Throttle By Wire Problem
I went into limp mode once. Almost 3 years ago so I don't remember specifics. Mighta had to do with TBW. It was raining pretty hard and don't know if that had anything to so with it. I limped to a Harley dealer. They took a look right away. Added di-electric greese to all the connectors associated with the PC-V, test rode, and sent me on my way. No wait, didn't open a ticket, wouldn't take my money, wouldn't take a tip. Figured the least I could do is go buy a t-shirt. Ocean City Harley in Maryland thank you!!!
Few times lately I've felt my TBW has gotten stuck. Give it a little gas and it revs higher and stays there. Like the throttle got stuck. Then as I sit there starring at it with hands on grips it goes back to a normal idle.
Why did Harley go to TBW? It definitely looks better with no cables showing. As long as it works I'm all for it.
Few times lately I've felt my TBW has gotten stuck. Give it a little gas and it revs higher and stays there. Like the throttle got stuck. Then as I sit there starring at it with hands on grips it goes back to a normal idle.
Why did Harley go to TBW? It definitely looks better with no cables showing. As long as it works I'm all for it.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 34
From: Maryland
It's a hot location, it isn't insulated enough, they used cheap wires, the used cheap connectors, they didn't use dielectric grease. Harley being a high-line company should have used a high-line TBW setup.
I'm just really disappointed.
I'm just really disappointed.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 210
Likes: 14
From: VA
Hey gang, I have a similar problem but it does not have the exact same symptoms as everyone else.
I have a 12 street glide with 35K miles. I wired and installed ape hangers sometime before 7K. I have a PCV, fullsac sportpipe, ness big sucker, fuel moto dyno tuned mufflers.
I first started experiencing issues at around 33K miles after I rode to DC from Louisiana for rolling thunder earlier this year. I went too and from straight through.
There are two types of issues I get and for the purpose of this post I will refer to them as "serious" and "tolerable."
Serious occurs when I am sitting at idle. The RPMs will jump up to 1500 to 2K and as soon as you apply throttle, the bike will bog down and stall if you continue to apply throttle. If you let off, it will return to the high idle. The only way to get out of this is to shut down, wait at least 10 seconds. Then restart. If I try to start too soon, the bike will crank but not turn over.
Tolerable happens seemingly randomly. There is no change to the idle RPM but while riding, applying throttle bogs the engine down initially, but if gingerly applied, can get past it and continue climbing in RPMs. I can continue to ride this way but with seriously effected throttle response. If I am at full stop and starting off in first gear and this happens to me and I am not away, I will stall out.
Thanks for reading. I looked at the throttle body connector and cleaned it out but did not use contact cleaner or dielectric grease. I will do that to my throttle body, ECM/ PCV connections tomorrow.
I have a 12 street glide with 35K miles. I wired and installed ape hangers sometime before 7K. I have a PCV, fullsac sportpipe, ness big sucker, fuel moto dyno tuned mufflers.
I first started experiencing issues at around 33K miles after I rode to DC from Louisiana for rolling thunder earlier this year. I went too and from straight through.
There are two types of issues I get and for the purpose of this post I will refer to them as "serious" and "tolerable."
Serious occurs when I am sitting at idle. The RPMs will jump up to 1500 to 2K and as soon as you apply throttle, the bike will bog down and stall if you continue to apply throttle. If you let off, it will return to the high idle. The only way to get out of this is to shut down, wait at least 10 seconds. Then restart. If I try to start too soon, the bike will crank but not turn over.
Tolerable happens seemingly randomly. There is no change to the idle RPM but while riding, applying throttle bogs the engine down initially, but if gingerly applied, can get past it and continue climbing in RPMs. I can continue to ride this way but with seriously effected throttle response. If I am at full stop and starting off in first gear and this happens to me and I am not away, I will stall out.
Thanks for reading. I looked at the throttle body connector and cleaned it out but did not use contact cleaner or dielectric grease. I will do that to my throttle body, ECM/ PCV connections tomorrow.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 520
Likes: 37
From: houston, tx
46k+ on mine, stays outside in the weather 98% of the time. Usually acceleration is iffy, sometimes a WOT run will trigger the LIMP mode. On the '09 the wires by the throttle body connector are a little short, i carry plug terminals and longer wires with me now... Been a solid trouble free 2k miles since i sprayed electrical cleaner in the plug and applied dielectric grease. On most of the other electrical plugs i used a product called Stabilant 22, so far so good.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,806
Likes: 1,754
From: New Bern NC
Hey gang, I have a similar problem but it does not have the exact same symptoms as everyone else.
I have a 12 street glide with 35K miles. I wired and installed ape hangers sometime before 7K. I have a PCV, fullsac sportpipe, ness big sucker, fuel moto dyno tuned mufflers.
I first started experiencing issues at around 33K miles after I rode to DC from Louisiana for rolling thunder earlier this year. I went too and from straight through.
There are two types of issues I get and for the purpose of this post I will refer to them as "serious" and "tolerable."
Serious occurs when I am sitting at idle. The RPMs will jump up to 1500 to 2K and as soon as you apply throttle, the bike will bog down and stall if you continue to apply throttle. If you let off, it will return to the high idle. The only way to get out of this is to shut down, wait at least 10 seconds. Then restart. If I try to start too soon, the bike will crank but not turn over.
Tolerable happens seemingly randomly. There is no change to the idle RPM but while riding, applying throttle bogs the engine down initially, but if gingerly applied, can get past it and continue climbing in RPMs. I can continue to ride this way but with seriously effected throttle response. If I am at full stop and starting off in first gear and this happens to me and I am not away, I will stall out.
Thanks for reading. I looked at the throttle body connector and cleaned it out but did not use contact cleaner or dielectric grease. I will do that to my throttle body, ECM/ PCV connections tomorrow.
I have a 12 street glide with 35K miles. I wired and installed ape hangers sometime before 7K. I have a PCV, fullsac sportpipe, ness big sucker, fuel moto dyno tuned mufflers.
I first started experiencing issues at around 33K miles after I rode to DC from Louisiana for rolling thunder earlier this year. I went too and from straight through.
There are two types of issues I get and for the purpose of this post I will refer to them as "serious" and "tolerable."
Serious occurs when I am sitting at idle. The RPMs will jump up to 1500 to 2K and as soon as you apply throttle, the bike will bog down and stall if you continue to apply throttle. If you let off, it will return to the high idle. The only way to get out of this is to shut down, wait at least 10 seconds. Then restart. If I try to start too soon, the bike will crank but not turn over.
Tolerable happens seemingly randomly. There is no change to the idle RPM but while riding, applying throttle bogs the engine down initially, but if gingerly applied, can get past it and continue climbing in RPMs. I can continue to ride this way but with seriously effected throttle response. If I am at full stop and starting off in first gear and this happens to me and I am not away, I will stall out.
Thanks for reading. I looked at the throttle body connector and cleaned it out but did not use contact cleaner or dielectric grease. I will do that to my throttle body, ECM/ PCV connections tomorrow.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 17,625
Likes: 1,665
From: Blairsville GA
A problem from the past that is still with us today.
I had never experienced this with my '09 RKC until the very day that I was trading it in on my '17 FLHR.
Because I live in the sticks, the dealer was delivering the new bike and picking up the old one. When we started the old bike, it wouldn't rev at all, but ran fine. The delivery driver said "they all do this" and we pushed the bike into the trailer.
Whatever it was, it wasn't a big deal to them, but it would have been a big deal to me if it had happened on the road.
I had never experienced this with my '09 RKC until the very day that I was trading it in on my '17 FLHR.
Because I live in the sticks, the dealer was delivering the new bike and picking up the old one. When we started the old bike, it wouldn't rev at all, but ran fine. The delivery driver said "they all do this" and we pushed the bike into the trailer.
Whatever it was, it wasn't a big deal to them, but it would have been a big deal to me if it had happened on the road.