Help! Any opinions on my PCM video would be great!

[Cshores]

Bike Video.3gp - YouTube

Having issues starting my bike (not a rare condition). I have read the blogs and can't figure out what else to do.

I am no mechanic but this is what I know...the battery is good, the red, blue and yellow lights on the PCM light up when the bike is on. The bike has a hard time starting but will start.....and then has died on my multiple times while riding down the f'n road.

I have done the searches on the forum but would like to know if anyone sees anything on the video that looks suspicious.

Thanks for any feedback!!

 

[Brew]

First off that copper wire should be covered and not exposed. If I were you I would check your EHC (Yellow thing) cables by removing them and cleaning the pins with contact cleaner and a soft bristle brush that won't bend the pins. After cleaning add some die-electric grease to the pins, this will water proof the connections (I checked mine and they looked like crap). I couldn't make out what was loose in the video, but if it's a wire connection, it shouldn't be loose, if it's your neutral switch it should be ok. Make sure your Circuit Breaker hasn't tripped, it's on the left side by your battery box near the horn and it's gray in color and has a black button on the AFT side, if you can push the button in, it was tripped but, cover that cable as mentioned before first. There's more to check I'm sure but start there... May want to loosen your fuel cap a little and see if it quits. If it doesn't then your tank isn't venting...

 

[Thors]

Sorry to hear you're having trouble with the bike. I can't tell much from the video and I am all wire-plus now so not sure on the lights. Going solely by your description, I'd suspect fuel delivery as the issue. Do the defacto check of all connections, especially grounds. I ran into issues with my tank "crossover" tube (split tank) and the fuel valve/strainer. Both were clogged. The symptoms mimic yours. With air filter off, check for a squirt of gas when twisting throttle. If you pull the fuel line and let it run into a cup, does it keep going or peter out after a few seconds? (That's what mine did).

Good luck!

 

[Thors]

Good point Brew, forgot about that bare wire. Mine is bare as well, been meaning to replace it... Only energized for starting, but sure packs some amps.

 

[stlmikie]

That bare wire is a common issue. I'm not sure I would replace it even unless it is corroded. If you get a new one it will do the same. You do however want to cover it. I've seen guys just tape it real good and ive seen guys heat shrink it. Either way should be alright. Now on to the dieting issue. Does it sputter to a stop or is it like someone turned the key off?

 

[thepearle]

my 05 ridgeback gave me fits cutting off . Turned out to be that damn stupid plastic check-valve under the gas cap. After I removed it never had anymore cutting off problems. The damn thing was sticking. Fuel was like vapor -lock.

 

[stlmikie]

That's why I asked if it sputtered or just cut off. We need to know if it's fuel or electrical.

 

[erldawg]

How old is the battery and is it at least 310 cca's? If it's the original I'd dump it and get a new one.

And heat shrink that bare wire like stimikie suggested...

 

[Fibersnake]

As mentioned, carefully pull the harness from the EHC (Annodized yellow thing), clean out all the connectors on both the harnesss connetors and the pins of the EHC, be careful for those pins are deleicate. Advise going to auto parts store and geting some Electro Klean electronics Spray from like CRC or equivelent and givng the good spray and air dry on bothe side of connectors.

Also did you check battery with a proper tester? If not maybe run it down to Autozone. NAPA, Advance, Pep Boy or what ever is available in your area and have them do a proper battery load test that check all the cells and not just voltage.

On the copper ground wire at the starter, they do fry and get exposed and it is common, would wrpa it with some good heat shrink to prevent corrosion.

Other than that, check the fuses and possibly circuit breaker as mentioned by others.

Since it does start up and has a hard time doing so, and then dies, I am leaning towards bad battery with a weak cell. Gives enough to getting running, and has a enough current to allow it to run for awhile, but dies when the voltage drops below specs and this could be due to bad battery cell not allowing proper charge.

Do you keep the battery on a Battery tender when she is sitting?

If the battery check out good and everything else does too (remove that damn white plastic peice from fuel cap if not done already-it does choke it out sometimes and is only there to meet CARB requirement for CA). If you need ti to pass emission or something, you can always set it aside and reinstalle right before doding so and then removing after getting the test passed.

An idea may be to take a voltage meter with you on your ride and when she dies out, check the voltage before trying to get her going again. See hwa tyou are getting in case you may be having a charging issue.

Good luck and keep at it, you will get it figure out and back up and running good in no time.


For me though first thing would be to have battery tested with a proper load test (if you have not done so already).

 

[Cshores]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the input and information. I haven't gotten back to the bike yet due to work but am hitting the garage in about 20 minutes.

I am about as novice as one can get so this will be interesting. I will post progress and please feel free to continue throwing out any details.

 

[Cshores]

The bike is just flat out dying NOT sputtering. The battery is the original from 2008. The Harley guy said it was producing plenty of "whatever" to still be a good battery. I didn't know the exact CCA number to tell him I needed so it may be a defficient battery for a Big Dog.

With all of the issues I have been seeing since I joined the blog on the electrical issues with the Big Dog I thought I would throw myself into that first and go from there.

 

[Chopper Dave]

The bike is just flat out dying NOT sputtering. The battery is the original from 2008. The Harley guy said it was producing plenty of "whatever" to still be a good battery. I didn't know the exact CCA number to tell him I needed so it may be a defficient battery for a Big Dog.

With all of the issues I have been seeing since I joined the blog on the electrical issues with the Big Dog I thought I would throw myself into that first and go from there.

As Fiber said...I would take the battery and get it load tested...don't take the word from someone without having it load tested

 

[stlmikie]

One of the other guys just had the same issue. He would get his bike running and wiggle the wire to and from the ehc. The bike would stall. He ended up pulling the plugs off the ehc cleaning them up and wire/zip tieing the plugs to the ehc. Around both. This solved his issues. It was just a bad connection. I'm leaning this way for you as well.

 

[Cshores]

Thanks Stlmikie. That is the direction I am heading. As I am disassembling all of the wireing I am starting to feel a little more comfortable with the progress. Hopefully I will have the same results as your buddy.

 

[erldawg]

Thanks Stlmikie. That is the direction I am heading. As I am disassembling all of the wireing I am starting to feel a little more comfortable with the progress. Hopefully I will have the same results as your buddy.

Take a picture before u do it just in case u cannot remember how to reassemble.. Insurance is a good thing

 

[Cshores]

Thank god for iPhones and picture taking. Thanks erldawg.

I have cleaned what I believe to be all connections and put the di electric gunk everywhere it could possibly go. Hooked the battery up and--- again.....no start. BUT it utimately did start again.

I noticed that when I hit the RUN and then START buttons the red light on the EHC came on. Green is blinking and the yellow is static. Does the Red light coming on when I hit RUN and START mean anything???

 

[Kdub]

I'm not sure about the lights but if you have never owned a big dog before know that when you hit the start button it needs to be held down for a few seconds. Maybe post a video of you trying to start it. If the battery is the original from 08 I would suspect its junk. Get it tested it may save you a lot of time and headache. When you replace it get one with as high of cca rating as you can find. I would recommend at least 400 cca. Where are you located? Someone maybe willing to come look at it for you.

 

[Cshores]

I am in Carrollton, TX. The battery is something that will need to be replaced for sure. After doing all of the cleaning, lubing and rewiring the bike does now start BUT still not consistently. It must be the battery. Thanks again for all of the feedback.

I was able to take her on a great ride yesterday with the new 3 inch extensions and she rode great.

Looking forward to not worrying about her dying on me every 5 miles!!

 

[Moespeeds]

Can't tell shit from the video it's too grainy.

Run through this thread:

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/technical/11514-no-spark-troubleshooting-tree.html#post359196

And this one:

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/how/26704-what-do-if-starter-wont-turn.html#post379715

On the starter wire, just wrap it in electrical tape, or if you wanna go nuts disco it up at the battery and slide some heat shrink down over it, double up on it.