| Author | Message | ||
     J2blue |
I posted this in the KV first but haven't had any responses so... This problem is tough to summarize. I went to start the bike(03 XB9S) after it had not been run for two days. The starter turns the engine but it doesn't sound like it is getting any spark...then the fan comes on as though the bike was hot! The battery quickly started to drain when rolling the starter so I quit that and turned the key off. The fan continued to run and I finally had to pull a fuse to stop it. I guessed which fuse and got lucky, it was the right side 7.5amp fuse. I searched the KV here last night to find out where and what sensor controls the fan and it seems to be the rear cylinder temperature sensor. Today I began removing the air-box cover and the air-box to begin inspecting. It was easy to identify the wire for the sensor but not easy to see how to remove or replace it. I took the battery from my Blast to see if the other battery was just to low for the electrical system to function correctly but got the same result. Just trying to visually inspect the wiring doesn't reveal any problems that I can see. I'm not sure what troubleshooting steps to take next. Any ideas? I'd rather not take it to a dealer yet. Is there a way to read any diagnostic codes? Is it possible to remove the sensor and fan circuit from the ignition control loop without causing a problem? Note that the bike ran fine with no symptoms on Sunday. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
My take... you're getting yourself misdirected. The primary problem is not starting, the secondary problem is the fan staying on. Always remember the holy trinity: air, fuel, and a spark at the right time. Don't pursue the fan issue until somebody smarter than both of us, gives clear direction and why. If you don't have a manual, try to download one. | ||
| Vtbueller |
Kinda related: On my 05 XB12R, if I turn the red killswitch back to on after turning the motor off to coast into my condo, the fan stops. Be carefull with a hot engine, but you may be able to stop your fan that way... | ||
| J2blue |
Thanks Michael, you're absolutely right. | ||
| Sam_07 |
Whats your battery voltage? (Open Circuit voltage) then when you hit the starter what does the voltage drop too? Assuming your connections have no corrosion but a quick voltage drop test will prove that.... Welcome to the world of electricity... | ||
| Jos51700 |
Step one: Charge battery. EVERY time. | ||
| Teddagreek |
Disconnect the battery and Charge it and check it.. I had a sorta similar deal I ended up having to get a new Battery.. Good Luck... | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Sam he is not reading open circuit voltage. To read open circuit voltage he would need to either remove the positive or ground from the battery, opening the circuit. You are asking him to check battery voltage. Of course when you go to start it the voltage will drop, so it proves nothing. How old is the battery? Charge the battery? Check tightness of battery terminals? Check tightness of Grounds? Fan Running with no heat in the motor? Did you check the error codes on the ECM? If it were me. Assuming a battery less than two years old. Charge the battery to a minium of 13 volts. Put the fuse back in for the fan and see if it is still running. Take the plugs out and clean or replace them. Check for error codes. Try to start bike. A low battery does some wacky things. The fan running for no apparent reason worrys me. It could be a bad temp sensor or a bad wire harness, but that would throw an error code. The low voltage could cause the ecm to run the fan. Let us know what ya turn up. | ||
| J2blue |
Thanks for the tips, a friend has lent me his charger and I have it hooked up tonight so I can check on it tomorrow. I'm not sure I really need anything to read the ECM error codes or if the ignition key sequence will work. I've seen that procedure posted before so I will look it up. I ordered replacement plugs, service manual, and trouble code dongle from American Motor Sports, but it will be several days before I get that. I'll check the battery itself first, then battery to frame ground. After that I'm not familiar with the wiring on the bike enough to know what wires to check for continuity or voltage so that will have to wait a while. Maybe it will only be a bad battery and I can replace that and be back to riding it again! I did notice that pulling the plugs on the XB isn't as easy as on the Blast. I'll post my results tomorrow. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
The owners manual has a basic trouble-shooting guide in it. If you don't have one, they can be downloaded at Buell.com (>owners>downloads, you will have to register first). The earliest is '05, your profile shows an '03. For this, it'll be okay. It's not the best mechanical guide but it's a start. Most of the advice here is step two. Step one is to check fuel. The light would have come on but double check that just to get it out of the way. Step three is plugs. When I worked as a bike mechanic years ago, the number one reason for a bike not starting was no fuel. The second was plugs: fouled; rusty; wrong; furry. Check these and let us know. The next steps are checking for loose connections. Following those are the go to dealer ones. Might be able to avoid that. The ECM error codes can be read using a jumper cable. It's in the service manual. | ||
| J2blue |
It is running again! Here are the things I did today that seemed to make a difference. 1) Removed rear spark plug to check for spark; found it did not spark. 2) Noticed the front cylinder did spark and the engine ran on it! 3) Reseated all fuses and relays. 4) Put in a spare plug and torqued to spec. Both cylinders fire, hooray! I'm not sure that a bad plug would explain the fan running when the engine was cold, but hey. |
