| Author | Message | ||
     99savage |
2006 Uly ~ 20,000 miles - No issues - Change plugs every year. Replaced the battery last Saturday Never was great starting in cold weather but this 40°(F) AM had to hit the starter about 12 times. Warning light came on and ran ragged for about 3 minutes. After about 4 minutes shut it off & restarted. Started fine & no warning light. - Ran fine. (No, I did not "blip" the throttle.) What, if anything should I be looking at? Running 50W oil, should I change it? | ||
| Tootal |
50wt is definitely high for 40 degrees but my 06 is hard to start at those temps too and I'm running synthetic 20-50. I found that on a cool morning if it doesn't start on the first try I must crack the throttle open just a hair and I mean barely. Hit the starter and it fires every time. Once it clears up a little, maybe 5 seconds, I can let the throttle go and it idles fine. Another thing you can do is raise you idle rpm up 50 rpm in the cooler months. I usually run 950 rpm in the Summer but up it to 1000 for the Winter. Factory is 1050, I just don't like the sound of it there but it does start better in the cold. | ||
| Buewulf |
I have never had a problem starting due to temperature (40° is about as cold as it gets here) though it is definitely bucks more than at warmer temps if I just jump on and go without letting it warm up. Mine is an '06, too, and it fires right up every time. Have you experimented any, like seeing what happens if you give it a squirt of starter fluid first to how differently it behaves when starting? | ||
| Mnrider |
Mine starts better with the idle at 1050. I just run the 20-50 syn3 year 'round. | ||
| Evileye |
My 06 had the same things going on until I replaced the ECM with a EBR Ecm. Now it starts everytime, cold or hot...just hold down the starter switch until she cranks over and vrmmmmmm....and I run Mobil 1 20/50 all year, here in the great white north... | ||
| Arcticktm |
If you mean straight weight 50W, then I would certainly suggest changing that. Even for summer. Oil viscosity impacts starting significantly, even with a dry sump motor. IIRC the manual even suggest going down to a 10W (10W40) for temps around 40F or below. Good multi-vis oil is a wonder of chemistry and something to take advantage of! It should also reduce your startup wear in your engine and lessen the chance of your oil filer bypassing when the oil is cold. | ||
| Teeps |
If the check engine light was on while the engine was running. Check to see what DTC is stored. Re check battery connections and chassis ground bolt torque. Suspect the ECM has cracked solder joints on the PCB. | ||
| 99savage |
Teeps Re check battery connections and chassis ground bolt torque - Good there Suspect the ECM has cracked solder joints on the PCB. - Got a picture on where to start looking? - Put rubber bumpers @ the ends of the ECM to protect it. No guarantee they did what I wanted them to. Really uncomfortably around electronic gizmos. - Hate to start tweaking blindly, tho god know have soldered more on the Uly than the combined total of the rest of my life. | ||
| Teeps |
Unfortunately you have to cut open the ECM encasement to inspect the PCB. see here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/673617.html?1333122196 If the ECM is mounted in the original position, it's almost guaranteed that they are cracked. Here's a thread on ECM Relocation: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/629631.html?1303991777 | ||
| 99savage |
Teeps Thanks. Assuming that when I take it to the xperts it does show a bad ECM code (no way these busted up fingers can do that kind of soldering) - Go to the race ECM or get a stock one? Is the stock replacement plug-&-play or do I need an xpert? | ||
| Erwin8r |
So, are you using straight 50w? If so, that where where I would start. Running your bike with straight 50 in the sump in cold weather is not good for it at all... | ||
| Teeps |
99savage Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2012 Assuming that when I take it to the xperts it does show a bad ECM code Maybe. But the ECM failure DTC it does set does not have any details as to the nature of the failure. - Go to the race ECM or get a stock one? Understand busted fingers, I would go with EBR ECM, as they can program it to fit your bike's particular configuration. I.E. you have different air cleaner or exhaust can. Is the stock replacement plug-&-play or do I need an xpert? With either ECM, a TPS reset is mandatory. You don't need an expert to do the TPS reset. Anyone with a cable and ECM Spy or TunerPro can do TPS reset. | ||
| Arcticktm |
If you have not verified it is the "ECM Failure" code, I would do that before spending a dime. You can do that w/o special tools by jumpering 2 pins on the diaganostice connector and it will flash all the stored codes on the CEL. You'll need the list of codes from service manual, of course. ECM failure code cannot be cleared (at least in my '06) so it would still be in there. I did this and found that code, though not related to any starting issue. I bought an EBR ECM, as it was reasonably priced, and I am plenty happy with it well over 1 year later. Don't overlook that 50W oil thing. Try the cheap/easy stuff first. |
