Hi guys, I joined today because I am super frustrated with my new purchase. I bought a 2003 Bigdog Bulldog with 3800 miles on it. I took it out about 10 times, with many problems. The bike seems fine for a short time, from 20 to 40 minutes of driving, before I start having trouble. I will be driving along when the bike starts to sputter like it's loosing fuel and power. It sometimes stalls completely other times I can make it home. When it stalls I have trouble restarting the bike. Ultimately it restarts so far, but I am worried that it may not and I will have to get towed. Any ideas? Thanks.
2003 Bulldog shutting down
- Thread starter Rich9426
- Start date
Matt Moore
Member
Dont lose faith
Hi Rich,
The 2003 bulldog is an awesome bike. Some of the people at the factory will argue that it was the best bike built by Big Dog. I'm sure with a little more input we can easily get the bottom of your trouble. The problem you are encountering is not uncommon. Here are a few questions that can steer us in the right direction:
1.) When the bike begins to sputter, does the headlight/speedo/power stay on or does everything turn off?
2.) When the bike dies are you immediately able to engage the starter and turn the engine over?
3.) Next time the bike begins sputtering, unscrew the gas cap slightly and see if the bike begins to run a little better. This is usually accompanied by a "sucking" or "Vacuum" sound. This would tell you that you have a fuel tank venting problem. A lot of times this is cause by the white EPA vent installed on the bottom side of the fuel cap. If it is in there, simply unscrew it counterclockwise and it should make a huge difference.
4.) Are there any electronic modifications to the bike (LEDs, etc)
5.) Last but not least, make sure your battery cables are tight.
Hi Rich,
The 2003 bulldog is an awesome bike. Some of the people at the factory will argue that it was the best bike built by Big Dog. I'm sure with a little more input we can easily get the bottom of your trouble. The problem you are encountering is not uncommon. Here are a few questions that can steer us in the right direction:
1.) When the bike begins to sputter, does the headlight/speedo/power stay on or does everything turn off?
2.) When the bike dies are you immediately able to engage the starter and turn the engine over?
3.) Next time the bike begins sputtering, unscrew the gas cap slightly and see if the bike begins to run a little better. This is usually accompanied by a "sucking" or "Vacuum" sound. This would tell you that you have a fuel tank venting problem. A lot of times this is cause by the white EPA vent installed on the bottom side of the fuel cap. If it is in there, simply unscrew it counterclockwise and it should make a huge difference.
4.) Are there any electronic modifications to the bike (LEDs, etc)
5.) Last but not least, make sure your battery cables are tight.
I agree, hang in there! I was feeling the very same way when I was having problems right after I bought my Dog. I found this site and the guys on here are not only incredibly helpful and knowledgeable but they understand those who are new to the Big Dog experience and they are patient and willing to help. They like to kid and razz but there's nothing better than a little humor and sarcasm to lighten the mood!
LARS
sippin & cruzin
An 03 with 3800 miles on it,check the gas tank liner make sure it's not coming apart and getting sucked over to the petcock.Not a ton of miles sounds like the bike sat alot and the ethanol in the gasoline is shredding the liners,at least mine.Anyway,it's worth lookin into. Good luck.
Hi guys, the bike does have LEDS under the tank, but I have them disconnected because of battery drain. I always back off on the gas cap 1/4 turn before the click.After riding for a while the bike stalls then The bike will turn over but not start immediately. Sometimes it takes 10 to 15 minutes to start. I couldn't tell you if the lights go in and out. The lights on the handle bars are lit. The battery cables are tight but have loosened in the past. Seems like too many wires on the terminals, but they all must be needed. I have the bike in a shop and they are dyno-ing it tomorrow, I am not sure that will help but can't hurt. The bike did sit for a while before I bought it. Please help because it is 68 degrees out in Rhode Island and there are not many of these left.
Last edited:
Matt Moore
Member
couple thoughts
From the info you described, the problem sounds like it is instigated by heat or vacuum. Here are the likely culprits:
Fuel: improperly venting gas tank or clogged petcock. You can rule out the vent issue if the problem resolves itself when the fuel cap is completely removed. Check this first. If that is not it, check for a clogged petcock (usually caused by a bad liner). To do this, simply fill the tank with fuel and let the bike sit for a while so the liner particles settle to the bottom of the tank. Then switch the bike to reserve and and see if the problem occurs. When the bike starts sputterig, switch back to "on" (not reserve) and see if anything changes. If the bike starts to run better, the bottom of your tank is probably crudded up with tank liner. Keep in mind that some liner particles can float, if you can visually see particles floating in there, perform the opposite sequence.
Electrical: Some 2003 bikes had a problem with the computer malfunctioning when the bike gets hot. These problems were hard for technicians to duplicate in shops because they rarely ran them enough on the road to get them hot enough to fail. If you do not have a fuel problem (See above), it is very likely this is your problem. The computers for 2003s can be hard to find out there. However, I can probably modify one of the other ones to work for you. Let me know what you find out and I will try to get you what you need. Simply shoot an e-mail to Matt.Moore@bdm.com. Good luck. Awesome bike. Well get you fixed up.
From the info you described, the problem sounds like it is instigated by heat or vacuum. Here are the likely culprits:
Fuel: improperly venting gas tank or clogged petcock. You can rule out the vent issue if the problem resolves itself when the fuel cap is completely removed. Check this first. If that is not it, check for a clogged petcock (usually caused by a bad liner). To do this, simply fill the tank with fuel and let the bike sit for a while so the liner particles settle to the bottom of the tank. Then switch the bike to reserve and and see if the problem occurs. When the bike starts sputterig, switch back to "on" (not reserve) and see if anything changes. If the bike starts to run better, the bottom of your tank is probably crudded up with tank liner. Keep in mind that some liner particles can float, if you can visually see particles floating in there, perform the opposite sequence.
Electrical: Some 2003 bikes had a problem with the computer malfunctioning when the bike gets hot. These problems were hard for technicians to duplicate in shops because they rarely ran them enough on the road to get them hot enough to fail. If you do not have a fuel problem (See above), it is very likely this is your problem. The computers for 2003s can be hard to find out there. However, I can probably modify one of the other ones to work for you. Let me know what you find out and I will try to get you what you need. Simply shoot an e-mail to Matt.Moore@bdm.com. Good luck. Awesome bike. Well get you fixed up.
Thank you Matt. I heard from the shop today, they changed out the petcock, the battery and a module. They didn't say which but it wasn't the EHC. What other one could it be? I am working through the guy I bought it from so I got limited info and with the hurrican coming to my area, I can't get the bike till next week.
Matt Moore
Member
re:
They probably changed out the ignition module. It sounds like they are digging pretty deep to get your problem resolved. Keep us posted on the outcome of their diagnosis.
They probably changed out the ignition module. It sounds like they are digging pretty deep to get your problem resolved. Keep us posted on the outcome of their diagnosis.
stlmikie
I wish I had more money.
What's the labor rate? I couldn't see a compatant mechanic taking more than an hour or two.
BigDickPitBull
Active Member
competent is the key word
that just kinda sounds to me like with less than 1/4 tank, there is not enough weight (head pressure) to push the fuel past an obstruction.
Shouldn't need the 1/4 tank if everything is fine....I've run mine to reserve several time without problems.
Do you have a fuel filter in the fuel line? Some have trouble keeping up with the flow rate.
So what was the final total? Sounds like a decent tech which will help down the road.
As said, the cam sensor in the nose cone may have been the module replaced...I've had to do that myself before. Nice part is that it's a standard HD part.
Do you have a fuel filter in the fuel line? Some have trouble keeping up with the flow rate.
So what was the final total? Sounds like a decent tech which will help down the road.
As said, the cam sensor in the nose cone may have been the module replaced...I've had to do that myself before. Nice part is that it's a standard HD part.