ECM Problem . . . maybe not!
#1
10-19-2017, 08:15 PM
ECM Problem . . . maybe not!
Even though this happened on my 2014 Sportster, I'm posting here because I think it might apply to all models.
A couple of years ago at around 12,000 miles, my Sportster's RPM started behaving erratically. It would rev up and up going past 4,000 before shutting the engine off. This is with the throttle closed.
It was random. A few minutes later the idle might be low in the low 900's. Up and down, all over the place.
It was under warranty so I took it to the dealer where purchased. After a week passed they called and said it was the ECM and had one ordered. A week after that they said it was ready to go.
When the mechanic brought the bike around he told me that in all the years he had been working on Harleys he had never had a bad ECM. [I know that others on this forum have reported problems . . . I'm just relaying what this particular mechanic stated]
Anyway it ran great until a week ago at around 27,000 miles. Then the identical problem began again. High [3000+ RPM], then low [900], erratic idle. I thought to myself what are the odds that my bike has had 2 bad ECMs? Basically impossible.
Now a quick side story that happened just prior to my Sportster problem. I own a machine shop and my vertical mill and its DRO has been 100% solid for the 25 years I've owned it. Never a problem.
Three weeks ago I was doing some milling and suddenly my Y-axis readout on the DRO produced an error message. To make a long story short, the "db" plug on the back of the unit had become intermittent. The db type connection is what most computers use to connect stuff to the back: a multi-pin thing.
I sprayed some "Control/Contact Cleaner/Lubricant" made for electronics on the plug and reattached it. It has worked error-free since. It's the same spray I've used for years on dirty pots on my guitar amps.
Back to the Sportster. Remembering the mill experience, I pulled the ECM from the Sportster, sprayed the same cleaner/lubricant on the plugs and reattached them, reinstalled the ECM.
It has now gone several hundred miles without any problems. I'm now wondering if the original ECM was ok and it was just an intermittent dirty connection then too.
Whatever wasn't making good contact in my situation affected the idle. But I suspect it could manifest itself in all kinds of weirdness. So before condemning any part that is connected to a plug it might be worth trying some contact cleaner.
As always, YMMV
A couple of years ago at around 12,000 miles, my Sportster's RPM started behaving erratically. It would rev up and up going past 4,000 before shutting the engine off. This is with the throttle closed.
It was random. A few minutes later the idle might be low in the low 900's. Up and down, all over the place.
It was under warranty so I took it to the dealer where purchased. After a week passed they called and said it was the ECM and had one ordered. A week after that they said it was ready to go.
When the mechanic brought the bike around he told me that in all the years he had been working on Harleys he had never had a bad ECM. [I know that others on this forum have reported problems . . . I'm just relaying what this particular mechanic stated]
Anyway it ran great until a week ago at around 27,000 miles. Then the identical problem began again. High [3000+ RPM], then low [900], erratic idle. I thought to myself what are the odds that my bike has had 2 bad ECMs? Basically impossible.
Now a quick side story that happened just prior to my Sportster problem. I own a machine shop and my vertical mill and its DRO has been 100% solid for the 25 years I've owned it. Never a problem.
Three weeks ago I was doing some milling and suddenly my Y-axis readout on the DRO produced an error message. To make a long story short, the "db" plug on the back of the unit had become intermittent. The db type connection is what most computers use to connect stuff to the back: a multi-pin thing.
I sprayed some "Control/Contact Cleaner/Lubricant" made for electronics on the plug and reattached it. It has worked error-free since. It's the same spray I've used for years on dirty pots on my guitar amps.
Back to the Sportster. Remembering the mill experience, I pulled the ECM from the Sportster, sprayed the same cleaner/lubricant on the plugs and reattached them, reinstalled the ECM.
It has now gone several hundred miles without any problems. I'm now wondering if the original ECM was ok and it was just an intermittent dirty connection then too.
Whatever wasn't making good contact in my situation affected the idle. But I suspect it could manifest itself in all kinds of weirdness. So before condemning any part that is connected to a plug it might be worth trying some contact cleaner.
As always, YMMV
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Cossack84 (10-20-2017)
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