I may have screwed up, but it wouldn’t be the first… thanks for any help or info in advance
The bike: 2003 Road King EFI, K&N filter, V&H Pipes, 30,000 miles, serviced about 1000 miles ago. When parked, is plugged up to Battery Tender Jr and is always in maintenance mode within 10 minutes.

The back-story: Had an MC Tunes on the windshield I wanted to update, so I removed it and installed a marine JVC media deck in saddlebag and a marine controller on the dash. Followed the service manual for disassembly and reassembly for areas I wasn’t sure on. After I had remote and stereo in place, I tested it and once I was sure it was wired up correctly, I started re-assembly. It was getting late, and blah blah, I screwed up and hooked up a ground to itself. The next morning, ignition is clicking and it won’t start, so I re-trace steps and find the ground and re-wire and test again, and assemble again and hook it back up to BTJr and head to work, in my truck on a beautiful morning.

The problem: Come home from work and BTJr in Maintenance mode, unplugged and tested 30 minutes later 12.8v+-, so I throw the gear on to take a ride and it won’t start. Cranks perfectly, over and over, throw a little ether in and it runs a second or 2 till it burns up then the same thing, starving for fuel, but I notice the fuel gauge needle just has the warning light on, and fuel needle doesn’t move (is full, -45 miles and evap). In addition, I hear a noise, but not the same fuel pump priming noise I am used to. And, when I turn the kill switch off, or turn the ignition off, it sounds like bubbling, gurgling in or below the tank.

Steps to troubleshoot so far: double checked all my wiring. Checked all fuses, esp EFI and relays, checked the fuel pump, and will soon be sitting down with service manual and diagnosing everything. So I now have been without the bike all week and I am kicking myself for not being more careful, and not being able to figure out what I did to cause whatever is happening. The dash, seat, left side cover, and left saddlebag are all I had off the bike for installing the stereo, and I did drill a ½” hole in dash to mount the marine remote. I am hopeful that I will find it early in the troubleshooting and that I have not fried something expensive, but yet to be seen. This bike has been reliable as crap since I first sat on it, and not neglected on service.

My question(s): Anyone heard of anything like this before, or think I should jump straight to testing a certain sensor or voltage? Fuel needle and weird sound when killing power to Ignition/Run switch are what is really baffling me. This is my 2nd HD and those are new issues to me, but surely not to this group (2nd post, but been a member and reading/learning since 2006). Any help, advice, or similar experiences will be greatly appreciated.

thx,

 

sounds like hole in fuel line.

 

Yep sounds like the fuel line in the tank has developed some holes, that would be the bubbling sound I think.


I've read about it happening to some bikes, if the bike runs on ether (and you're brave for trying that in my opinion) then electrically everything must be good it's just not getting fuel. I doubt it has anything to do with the install you did.


Unless of course the fuel pump is not running?


Check the fuses, may have popped one while doing your install. It's easy enough to do.

 

When did you ride the bike last?
Did you check all the fuses under side cover?
Any chance a wire located at edge of seat front and then runs under tank is unplugged?

 

The day, HOUR before I installed the stereo, rode it home from work. I have checked all fuses, visually and with a continuity tester the 2nd time. I have pulled the canopy off the tank, and it the fuel pump is priming, there are no obvious leaks in the two hoses (the draining, gargling sound when hitting the kill or ignition switch is weird still). I would like to say there are no wires unplugged since I have checked visually again, and with volt meter, but as I am troubleshooting, I am going to check again.

Thanks for the input so far guys, I am listening and checking as if I haven't looked at all, even tho I am up to twice already, so if you think anything else at all, throw it out here, I'll try it because I'm sure stumped.

 

Disconnect negative battery cable and reconnect

 

Ok, they aren't corroded or anything, but I took it off, and scrubbed with a wire brush just to make sure of a good connection, and to leave it off long enough to reset anything that might need reset. No change.