel level too high or too low
- Air jet or air passage clogged
- Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
- Starter plunger stuck open
- Fuel supply to carburetor insufficient
- Fuel contaminated with water or foreign matter
- The fuel tank air vent obstructed
- Carburetor holder lose
- Air intake duct lose
- Fuel tap clogged
- Fuel line clogged
Compression low
- Spark plug loose
- The cylinder head was insufficiently tightened
- Cylinder nut loose
- Cylinder or piston worn
- Piston ring worn, weak, broken, or sticking
- Piston ring side clearance excessive
- Cylinder head gasket damaged
- Cylinder head warped
- Cylinder gasket damaged
- Reed valve damaged
Improper acceleration
- Starter plunger stuck open
- Carburetor fuel level too high or too low
- The main jet clogged
- The throttle valve does not fully open
- Air cleaner element clogged
- Muffler clogged
- Fuel contaminated with water or foreign matter
- The cylinder exhaust port clogged
- Brake dragging
- Clutch slipping
- Engine overheating
- Transmission oil level too high
- Transmission oil viscosity is too high
- Crankshaft bearing is worn or damaged
Knocking
- Carbon built up in combustion chamber
- Fuel quality poor or type incorrect
- Spark plug type Incorrect
- Igniter defective
Engine overheating
Firing incorrect
- Spark plug dirty, broken, or gap improperly adjusted
- Spark plug type Incorrect
- Igniter defective
Fuel-air mixture incorrect
- The main jet is clogged or the wrong size
- Carburetor fuel level too low
- Carburetor holder lose
- Air cleaner element clogged, poorly sealed, or not installed
- The air intake duct is poorly sealed
Compression high
- Carbon built up in combustion chamber
Engine overloaded
- Brake dragging
- Clutch slipping
- Transmission oil level too high
- Transmission oil viscosity too high
Lubrication inadequate
- Transmission oil level too low
- Transmission 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
- Clutch cable 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 plate warped or too rough
- Clutch spring tension uneven
- Transmission oil deteriorated
- Transmission oil viscosity is too high
- Transmission oil level too high
- Clutch housing froze on the drive shaft
- Clutch release mechanism defective
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
- Gear shift positioning lever binding
- Shift return springs are weak or broken
- Shift return spring pin loose
- Shift mechanism arm spring broken
- Shift mechanism arm broken
- Shift drum broken
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 weak or broken
- Shift fork pin worn
- The driveshaft, output shaft, and/or gear splines worn
Transmission skips gears
- Gear positioning lever spring weak or broken
- Shift mechanism arm spring broken
Engine noise abnormal
Knocking
- Igniter defective
- Carbon built up in combustion chamber
- Fuel quality poor or type incorrect
- Spark plug type Incorrect
- Engine overheating
Piston slap
- Piston clearance excessive
- Cylinder or piston worn
- Connecting rod bent
- Piston pin or piston pin bores 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
- The primary gear is worn or chipped
Abnormal drive train noise
Clutch noise
- Clutch housing/friction plate clearance excessive
- Clutch housing gear/primary gear backlash excessive
- Metal chip jammed in clutch housing gear teeth
Transmission noise
- Crankcase bearing is worn or damaged
- The transmission gear is worn or chipped
- Metal chip jammed in gear teeth
- Transmission oil level or viscosity too low
- Kick ratchet gear not properly disengaging from kick gear
- Output shaft idle gear worn or chipped
Abnormal drive train noise
Clutch noise
- Clutch housing/friction plate clearance excessive
- Clutch housing gear/primary gear backlash excessive
- Metal chip jammed in clutch housing gear teeth
Transmission noise
- Crankcase bearing is worn or damaged
- The transmission gear is worn or chipped
- Metal chip jammed in gear teeth
- Transmission oil level or viscosity too low
- Kick ratchet gear not properly disengaging from kick gear
- Output shaft idle gear worn or chipped
Drive chain noise
- Drive chain slack improperly adjusted
- Drive chain worn
- Rear and/or engine sprocket(s) worn
- Drive chain insufficiently purified
- Rear wheel misaligned
Frame noise abnormal
Front fork noise
- Oil level or viscosity too low
- Spring weak or broken
Rear shock absorber noise
Disc brake noise
- Pad installed incorrectly
- Pad surface glazed
- Brake disc warped
- Brake caliper defective
- Brake master cylinder damaged
Other noise
- Bracket, nut, bolt, etc. improperly mounted or tightened
Exhaust smoke
Brownish
- Air cleaner element clogged
- The main jet is too large or has fallen out
- Starter plunger stuck open
- Carburetor fuel level too high
Poor handling and/or stability
The handlebar is hard to turn
- Throttle cable incorrectly routed
- Wiring incorrectly routed
- Steering stem locknut too tight
- Roller bearing damaged
- Steering bearing race dented or worn
- Steering stem inadequately lubricated
- Steering stem bent
- Tire air pressure too low
The handlebar shakes or vibrates excessively
- Tire worn
- Swingarm sleeve or needle bearing damaged
- Rim warped or out of balance
- Front and/or rear axle runout excessive
- Wheel bearing worn
- Handlebar clamp loose
- Steering head nut loose
Handlebar pulls to one side
- Frame bent
- Wheel misaligned
- Swingarm bent or twisted
- Swingarm pivot shaft runout excessive
- Steering maladjusted
- Steering stem bent
- Front fork leg 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 leg bent
- Tire air pressure too high
- The 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 gas
- The rear shock absorber was improperly adjusted
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
- Primary and/or secondary master cylinder cup(s) damaged
- Master cylinder scratched
- Brake maladjusted (lever or pedal play excessively)