Softail Models Standard, Custom, Night Train, Deuce, Springer, Heritage, Fatboy, Deluxe, Rocker and Cross Bones.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Stalling Issue

Old Feb 28, 2025 | 07:05 AM
  #1  
JB08's Avatar
JB08
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Liked
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 9
Likes: 3
From: NY
Default Stalling Issue

Hello,
I have a 2008 Softail Deluxe. I went for a ride yesterday after 25 miles I stopped at a red light. Tha bike did not idle down. Then worked fine after that. Stopped for lunch then everytime I stopped at a light it woud stall so I had to keep partial throttle when stopped. When I got home it seemed fine. Does anyone have some ideas as what is wrong?
Thank you
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2025 | 08:04 AM
  #2  
Jackie Paper's Avatar
Jackie Paper
Seasoned HDF Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,305
Likes: 6,325
From: Honah Lee
Default

Maybe your idle air control (IAC) is going bad. Usually, cleaning the port rarely helps since it's an airway. Usually the electric sinc motor.

The community team will move your thread shortly. This is forum issues area.

PS... Welcome to the HDFORUM.

item 9..

....



....
 

Last edited by Jackie Paper; Feb 28, 2025 at 08:08 AM.
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2025 | 02:16 PM
  #3  
imoo6170's Avatar
imoo6170
HDF Community Team
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Liked
Community Favorite
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,700
Likes: 1,405
From: Sydney Australia
Community Team
Default

@JB08 I have moved this thread from the Forum Issues section to the Softail Models section as you will get better responses to your question in this section.
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2025 | 03:00 PM
  #4  
JB08's Avatar
JB08
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Liked
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 9
Likes: 3
From: NY
Default

Originally Posted by Jackie Paper
Maybe your idle air control (IAC) is going bad. Usually, cleaning the port rarely helps since it's an airway. Usually the electric sinc motor.

The community team will move your thread shortly. This is forum issues area.

PS... Welcome to the HDFORUM.

item 9..

....



....
Is there a way to check to see if it's bad?
 
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2025 | 05:00 PM
  #5  
Jackie Paper's Avatar
Jackie Paper
Seasoned HDF Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,305
Likes: 6,325
From: Honah Lee
Default

Remove the air filter. You will see the needle pintol at 12 c-clock blocking the air passage around butterfly. Key on and it jumps out to last idle position adjusted to value being sent to ECM by temperature sensor.

Key off and it jumps back to close off air. (Prevents hot old motor run on)

Half air is around butterfly. Make sure butterfly snaps shut with a tad of slack in both cables.

No adjust at throttle body for butterfly. Butterfly has a factory stop. Never adjust it..

Take a throttle body cleaner on a cotton cloth and carefully clean butterfly both sides and area it closes in.

Just a tad of spray on pintol with it closed. Open it and clean opening carefully.

Spraying hard here can wash crud into sinc motor, temperature sensor and TPS.

Without a special reader, a step reader to read steps here, above is about all I know.

If it's really this, it may have thrown a code error. P0505 loss of idle speed.

Check for codes.

If you have an ohm meter, now is a good time to check TPS. (Throttle position sensor)

Keep in mind, the OEM electrical diagnostic manual I am using for reference is 1.5 inchs thick.
 

Last edited by Jackie Paper; Feb 28, 2025 at 05:56 PM.
Reply
Old Feb 28, 2025 | 05:24 PM
  #6  
Rounders's Avatar
Rounders
Seasoned HDF Member
Community Builder
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 17,900
Likes: 3,555
From: backwoods
Default

what works for me is spraying in the hole about 11 oclockm behind air cleaner, and cycling the kill switch and power, you will motor. First time I used brake clean, after that sensor cleaner. They say not to use brake clean.

Not really a softail problem, but TC

I can usuaully tell when I need this, the idle starts to dip, but recover at stops.
 
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2025 | 06:37 AM
  #7  
JB08's Avatar
JB08
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Liked
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 9
Likes: 3
From: NY
Default Stalling Issue Continued

Hello all,
I have had great help with this issue and I will try them with the IAC. Just wondering if anyone has ever put seafoam in the gas tank and ran the bike? If so was there a difference?
Thanks again for everyone's input.
 
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2025 | 08:12 AM
  #8  
Rounders's Avatar
Rounders
Seasoned HDF Member
Community Builder
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 17,900
Likes: 3,555
From: backwoods
Default

I put seafoam in every fall. I doubt it will help this, unless the bike sat alot.
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Mar 2, 2025 | 08:19 AM
  #9  
MarlinSpike's Avatar
MarlinSpike
Road Warrior
Veteran: Coast Guard
Community Builder
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1,354
From: Black Hills of SD
Default

The IAC is also easy to remove and clean. Seafoam is pretty good stuff and not bad to give the bike a dose once in a while, but it does not get to the intake at the IAC area to even have a chance of cleaning. It goes with the fuel straight to the injectors.
The IAC gets the engine oil ventilation fumes back to the intake and gets a layer of black crud that needs to be cleaned occasionally. Rerouting the vent tubes out of the intake manifold takes care of that.
 
Reply
Old Mar 2, 2025 | 08:36 AM
  #10  
JB08's Avatar
JB08
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Liked
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 9
Likes: 3
From: NY
Default Stalling Issue

Where do you reroute the tubes? I will be looking to work on it in a couple days.
Thanks
 
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:57 AM.

story-0
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-4
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-5
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-6
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE
story-9
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

Slideshow: Graeme Billington's left-hand-drive Shovelhead is as much about problem-solving as it is about classic Harley form.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-30 11:27:08


VIEW MORE