Major motor shutdown
#1
06-30-2008, 07:09 AM
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SW Iowa
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Major motor shutdown
turned out to be a simple problem. I had been experiencing some strange things lately such as failure to start, fuel pump not sequencing a \\;shutting off prior to pressing start rocker, and most recently starter lag or drag. \\; 800 miles ago I had it in to the dealership for it's 1000 mi service, ok, it was a little late as I had 1600 mi, but it ran great, and I wanted that break in oil broke in before dropped and replaced.Well
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Yesterday, I started out on a morning ride on my new Ultra (well, new 2500 mi ago), \\;got about 10 miles and voila, complete a motor shutdown at 60 mph...
I looked down at my gauges, everything red zero and I was rapidly coasting to a stop...then suddenly, my Ultra came to life, accellerated back to 60 mph and everything was cool... I sat there wondering what the H. happened, and again suddenly shutdown again...again rapidly coasting to a stop...when suddenly she came to life again and I accelerated back to 60mph..WOW! All I could think of was turn it around and get it home where I could get some help...After \\;several more \\;shutdown-restart incidents returning home, I noticed studying the Volt gauge, my battery voltage was dropping \\;from 14 to 10, then shutdown, then restart and back to 14, then back down to 10 maybe 8 then shutdown, then restarting while coasting down, and starting \\;back up...Seemed definitely electrical maybe an intermittent \\;dead short, or open circuit, or intermittant ECM Failure. I new it was major!!!
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Well, she got me home in spite of the shutdowns at speed and coasting restarts, and I immediately pulled out the took kit and \\;pulled off the seat, unsnapped the ecm, inspected the plug init looked fine, Pulled off the battery cover and found a loose battery positive terminal bold...I mean LOOSE! I took it out and you could see where it had been arcing on the bolt head underneath side...So, I torqued up the battery bolt, re attached the seat and started up.. Everything ran fine. Went for a ride, no problems. \\; Soooo, I feel confident I found the problem and corrected it as she runs fine, starts up fine, and acts like a new one.
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I have no idea why or how that positive terminal \\;bold worked lose (could it have been losened \\;during the \\;1k mi check?), \\;but I thought I'd pass along to you guys what I experienced. Just in case you have the same catestropic failure happen, pull off the seat and check your battery bolts before you start thinking the worse about the componets that failed and Harley Davidson!
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Yesterday, I started out on a morning ride on my new Ultra (well, new 2500 mi ago), \\;got about 10 miles and voila, complete a motor shutdown at 60 mph...
I looked down at my gauges, everything red zero and I was rapidly coasting to a stop...then suddenly, my Ultra came to life, accellerated back to 60 mph and everything was cool... I sat there wondering what the H. happened, and again suddenly shutdown again...again rapidly coasting to a stop...when suddenly she came to life again and I accelerated back to 60mph..WOW! All I could think of was turn it around and get it home where I could get some help...After \\;several more \\;shutdown-restart incidents returning home, I noticed studying the Volt gauge, my battery voltage was dropping \\;from 14 to 10, then shutdown, then restart and back to 14, then back down to 10 maybe 8 then shutdown, then restarting while coasting down, and starting \\;back up...Seemed definitely electrical maybe an intermittent \\;dead short, or open circuit, or intermittant ECM Failure. I new it was major!!!
 \\;
Well, she got me home in spite of the shutdowns at speed and coasting restarts, and I immediately pulled out the took kit and \\;pulled off the seat, unsnapped the ecm, inspected the plug init looked fine, Pulled off the battery cover and found a loose battery positive terminal bold...I mean LOOSE! I took it out and you could see where it had been arcing on the bolt head underneath side...So, I torqued up the battery bolt, re attached the seat and started up.. Everything ran fine. Went for a ride, no problems. \\; Soooo, I feel confident I found the problem and corrected it as she runs fine, starts up fine, and acts like a new one.
 \\;
I have no idea why or how that positive terminal \\;bold worked lose (could it have been losened \\;during the \\;1k mi check?), \\;but I thought I'd pass along to you guys what I experienced. Just in case you have the same catestropic failure happen, pull off the seat and check your battery bolts before you start thinking the worse about the componets that failed and Harley Davidson!
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#2
06-30-2008, 07:17 AM
Road Master
RE: Major motor shutdown
Excellent advise! Thanks for the heads up. Lots of times, if we just maintain our cool, things turn out to be no big deal. Glad it was not a biggie for you. I'd talk to the dealer where it was serviced\\; not to chew them out, just to mention it, maybe a mistake and they need to know that. They appreciate if you give em a chance first. Everyone's human. Now if down the road they earn your scorn, let em have it.........but always give them the benefit to start with. Enjoy the ride!
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