I’m working my way through a problem and could use some advice.

2006 FLHRI, AN Big Sucker, SuperTrapp SE Slip ons, Thundermax w/AutoTune. 20k on the odometer.

Had this setup almost since I bought it. Has run mostly fine but lately not so much. Have been doing some maintenance to it and after the last oil change the engine performance has gotten really bad.

Significantly more oil coming out of the breather holes in the intake. Rough idle, stumbling at steady throttle, (motoring through 35-45mph residential or city). Yesterday on the way home rough in all ranges, power was hesitant unless WOT. Lots of popping in both decel and at idle waiting for lights. Nearly unrideable and not safe.

What I have done up to now: Tank full of gas with AMSOIL injector cleaner, Cleaned out the throttle body with carb cleaner. Cleaned out the IAC circuit with MAP sensor cleaner. New plugs, (Old plugs were clean and clearly burning correctly) cleaned the wires and inspected for deterioration and corrosion and they are fine. Brought it up to operating temperature and checked all the joints in the intake path by spraying WD-40 around the sealing surfaces. No change in idle. Lastly, removed the T-Max and replaced it with the stock ECM. That helped.

The bike runs much better now. There is still an occasional hesitation in the idle and I can feel that it’s not completely smooth. BUT I think that it’s going to stay that way since the T-Max isn’t trying to tune it’s way out of whatever was going on.

What is next: I have a fuel filter on order. I’m going to change that out and check the in-tank hoses out and replace with Gates H209 hose as needed. I suppose I should have ordered that check valve/hose too. That will get changed out next week after it arrives. If that produces no change, maybe pull the injectors, inspect and clean?

When I changed out the oil, my mechanic gave me Redline 20W-60. I honesty didn’t look and just made sure the yellow bottle went into the primary, the black bottle went into the tranny, and the four just alike went into the crankcase. IS IT POSSIBLE that the thicker oil is getting blown out the breathers, entering the fuel circuit and messing up the auto tuning? Last night when I pulled the air cleaner and plugs, the inside of the throttle body was wet. I’m pretty sure it was coated with engine oil, not fuel. Surely a heavier weight of oil couldn’t mess things up that much unless there was an underlying problem? What do you think?

 

Did you spray the connector pins / sockets to the TM with contact cleaner and then coat with dielectric grease? If they get any corrosion that could be the issue.
Also consider reloading your last map. I lost my map when I changed batteries this summer and the bike ran terrible until I reloaded the map.

 

I inspected the connector carefully, (former avionics tech), and it is clean, dry and corrosion free. I actually did reload the map and it ran ok for the first couple of days and gradually worsened. Made me think it's trying to tune something out and making it worse.

I've got a couple of things to do before I'm completely against the wall. Fuel filter and hoses, change to 20W50, clean out or replace the injectors. After that if it doesn't improve maybe plug wires? But I don't have a lot of faith in that.

 

Then you might have a O2 sensor going bad.
I think you need to do the tech support thing with Zippers....

 

Agreed...

Open the Diagnostic Trouble Codes window and look for a fault in the EGO Front and EGO Rear status. The engine must be operating for this function to work.

Another quick way to check the O2 sensors is to check your AFR monitoring window before you start the engine.

Turn on the ignition but DO NOT start the engine. Link to the module. Check the AFR of the Front and Rear cylinders using the Monitor Gauges. After approx. 10-20 seconds, the oxygen sensors should show a value of 19.36 . If it doesn't you have a problem.

 

That thought crossed my mind. I checked codes and none were set. I also looked at the AFR numbers with the engine running and they were in the 13 range but jumping around a little erratically. I'll get the fuel filter and hoses changed out, reinstall the t-max refresh the map and see how it goes. This time I'll actually record some data.

 

After I've exhausted all the obvious things that I can and know how to do I may have to resort to that

 

make sure you check the AFR gauges with the engine off. The sensors have to calibrate to ambient air. If you do not get a value of 19.36 with the engine off, the oxygen sensors are not calibrating correctly.

Your AutoTune module will then alter your fuel tables to meet your specified AFR but will do so with incorrect calibrations...... this will throw off your AFR even though it still shows 13.6 (or whatever you defalt AFR is) on the gauge.

 

Thanks,
You just taught me all kinds of stuff!

 

You might want to check for an intake leak as well. IF the TM is trying to tune around an intake leak it could cause the running issues you are experienceing