I would agree with that 100%...

 

I think he (the dealer) might be talking about the infamous green connector inside the handlebar on the 2009+ that gives everyone fits. Many guys who change bars cut that connector off and solder the wires together.

 

If you have a throttle by wire setup on your bike, most late model touring bikes do, you are likely to experience the following problem. Suddenly you lose throttle response. The yellow engine warning light comes on. And the bike goes into "limp mode". If you check and see that DTC codesP1511,P2135 and/or P2101 are displayed the problem is almost always related to“corrosion” in either the ECM connector or the induction module connector or both. Disconnecting and reconnecting the connectors might fix the problem temporarily.

There is a HD technical bulletin, TT418A (see https://app.box.com/shared/x12e326mvi), that advises shop technicians how to diagnose and fix the problem. That’s fine. But there are some things you can doto prevent the problem from happening in the first place. First, some knowledge is necessary. The leading culprit here is something called "fretting corrosion". This type of corrosion is elusive and can occur any place two metals make contact to conduct current, like in the connectors used on all Harley motorcycles. If there is any movement of these contacts at the point of contact, even microscopic movement, a gradual buildup of corrosion will occurat the point of contact. The corrosion is difficult to see. In some cases it's almost invisible. But if it's there, it is certain to interfere with conducting electrical current, especially DC current. That seems to be the cause of this problem. This phenomenon is nothing new. Fretting corrosion has plagued the electronics industry for decades. The problem is especially more frequent in automobiles due to the vibrations.

So what can be done? One preventative is to occasionally clean the contacts with alcohol and coat them with a thin layer of lubricant specifically formulated for these contacts(HD 99861-02). Another is a high tech electronic contact coating called Stabilant 22A that coats the contacts with a semi permanent microscopic film of material that prevents corrosion and enhances electrical flow. No grease is used. It’s used by VW, BMW, Ferrari and other auto makers. It’s expensive but reputed to be excellent.

 

Bingee, that is an excellent write up! thx... Well I got my bike back and that is exactly what the dealership must of done. Follow the bulletin. They replaced the entire mechanism in the handler all the way down to the male pins. They also replaced the other pins with a new type that is made of a different type of metal. Ended up costing $181.00... Funny thing, I went back to talk to the tech and have him show me, and there were 2 other bikes in there for the same issue! When I went back to pick mine up I was checking out the 2014.... Some pretty nice upgrades on that bike... The Limited 2014 even has liquid cooled heads...

 

...and no oil cooler...

mike

 

The one I looked at had an oil cooler and liquid cooled heads.

 

Thanks for this write up and the link.