Hard start with temp gage maxed out

[J Paul]

Rode the bike a while and parked for 1.5 hr.When I went to start engine cranked normally but no fire and I noticed temp gage maxed out-should have been 0 bars. Got started with wide open throttle,it backfired several times before running smoothly and gage came down to 0. Went and topped off gas tank and it restarted normally but gage maxed again. Got home and restarted normally with gage normal. Where should I start looking? Jeff

 

[road runner]

Get the FSM and check out the temp sensor. Seems like a logical place to start.

 

[J Paul]

This issue finally started to happen all the time with the temp gage going normally to 4 bars while riding then jumping to maxxed out with check engine lite on.Replaced the sensor and no change. Started looking at wiring harness-manual shows 2 dedicated wires for this sensor-and found wire rubbing on a pair cover bolt where it came out of main harness. I couldn't even see any copper showing but rerouted wiring and put on a piece of reinforced silicone hose from an aftercooler connection(I work for Cummins so raided my used parts stash) and problem is now gone.Hope this helps someone else with a single gage giving erratic readings. Jeff

 

[odot]

Sounds aboot time for a new battery.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Hmmmm. You have a GenII, what about Spider issues?

Check the diagnostics, do you get an error code?

Since you moved stuff, it's possible you relocated and now isolated an exposed area that was grounding out. Since it was intermittent, that could be something. I would say you really need to find the issue, I think you have gotten lucky and band aided the problem, but you could have an area possibly overheating and melting insulation. I know that's a far fetch, but spiders can do that.

I don't recall an issue like this on the forum before.

 

[ionbeam]

Hmmmm. You have a GenII, what about Spider issues?......I know that's a far fetch, but spiders can do that.

I think the OP may have found the problem. When the temperature sensor is cold the voltage going to the ECU is high, when the sensor is hot the voltage going to the ECU is low (no blocks). If the ground spider were bad the ECU would see a high voltage and think the engine is cold all the time. If the signal wire from the ECU was accidentally grounded (low voltage) the ECU would think the sensor was hot all the time (all blocks).

Danger! The following contains a technical explanation which has proven hazardous to some Forum members mental condition, please proceed with caution.

The way the temp sensor works is at low temperature the sensor has high resistance, 5.21-6.37 kΩ at 0° C (32° F); as it heats up the resistance goes down to 290-390 Ω at 80º C (176° F).

One end of the sensor goes to ground, the other end receives a voltage from the ECU. When the engine is cold the resistor value will be high -- said another way it is not very conductive -- this allows the ECU voltage be as high as possible. As the sensor heats up the resistance goes down -- said another way it becomes conductive to ground -- therefore it drags the ECU voltage down to a low voltage.

An open ground, unplugged connector or broken wire would cause a high voltage which would be interpreted by the ECU as cold and the gauge would read no blocks. If the signal wire was grounded by a chaffed or frayed wire it would cause a low voltage which the ECU would interpret as hot and read all blocks.

 

[Bustanut joker]

So it all boils down to the bowlegged cowboy then?

That guy is always causing shite.

 

[ionbeam]

So it all boils down to the bowlegged cowboy then?

That guy is always causing shite.

Ya, seems like there is always too many or too few to get the job done. Nothing good ever happens when the cowboy hooks up with this math symbol: