Larger battery cables is a very good idea . Especially if you bought the #2 gage thick cables . Just be damn sure you put them on using quarter inch & five sixteen inch (STAR-LOCKWASHERS) so they won't ever loosen-up !

 

Yeah, I did put the 2g cables on and I can tell you the starter is really strong now. It's actually helped with the problem we are discussing here because it has the strength to crank though a lot of the problem, where as the engine would out do the starter before. I didnt use star washers, but will the nest time I have a reason to pull the battery. They're a great and cheap investment for anyone that's got a Harley. If you read the other thread you know what I found on the stock cables, and it's not too good..

 

Heavy battery cables will be my next upgrade. Been hearing lots of cranking issues lately and my bike has same issues.

 

Throwing parts at a problem without a determined cause is never a good idea IMHO.

Your bike is supposed to autoadjust, I believe, with a stock Harley ECM for those SE slip ons and a stage one AC. If waiting to start until the "lights go out" is helping, for sure, then the ECM is adapting to the engine conditions and doing its job probably. Use the KISS principle and do this in order and stop making this into a full time brain warmer would be my advce:

1. It doesn't happen when it's cooler out, yes or no?

2. Confirm that a 2007 Softail (the first year for O2 sensors on a Softail) comes from the factory with an ECM that can autoadapt to SE slip ons and a stage 1 AC with no adjustments. Is it an open loop or closed loop system, IOW?

3. Confirm you haven't unplugged the fuse to the ECM or disconnected the battery recently. (Aftermarket ECMs required that the ignition is turned off and on 3 times at 30 second cycles for each off and each on. This allows the ECM to retrieve the existing engine conditions. I don't know if a stock HD ECM requires this.)

4. Confirm that the fuel filter has been changed at no more than every 35K (from my experience).

5. Confirm that your fuel pressure and the power to the ECM when cranking is up to spec. If it isn't, then ECM's become unpredictable sources of hard to find issues.

So far you haven't spent hardly any money and if all of these turn out to be OK, then you probably have one of those Harely bugs that are very hard to find. The only thing that I have found that can help solve those is a VERY knowledgeable techhead at a dealership with a little black box (seems to be a rare find) or riding it until it really breaks.

A quality new aftermarket ECM that is NOT a piggyback is at least $800 last time I checked. It takes a looooonng time to receive real value from that expense for a stock bike and a normal rider. It only takes a minute for someone that likes to brag on a bar stool, though. They are not required for a relatively stock bike which you report yours to be.

I spent 6 months arguing with an ECM manufacturer until I finally got someone on the line that could answer a simple question. Once it was answered then I was able to fix the problem right away. Jumping a step in problem solving is what sends you on a wild goose chase.

Keep us posted.

C#

 

Well, so far I've only spent $50 on the battery cables and that turns out to have been a very good investment. I also cleaned the IAC at $0. Having an engineering background, I don't like not understanding things and resolving problems is what I do. I'll keep at it until I find the culprit. I did take it to the dealer and had them put it on the diagnostic machine and of course nothing found.

This kinda crap though makes me long for the days of points and condensers, and manual chokes..

 

Sure would love to know what the " simple question" was CW

 

Splatttt, still looking for that thanks button. I don't know if it means anything, but I've noticed that if I wait about 5-10 seconds AFTER the dash lights go out before trying to start the bike it seems to behave much better when starting. I've always waited for the lights to go out, but the extra delay seeming to improve things is curious..

 

you're welcome brother.
Though I'm not sure about any of my suggestions, other than that with me, I tend to go with what sounds the most obvious.
Waiting 10 sec.'s is a good idea before hitting the ignition. Like a fillin a shot glass.

 

A genII ECM would start cold fine with fuel pressure and elec power out of spec... and a genIII would not.

C#

 

Cool, thnx! So when did HD start using the GenIII ECM's?