| Author | Message | ||
     Werewulf |
as i said before, my scg ran terrible most of the time, especially when cold...then some days it would run in an acceptable manner...it seemed to run better after the dealer would try to find the gremlin.. my uly runs ok some days and good on others, but then many bikes change with the weather... i was bored, so i took my battery ground and the frame grounds loose and put a star washer behind the terminals and put some electrical grease on them... (no corrosian, they looked like new)..i completely removed the frame rail and put a little grease on the bare area that contacts the main frame.. then i did the 08 tps proceedure as i have done many times before....fired up the motor and it sounded crisper than before.. some days in the past it had a fluffy part throttle, but ran pretty good full throttle... this day, it didnt hesitate at all when cold and i had a much smoother power band... now it feels so much better, so before i assumed things have changed, i took it on a 200 mile trip.... yep, much improvement and believe it or not, it didnt roast my thigh as much..(maybe due to a lean condition).. so, not wanting to get my hopes up, i went on another 200 mile run today and im convinced i am on to something.. it runs good.. maybe i sould have done this, before i traded my scg and lost my butt.. | ||
| Wheelybueller |
There is a TSB on frame grounds. Very important to address. | ||
| Werewulf |
where can i view it? | ||
| Blk_uly |
you are in good company! many of us have had these issues with the grounds on our 08 bikes. The tech at my local harley dealer said he would not be suprised If this problem becomes a recall. I must say I agree with him. The paint on the frame rail added to the not so terribly conductive alum. leaves only the threads to make the ground. Apparently its not enough I had the Identical problems you did and fixed it the very same way. | ||
| Wheelybueller |
TT399 – December 17, 2008 - Buell Ulysses Ground Repair 2006 – 2009 2006 – 2009 Buell Ulysses Ground Repair Poor ground connections have been found at the tail section ground locations. Below are some of the symptoms that you might see, and a procedure to repair this condition. While the specifically affected models are 2006 to 2009 XB12X, this Tech Tip could serve as a reference for improving ground circuits on any model. In the figure below, you can see where the negative battery cable is attached to the tail section of the vehicle. This ground location is essential to virtually all of the motorcycle’s electrical systems. A poor contact here can cause poor running issue and no crank conditions. The instrument cluster may even stay on after the key is turned to the OFF position. These issues can also be intermittent. XB Tail Section Ground Location To clean the ground area, you must remove the fastener that secures the ground terminals to the tail section and clean all surfaces. This includes the fastener, tail section boss, ring terminals, and battery tray. (See images below) Ground Fastener to Be Removed Once the faster is removed, lightly sand both the threads and the face of the screw. (See image below) Lightly sand both sides of the ring terminals to clean any impurities from the surfaces. (See images below) Ring Terminals to Be Cleaned Lastly, clean the ground boss and the battery tray surfaces by sanding to remove Any paint or other impurities. Tail Section Ground Boss and Battery Pan After all of these surfaces have been cleaned, apply dielectric grease to the Fastener and reinstall to 72-108 in/lbs. (97.6 – 146.4 Nm). All pics removed,If you need the pics pm me | ||
| Panhead_dan |
pm sent | ||
| Rwven |
Sadly I did not know about this before my ground went bad on my '08 XT and burned up the harness to my fuel pump. I got nicked for doing a roadside repair to get home...no warranty coverage. 7500 miles and about a month and a half before this bulletin came out. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Makes me wonder if this is what was wrong with my Uly. It ran like crap all of a sudden. Took my bike in for the 10K service and it was like I had a whole new bike. Wayne | ||
| Rarebird |
Did it this morning, and it's showing great promise. The hesitation "chug" between hitting the starter and cranking is completely gone. Have to see what other differences it may have made Thanks again! -Mike | ||
| Werewulf |
my next project is to run some spare ground straps to various part of the bike... this might explain why the bike ran better after the tech would remove things for inspection and put it back together (08 scg) the 1/4-20 threaded screws that hold the battery ground to the frame etc, are too puny to do the job, in my opinion... i stripped one out, just using a hand held torx head screw driver.. there has to be a better way... where can i buy some small (quality) ground straps? i guess i could make up some and solder the ends... the battery ground strap looks el cheepo too.. | ||
| Darthane |
Interesting...mine doesn't have any of the more severe problems, but it has always exhibited a reluctance to get that first round off when starting. I'm going to have to try this and see if it clears that issue up. ...wish they'd just send those damned things directly to the owners. >.< | ||
| Ulyscol |
Just checked my 08' Uly and found that it has grease all over the ground connections in the tail. This was either done from the factory or when my rocker box gaskets were replaced under warranty. | ||
| Werewulf |
very interesting, none of my connections had any grease on them.. i have also noticed that my starter spins up quicker now, when you hit the button.. | ||
| Ronmold |
Once had to repair an older power amp that lost a channel. Traced the signal all the way to the wire that goes to the backside of the 5-way binding post that the speakers hook to. The wire was soldered onto a tinned ring terminal that was fastened tight to the brass binding post with a brass nut & brass star lockwasher. To my amazement there was NO continuity from the ring terminal to the post! All that to say just 'cuz it looks good & feels tight doesn't mean it's conducting well, especially with dissimilar metals. | ||
| Nobuell |
Try Mcmaster Carr. They have a number of braided ground strap styles and lengths. http://www.mcmaster.com/#grounding-braid/=15jxtr | ||
| Nutsosane |
PICS! seriously, let's see what's happening with these grounds. NUTS | ||
| Werewulf |
actually, nothing... thats the problem, they are shiney and look new... they just dont ground...the powder coating is left off on a few places on the tail section and in my opinion, thats just not enough.. | ||
| Marks3tbillet |
Thanks for posting this, my starter hesitation is gone now after cleaning my grounds. | ||
| Ullygan |
Ok Guys I have a question regarding grounds, I have sanded and dielctric greased the tail section ground. Tightened the battery connections, and I still have intermitent speedometer and exhaust valve. I will start bike normal stuff, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I can, most of the time pull over turn off restart and it works. Sometimes it takes several on off's to get it. How many ground points are there? I'm not a whiz with electrics but That I can do if I know where they are. Thanks | ||
| Werewulf |
dont forget the positive connection at the starter motor... my 08scg had a lot of wire rubs, including shorted out spark plug wires.. for some reason, ive had none of that on the uly.. luck of the draw, i guess.. | ||
| Yooper71 |
Had a few minutes tonight so I cleaned the two grounds on the left side of the tail. I've had starter hesitation on my 08 from the day I picked it up and even burned up the fuel pump ground wire. I didn't have any starter hesitation after cleaning the grounds. Have to see if it continues. | ||
| Etennuly |
Ully, pull all of your fuses and relays(one at a time). Look at the connectors. Clean them, wiggle them when they go back in. | ||
| Ullygan |
Thanks Etennuly I will try that in the morning. Sounds like you have had similar experiences??? | ||
| Etennuly |
uh....mebby.....  | ||
| Werewulf |
if i remember correctly, the voltage regulator on my tube frame buells grounded thru the mounting bracket... ive never rotated the motor on an xb, where does the VR ground on our bikes? the mounting screws dont seem to do anything.. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I did the service bulletin (thanks Ron) just now and also cleaned that other ground just ahead of it and the + terminal at the batt. No help. What I'm experiencing is starter hesitation. Sometimes it will spin over correctly and sometimes it's like it doesn't have enough power to turn over the engine. Battery checks out fine. Ditto charging system. I'm gonna go back out and try to access the starter end of the + cable. It don't look easy to do. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
It wasn't easy but it's done and it made no difference. I inspected all the connectors down by the front pulley while I was at it too. They all look like new on the inside. I'm beginning to suspect the starter but it seems like it would either function or if it's getting worn out it would just get worse and worse till it quits. That's not the case here. It works just like new sometimes. I don't know what to do next. | ||
| Werewulf |
my 03 firebolt did exactly like your starter is doing... i accidently found a cracked wire coming from the relay in the tail section, no visible defect... have you checked your relays? also check the small wire coming from the right side of the starter, for corrosion.. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Swapped aux and start relays. No change. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
After doing some more reading in the manual, I did the voltage drop test and it failed. (1.4-2.5v) That means a bad connection so I cleaned the motor terminal on the starter since it's the only one left to clean. I managed to tear the rubber boot in the process. Anyway, after three test fires and a couple more doing the voltage drop test (.3-.49v) again, it seemed to be cured. It was also acting like it was trying to foul a plug so I cleared all the tools and crap out of the way, opened the garage door for ventilation and tried to fire her up to clear the plug and the starter hesitated again. Maybe it was just due to the plug thing or something. It did start and is warming up now. I'll ride it for a week or so and time will tell. |
