| Author | Message | ||
     Kyrocket |
Last time my bike ran was in November on Veterans Day. Rode it a few miles and pulled into a gas station and it died, just died and I coasted into a parking spot. Since it's been cold I've not worried too much but...I've run down every wire I can think of and they all have continuity. Changed coil, still no spark. Got a new ignition position sensor since I buggered up the old one with the rebuild, still no spark. I've checked everything I can think of, I've even got out my old ECM and it was still the same. What in the world am I missing? What would cause it to just up and die like that? I've checked fuses, connections and everything. Summer is almost here and it's killing me. Please help. Thanks | ||
| Buellisticx1 |
Sorry to hear about your problem. Can you hear the fuel pump run when you hit on the engine ignition switch?... How's the battery wires look?. Make sure your terminals are snug and clean of oxidation. Dielectric greasing each wiring harness connector. Perfect for any electrical connection where moisture and corrosion may be a problem. Ignition switch?...the wires as they go into the switch often come out. A while back I checked the run switch and one of the wires came off in my hand with just a slight tug. BAS? Diodes correct direction?....as well as the ignition/starter relay.... If you have recently worked on/changed something, re-check your work. Those type of problems are often the most difficult to find. Let's see what folks with more experience have to say about it. Keep us updated on what you find. Good luck! | ||
| Steveford |
Have you soldered the wires on the safety switches together (sidestand and clutch) to bypass them? That could be it right there. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Hook up ECMSpy then rotate the rear wheel with the bike in 5th.. see if the cam position sensor is providing a proper timing signal to the ecm. Other than what you've done, and more wire chasing, that's all I can think of. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Fuel pump sounds good when I turn the key on. BAS, ECM, XYZ, WTF! That's what troubles me, if it ran lousy after I did something then I could better understand it but it ran and idled fine then poof, nothing. I think I'll take the battery down the hill today (I live just three houses up from a new Autozone) and have them test it just to be sure. With all that vibration maybe it's shook something loose, probably not but it's worth a try. I put spark checkers on both cylinders and get a spark every once in a while on the front but not on the rear. Man this is a good reason to go back to a carb. | ||
| Jramsey |
How's going to a carb going to fix the no spark problem? | ||
| Kyrocket |
Electronic gremlins. Ahhhhh, I see the error of my ways now. I'm just so discombobulated it's got me all tore up. See, another reason Badweb is good for advice and airing things out. I guess I was using the carb excuse as a catch all for all this new fancy electronic gadgetry. I recant my rant. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Um...fuses? Relays? Have you pulled a plug out of the head, clipped it firmly to a ground (by the threads, where it grounds normally), hooked it to a plug wire and cranked the engine to VERIFY no spark? K I S, S. Start with the easy stuff, then dig deeper. I also can't remember if tubers reference the vehicle speed sensor for anything in engine control. Check it though, they like to go tits-up for no reason. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Speed sensor, now there's something I haven't checked again since it was rebuilt. I'll look into it. All the fuses and relays have been checked (twice) but won't hurt to go through them again. | ||
| Kalali |
Also double check your sidestand and clutch safety switches. I assume you have ruled out the plug wires by replacing them, right? Visual inspection is not good enough. My rear cylinder died one day while I was riding without any warning. It turned out to be the plug wire. Visually it looked perfect. Do you get spark out of the ignition module? | ||
| Kyrocket |
Different set of plug wires and a different coil, same results. I haven't checked the clutch switch because I get a spark intermittently on the front cylinder but I'll check it this evening. If it was a safety switch I shouldn't be getting any spark at all, right? My sidestand switch has been jumped for a few years, checked it just to make sure it hadn't come loose. Good ideas guys, keep 'em coming. I'll try and post tonight if I find anything out of the ordinary. | ||
| 5liter |
did you let the magic smoke escape from any of the electronic gizmos................  | ||
| Buellistic |
If the SPEEDOMETER SENSOR(just behind the rear cylinder, right side of engine) go'es bad it will act like a KILL SWITCH/BUTTON ... Just disconnect it and see what happens ??? Be sure to let us all know !!! | ||
| Steveford |
I can't recall if your model will have this or not but my 98 S3 had a big circuit breaker that went on the fritz. I did coil, ignition sensor plate, plug leads and finally replacing the breaker fixed the problem. It could also be the actual kill switch itself. (Message edited by SteveFord on March 15, 2010) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Check fuses for corrosion. Check safety crap for correct function. These are usually the culprits. | ||
| Hootowl |
If you hit a wall, and want to swap out your ECM for troubleshooting purposes, I can send you my stock one. Let me know. | ||
| Snowbees |
Had a similar problem with my x1, it would turn over but no spark, turns out it was the battery, had enough power to turn the engine over but not enough to provide a spark as well, jumped it off a car battery and it started first time. Replaced the battery ,problem sorted. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Well, battery was too low to do anything last night so it's been on the charger. Looking at the clutch switch, how do you jump or get rid of it? Is it just the same as the side stand switch? Jump it and try it? Steve, I do have the big circuit breaker and I've wondered about that. I've replaced other stuff, might as well replace that to just to rule it out. Did you get an OEM or can they be sourced elsewhere? Hoot, I've tried my stock ECM with the same results and as far as I know no smoke has escaped. It hasn't been that long since a complete engine rebuild all the way down to the crank pin so all the fuses, connections and doo dads were cleaned and secured then. Thanks guys, this gives me some more leads. | ||
| Mm128 |
Kyrocket, IF that battery is LOW... replace it.. Its MOST likely your issue. The 02 that I just got had the SAME problem. Ran fine onto the trailor....got it home...went to start it and it was a NOGO! It would turn over...but would NOT start up. Replaced the battery with a new one... and fired on the first touch. Matt. (SOUTH GA.) | ||
| Kyrocket |
This battery isn't that old. Got it last summer I believe so it's less than a year old. It had just been cranking so much and sitting it ran down. If it is the battery I may spring for a better one, one that is made for all the vibration. Not saying that is the problem but at this point who knows. I've tried hooking it up to the car but that didn't work. | ||
| Rjn |
Buy some new Bougie Sparks at your local Harley dealer !!!  Think if your battery is dead it should also have trouble turning the starter around. normally they can test your battery to see if its dead or at it's end. But since its had been running can't it be a broken wire, bad connection? | ||
| Sportyeric |
I had am intermittent no-run situation last year. Turned out that one of the wires on the fuse block was not tight enough. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Something has crapped out...I just need to find that some-thing...Some--thing...on the wing. LOL After the $1700 engine rebuild I thought I was done throwing money at it. I've traced and traced wires checking continuity. After my meeting tonight I'll grab my SM and start from the top and start checking everything again, battery should be up by then, at least enough to crank tonight. | ||
| Steveford |
The clutch cut-out switch is up beneath the hand lever and you just solder the two wires together to bypass it. Might want to look at the wiring for the sidestand cut out just to double check that the wires are still together. The circuit breaker I just got from Harlee. Now that I think about it, I believe that the circuit breaker will just make everything dead, though. Couldn't hurt to chuck in a new one. Maybe take another look at the timing sensor plate and rotor. Those timing rotors have actually been known to break and that will put the kabosh on things! | ||
| Kyrocket |
The battery tested good at lunch and the circuit breaker carried a load over. As I was testing the breaker I thought about that. If it's dead everything would be dead but I checked it anyway. All the fuses looked good as did the wires in the back of the block, none seemed loose. Looks like a late night tonight. | ||
| Rjn |
Since you've got power on the battery isn't an idea to look first at something else ?? the ignition coils, cables and bougie's are all OK ?? That's the direct link to the spark isn't it ?! Did you check if the fuelpomp really delivers the fuel into the cilinders ?? (Message edited by rjn on March 16, 2010) | ||
| Midnight_rider |
could it be the timing cup? don't really know just thinking of stuff you have not tried | ||
| Kyrocket |
Checked the cup. There's only one way to put it on with the divot on the back of it. Before I put the new ignition sensor on I turned it over a few times just to be SURE it was turning, it was. Bougies? If that's a spark plug then yeah I've tried others, different cables, different coil, different ECM. Fuel pump comes on strong with the key, plugs are wet when I take them out and I can smell fuel when I crank it over without plugs in it. In my head this has to be something that can just die abruptly since I rode it about five miles to meet someone and when we pulled into the gas station it just died, never to start again. | ||
| Jim2 |
place "eating popcorn" emoticon here | ||
| Rjn |
with bougie's i mean spark plugs, but then i'm Dutch !!!  So my technical English is sometimes a bit strange. ignition timing, earth cables connected ?? |
