engine cut out

Energy One

kklizzy11

New Member
Well I just bought an 04 ridgeback and I'm not really familiar with the gauges or motor. the motors starts fine and will run well as long as I roll into the throttle slow, but it starts to cut out and sputter around 3500rpm when it does the speedo cuts out too. when I start it up the tach. seems bright and easy to see, start riding and the tach lights are still on but dimmer. when I get to about 3500 the first green light on the tach starts flashing(bright) I was told the wiring was all redone but not sure. I can't roll hard on the throttle without it stuttering
thanks for the help
 

Dakotabos

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Several small issues not related in my opinion. 1st check your plugs. I know you replaced them but means you just got the bike thats the easy way to tell if you are running Lean (Bet you are). Where did the bike come from and where you at now, a big change in elevation can starve an engine (Anything over 1000 Feet can affect performance) Dont believe it but been told :cheers:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_uH72wDTL0]Carb Jetting and Tuning - S&S Super E & G Carburetor - YouTube[/ame]
Easy Stuff

If you have questions how to read your plugs Just ask. No Question is dumb becasue the simple stuff can bite you in the ass

When my bike was doing this it was the cam sensor wasnt working 100%. Talk about a pain in the ass troubleshooting it until it failed completely.
Well that will get you started.
 

Sven

Well-Known Member
Sounds more wire/ground/jobber related than a tuning [fuel] delivery problem. It is an 'input' is the frequency problem. This being a compuber bike, you need to know the reverse engineering to the computer. Or you be combuttear, crying how much left the wallet ass you reach around for it = See how I [keep working], but I vibrate and/or receive more voltage to my jobber and/or ground fault, being like it sounds like the components seem to keep starting up... To a point of (((Vibe))) @ 3,500 rpm.

1. What is the battery output past 2,000 rpm?
2. Are my battery posts tight at my battery's (+)&(-) posts?
3. And since I'm here feeling this out, what is my static voltage at the battery, being it sat now for awhile and how much are we looking at?
4. 12.8v is ideal. 12.6v is within range. 12.4v is not looking up to snuff. 12.0v is can't hold the 10th's of volts needed for sensor type jobbers needing a strong 5v. 11v all static is how you question the charging system?
5. Start and let the bike idle. 14.1/14.2 @ idle lets the bike be fed more than 13v @ idle. Then, blip the throttle to see if 14v is sustained with 10ths following.
a. It clears the charging system for shutter.
b. It clears the battery static if 12.4+v are showing a battery that can still hold over 12v.
c. It clears having a good ground from engine rotor/stator output to frame ground to battery ground and from pulling 14v+ to the 12v system.
d. It may, kind of, sort of, taking the guess = Jobber output signal's 5v ground in question, and/or jobber's frequency range out of spec.
6. Followed buy using a timing light taped to the handlebars.
a. Does my light shut off @ 3,500 rpm?
b. Does the spark keep a steady spark?
c. When the spark does die, is it at the same moment it hits 3,500 rpm?
 

kklizzy11

New Member
Dakota, bought the bike around Chicago and I live near green bay, so I don't believe elevation is playing a factor. only have a few miles on the new plugs so hard to read them yet. pulled the air filter off and it has a lot of gas on it. battery is showing 14.2v @ idle and mid 12s when @ about 2k rpm. tonight checked all the grounds I could find, gets to 3k-3500 rpm and it starts popping and cutting out
 

kklizzy11

New Member
well last night took the bike to a friend that is really into v twins and he helped adjust the carb. it was set pretty rich, we got it set fairly good going by ear. It still back fires and sputters around 3500 in the first 3 gears (I don't need to get more than that in higher gears) If I roll into the throttle slow it will behave till 3500-4000. next thing we're going to check is the timing and ignition
 

Dakotabos

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What size jets you have in there and what intake exhaust? Stock?
 

kklizzy11

New Member
Not sure on jets, didn't take bowl off. Exhaust is v&h 2into2 the airfilter looks like a stock unit for the super G
 

Dakotabos

Well-Known Member
Calendar Participant
Troop Supporter
Thats your Thunder Heart Ignition Module. Simple System lead runs from your Cam Sensor by your right heal (By your Foot Peg) to the Thunder Heart to your Coil to fire your bike. When you dont have that flashing light your bike wont run.......

Thats a stock ignition for our 04 Dogs
 

BigDogBro1

Made in the USA
Just a thought...The cam sensor could be dropping out or getting intermittent at that 3500 RPM range.

Any adjustable rev limter control built into the Thunder Heart system?
 

kklizzy11

New Member
ok so I took the carb apart and blew air through the jets and made sure everything was clean. took the bike for a ride and it still cut out, this time the bike shut right off and the head light went out. started right back up and it behaved as long as it doesn't go of 3500-4k. turned around and gave it a little bit and it shut down and the hazard lights came on ????? started right back up and babied it back. when I get to that 3500-4k mark the tack lights start blinking from 0-4k when it starts cutting out. where should I go from here
 

kklizzy11

New Member
changed the main jet today from .070 to .076 which is what s&s recommends. still getting the backfire and cutting out.

this box is under the ignition, it has a green light on it but it's not on when the bike is running. It appears that a lot of wires go in and then it was filled with silicone
 

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Dakotabos

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Your bike doesnt have an EHC anymore?

It could be a Cam Sensor. Does it happen all the time above 3500RPM? Pop your seat start your bike and rev it up. Watch the thunder heart red light. Does it stop flashing right before the bike dies? Curtis has the best deal on Cam Sensors. Thats kind of what mine was doing. The cam sensor was intermittent.
 

Sven

Well-Known Member
battery is showing 14.2v @ idle and mid 12s when @ about 2k rpm. tonight checked all the grounds I could find, gets to 3k-3500 rpm and it starts popping and cutting out
If she puts out 14.2v at idle, is at 12.5v for argument sake @ 2k rpm, to me it sounds like a low charging output and the bike demands over 12.?v is more like 13 + or a steady 14.2v to keep feeding a battery to keep the demand flowing?

I think I would have caught 'it starts right back up' was a clean carb all along. It needs all 3 blended circuits to act that instantly and that means clean to me. You have the one cam sensor variable cutting out. But if it was bad, how could it put out the correct wave form as it 'starts right up' each time?

I know that is one cam sensor variable having another bike cut out at said rpm. But this is like you checking compression first is the battery first. When the bike needs 5v in the computer world, the charging is not putting out 14.2v @ idle and now kicks down to 12v? There is demand all over that battery.

Watt are the book's number for charging output @ 2,000 rpm? Cutting out or shutting off that many times does not sound like carb needing cleaning or cam sensor waving buy-bye. JMO. I want to be wrong. But first the charging number before the wallet reach around trying out a cam sensor that may do the exact same thing. I'm just guessing/only saying.
 

kklizzy11

New Member
sven
don't have a service manual yet so I'm not sure what the output should be @2k rpm. I'm checking the wires tonight and since I have a helper will try and get more accurate #'s
 

kklizzy11

New Member
ok boys, here's the culprit. after greasing and checking all the plugs and wires in the battery area I took off the side cover that has the key and coil on it and checked those wires. had my buddy hold the cover while I started it and what do ya know, runs perfect. put it back on and runs like crap. take it back off and it runs great. most I can figure is that the key switch was vibrating to the point that it was shorting out. temporarily replaced it with a simple on/off switch till I get a new key

thanks guys for all your help
 

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