Weird Electrical thing happened today.

[spiderjason]

Ok, I know there are always crazy electrical issues but I'm going to ask anyway.

Ok, I'll start with last week I took my battery out of the bike and put it on a slow charge over night because the bike wouldn't start.
last week i put the battery back in drove the bike killed it and started again to make sure the battery would still start the bike.

Today i started it for the first time since last week. the bike first started ran for a few seconds died. I started the bike again and it ran but it was ideling really bad. Then the RPM lights just started flashing I mean all of the RPM lights when flashing while it was ideling. I killed the bike started it again and it was doing the same thing ideling bad and all of the RPM lights flashing.

Then I did the reset again because my K-9 is EFI. Where you turn the key on hit run then turn off and wait for 15 seconds to reset the computer. Then after I did that the bike ran good. The only weird thing was I did this last week and it ran fine I really not sure why it needed to be reset again. If that is even what fixed the problem.

 

[Eric]

low RPM makes all tach lights flash... need to use volt meter to check bat voltage before cranking & after, to check if charging corectly

 

[Night Train]

Check your idle air control valve, (black thing coming right off the top of the throttlebody). Make sure it is not gummed up and it moves when you turn the key off and then on and press run. Is your check engine light coming on? There had been issues with the temp sensor as well.

Try this if your battery checks out good.

Post results.

 

[spiderjason]

Check your idle air control valve, (black thing coming right off the top of the throttlebody). Make sure it is not gummed up and it moves when you turn the key off and then on and press run. Is your check engine light coming on? There had been issues with the temp sensor as well.

Try this if your battery checks out good.

Post results.

I will look at that tomorrow and no my check engine light does not stay on. I can't remember when it was ideling bad earler i believe it was on then. But my check engine light has never stayed on. Only on for a second or two when I first start the bike.

 

[fmschatz]

On the EFI , the computer relearns itself after riding 20 miles. When you take loose the fuel line or disconnect the battery, it has to relearn. Use your battery tender.

 

[barhopper]

Thank God for carbs.

 

[BadBrad]

I guess I would check the easy stuff first. If it's running rough, check out the plugs and make sure you don't have one that is fouled.

Like Eric said, when your RPM's get below 900, all the tach lights will flash to let you know the idle is set too low. I don't know a damn thing about EFI, but I"m sure you can adjust the idle on it somewhere.

 

[spiderjason]

On the EFI , the computer relearns itself after riding 20 miles. When you take loose the fuel line or disconnect the battery, it has to relearn. Use your battery tender.

Well I haven't put 20 miles on the bike since I unhooked the battery but it looks like it is running normal. very now and then it is ideling as low as 500 RPm but it seems to go back to 1000 RPMs after a second or two. Like I said I haven't put 20 miles on the bike yet maybe the computer is still learning. I should be going to a biker rally this weekend so I should be putting some miles on the bike.

 

[Blades]

Wondering

I am wondering if it is the same thing for a carb pooch. I changed my pipes from the vance & hines shorties with baffles to the samson zoomies no baffles, and then it started doing the light flashing thing. I have not paid attention to the rpm's until the lights started flashing. Will they flash on low rpm's also on carbed dogs? :zzsorry:Stupid question :bang:but new to the pack.

 

[stlmikie]

I would go out on a limb and say yes Blades. Better safe than sorry huh?

 

[bigdogtech01]

I am wondering if it is the same thing for a carb pooch. I changed my pipes from the vance & hines shorties with baffles to the samson zoomies no baffles, and then it started doing the light flashing thing. I have not paid attention to the rpm's until the lights started flashing. Will they flash on low rpm's also on carbed dogs? :zzsorry:Stupid question :bang:but new to the pack.

Yes they flash on carbed bikes as well, more comon than the EFI bikes because unlike the EFI, you can adjust your idle and it does not have all the electronics such as the idle control motor to adjust your idle automatically from cold to hot. Sounds like this guy has a head temp sensor or idle control motor issue. The EFI bikes should never have their tachs flash like that. You could try taking it into a dealer and have them hook it up to their computer and they should be able to tell what sensors are working correctly and what are not. Also I have had to reflash a few after having sat for a while with a dead battery. It's almost like the computer in the bike loses it's memory and you need to install it again. They can do this at a bigdog dealer as well.
With an EFI bike you need to keep that battery tender on it more so than carb bikes. Anytime that thing is sitting in your garage, plug it in. Good luck to ya and let us know what it is.:up:

 

[Blades]

Ok an update: I did notice that the tach lights flashed when rpm went under 1k but also notice that it was running very rich. I adjusted the air screw and it smoothed out and idled at just over 1k. Been driving it for a few hours and has not done any more light shows. Hopefully this resolved the issue if not my next step is going to be just adjust the idle screw to make sure its just over the mark. Thanks for the info.

 

[Vegas]

The lights will flash at first start up due to the friction of the oil. Once warmed up you shouldn't see the flashing light ever.

 

[Raywood]

Ok an update: I did notice that the tach lights flashed when rpm went under 1k but also notice that it was running very rich. I adjusted the air screw and it smoothed out and idled at just over 1k. Been driving it for a few hours and has not done any more light shows. Hopefully this resolved the issue if not my next step is going to be just adjust the idle screw to make sure its just over the mark. Thanks for the info.

Blades, don't be afraid to adjust any of those things. With the motor off turn each of them (idle, air/fuel and accelerator pump) in counting the number of turns and write them down. Then use that as a base to adjust by following the guidelines on the S&S website. It's real easy. S&S also recommends turning off your accelerator pump while tuning. Screw it in till it touches the pump arm.

As a base the air/fuel screw should be 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 turns out, the accelerator S&S states two turns out but that is up to you. This primes the carb at start-up and gives that quick boost when you open the throttle. Adjust the idle to keep it above 1000 rpm per the owners manual. If you didn't get a manual they are free for the downloading at the BDM website.

I soldered an FDR to my idle screw to make it easier to adjust and I play with it constantly to warm up the bike and such. Or I did till I got my Cruise-Mate!!

[/IMG]

Don't be afraid of it and yell if you need anything.

 

[bigdogtech01]

Ok an update: I did notice that the tach lights flashed when rpm went under 1k but also notice that it was running very rich. I adjusted the air screw and it smoothed out and idled at just over 1k. Been driving it for a few hours and has not done any more light shows. Hopefully this resolved the issue if not my next step is going to be just adjust the idle screw to make sure its just over the mark. Thanks for the info.

Not a bad idea to take your fuel screw out every now and then and check to make sure it does not have a small groove worn into it. If the needle has any amount of groove on it's taper then replace it with a new one. This groove will cause the bike to run too rich and will be hard to find the correct adjustment.
DO like Ray described to re adjust it after install. :up:

 

[Blades]

Not a bad idea to take your fuel screw out every now and then and check to make sure it does not have a small groove worn into it. If the needle has any amount of groove on it's taper then replace it with a new one. This groove will cause the bike to run too rich and will be hard to find the correct adjustment.
DO like Ray described to re adjust it after install. :up:

Thanks, will check on that:up: