Help for a clueless, chopperless, guy

[Chiefslapaho]

I have a 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback. It ran absolutely fine last year. I went out this year and I can't get it to start. I've replaced the battery, replaced the gas, replaced the plugs, and can't get anything to happen.

It'll turn over, and keep turning over, but it never catches. I pulled the air cleaner off and I can see it squirting gas, but it won't catch. Every so often it'll give a different sound like it wants to, but it won't. Ether won't get it to do anything either (except a fireball backfire on occasion).

I'm getting gas to the carb, getting gas out of the carb, getting fire, but no ignition. New battery also.

It's garaged at all times, so it hasn't been wet, maybe dusty, but that's about it.

Any and all advice would be appreciated. I'm absolutely not a mechanic, so please dumb down any technical stuff to the point a slow fifth grader can understand it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brew]

Welcome from Washington State, hope you enjoy the site. Are your plugs getting wet with fuel? If so, you most likely flooded it. Also please go to the introduction section and post up an intro, if you please...

 

[Advodka]

Take your spark plug out and hold it against the cylinder while trying to start it and see if you get spark from the plug. Hold the plug with a pair of pliers to avoid cursing if it does fire. ( Not trying to be funny or insulting with this, but I assume that you are pushing the "Run" button in before pressing the start button also.) Let us know if the plugs are firing, it will help diagnose your problem.

 

[Slider]

I have a 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback. It ran absolutely fine last year. I went out this year and I can't get it to start. I've replaced the battery, replaced the gas, replaced the plugs, and can't get anything to happen.

It'll turn over, and keep turning over, but it never catches. I pulled the air cleaner off and I can see it squirting gas, but it won't catch. Every so often it'll give a different sound like it wants to, but it won't. Ether won't get it to do anything either (except a fireball backfire on occasion).

I'm getting gas to the carb, getting gas out of the carb, getting fire, but no ignition. New battery also.

It's garaged at all times, so it hasn't been wet, maybe dusty, but that's about it.

Any and all advice would be appreciated. I'm absolutely not a mechanic, so please dumb down any technical stuff to the point a slow fifth grader can understand it.

Thanks in advance!

It's almost Sept. you just hittin the highway one poster? wtf. Welcome to the pound.

Plenty of that problem going around, many fixes.

 

[Chiefslapaho]

Hitting the highway

My job hasn't allowed me much time, well that and the 3 year old, but I've got an R1 that has served my riding purposes. I just have a ride coming up that I really want to go on.

I haven't had the disposable income I used to have to just take it somewhere and get it fixed. Other priorities....I'm sure you know the deal.

Anyway, I'm going to pull the plugs and make sure they are firing, they were, but I'll check again.

Yeah, I hit the run button first, like I said, it'll turn over and over, just never catch. I can see gas squirting from the carb, I just can't get it to catch.

I tried to eliminate all the obvious things before I bothered a bunch of people on here, but I'm just to that irritation point that I'm willing to look stupid if it'll get my bike running.

 

[Chiefslapaho]

Ok, I just pulled the plugs. They spark once, only once, each when I hit the starter. I switched plugs and same thing. I guess when I did it the first time I saw the initial spark and just assumed all was well, no such luck.

Plugs were wet when I pulled them, but if they only fire intermittently (at best) I think I have found my problem. Question now is, what next?

 

[awg]

Could there be a problem with the EHC? That is if you still have it.

 

[Chiefslapaho]

Someone would have to tell me how to diagnose an EHC problem before I could say anything about that.

Clueless about mechanics, but love to ride.

 

[Chiefslapaho]

Ok, now something new. I looked at my EHC when I turned the key on. The yellow (main power) light flashed for a second. I turned my high beams on and discovered I have no high beams. When I turn the high beams on the yellow light turns on and stays on. When I turn the high beam off, the yellow light goes off. Thus far, that's the only new thing I've found. No other lights come on the EHC...more to follow as I continue to research and read.

 

[Chiefslapaho]

Coil?

Would a bad coil cause a plug to fired intermittently? If my EHC were fried, wouldn't that cause the plugs to have zero response?

Frustration is mounting.

 

[Brew]

Seeing how you have a 2004 model could be your cam sensor is giving up the ghost...

 

[Chiefslapaho]

is there a way to test that? I'm going to try a coil since I already have that part out and won't have time to try anything else until tomorrow evening (after most shops are closed anyway)...if the coil doesn't fix it, I'll move on to the cam sensor, and where ever the chase may take me after!

Thank you for the tips and advice!

 

[Dakotabos]

When you try to fire up the bike check the ThunderHeart light. Its the silver box under seat. When you hit the starter does it flash? If not the Cam sensor could be the issue.

 

[HMAN]

Seeing how you have a 2004 model could be your cam sensor is giving up the ghost...

X2. Mine had very similar symptoms an the cam sensor plate was bad.

 

[liferider]

What year did S&S start using cam sensors. 2004 on the 117? What about earier models like the 2002 & 2003 107"s

 

[Five Five]

When you try to fire up the bike check the ThunderHeart light. Its the silver box under seat. When you hit the starter does it flash? If not the Cam sensor could be the issue.

X-2 :up:

 

[Chiefslapaho]

Coil tested this morning, that's not the problem. Guy at the shop said to look at my ignition. Anyone able to tell me what I'm looking for in the ignition or a way of checking to see if that's the issue?

 

[Chiefslapaho]

I think the Thunderheart flashes, but I'll have to verify that when I get a chance.

Thanks to everyone that's pitching in to help, I honestly appreciate it.

 

[RAW Blue Rider]

Ridgebacks Rule!

Here's a test for the cam sensor:
Cam/Crank Sensor
Here's how you separate the good from the bad cam sensor...
1. Disconnect the cam sensor from the ignition module.
2. Take out your trusty multimeter and set it to the RX1 scale.
3. Now while touching the sensor backing plate with the negative meter lead touch the positive meter lead on each of the three wires of the sensor connector (red, black, & green).
If you get continuity from the backing plate to any of them the sensor is bad.

If it passes the first test...
1. With your meter still at the same settings touch the positive meter lead to the green wire and the negative meter lead to the black wire. If you get an "open" it's good. (Any resistance is "bad")
2. Then take the positive meter lead and touch the black sensor wire while touching the negative meter lead to the green wire. In this case an "open" is bad. A reading somewhere around 300 - 750K-ohms is what you're looking for.

Hope this helps!

HAPPY MOTORING!

 

[Diesel Dan]

When you try to fire up the bike check the ThunderHeart light. Its the silver box under seat. When you hit the starter does it flash? If not the Cam sensor could be the issue.

x10.............If the red light on the Ignition module is not Pulsing when the bike is cranking over,thats because you lost your Input signal from the Cam sensor Bro!!!!!!! NO Input signal to the Ignition module from the Cam sensor,then it will not fire the coil.........

Take a Spark checking tool,remove plug wire and install tool,ground the tool.......Then crank over Scooter and check for spark WHILE watching the Ignition module......

If you need a Cam sensor hook up with Forum Vendor and Fellow Big Dog Brotha,Curtis...........OR Kaptin America from WSW (Wild Steed Worx)........He has them in stock and will help you out.......:up::up: