Possible fix for 2008 Mastiff Shutting Off????

[smartinez1984]

So I drove my '08 Mastiff from Round Rock, TX to San Antonio, TX this past Friday to get the 500 mile service. On the way there I noticed that it would sputter, once in a while sort of hiccup, like it wanted to turn off... this while going about 75 mph on IH35.

So, I dropped it off, left it there Friday, told them about the problem, and they said they'd have a look. I picked up the bike Saturday - tech said he replaced the plugs, did some minor adjustments, but that the bike was fine. So, I paid the folks and headed on home, with my wife following me in her car.

Just outside of SA, going about 75 mph again, the bike sputtered and shut off... :angry:

I coasted to the side of the highway and gave the folks at the dealership a call. They chatted with me for a while, asked me if the bike would start again, and it did. They told me I could bring it back or try to drive it home, and see if it happened again. I didn't feel like driving it back to the dealership so I drove off towards home again. Downtown Austin, sputtered, and turned off again...:angry: :angry: :angry:

I called the guys again, and this time, they asked me to take off the gas cap and let them know if it had a small white nut-looking thing on it. Sure enough, it did. He asked if I could take it off but I didn't have any tools. He said, drive it home, take that thing off, and everything should be good. Said something about California emissions requirements, that this thing was keeping fuel from dropping down to the carb lines, that air bubbles were being built, something like that (road noise, hard to hear).

I got home, took it off, and I am going to go ride it today to see if it makes a difference.

This make sense to anyone - does that sound like it could be the problem?

-Samson

 

[Vegas]

It could be the problem. Any other symptoms? Next time it does it hit the run button and see if it takes off again.

 

[lee]

sounds like a fuel issue to me but I am certainly no expert - presumably you have fuel in the bike? excuse the stupid question but its happened to me before and we've all done it - simple stuff first

 

[ChuckRB05]

re

I ran out gas the other day leaving my neighborhood. I switched it to reserved and It would start then sputter and die when I gave it gas. I walked it back to the garage, drained what little fuel I had then took out the fuel valve and cleaned it. It was filthy.

 

[GDOG_PITBULL]

So I drove my '08 Mastiff from Round Rock, TX to San Antonio, TX this past Friday to get the 500 mile service. On the way there I noticed that it would sputter, once in a while sort of hiccup, like it wanted to turn off... this while going about 75 mph on IH35.

So, I dropped it off, left it there Friday, told them about the problem, and they said they'd have a look. I picked up the bike Saturday - tech said he replaced the plugs, did some minor adjustments, but that the bike was fine. So, I paid the folks and headed on home, with my wife following me in her car.

Just outside of SA, going about 75 mph again, the bike sputtered and shut off... :angry:

I coasted to the side of the highway and gave the folks at the dealership a call. They chatted with me for a while, asked me if the bike would start again, and it did. They told me I could bring it back or try to drive it home, and see if it happened again. I didn't feel like driving it back to the dealership so I drove off towards home again. Downtown Austin, sputtered, and turned off again...:angry: :angry: :angry:

I called the guys again, and this time, they asked me to take off the gas cap and let them know if it had a small white nut-looking thing on it. Sure enough, it did. He asked if I could take it off but I didn't have any tools. He said, drive it home, take that thing off, and everything should be good. Said something about California emissions requirements, that this thing was keeping fuel from dropping down to the carb lines, that air bubbles were being built, something like that (road noise, hard to hear).

I got home, took it off, and I am going to go ride it today to see if it makes a difference.

This make sense to anyone - does that sound like it could be the problem?

-Samson

Check my prior postings, been here, done this!
G

 

[smartinez1984]

sounds like a fuel issue to me but I am certainly no expert - presumably you have fuel in the bike? excuse the stupid question but its happened to me before and we've all done it - simple stuff first

Yea, I'd filled up when leaving San Antonio. This has actually happened before, about 2 weeks after I bought it - I actually posted about the problem, thinking I had filled with bad gas, or had started to run out.

I rode for about 30 minutes today, no problems as of yet. I'll see how it goes the next time I go longer, see if I encounter the problem again.

Weird...

 

[smartinez1984]

Check my prior postings, been here, done this!
G

I tried to find your posting regarding this but I'm not a pro at moving around this type of site... can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

 

[rwill20]

Sounds like a venting problem, just my thoughts.

 

[Gas Man]

The white thing on the bottom side of the gas cap is part of the vent. Remove it... its garbage!

This is what you want

Also, as they said you could check the petcock for debris... Lord knows I have been there... http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/technical/111-good-fuel-filter.html

However, based on your speed I'm betting you were between 2500 & 3000 rpms.. right where your super g would be transistion between the inter. jet and the main jet. How do your plugs look? I'm betting a bit white. If its not the venting, I would go here before I check the petcock. My bet would be if the plugs do show some signs of lean... that you need to go up a size on your int jet and re-adjust the carb.

my $0.02

 

[Fibersnake]

Had mine do the same thing a few times. Read on the old site about the white emission BS plug. Took it off and never had an issue again.

Also as already mentioned, do not forget to pull the fuel valve occasionally (as per the O & M schedule) and clean that sucker. It does get debris occasionally.

Good luck and keep us informed if the removal of the white plug seem to make the difference.

 

[smartinez1984]

The white thing on the bottom side of the gas cap is part of the vent. Remove it... its garbage!

This is what you want

Also, as they said you could check the petcock for debris... Lord knows I have been there... http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/technical/111-good-fuel-filter.html

However, based on your speed I'm betting you were between 2500 & 3000 rpms.. right where your super g would be transistion between the inter. jet and the main jet. How do your plugs look? I'm betting a bit white. If its not the venting, I would go here before I check the petcock. My bet would be if the plugs do show some signs of lean... that you need to go up a size on your int jet and re-adjust the carb.

my $0.02

Yup - that's exactly what the fuel cap looks like now, after removing that white "plug" from it. I rode once yesterday - so far so good. Plugs are brand new, they were replaced that same day by the BDM dealership...

Thanks for all the info - I'll keep you all posted on the results.

-Samson

 

[Dawgboy]

So I drove my '08 Mastiff from Round Rock, TX to San Antonio, TX this past Friday to get the 500 mile service. On the way there I noticed that it would sputter, once in a while sort of hiccup, like it wanted to turn off... this while going about 75 mph on IH35.

So, I dropped it off, left it there Friday, told them about the problem, and they said they'd have a look. I picked up the bike Saturday - tech said he replaced the plugs, did some minor adjustments, but that the bike was fine. So, I paid the folks and headed on home, with my wife following me in her car.


-Samson

Paid them for what? 08 with 500 miles... WTF??

 

[smartinez1984]

Paid them for what? 08 with 500 miles... WTF??

Hmm... paid for the massage? The lap dance? Oh, wait... no, paid for the 500 mile service.

Yep, 500 miles... Bought the bike mid January, have driven it 500'ish miles...

Is it supposed to stay parked in the garage?

 

[Chopper Dave]

Hmm... paid for the massage? The lap dance? Oh, wait... no, paid for the 500 mile service.

Yep, 500 miles... Bought the bike mid January, have driven it 500'ish miles...

Is it supposed to stay parked in the garage?

damn dude! when I bought my bike.....my dealer took care of my 500 mile service....I didn't pay anything!

 

[smartinez1984]

damn dude! when I bought my bike.....my dealer took care of my 500 mile service....I didn't pay anything!

Really??????? I need to give my dealership a call...

sucks...

Where's the icon for crying????????????????

Which begs a question - how many folks have encountered the same - where the dealership pays for the 500 mile checkup?

 

[ajo771]

Ya, I didn't pay for my 500 mile either.

 

[smartinez1984]

Ya, I didn't pay for my 500 mile either.

Ok... now i'm REALLY pissed...:angry:

Time to make a call to my dealership...

 

[haze324]

YES the gas cap issue.

I rode my bike home the day I got it and about 1 1/2 into the ride home it sputtered and died. I had no clue there was a gas cap venting issue with the dogs, but I checked to see if I had gas and that released the air and I was back on the road again.

I've had it happen to me a few times but the last straw was this weekend. I had just put some new pipes on my bike and tuned my carb and I was riding through South Beach on a Saturday night and my bike sputtered and died right at the center of the strip with everyone looking at my bike. First thought was "oh shit, whats wrong with the dog. 1. Carb 2. Did I run out of gas. 3. Who knows and then I rememberd the gas cap. I pulled it off and immediately heard the air vacume release. I took the vent off with my teeth!!!! :bang: put the sucker back on and cranked up the dog and kept on with my night.

 

[Black Dawg]

Do your own maintenance (it's easy) and avoid the monkeys banging on your bike and charging you for the privilege.

Since it appears you have aftermarket pipes you really need to bump the intermediate jet to a .031 (.0295 is stock). Gas is right on the money, you're probably running very lean (which can shut the motor off, it happened to me awhile back). The gas cap trick is a great idea. I'm on my way to the garage now to do the same thing.

EDIT: Just checked my gas cap and it doesn't have any plastic cap inside, it looks like the pic above. I must have the increased emission's model. lol

 

[PROFLYER]

I got my 500 and 2500 free and 50% off the 5000....I'm gonna do it myself from here on out thanks to the all knowing and holy Gasman (when do the votes for "saint" go in anyway?)