| Author |
Message |
    
Elmonkey
| | Posted on Monday, May 02, 2011 - 01:35 pm: | 
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Hey everyone.
I've got a long story to tell that I'll try and keep short. Coming out of the winter I decided to install a Jardine pipe, high flow air filter and change the oil on my '04 XB12S. I managed thru this job without any issues and burned an '04 race map via ECMspy. I did the breather re-route last year, so I thought all was going to be cool.
Started up the bike and it was awesome. Sounded great, and ran great. The only thing I noticed was that the bike stalled once or twice on start-up over the next few rides, so I thought I'd bump the idle up. I did this and again things seemed good until coming off the freeway and the RPMs wouldn't drop to idle when I rolled off the throttle (did eventually but took coaxing).
With this behavior it seemed like the next best step was a TPS reset. Did this that evening anticipating a ride the next day. I woke up to find the bike wouldn't idle. It would crank and try for a few seconds but chokes out.
While it was trying to run it smelled heavy rich and eventually backfired. I started to think that maybe the plugs were fouled, so I pulled them and sure enough they were black (BOTH of them). Maybe a little wet. Since I changed the oil I thought I might have over filled it and have oil blowing past the seals, but the level looks good.
I replaced the plugs and get the same result. Following the trouble shooting in the service manual I've checked the new plugs for spark, the plug wire resistance, the ignition module resistance and the static timing.
Everything checks out OK but the static timing bugs me. I've followed the instructions in the service manual and ECMspy but something seems wrong between what I'm reading and what ECMspy is shows. The way the manuals read, there should be two alignment markings on the flywheel, one for the max compression position of each piston. The manuals suggest that the timing sensor output that displays on ECMSpy (0-green and 5-red) is supposed to change state when the flywheel marking goes over center. What I see is that the state does change when the marking goes by, but it continues to toggle 0/5 multiple times between the markings (and this is with my slow manual pushing of the rear wheel in 5th gear). This makes me think that my timing sensor/cable could be bad and is trying to constantly trigger the plugs, but if it's as bad as it seems I don't think the bike could possibly run at all.
Other tid-bits:
I've tried running it briefly without the airbox installed just in case there was some issue on the air intake - no avail. I got to thinking about what would happen if my breather re-route got clogged, so I vented that mod just in case. The bike did idle for almost a minute once I did that, but still won't really run. I have not checked the cylinder compression.
I'm stumped. The biggest thing that bugs me from what I've seen so far is the static timing test because it seems wrong, but it seems so wrong that it must be right.
There's my long story... Please help! I'm about to push this thing to the Harley shop around the corner but I don't want to miss something obvious.
Thanks much in advance. |
Sporty_e
| | Posted on Monday, May 02, 2011 - 10:49 pm: |
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Hey Elmonkey,
Did you ride the bike after the TPS reset, couldnt tell from your post, but after the TPS reset the ECM needs needs time to relearn the new position, or it did on my S3. Had the same experience after my initial TPS reset, took the bike out for about 5 mins, rode at steady 3k rpm for a few minutes at a time, came back and did another TPS reset, everything was golden! My two cents, dont go to the dealer just yet, your almost there! |
Elmonkey
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 03, 2011 - 09:36 am: |
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Sporty_e:
I've not been able to ride it since doing the TPS reset because it won't run. It tries to idle, but chokes out. Given everything that I've checked and since both cylinders seem affected I'm really starting to suspect my gas. I'm going to drain the tank and try a fresh fill-up. |
Elmonkey
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 03, 2011 - 09:38 am: |
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Update:
After posting this message yesterday I found what I was looking for in the service manual... The cam position sensor straddles a cup that's mounted on the cam shaft and this cup has six cut-outs that break the magnetic field of the sensor. So for every rotation of the shaft there are six full transitions of the cam position sensor. The ECM uses this information for more than just TDC firing...
So I've still got a problem with my bike, but the cam position sensor ain't it. |
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Static Timing diagnostic