Its been a while and its baaaack!!!

[2wheelmadman]

Thought I had chased the ghost away, its been almost a year since the motor on my 04 Ridgeback took a dump while riding...Now it seems to have morphed into something slightly different, when it used to suddenly shut down I could turn the key off, turn it back on and the bike would backfire and start up again while still rolling. Now when it shuts down, turning the key off and back on does nothing and I am forced to pull over. Here's the weird part, although the bike will turn over once stopped, it will not start up immediately, I have to leave it sit for just a minute or 2 and then it fires up every time.
I don't know what it is again, but I'm pretty sure its not electrical or vapor lock. The last time it dumped I didn't touch the key, pulled off the road and the lights, indicators, horn all still worked. I also had the gas cap off in my tool bag so vapor lock is probably out too.
Anyone got any suggestions here? Im getting ready to make a bonfire out of a pretty, but unreliable bike...

 

[Mikeinjersey]

Thought I had chased the ghost away, its been almost a year since the motor on my 04 Ridgeback took a dump while riding...Now it seems to have morphed into something slightly different, when it used to suddenly shut down I could turn the key off, turn it back on and the bike would backfire and start up again while still rolling. Now when it shuts down, turning the key off and back on does nothing and I am forced to pull over. Here's the weird part, although the bike will turn over once stopped, it will not start up immediately, I have to leave it sit for just a minute or 2 and then it fires up every time.
I don't know what it is again, but I'm pretty sure its not electrical or vapor lock. The last time it dumped I didn't touch the key, pulled off the road and the lights, indicators, horn all still worked. I also had the gas cap off in my tool bag so vapor lock is probably out too.
Anyone got any suggestions here? Im getting ready to make a bonfire out of a pretty, but unreliable bike...

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A common failure for your symptom is an intermittent Cam sensor. The cam sensor can heat up and fail and work when it cools off. Check out all the related connectors in the ignition system to ensure they are tight and clean. Re-seat the connector on the EHC. If you don't have success it's not a bad idea to just replace the sensor as they are not expensive and it is very difficult to definitively troubleshoot an intermittent sensor failure. Worst case you would have an extra sensor in your tool bag but you would have eliminated a very probable cause for your failure.

 

[knothead]

Its the cam sensor causing it, im 99.9% sure....70.00 dollars and it will be fixed...

Oh and post a pic of your bike when you get some time so we can see it....i might be interested in buying it before you decide to burn it lol or if you decide to sell it some day....im pretty fond of the 04 ridgebacks...

 

[2wheelmadman]

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A common failure for your symptom is an intermittent Cam sensor. The cam sensor can heat up and fail and work when it cools off. Check out all the related connectors in the ignition system to ensure they are tight and clean. Re-seat the connector on the EHC. If you don't have success it's not a bad idea to just replace the sensor as they are not expensive and it is very difficult to definitively troubleshoot an intermittent sensor failure. Worst case you would have an extra sensor in your tool bag but you would have eliminated a very probable cause for your failure.

Tx Mike in Jersey
I have already replaced the cam sensor, all connections are tight and clean, no EHC, I'm pretty meticulous with maintenance.
Its such a pain in the ass not to mention dangerous as hell trying to navigate off a 3 lane hwy. I now ride only on secondary roads where a quick exit to the side is usually fairly easy. Still, every ride makes me anxious that it may not fire back up.
Would a faulty cam sensor shut the engine down and not affect the electrical? Horn, lights etc? I cant seem to get a 100% yes or no from what I've read.

 

[Sven]

Would a faulty cam sensor shut the engine down and not affect the electrical? Horn, lights etc? I cant seem to get a 100% yes or no from what I've read.

Yes. 100%.

Faulty cam sensors makes AC up the wires. Goes directly into the electronic module for a spark signal out of the module.

How about 15yrs worth of electrolysis at the copper pins at the E-box? Condensation and just E going thru wires and at the connection, like looking at the battery and that corrosion due to heat, chemical reaction and electricity.

Spark Loop Jobbers:
1. Coils. Keeps starting and running. It should misfire?
2. Ignition module. Don't know if the H is an all in one and ignition module inside?
3. Sensor plate. Now we are at a crossroads to converted to a cam sensor at the cone?
4. Because I'm now saying crank sensor at the front of the case and reads off the crank's square cuts all around the throw?

So IF we are down to the only 3 in the loop:
I changed the cam sensor off the front of the case?
OR
I changed the crank sensor at the case?
OR
I changed the Sensor Plate out of the cone?

So if part is new out of the cone, has to be module. That or the new cam sensor is faulty. I doubt if a wire hooks back up 3 lanes over and starts back up again.

 

[Pddain]

Just for shits and grins, chech your petcock to see if your tank liner is peeling. Symptom is it acts like vapor lock and when you sit for a bit it clears up sometimes. Shooting in the dark but worth a look.

 

[Sven]

I don't know, Pddain, maybe a little shit, but grins? You bet! That 3 lane is a high speed run for some flapping and clogging if you saw tank peel like I see a thread where I might get lucky and I have this goatee growing so long, soon I can fold it up to my nose and say, yeah, that was what's her name from 3 days ago.

 

[Pddain]

I don't know, Pddain, maybe a little shit, but grins? You bet! That 3 lane is a high speed run for some flapping and clogging if you saw tank peel like I see a thread where I might get lucky and I have this goatee growing so long, soon I can fold it up to my nose and say, yeah, that was what's her name from 3 days ago.

What the hell are you talking about?

 

[Sven]

LOL

Flapping peel so loose; it's go to a thread here that is some bend over and something is clogging some tiny hole with that much flap?

That a high speed lane times 3 is get the fuck out of the way or run with the pack. That much suck? Has to happen fast is the fuel feed demand it will expose the clit soon.

Ain't the fuel lick, I mean LOOP it is not.

 

[Mikeinjersey]

Tx Mike in Jersey
I have already replaced the cam sensor, all connections are tight and clean, no EHC, I'm pretty meticulous with maintenance.
Its such a pain in the ass not to mention dangerous as hell trying to navigate off a 3 lane hwy. I now ride only on secondary roads where a quick exit to the side is usually fairly easy. Still, every ride makes me anxious that it may not fire back up.
Would a faulty cam sensor shut the engine down and not affect the electrical? Horn, lights etc? I cant seem to get a 100% yes or no from what I've read.

Yes, as Sven points out the cam sensor is only a signal. Because of where it's located it is prone to getting hot and failing. It only has one function and that is to signal the Ignition module when to fire the coil. Assuming your ignition system is stock, you have a duel fire coil which can also fail intermittently and cause the same symptom your getting. A single fire system would be more likely to misfire not crap out because it's like having 2 coils and it would be unlikely both would fail at the same time causing the engine to totally stop. Again, intermittent electrical problems can be difficult to troubleshoot. Since you already replaced the cam sensor it would make sense to take a real close look at the coil. It could have a small crack or some other visual clue. If you don't see any visual clue look up how to test the coil with an ohm meter but again if it only fails when hot it could read good and still be bad.
How long ago did you replace the Cam sensor? Unfortunately there is also a a small possibility it was defective Also what do you mean in your post "no EHC" ? Are you old school wired?

 

[Sven]

https://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Ignition-coil-4-1024x1022.jpg

Single coil dual plug leads. Two threaded studs out the coil. That says; single wire in-wrapped-single wire out. So make it look easy looking at the same two studs without the second plug lead; then look at the smaller wires leading to the pri-w. So it can't be coil if wire in-wire out is the series and parallel with the plug. One side fails it all goes belly up for spark or misfire... single coil wire being the example. Heat should be up a lot faster than getting the crank sensor eventually reaching some running spec temp and take a shit the next crank entry and die. Coil should be running like crap before the signal I more thing it is.

So being more in series out the studs... Not it. It has to interfere with the second plug lead wired to the secondary winding. Has to break the little wire size to the pri-w. Or it has to break at the wire in wire out somewhere. Back to not it. If cracked and heats up, never heard a coil act the sensor cam/crank, dropout without a misfire and comeback online cooling off.

Crank sensor = is one wire. New? How many new fail around here?
Cam Plate = is one wire old style. But if adjustable, more than 3 wire.

So you want one of those yes or no's about the ECH acting like a crank sensor before it turns into a Brick. Yes or no?

I mean that is the loop, right here:
Not wiring - Not 3 lanes over and the wire reconnects at each coincidence?
Not coil - Smells like, looks like wire in wire out.
Not sensor - New? Odds say?
EHC - This guy closes the spark loop... Yes or no?

Only a seasoned member knows for sure.

 

[Sven]

Throw a timing light at the bike and watch the spark. Should never miss a beat. I'd hate throwing parts at it, but that's pay for the diagnose just may be more expensive than rather you throw that at the new coil... if you think of sending it to a shop.

Because coil and E-box are left in that loop. Send the brick in to be checked. Coil you found out does the same thing. Brick act the boat anchor?

You either have to love the work, spend the money, or bail out now and don't spend another dime on it. The match is more towards the newer upgrade, let the other guy pull their hair out. Unless you have the green to watch it go up in flames.