my glide quits!
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,954
Likes: 9
From: jacksonville, nc
my glide quits!
i have a 97 fltp with fuel injection. soon after i bought it the engine lite came on. i took it to the dealer and they said the idle sensing swith plug was bad so they fixed it. when i left the dealer it ran great. but on my way home it shut off as if i reached up and turned the ignition off. after about 5 min it fired back up with no more problems then a couple days later it did it again at idle at a stop lite. again after a couple of min it fired off later that day it did it again running about 45 mph i reach up and cycled the switch, and it fired right off. today i took it back to the dealer, they said they found a bare wire on the cut off switch, and an intake gasket was leaking. again when i left it ran pretty smooth. but i noticed that when i let off the throttle, the deacceleration was jerky and the idle wasnt all that smooth. then it quit again this time it wouldnt start at all. so i had to walk home and get my trailer when i got back after an hour or so it fired right up. im begining to loose confidence in my dealers ability to trobleshoot this problem. any sugestions will be apprediated!!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: my glide quits!
Up front, sorry I ain't gonna be of much help. The newer bikes, especially with FI, are very difficult to troubleshoot with intermittent problems. The dealer plugs in, looks for a code, and hopefully something comes up that points to the problem. Sometimes cycling a switch allows the computer to "reset" and things go back to working. And sometimes whatever is crapping out is heat related, so when the bike cools a bit you get fire again. Arrgh, drives you nuts, and makes the tech look bad, even though he's competent, and fixing what he finds.
I can understand you starting to lose confidence in the dealer. Maybe they ain't hitting on what they need to be. So, is there another dealer in the area you can check out? Or maybe an indy shop capable of playing with fuelie bikes? One suggestion that might help the tech pinpoint a problem: If it quits, shut the ignition off and don't touch it again. Get it to the dealer so the tech can read the code(s) without the possibility of something having been done to reset anything.
With all my advice remember I know next to nothing about these new-fangled fuelie bikes, or even the carbed ones with all the associated electronics. I work on fancy electronics at a power plant, though, and often come home with appreciably less hair than I started the day with.
I can understand you starting to lose confidence in the dealer. Maybe they ain't hitting on what they need to be. So, is there another dealer in the area you can check out? Or maybe an indy shop capable of playing with fuelie bikes? One suggestion that might help the tech pinpoint a problem: If it quits, shut the ignition off and don't touch it again. Get it to the dealer so the tech can read the code(s) without the possibility of something having been done to reset anything.
With all my advice remember I know next to nothing about these new-fangled fuelie bikes, or even the carbed ones with all the associated electronics. I work on fancy electronics at a power plant, though, and often come home with appreciably less hair than I started the day with.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,726
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RE: my glide quits!
Skip has it basically summed up. There are so many factors to EFI that it near impossible to diagnois without a puter hooked up. It could possibly be an ECU, throttle position sensor, or any other sensor. The key to figuring it out would be code retrieval. Im not sure as to what resets the codes, but I would make sure that playing with the ignition (on off on, etc.) isnt erasing the codes. Good luck, and keep us informed.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,978
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From: Cedar Point, NC
RE: my glide quits!
If it were me, I would ride it to the dealer, and ride up and down the street in front of the dealer. Hopefully I'd be able to coast in to the parking lot if my luck was right. I'd let 'em know what I was doing before I did. I'm sure they would appreciate being able to see it when it happens vice trying to troubleshoot after the fact.
Mac
Mac
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 162
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From:
RE: my glide quits!
The EFI system on your '97 was OEM by Magnetti Marelli. It's a different "kettle of fish" than the later ones made by Delphi.
If your tech is not up on the earlier systems, the trouble may elude him. I have seen several ECM failures on older Marelli-based systems.
If your tech is not up on the earlier systems, the trouble may elude him. I have seen several ECM failures on older Marelli-based systems.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2005
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From:
RE: my glide quits!
Mike, are you mechanical at all? First thing I would do is bring a spark tester with me. It looks like a spark plug with an alligator clip on it. When it dies, quickly unplug a spark plug, put the wire on the tester (Clipped to ground) crank the engine and see if there is spark. If not you may be looking at a coil or module problem. If you have spark and still a no start then you are looking at a fuel problem. A fuel problem can be related to sensors, computer, a number of issues. But at least it could help narrow it down and point your dealer in the right direction. It is hard to diagnose a vehicle when the problem is not occuring. Much easier when they come in dead. If they have a dyno, maybe they could run it till it dies. Good luck, It is not only frustrating for you, but the mechanics too, believe me.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 184
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From: Orange County, NY
RE: my glide quits!
ORIGINAL: Triple Z
The EFI system on your '97 was OEM by Magnetti Marelli. It's a different "kettle of fish" than the later ones made by Delphi.
If your tech is not up on the earlier systems, the trouble may elude him. I have seen several ECM failures on older Marelli-based systems.
The EFI system on your '97 was OEM by Magnetti Marelli. It's a different "kettle of fish" than the later ones made by Delphi.
If your tech is not up on the earlier systems, the trouble may elude him. I have seen several ECM failures on older Marelli-based systems.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2005
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RE: my glide quits!
the ignition switches on the late ninety's flh's were usually bad. try a new one. you can buy them aftermarket ...I did computer work for an aftermarket Harley shop for years and I saw a lot of bad ignition switches. just my two cents anyway. jim
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: jacksonville, nc
RE: my glide quits!
hey guys, thanks for all the info i bought a spark tester today from the corwell tool guy nine bucks. cool little gadget if your gettin spark it lites up and if not your not gettin spark pretty simple so far. any way i let the bike run in the shop untill it did its usual shut down and then i put the tester on the plug and as i expected, no fire. so i decided to pick up a coil and ignition module tomorrow and in stall that stuff and try again. at least if it isnt the cure ill know it definitly aint the problem. ill keep ya'all posted!