Trouble-shooting

[bobhamlin]

Generally, I do not like to change too many things at one time - particularly when I working with new things.

Removing the emissions, putting in aftermarket air and installing a new fuel management system without riding in the interim meant that, if things didn't work properly, the problem(s) could lie anywhere. My lazy side, however, only wanted to take the tank off once.

Once re-assembled, my first task was to fill the gas tank (lighter tanks are easier to man-handle). And the ride to the station would warm up the engine so I could begin adjusting the TFI beyond the default settings. When I turned the key, I heard all the right noises, but there was no neutral light. The bike tried to start-- but wouldn't catch.

My catastrophic side immediately pinned the blame on the TFI. Those circuit card-sized gizmos!! Plug&play my butt! What could I have done wrong? I got off the bike and went over to my work bench to decide what tool to get-- the seat removing sockets? The small flat head screw driver to tweak the TFI? The allen to remove the nacelle?

While pondering, I looked at the bike. There, wrapped up nicely out of the way of the air mod, were the spark plug wires, unattached to the plugs (sheepish grin)

When I attached them to the plugs, she fired right up. But still no neutral light. I went to the gas station and, along the way, noticed small backfiring that I haven't heard since my first Classic, before the Coyote kit and larger jets. Hmm, I thought the TFI would put in more gas. When I downshifted into the gas station, the bike stalled. Hmm. Started right up after I filled the tank. When I went to reset my trip odometer, I noticed I had no digital information at all--in addition to no neutral light. I stalled two more times on the way home--on deceleration approaching a stop. Hmm.

With the bike warm, I decided to tackle the nacelle first. Pull seat and look at those connections? Or pull the nacelle? Since more wires went to the nacelle, it got honors. Yep, in addition to spark plug wires, I had also neglected to connect the big harness. (Sheepish grin. Who wanted to get out and ride?) All lights and digital display worked. Now for the TFI.

I used my flip-a-lever to hold the bike at about 2K rpm and began adjusting the first pot. I talked myself into hearing a difference, but it sure was subtle. The video made it look easy. And anyway, how the hell do you even know the TFI is working at all! Maybe I didn't hook it up right. Plug and play my butt!

I went into the house and composed a message asking if the TFI HAD to be hooked directly to the battery terminal, then looked at the Dobeck site. Right there on their video, I saw the TFI's LEDs working after the guy attached the ground wire to the battery terminal. I didn't remember seeing any LEDs. Did I fry the thing somehow? I had attached its ground to a vacant ground on the Centech fuse box. Did it have to be attached to the battery grnd?

I went back to the garage and attached the ground to the battery hold down. There's no enough space on the battery ground for every electric thing that wants a prime space.

I gingerly turned the key and the TFI blinked its green LED just like the instructions said it would. This time, when I adjusted the TFI's green pot, I could hear a difference.

I put everything together and rode about 80 miles. It feels mean! The de-baffled pipes sound perfect for me. I made a lot of stops and, the bike started on first turnover everytime!

It performed so well that I shared one of the laws of the universe about blue bikes in another thread (If your bike isn't blue, you might not want to read it).

Back to troubleshooting. My inattention caused the only problems. I was in a hurry to get to some stores and, well, I rushed it. What I'm happy about is that my trouble-shooting skills worked pretty well--overcoming that initial panic that SOMETHING MAJOR is wrong.

I'm trying to get the bike together because Angie and I are heading out in August for about 10 days. We're generally heading upper midwest, with Fargo being our turnaround spot (I really liked the movie, and I need to fill in some more of my US map.)

[cactusjack]

Before I changed careers around 20 years ago, I was employed in office equipment field service. I worked my way up from technician to field engineer to Sr. Field Engineer to Field Service Manager. I also did a fair amount of training new techs in a classroom and in the field. I spent a fair amount of time going over troubleshooting methodology. Poor troubleshooting skills wastes time and money. Some people are natural troubleshooters, others can do it with some training and some couldn't troubleshoot their way out of a phone booth. It can be a very valuable skill.

[Cajunrider]

Good job Bob. Don't feel bad. When I hooked up my first Hoppy, I put a 6 pin plug behind my right side cover. Checked everything with a test light after wiring up the plug. Everything was cool. Wired the other half of the plug to the Hoppy put the cover back on and had no lights on the trailer. Tested the Hoppy, alas no lights. Thought I had popped the fuse. Checked it and fuse was OK. Took the right side cover off and there were the two ends of the plug separate. I had forgotten to plug them together. Funny how a person who is tired and anxious can do silly stuff.

[dogdoc]

Thats the biggest reason for failures, being tired and maybe rushed. of course too many brewkies never hurts. :-)

[macmac]

Numba 1 thing to do is set pot 4 to 9:00, atleast no less than 4:00, or all you git is a solid red light.. means No workee..

Sounds like you got Pot 1 set, the reasin they want rpm is so it has more rpms to tell by.. Yoy can do it at dead idle and idle will rise.. It should rise to the point you need to turn the black air knob OUT some to get idle back.

Pot 2 should be set to 2:00 and tested from there maybe as far as 6:00. Where ever you think a hard roll on throttle is the best bang in the butt ends that testing.

Pot 3 should be off and no more than 1:00 if you insist.

Pot 4 once the system is set up can be lowered to where ever you don't have a steady red ligh. It counts rpm... not fuel

[phenrichs]

bob I would really like a bigger photo of that air intake. It sure looks nice in your sigline pic.