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1_mike
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 04:04 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Installed a set of Iridium spark plugs in my XB12...just cause..
Never used them before and just thought I'd givem a try.

Also added a little fuel in a few lean spots (felt lean spots).
Drove it around town a bit, about two miles more on the freeway (about 12 miles total)...all was well. Very good as a matter of fact.

Got up and went for a cruise in the local canyon the next day. Stopped and got gas and off I went.
About 10 miles into the run (about 18 from the gas station), I noticed that something wasn't right, but couldn't put my proverbial finger on it.
Got to the end of the road...the engine wouldn't idle at anything below about 2500rpm..?

Got to the bottom of the hill, same thing.
VERY rich low speed/idle.
At home, let it cool, checked the plug wire connection, fine, pulled the plugs, dry sooty (rich), no signs of detonation.
Under the soot, the color looked very good.
The rest of the plug looked fine (no burned electrodes).

Put it back together, fired it up..no change.

Plugged in the ECM Spy and leaned the crap out of the idle areas to see what may happen...nothing, still very rich.
If this were a carburetor, it would be an easy fix...not so much with the fuel injection.

What am I missing ?

Thanks a head of time.

Mike
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Scottykrein
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 04:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

The first time I installed the Iridiums I had similar idle issues. It took longer than usual to get it to settle by adjusting it manually, but it found it's new sweet spot at approx 950rpm. What year do you have?
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Hughlysses
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 04:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Maybe it's a coincidental failure, like the O2 sensor went bad or you have an exhaust leak?
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Froggy
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 04:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

What does ECMspy say your AFV is at? It sounds like it is running way rich, like 130+
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Brightbuell
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 05:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

It happened right after you got gas. Could you have gotten bad gas? You said it ran fine the day before with the new plugs, and started acting funny after you got fuell. In just about as much time needed to burn through what was left of the old fuel. Just a thought! It happens.
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1_mike
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 05:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I forgot to mention...I always check the TPS whenever I hook either (1125 - XB12R) bike up to the ECMspy.

The AFV is manually set at 112%.

I thought about bad gas, but I've never seen gas to cause a highly rich condition at low rpm. Plus in this tiny tank, any bad gas would show up as nasty at all rpm's, and even more so at higher rpm's.

My XB is an 04.

As for the 02 sensor...wouldn't a bad sensor show up as bad/incorrect info/no info, at all rpm's ?

Thanks

Mike
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Akbuell
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 05:29 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I'm with Brightbuell on this one. Drain the tank, put that stuff in your cage, and try a fresh tank of fuel from the place you normally get fuel, and try again. With luck, that will solve the issue. At least, you will have removed a variable.
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Slaughter
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 06:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

One thing - you CANNOT read plugs on a FI motor - UNLESS you hold a constant RPM, pull in the clutch and INSTANTLY kill it and coast. That will only give you a reading at ONE RPM and ONE throttle position.

Without reading exhaust gas air/fuel, you're just guessing.
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1_mike
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 06:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Steve -

On reading plugs...

You can get a very good idea in general weather it's carbureted OR F.I., makes no difference.

It's the oxygenated fuel that screws things up a bit when you are just looking at plugs. But even that has its properties and specific things to look at.
Been reading plugs and tuning a VERY long time. The drag strip will teach you tons if you are willing to put in the time to learn it.
I am an old guy...learned many of the the difference's on the 1/4 mile!

But you are correct about "accurate" readings at a specific, given RPM's.

Beside...the fueling specifics aren't the problem. The fact that it won't properly "idle" until just past 2500 rpm is my problem.

Mike

(Message edited by 1_mike on January 04, 2010)

(Message edited by 1_mike on January 04, 2010)
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Brightbuell
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 07:06 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I agree with akbuell on this one.
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Fast1075
Posted on Monday, January 04, 2010 - 08:15 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

This may be a stupid question, but what heat range plugs did you use???
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Ourdee
Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 09:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Bad gas, ie. gas with water in it, will create steam which will cause the 02 sensor reading to tell the ecm it needs to add more fuel.

I'm with Bright and Ak, Try new fuel.
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Mmcn49
Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 02:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Did you look for diagnostic codes with ECM Spy? I had a really odd problem with some of the same symptoms. Two of my TPS wires had chaffed at the sensor and were shorting out.
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1_mike
Posted on Friday, January 08, 2010 - 09:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Yep, first thing I did was to check for faults and a little searching for wire problems.

I never gave the gas thing much thought for a coupla reasons.

I put new spark plugs in today with no changes in the way it runs.

I was given a "race ECM" in the bike when I bought it. I removed it..didn't see the need for a stock bike, put the stock version back in.

Well, I dug it up and put it in this afternoon.
BINGO...all is well. Even idles ok without the TPS adjustment..!
I gave all the wire harness a quick check for chaffed or broken wires...nuthin obvious.

So..I'll reset the TPS and install my last set of maps tomorrow.

Never heard of an ECM going "partially" bad.

Thanks for the ideas.

Mike
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Nobuell
Posted on Friday, January 08, 2010 - 10:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

1 Mike

I had an ECM on my 08XT that did all sorts of odd things. It was replaced under warranty and all is well.
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Rah7777777
Posted on Friday, January 08, 2010 - 11:35 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I had my stock ECM sitting on the shelf for along time.
When I sold the race ECM I put the stocker back in.

She would start and idle just fine!!
Give her ANY gas and she'd spit and sputter for about 10 seconds and die :-(

bought a different ECM and bam... Fixed.

weird stuff......
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Rah7777777
Posted on Friday, January 08, 2010 - 11:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Although, your issue might come back!

You basically reset the ECM, once it re-learns everything you might get the issue back.
But I hope it was the ECM and it's fixed now!

Had a WOT issue that would go away if I reset the ECM, let it learn a bit and it would come right back.

Really ruined a couple good riding days :-(

but found out the hard way a 12 throttle body has no place on my 9 motor :-)
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