Mileage continues to drop

[tkd]

A few weeks ago I posted that my mileage seemed to be slipping. The bike is an 07 1600 with Baggers & a cobra to remap the fuel. I tried a couple of tanks with seafoam & made sure everything was clean on the intake side of things (butterflies, filter, etc). I even reset my cobra to 3-5-0 from the 3.5-6-6 it was at.

My milage this time around was 24mpg highway. It has dropped from 37 when I got the bike earlier this summer to 24 and some change. I also smell fuel as if the bike is running rich when at idle. At this rate, there is not much benefit to driving the bike over my Expedtion, which gets 20 on the road. The weather has gotten cooler, but I would have expected that to help. Also, gas is same grade & from the same station.


I guess I'm a little dissapointed. Anyone?

[formikec]

Is it leaking fuel? If you're smelling it I would suspect you have a leak somewhere.

[blowndodge]

I'd try even lower settings until I could initiate ping. Keep backing it down.....

[macmac]

A 3 pot cobra fuel modual? I have never had one. So I can't suggest more than dial it all to off, and see what happens.

Then do 1 pot at a time back from there..

[cactusjack]

Try something like 1.5-4.0-0 on the Cobra and see what happens.

[macmac]

I would agree with Cj... I just wish i had more hands on info.. many times a slight turn is all you need. I think many guys tend to set more than one pot at a time and sorta call it good to go...

Each pot should be 'worked up' one at a time.

[rewindgy]

I've got mine at 1.5 - 2.5 - 0 Mileage is around 45 mpg at 70 mph. If it's windy it goes down if not it can go up! If you put all three pots at zero and the mileage still sucks it's not the TFI! I tried mine and it goes back to stock complete with pinging / hesitation at starting off & really lean plug color! Even the pipes were starting to blue when I turned it off!

[tkd]

Guys,

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think it's a fuel leak--I can't find any tell-tale signs and basically, it smells like it is running very rich at idle.

I'll continue to play with the pots one at a time. If all else fails, I can always set it back to where it was when I got it I guess.

[blowndodge]

Just found out my TFI techlusion shipped today!

I'd take CJ recommendations for now since he had the same product as you.

Mac, where did you say your settings are? Mine should be less when I hook it up. Open up left side and bafflectomy. Pulling all the resistors out this weekend and going with just the TFI 4 pot.

[dogdoc]

BD does these TFI's come with settings for Nomad with certain pipes or just bone stock and its up to every person to play with the settings?? Your settins will be different than mine since i have V&H pipes, etc, if you put K&N filter on the left vs the right what settings change then?? Thanks, :-)

[macmac]

BD, my current settings are
pot 1 1:30 (idle mix and it stays there)
pot 2 3:30 (fuel like a adjustable accelerator pump on a Holly)
pot 3 1:00 (time duration for pot 2 and adjustable depending on what you want from pot 2)
pot 4 12:30 (off)


BD and Doc, Set up pot 1 first. Chances are from the off (12:30 setting) as you slowly turn the pot screw clockwise with the engine already warmed up, engine rpm will increase to be too high for normal idle. If it gets to be too high drop the black screw knob under the right side dog bowl/air filter to about right, and then work pot 1 some more to BE TOO RICH on purpose.

So you will hear a drop in engine rpm, and smell fuel. You need to find too much fuel to set the setting right.

Once you have found the drop in rpm, back off pot 1 to best engine rpm (counter clock wise). Set the black knob again to best engine rpm. Refine these more if you wish. The last setting on pot 1 will be on the rich side of best engine rpm. This is a very fine detail in turning the screw on pot 1. Another way to say it is the rich side of best idle.

Go ride around some.. test the over all setting for idle, with out messing with pots 2 and 3..

Pot 1 has 'over lap' so expect more power than you had. Be sure the engine doesn't get into race mode when you want to slow down or brake.

Like adjusting any carbs, you can create a setting where driving leans things out, as settings can load the intake with more fuel than what was ment.

Be sure pot 1 is set right, then move on to pot 2 and 3. Pots 2 and 3 can have custom settings. The one I use now is for economy, and the one for horsing around town is different.

Pot 2 and 3 need wide open cop free roads where you can twist up the wick in a demon like fashion, and not get caught! Full blast wide open throttle.... weeeeee....... Hold on tight because you have release a monster. This 10% is right in the seat of the pants power.

Remember each bike is different, but not usually so much different drastic settings wouldn't compare in the same type of fuel modual, and is why I can't be specific with a cobra 3 pot set up.

I like things simple, and so getting a power Commander that down loads things off the web, and then fooling with the custom pots it has, only to risk the dammned thing forgets, isn't for me. If someone gave me one i wouldn't use it. When i ride I want to ride and not take a lap top that I don't even own, into some pc cafe' and get another down load, or do any of what ever it is that goes with it. It just is too complicated to suit me.

Before I take a full broadside. I am sure guys smarter than me like the PC III, and have places, toys and cd drives that can do all that stuff, but i don't and I don't want too. Hell, I don't even own a cell phone.

[Top Cat]

When i ride I want to ride and not take a lap top that I don't even own, into some pc cafe' and get another down load, or do any of what ever it is that goes with it. It just is too complicated to suit me.

I gotta tell ya, I like the way this guy thinks, sometimes ;)
Don't go anywhere mac, I like reading your posts

[macmac]

Geese, maybe I should change my handle to "old long hair country boy GURU" , but that seems a bit too complicated too! Thanks though, first nice thing that happened today, and it's 9:58 pm.

Not every day is a winner day when you mess about with wiring and metal, and today wasn't a winner of a day. Oh well, I will just beat it all into submission in the morning.