Hi,

I'm new to this site, and wondered if anyone has any advice for resolving a starting problem with my 100th Anniversary Fatboy?

The starter seems to be working and the engine turns over, but there's no spark at either of the plugs. The starter relay seems to be OK, and the battery is at about 12.6v.

There's a smell of petrol when turning over the engine.

Any thoughts / suggestions on what the potential cause may be?

M

 

Carb or EFI.....??

Have you tried to read the codes form the ECM....?

 

Carb model. Haven't looked at codes - I'll have to dig the Clymer book out to see what to do.

 

Good luck with the Clymer..... I bought one way back when to work on my 1978 FXS Low Rider... Halfway through my first mod on that bike, which involved a new carb and manifold, I threw the Clymer into the trash. I went out and bought an HD Factory Service Manual (2nd one from the left in pic below), and I've been using just HD Factory manuals since...

 

Hold tripometer button and turn bike on. That should brings codes up. The really long number is just some factory thing.

You can test ac from cpk, it will read with plugs out. I have had it fail. My 01 is on 3rd coil .

20 year old bike I am not afraid to throw parts at it . But it is your money.

If turns over, than I would look at ignition circuit. Assuming you pulled plugs, and checked for spark.

 

Just FWIW....

I won't copy & post the whole book... but here is the reference to the DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) for engine management for carbureted 2003 Softails.

This is from the HD Electrical Diagnostic Service Manual for 2003 Softails, #99498-03:













I hope this helps...

 

Welcome from New York.

 

I'm pretty sure for early twin cam carbed bikes with an ICM, that just brings up speedometer and TSM/TSSM codes, not engine management codes.

Forgive me, but I am too lazy to walk back out to my shop to verify that...

 

On my carbed back it brings up about 4 code types. What is the difference? I am not familar with different types.

 

When I looked up the DTCs for a 2003 Softail in the 2003 Harley Factory Electronics Diagnostic Manual for Softails #99498-03, under engine management for bikes with carbs, it says,

"The engine management system provides two levels of diagnostics."

It then talks of the 4.4 HD Scanalyzer method of code retrieval, and the 4.5 Check Engine Lamp Diagnostics. The 4.5 method I posted from the manual above. It says nothing of going through the speedo. The engine management codes for a carbed 2003 include: MAP Sensor, Coil, Crank Sensor, etc (see table I posted above). All those have to do with the running of the engine.

IIRC, the speedo only shows codes that involve the speeedo operation and the TSM/TSSM operation. If you look them up, they have to do with sensors and issues other than the engine management codes mentioned above.

I haven't gone through the manual in awhile, but that's the way I remember it... of course my memory isn't what it used to be... If I am mistaken, accept my apology...