| Author | Message | ||
     Wyocrawler |
This has happened to me twice now. Both times on the ride home after a weekend trip. At hwy speed 75 - 80 mph. The bike will start to run ruff and break up. C.E.L. Flashes. When I let off the throttle and the speed drops below 65 it clears up. Bike will do this 2 or 3 times then runs normal again. No codes recorded in the ECM. It's not the ECM I have 2 and it's done it with both. Any help is appreciated | ||
| Hughlysses |
Sounds like it could be going into "skip spark" either because it's overheating or the ECM thinks it's overheating. Is your fan working OK? If fan's OK, maybe the cylinder head temp sensor is failing, making the ECM think the engine is too hot. | ||
| Wyocrawler |
Fan is working fine. Is there a way to test the head sensor? Temperature today was 80 or so. | ||
| Froggy |
Yep I would also blame the head sensor. If you have a laptop and an ECM cable you can datalog what is going on and then see what happens when it starts acting up. Also, before even logging you could look at the temperature reading in ECMspy, on a cold/haven't been ridden today bike, the sensor should report the same temperature as the ambient air if I remember right. If it is showing something like 140 degrees when it is 70 out, then your sensor is reading high. If you had an infrared thermometer you could see if what it is reading matches up with what ECMspy says. | ||
| Rapuckett55 |
I'm having the same problem. In the morning everything is fine, no skip spark. In the late afternoon when the temp is near 100, same as OP. Keep it about 65 and all is fine. Yesterday evening I was headed home a little later and the temp was about 91. I kept up 75mph for about 8 miles and no problem. If the Engine Temp sensor is the culprit, can you change it out without removing the rocker covers? I was literally there a couple weeks ago. I bought an '05 engine to put in my '06X and changed the Oil Drive gear. I had the engine on a workbench and had both Rocker covers off. Would have been very easy to change. Wyocrawler - any updates on yours? Ralph | ||
| Teeps |
Rapuckett55 Posted on Thursday, August 06, 2015 - If the Engine Temp sensor is the culprit, can you change it out without removing the rocker covers? Ralph Yes. http://americansportbike.com/newdir/Item/17035 | ||
| Etennuly |
Temperature sensor is under air box base on rear cylinder head.....easy access.....probably won't help. We went through this as a group when the '06 bikes were about three years old. Lots of fix attempts in the archives I'm sure.  I'm still waiting to hear the correct and definitive cure. My manual "fan on all of the time", with the comfort kit even, is a 90% fix. It helped a lot but when the temperature is 90F+ and I am trying to run 90 mph it comes back sometimes. | ||
| Teeps |
Etennuly Posted on Thursday, August 06, 2015 - I'm still waiting to hear the correct and definitive cure. My manual "fan on all of the time", with the comfort kit even, is a 90% fix. It helped a lot but when the temperature is 90F+ and I am trying to run 90 mph it comes back sometimes. Agree; replacing the engine (head) temp sensor is an 81 dollar gamble. A gamble that I have yet to take: and, here's why.. A while back I did the Etenn fan mod*. Which bypasses the ECM for the fan control or ground circuit. I can without a doubt confirm that "unintended skip spark" is cured by this direct grounding of the fan circuit. However, when the fan is operated by this method. The CEL WILL be on solid... But, if the engine temperature does reach the critical mass (excess heat) the ECM will deploy skip spark the CEL will flash, as it should. * I left the fan connected to the ECM, but added a switched path to ground that I control from the handle bars. This way; when the manual fan control switch is off. The ECM can still operate the fan with the ignition switch off. | ||
| Xbimmer |
I'm really hesitant to post this, as it's an invitation for Murphy and his Law to step in, but since I installed my SPAL-modded fan with the heavier gauge leads bypassing the stock harness I have not seen FLRSS. Not once. And we've been 2-up many times in the last few weeks in 90-100+ temps. Yes the engine gets hot, fan cycles, it's pinging after stop light traffic. But no skip-spark. I suppose it's possible the full syn Valvoline I've been using could be the reason but I've used syn in the past and had FLRSS. Do any of you electrical gurus have a possible explanation for this? Of course I probably just cursed myself... | ||
| Xbimmer |
Oh yeah Wyocrawler, try accessing the head temp sensor and cleaning up the threads and connector and reinstalling it. I've found mine loose in the past. If your bike already has the new connector Al sells the sensor alone for under $50. http://americansportbike.com/newdir/Item/17035-08 | ||
| Uly_man |
"Is there a way to test the head sensor?". Yes. | ||
| Wyocrawler |
sorry guys been away for a few days and haven't had time to do anything with the bike. Ordered a new sensor from American Sport Bike so we will see. I'll update after I get it installed. | ||
| Etennuly |
The sensor on my Uly was still good, but the wire lead was toast, the insulation had burned and fallen off up a couple of inches. | ||
| Wyocrawler |
Ok. It appears that the wire is broken inside the insulation. Got the old sensor out, can't get the new one in. Holy shit this is a crap design. Any hints would be appreciated. | ||
| Etennuly |
It has been quite a while.....I believe I took a cut off wheel to a deep socket for this deal. Cut a groove all the way up through the side of the socket for the wire. Was that what you mean? | ||
| Wyocrawler |
no, I have the socket with the slot cut in it from asb. I cant get the new one lined up to spin it back in. | ||
| Tootal |
I've never removed one but I'm assuming they thread in. Is there any aluminum in the threads of the old one? Might need to run a thread cleaner in there and repair the threads. | ||
| Teeps |
You might give Al @ American Sport Bike a call. If anyone knows a trick, it'd be him... | ||
| Sagehawk |
Perhaps treating it like a spark plug. If you can find straight enough section of hose to fit the hex of sensor. At least , starting it, should be harder to crossthread. And those leads, rubber hose again. Slit it and cover till out of rocker box area. Looks crappy under there but all my leads are insulated from edges n hot surfaces this way. | ||
| Uly_man |
"Looks crappy under there but all my leads are insulated from edges and hot surfaces this way". Yes this is a VERY good idea. Access to engine/ other parts can be an issue on many bikes/ cars and is a normal part of working on them. What you need to do is figure away around the problem. Good luck. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Last time mine acted that way it was the electrical connector for the fuel pump on the left side behind the passenger peg mount arm thingie. The connector is up near the rear subframe and I was able to repair the existing connector. As a bonus, I learned quite a bit about these fancy new connectors. | ||
| Etennuly |
My '06 Uly went all "skip-spark" on me Friday at the WVBR. We took the longer straighter option to return to camp on one trip. It was about 65 miles of interstate pounding, mostly above 75 mph. The "skip-spark" started about 30 miles into the interstate ride. We stopped for gas as we exited the highway when I noticed my fan was barely running, if at all. It sounds like it is ill when hot.....runs fine when cold. At speed on the highway, when I laid down on the airbox, getting me out of the wind, it removed enough aero drag to let it come out of spark-skip. I was wearing a new 'Bilt' brand Explorer jacket. This jacket is an air grabber for sure, I'm not impressed with that aspect of it. Even on slower rides it grabs air and buffets me around. Rode the bike most of all day Saturday on the twisties and through small towns, "spark-skip" never came back. The fan still ran, but did not sound as healthy as it should. I guess it is fan replacement time. I got over 30,000 miles on this fan. | ||
| Teeps |
Time for the Xbimmer fan project. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142838/762330.html?1435773333 (Message edited by teeps on August 18, 2015) | ||
| Arcticktm |
Etenn, are you suggesting the fix is a "low drag" jacket? Or maybe just grease yourself up before a hot ride (wow, that sounds bad once you say it out loud)? Or we could all just lose weight - no that's crazy talk. Sorry Vern, after seeing you again at WVBR, I just couldn't resist. Well, I guess I could have. I just didn't really want to. Certainly, I have now doomed myself into being the next skip spark victim. And then Vern can laugh at me. | ||
| Etennuly |
Oh I won't wait Jim! I'll laugh at you now and save all of the suspense!!!  You say "we could all lose weight" as if you are trying to be politically correct! You were riding one of those foreign bikes I cannot even spell the name of!  If you were anywhere near as fat as me it would never tote you around. My Uly is not carrying any more load than when it was loaded with a tent and cooler as in past trips. How the heck are you going to get that NON Uly to skip-spark?  |
