EFI Troubles - Page 2 - Harley Forum

sgtcowboyusmc · #11 03-05-2009, 05:13 PM

Darn looks like you figured it out before I could save the day!

Seriously though, I had a similar thing happen with my 04 FDXI and it happened after I filled up at a circle K. It ran like crap and it had the bucking ect. Drained the tank and filled up with a known premium source and it still acted up for a little while (25+ miles) then it stopped and has not reoccurred. My other guess could have been a spark plug wire that has a break will do that sometimes.

Mike Glad you got her fixed!

Billy Ray

RKJohn · #12 03-15-2009, 07:43 AM

Seems to me that pin holes in the fuel hoses would create a raw gas smell around the engine area. One good test for an ignition system is a spray bottle filled with water. If you have a bad wire or corroded terminal at the coil, it will show up with water spray. I find bad wires on autos using this method all the time.
just a thought
John

shovelmike · #13 03-15-2009, 05:23 PM

Thanks for the tip, RKJohn, and welcome to the forum. I'll be doing more testing on the bike, I thought I had it solved but it's back to the same symptoms again. I'll let you know what I find so everyone can benefit (if I can ever put my finger on the true source of the problem).
Oh yeah...and by the way, the fuel hoses referred to are contained within the fuel tank, so no fumes escaping and also no way to check them without pulling the canopy off the tank.
Ride safe and God bless, Sincerely: Shovelmike'

#14 03-16-2009, 09:53 PM

Talked to the local fix it guy, besides all the other info posted here, he said to take a good look at your injector wires. There was a time where they were having trouble with them being to tight. They had to reroute to solve. Seems if they were not firing you would get an engine code. But what happens if wires are pinched or excessive resistance in the circuit, no engine code but misfire? Thought you had it fixed with the fuel filter. Good luck.

shovelmike · #15 03-17-2009, 06:43 PM

Thanks, Graybeard, for asking about that. There is indeed a problem with not enough slack in the wires, the one to the front injector in particular. My wire broke 3 or 4 years ago. It started running on one cylinder and threw a code. I fixed it and added some length to the wire. I pulled my tank and unwrapped the old solder joint for inspection just in case (even though I got no code this time). I did take the time to re-do the joint a little nicer just to be sure there was not a problem there. I was noticing that the throttle position sensor wire doesn't have very much slack at all but the wires seem alright. I'm keeping my eye on it.
Yeah, I thought the filter was the solution.
It was really running poorly yesterday so I made plans to leave it at the dealer and have one of my sons come by to get me. Started it up and left the house...it ran perfect. I called the kid, said never mind.
I just HOPE it keeps running well! I don't know if I'm getting bad fuel or what, time will tell I guess.

HarleyCruiser · #16 03-17-2009, 08:49 PM

How old are the spark plug wires?

shovelmike · #17 03-17-2009, 09:42 PM

The plug wires are the ones that came on the bike new in 02. You think it might be time for old tightwad here to ante up for some new ones?
I've thought about the impressive amount of heat the wires are subjected to, positioned under the tank as they are. You have a good point in suspecting them given those factors and the symptoms. They look like kind of a pain to change, much harder than the old Shovel.
I've got to go get a new rear tire, I might price a set of wires while I'm there.
Thanks. Ride safe and God bless, Sincerely: Shovelmike.

HarleyCruiser · #18 03-19-2009, 03:41 PM

Mike the wires are carbon impregnated, fiberglass and/or Kevlar fiber.
There is no wire in them. Over age, vibration, heat, the wires start to get small gaps between the carbon molecules, and the spark has to jump. As they jump, the gap gets larger and larger, like the gap on a spark plug, as it takes electrons with it.
If the spark can find a easer place to go it will jump from the wire to ground.
Start the bike up in the dark and see if there are any fireworks.
I replace my wires every two/three years, or with my plugs, and battery.
(When ever the bike starts getting slow to start.)
This set of plugs and wires are a little older, maybe three and a half or four years old, but due for a change.
Don’t like my starter turning over more than necessary.
If it don’t start after two revolutions, I start replacing these maintenance parts.
My bike is an 01 with 90k miles.
I have replace them at least two or three times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shovelmike

The plug wires are the ones that came on the bike new in 02. You think it might be time for old tightwad here to ante up for some new ones?
I've thought about the impressive amount of heat the wires are subjected to, positioned under the tank as they are. You have a good point in suspecting them given those factors and the symptoms. They look like kind of a pain to change, much harder than the old Shovel.
I've got to go get a new rear tire, I might price a set of wires while I'm there.
Thanks. Ride safe and God bless, Sincerely: Shovelmike.

shovelmike · #19 03-19-2009, 04:11 PM

Thanks for the tip on the spark plug "wires" , HarleyCruiser, With 90,000 on that bike, your preventive maintenance has paid off well. I agree with keeping everything in a good state of tune so all you have to do is tap that starter button.
Ride safe and God bless, Sincerely: Shovelmike.

shovelmike · #20 03-23-2009, 12:18 PM

I'm almost reluctant to say it, but I believe at last the Ultra is fixed.
In my March 17th post I declared that the bike had suddenly started running perfectly, leading me to suspect a problem with bad fuel. This thing has confounded me time after time, as intermittent problems will.
Friday morning it all came to a head, so to speak. I left the house and ran a few errands. I hopped on the bike at one of my stops and it cranked very slowly...I knew something was up. The system voltage began dropping rapidly as apparent on the guage. I made one last stop..when I came out it wouldn't crank over at all.
I called my dealer, they sent their truck to get me.
The stator was burnt out. I went ahead and "bit the bullet" and let them replace it.
Evidently it was working intermittently, since the volt guage and multimeter tests were showing OK, I just had to give it enough time to finish frying itself.
T-Bone, Milindh, and Wright, you guys had it right...much of the time that marginally functioning stator just wasn't keeping the system voltage where it needed to be. Good call there!
It is quite clear that EFI puts big demands on the charging system!
Y'all ride safe and God bless, Sincerely: Shovelmike.