| Author | Message | ||
     Gowindward |
Put a new battery in the bike and took it out for a maiden spring ride. Made it to get fuel and rinsed it off at the car wash, then start heading out of town and it coughs and dies. Engine light is flashing, and it will crank, but no joy. Anyhow pushed it how about 1 1/2 miles and it didn't come back to life until I pushed it into the garage and then one last hopeful time turned the key on and shazam the magic happens and it starts. I really do not think the gentle rinse at the carwash has anything to do with it. Never had a issue with washing the bike in the last 15 years of ownership. Symptoms: Turn the key on. The fuel pump does not power up, engine light flashes, and muffler valve servo cycles repeatedly, headlight are on. Cycle the kill switch a number of times and then the fuel pump will finally cycle build pressure and the bike will start. Turn it off and it is back to same as above. The relays are all checked out...I have spares and have swapped them out and no improvement. I have had relay block contact problems before, but in that case the bike is pretty well dead as far as light, muffler servo, speedo sweep...etc. I will start at the relay block, but thinking next is fuel pump wire harness. I did see some post about that getting chaffed. Any other ideas? PS hard to believe I have owned the bike going on 15 years. Man time flies!!! | ||
| Akbuell |
"Put a new battery in" . . . . As Al from American Sport Bike always said "Check what you did last" Might do to re-confirm that the battery cables are clean and tight, as a place to start. If the bike was running when parked . . Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| Gowindward |
Dave good idea, but no luck there. I confirmed all tight and fitting good there, and still same problem. I did put a charger on the battery just to bring it up on voltage. It is 12.4v right now. | ||
| Akbuell |
Well, Drat! On the other hand, loose connections at the battery can be eliminated. Corrosion at the ECM/harness plug-ins? Maybe a wiggle test there? Don't have a service manual for your bike, so can't browse a troubleshooting tree. Only wild guesses come to mind now. Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| Akbuell |
OK. Rereading the original post, I would concentrate on the ignition circuit. Ohm the ign switch and confirm good contact. Ohm the Stop/Run switch and confirm good contact. Confirm good grounds on the appropriate ground wires at the ECM plugs. The calendar can be as destructive as abuse or neglect; it is 15yrs old. And the fuel pump would be very far down on the list. Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| Gowindward |
I will run those down. My youngest son reminded me that the bike had to same behavior when we were coming back from Colorado a few years back. At that time it was the engine head temp sensor. I think he may be onto something. I ordered a new one so will see if that sorts it out. I need get to diagnostics software onto the "new" laptop so I can hook up to the ECM and pull the code. | ||
| Froggy |
The only time the engine light will flash is you are overheating (for skip spark mode), or you have the pins on the connector jumped to have the light display the error codes. If the bike thinks it is too hot, it may not be giving it enough fuel to start (choke/cold enrichment). | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
If the engine temp sensor is telling the computer that it's 9000 degrees, it's not going to want you to start it. Look for rodent sabotage in the wiring! | ||
| Gowindward |
I ordered a new engine temp sensor. Should be here in a couple of days. Bike has been stored inside so thankfully no rodent damage. | ||
| Gowindward |
The new engine temp sensor arrived and it is installed. That was not the problem. The odd things is with the kill switch in the run position and turn the key on the bike is cycling power on and off. The muffler valve is cycling on/off repeatedly, the voltmeter I have installed is cycling high/low. I dug in deeper and got it so I can unplug the fuel pump. Unplug the fuel pump and the warning light stops flashing and the bike stops cycling power. I guess the fuel pump has called it quits after 15 years. Best replacement...OEM?? | ||
| Ducbsa |
Try these, might be more in the Knowledge Vault: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/734490.html?1397527646 http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/701810.html?1356609444 http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/734490.html?1397527646 https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showthread.php?38173 -DIY-Fuel-pump-fix-Cheaper-than-replacement-from-H D | ||
| Gowindward |
Thanks, with google I filtered through lot of post and found the part numbers needed and ordered everything to rebuild my pump and saved $230 from what the OEM pump would have cost me. Hopefully have in up an running again soon. | ||
| Gowindward |
I had an adult time out with some surgery on my right wrist to remove a screw that had been installed after a racing break 18 years ago, so had not be able to work on the Buell. I got around to replacing removing the fuel pump and rebuilding it with new components today. Before putting everything back together I figured I better plug in the new pump and see if the "joy" is back in the ole Firebolt. Well rats!!! The engine light still flashes and the new pump does not power up. Grr!!! I then jumpered power to the pump wire harness to a battery. Pump whirls away!! Okay...hmm...do the same thing to the old pull motor on the bench and it whirls way. I then checked and there is power at the wire harness going to the pump from the bike. Plug the pump back in and turn the bike on and no whirl and the engine light flashes. Bad ECM?? | ||
| Tpehak |
If the motorcycle worked before you messed with the electric components then likely you connected something wrong or forgot to connect something back. Double check you work. Make sure you did not cross battery polarity. Check all the fuses, check and replace relays or at least switch them between each other. Connect the old pump to the plug and see if it works. If it acts the same as the new pump then you likely did not connect something properly. If it works, then there is something wrong with the new pump. (Message edited by TPEHAK on May 19, 2019) | ||
| Gowindward |
Tpehak, Thanks, but I ran all those traps already as noted in the thread.  | ||
| Johnshore |
I think Car Wash is the important part of the first post. Water under pressure can find some nooks and crannies you would never expect. I have no idea what to do about it. Maybe some compressed air on any connectors. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
Am I missing something here, or am I just not aware of this, "Turn the key on. The fuel pump does not power up, engine light flashes, and muffler valve servo cycles repeatedly, headlight are on. " Do XB headlights come on prior to starting the engine? I forget over the winter, but I was thinking headlights were off till the first crank of the engine, then they come on, and will go out while actually cranking? | ||
| Gowindward |
It was the bank angle sensor that was causing the bike fits. Replaced it and the joyful notes of v-twin sportbike are singing again.  | ||
| Tpehak |
Thank you for posting the update. How did you find it was the bank angle sensor? (Message edited by Tpehak on June 12, 2019) | ||
| Gowindward |
Process of elimination and it was just the next possible in my mind. The service manual has a check for the bank angle sensor, checking voltage on the wire harness going to the sensor. If it checks out, book says replace the sensor. |
