| Author |
Message |
    
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2010 - 05:16 pm: | 
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Greetings wizards.
A couple of weeks ago I was riding my 07 Uly and it started feeling 'off'. Like maybe it wasn't running at full power. It wasn't popping, there was no CEL (ECM Spy shows no trouble code), when I twisted the throttle it went...but it just seemed like it was running weird. So the next day when I started it, it ran much rougher than usual. In fact, it wouldn't idle properly and would cough and die. Due to what I've read on another thread, I investigated the possibility of an intake seal leak, using the propane test, but nothing changed. I also didn't blow up the garage, so that's something. Today, on a hunch, I pulled the plugs. Here's what I found:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w191/SkiFastBad ly/sidebyside.jpg
The front plug, on the left here, was black but relatively dry. Not a nice tan color, and it concerned me when I looked at it.
On the other hand, the rear plug on the right is much worse. Oily, black.
Since I'm not a mechanic, and didn't stay in a Holiday Inn express recently, I'm not confident in my diagnosis, so I thought it made sense to throw it out and get feedback.
It looks to me like the plugs are fouling (duh). These plugs have about 6K on them, so while long in the tooth they're not that old. The oil all over the rear tells me that I'm either not getting full ignition, which would indicate what, the coil taking a dump? But wouldn't that affect both cylinders equally? Or is it something potentially much worse?
So guys, whaddya think?
Ski
(Message edited by skifastbadly on October 02, 2010) |
Husky
| | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2010 - 05:35 pm: |
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Have you checked the CEL code?
Both of those plugs look fuel fouled to me, I would suspect code 13 or 14.
Husky |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2010 - 05:45 pm: |
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ECM spy isn't showing any codes. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2010 - 02:12 pm: |
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Here's my post from ADVRider....
So, very interesting. I've learned, once again, that I'm a moron. I knew when I did my oil change last time, about a thousand miles back, that I put maybe too much in....that old problem with checking the level with the bike leaning on the stand...and when I pulled the airbox, I did notice that there was quite a bit of oil in there, and yes, the air filter is grimy...but apparently I lack the deductive skills to put that together and come up with the reason the plugs fouled. My only defense is that things went down hill so quickly I ASS-U-MEd it had to be a component failure of some sort, rather than the obvious.
So I'll replace the plugs and air filter, change the oil and put in the right amount this time, and let you folks know in awhile if that's the fix.
Thanks. |
Kalali
| | Posted on Monday, October 04, 2010 - 05:22 pm: |
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I also suggest checking your plugs more regularly. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 - 09:18 pm: |
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"I also suggest checking your plugs more regularly."
Good advice, I got lazy because when I pulled them for the 20K service, they were tan and looking good. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Thursday, October 07, 2010 - 08:35 pm: |
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Hmmm....spoke too soon. Changed out the plugs and air filter last night, also did the breather re-route...no difference, it still runs like crap at low rpm. While idling, a quick twist of the throttle causes the engine to almost die.
TPS reset? |
Blake
| | Posted on Thursday, October 07, 2010 - 10:37 pm: |
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That much oil may have gunked up the O2 sensor. You may need to run it a while to burn it clean and also to allow the AFV to recalibrate properly.
A proper TPS reset can't hurt. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2010 - 03:59 pm: |
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Ok here's another piece of the puzzle. After the breather re-route and new plugs and air filter, I went out for a short ride. It was immediately apparent that things weren't right, the bike ran rough and died at low RPM. I probably didn't go more than two or three miles, I was nervous it would strand me. Back in the garage. Just now, I pulled the newly installed plugs, and interestingly, the front looked good (dry, sorta tan) but the rear was black and oily. Hmmm. Figured MAYBE I hadn't fully correctly installed the plug wire, cause that rear wire is a bitch. So I re-fitted it. I also cleaned off the O2 sensor as previously suggested. Started the bike, still running rough and sorta backfiring. Then I pulled the front plug wire to see if the rear was firing at all, and on just the rear cylinder...it ran the same. Hoo boy...
So, what do we know? The coil appears to be working as the front is getting good spark (unless half a coil can fail). The rear is getting some spark, because it ran by itself. What's left? I know, lots of stuff.
I'm hopeful someone will read this and point out something obvious I'm missing. I plan on doing the TPS reset using ECMSpy later today.
Thanks |
Nallac
| | Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2010 - 07:35 pm: |
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Sounds similar to what was happening with my X1,
turned out to be intake leaks,
along with a dicky front injector,running less gas than needed.
When you checked for leaks did you have the revs up?.
I checked mine multiple times with the bike at idle, with out finding any.
Bought the revs up to 16-1700rpm and checked,found em then.
Heres the thread, http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/593916.html?1284494661
its the thread four below your one..
(Message edited by nallac on October 09, 2010) |
Desertfox
| | Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2010 - 11:10 am: |
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My x1 did this too and it turned out that the copper inside one of the wires to the rear fuel injector had broken. I didn't notice it because the insulation was still intact.
I had never seen a wire break on the inside until then. |
Sparky
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 - 02:41 pm: |
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Desert, it's been reported here in the past that there were significant numbers of wire harness problems such as broken wires inside insulation such as you found or improperly crimped connections with some of the 1999 FI Buells. I guess that'd be a quality control bad batch problem with the wire harness supplier at the time. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 01:21 am: |
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Still no joy. I've reset the TPS twice, reseated the fairly new ignition wires, did the breather re-route, and it still runs rough and dies at idle. I'm out of ideas, I'm calling the shop tomorrow. Bugger. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2010 - 04:06 pm: |
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Ok so I went down to the shop the other day to chat with the guys, before I took it in. I told them the story so far. They said "well, the first thing we'd do is reset the TPS and the AFV and then we'd go from there."
I have ECMSpy and I have already reset the TPS...but can't find any information about resetting AFV. I see it mentioned as a value but cannot find info on changing it. Anybody out there know how to do this? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? |
Froggy
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2010 - 04:27 pm: |
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The Reset AFV button is right next to the Reset TPS button. Punch in 100, press the button and enjoy. Check what your AFV is at on the main page first for reference. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Friday, November 05, 2010 - 02:40 am: |
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Meh, no luck. The AFV was already set to 100, I reset the TPS again, changed out another rear plug, it ran for a bit then crapped out. It was backfiring, there was ignition occurring somewhere in the intake. Time to give up and let the pros have a look. I'll let you know what the outcome was. |
Skifastbadly
| | Posted on Saturday, November 27, 2010 - 10:09 pm: |
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Update here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63 9778 |
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