You can’t immerse it in water, it’s electric But, could be running with not enough fluid due to taps not working and that could make it whine. Going too fast. I’m just guessing though.
Mike H2013-10-29 18:27:07
12 volts in water for a short time won’t matter. Main thing is to get as much water out afterwards, hence the WD40.
Worth mentioning that Theoneandonly probably has more experience in these matters than anyone else on this forum.Brian UK2013-10-30 08:39:15
Horses to water doncha know
If it will not run in water without shorting, a lot of Guzzis with pumps running in petrol will be going BANG soon.
I was going to say, it WILL matter, there’ll be shorts all over the place. Why do you think strange things happen when rain gets into your handlebar switches. Water is a very passable electrical conductor actually, it’s only slightly behind most metals. Haven’t you seen that film where James Bond throws the electric fire into the bath
-and back to the start, where the bike stood in the rain before the problem occurred, which is why I suggest water in the petcock connector. Of course, I’m not always right…
It doesn’t matter where we start we always go round the block a few times! I will start with the petcock and move on to the fuel pump as McFuzzi suggests. I like the look of the spots mounted on a bar rather than the indicator stalks so I will continue to look for an economical solution. If I do have to fit a manual petcock I will be left with an electrical supply that switches with the ignition which I could then use to power LED running lights. Hmmmmmm - so much to do so little time! Once again, thanks for all the advice.
Yours,
Richard
so what do you do when it rains ? trust me …i have done it more than once .
theoneandonly2013-11-07 18:11:06
OK I give up
give up ??? whats that ???
pm me
I think he gives up arguing with you! 
I had the same noise and thanks to McFuzzi I checked the solenoid. Soldered now and whine gone. Even feels like she is running better. Thanks again.
Thanks Jim,
All grist to the mill. I was out at the weekend. Whine still present and, despite my earlier assertions that the bike is running fine, I had a sudden and disconcerting loss of power as I attempted to overtake a lorry on the M25. I though I was out of fuel and exited at the next junction but when I filled up I could only fit 13 litres in. Will be all over that fuel tap at the earliest opportunity.
Tappets and fuel warning system for me tomorrow. Had a Pan before this and it’s great to be able to get to things. Thanks for the info.
My fuel warning light is a bit hit and miss (hence my assumption I was out of fuel). It often comes on as fuel gets low and then goes off again! If you miss it (as is often the case in bright sunshine) you run on until the whole plot comes to a halt with a cough and a splutter.
My warning light works(tested it) but sensor doesn’t any ideas?
Hi Guys,
More advice needed please. The sunshine broke through the clouds today so I went out to the bike, soldering iron in hand. (My bike lives on the street so I am a fair weather mechanic.) However, space at the bottom of the fuel tap is limited and I could not get a good look at the connections. There did not appear to be any spade connectors. Instead the wires disappeared inside the stainless steel casing of the solenoid. I reasoned that if I couldn’t see the connections there was no way I would be able to solder them so started to unscrew the solenoid housing from the bottom of the fuel tap. This was problematic as the still attached electrical connections started to twist up and, after a few turns, fuels started leaking out. So my questions are: are the connections push fit such that if I pull on them I will disconnect them? Is this a solenoid off the bike job and, if so, does that mean I will have to drain the fuel tank? (Naturally it is over three quarters full.) Any advice greatly appreciated as always.
Yours,
Richard
Oh my, remember to put your cigarette out.
The wires on mine go into resin stuff, and where one had snapped off I did some clumsy scraping with a fine needle file until I could see some bright metal (yes, drain the tank, then remove it from the bike) cleaned it with meths and let it evaporate for a bit before putting a blob of solder in, tinning the cable, fusing them together, then smearing epoxy resin in a lump around the lot.
done that a few times on pumps etc
Thanks Phil,
I assume that if I follow the wires back from the solenoid there will be connectors somewhere that I can disconnect to remove the solenoid. What is the easiest way to drain the tank?
Thanks,
Richard