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View Full Version : Spark Plug cleaning feature on 08 XB12XT



Dysan
10-19-2017, 01:15 PM
Hello, I am new to this forum and a new owner of a 2008 Ulysses XT. I love this bike but I am experiencing something that the previous owner never has. Every so often when I turn the key on, without cranking the engine, I hear a “pop or poof” sound then smoke rises from the vent over the gas tank. The smoke smells like exhaust gasses. I read about the plug clear feature but I am not twisting the throttle to activate this feature. Could it be doing it automatically? Any insight is appreciated and I apologize if I posted this incorrectly. I have videos of this I will try to post. Thank you.

user_deleted
10-19-2017, 01:35 PM
here is what's happening and the probable solution and NO....the "auto spark plug/combustion chamber clearing" process is not being initiated on its own. impossible! the event you described was a partial combustion process with the fumes from combustion blowing out the intake valve and up thru the TB eventually into atmosphere...hence the aroma and sound.
1-auto clearing feature can only be achieved by holding throttle wide open....placing red run switch to on position...and then turning on the key. if you are NOT doing this the auto feature will NOT activate
2-occasionally when you shut off the motor the intake valve in one and only one cylinder remains partially open. a random occurrence. unspent fuel droplets then form a combustible vapor in that cylinder and remain there for a period of time. that amount of time dependent on tons of variables.
3-you now proceed to start the bike with the above random conditions in place and hear a "pop or poof" as you described it coming from the airbox area in conjunction with combustion aroma....perhaps even a wisp of smoke.
4-how did this happen? simply put your coil fired. it is a "dual-fire" design. why did this happen? it found a ground source and activated itself firing both plugs and causing this event.
the solution? start checking all your grounds. i've listed the 2008 ulysses grounds on here 25X or more. YOU HAVE AN INADEQUATE AND/OR BAD GROUND. simple as that.

Dysan
10-19-2017, 01:52 PM
Wow, what a great reply and so fast. Thank you very much for your help I will check the grounds try to find where you posted the grounds. I’m doing this from my phone I have to switch to a computer to find it.

user_deleted
10-19-2017, 02:09 PM
Wow, what a great reply and so fast. Thank you very much for your help I will check the grounds try to find where you posted the grounds. I’m doing this from my phone I have to switch to a computer to find it.

my pleasure. your 2008 XB-XT has factory grounds as follows:
steering neck/triple clamp pinch bolt area. check there closely and you'll find the ground wires loom
large main ground wire which is a bare braided wire atop the dog-bone beneath rear of airbox base plate
small multiple ground wires all black in color in vicinity of ecm/battery box area
the negative battery cable to battery terminal
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" to frame attachment point.
a cursory visual check worthless. locate all the grounds....remove all the fasteners...carefully clean all terminal ends and check for integrity....reattach and tighten.

Cooter
10-19-2017, 06:45 PM
Wow I got learned today. Never even heard of that function before. Thanks Lunatic!

Silverrider
10-19-2017, 06:57 PM
here is what's happening and the probable solution and NO....the "auto spark plug/combustion chamber clearing" process is not being initiated on its own. impossible! the event you described was a partial combustion process with the fumes from combustion blowing out the intake valve and up thru the TB eventually into atmosphere...hence the aroma and sound.
1-auto clearing feature can only be achieved by holding throttle wide open....placing red run switch to on position...and then turning on the key. if you are NOT doing this the auto feature will NOT activate
2-occasionally when you shut off the motor the intake valve in one and only one cylinder remains partially open. a random occurrence. unspent fuel droplets then form a combustible vapor in that cylinder and remain there for a period of time. that amount of time dependent on tons of variables.
3-you now proceed to start the bike with the above random conditions in place and hear a "pop or poof" as you described it coming from the airbox area in conjunction with combustion aroma....perhaps even a wisp of smoke.
4-how did this happen? simply put your coil fired. it is a "dual-fire" design. why did this happen? it found a ground source and activated itself firing both plugs and causing this event.
the solution? start checking all your grounds. i've listed the 2008 ulysses grounds on here 25X or more. YOU HAVE AN INADEQUATE AND/OR BAD GROUND. simple as that.

Lunaticfringe, On what year Buells does this "auto spark plug/combustion chamber clearing" process work on ? Kool info thx.

user_deleted
10-19-2017, 07:48 PM
Lunaticfringe, On what year Buells does this "auto spark plug/combustion chamber clearing" process work on ? Kool info thx.

from the 2008-2010 XB/1125 TSB dealer notice issued way back when. i don't think it's an available function of the 2007 and earlier XB ecm units. the process does activate the CEL and put it in "blink" mode but stops once process completed. and it actually does work!

as follows: SPARK PLUG CLEANING PROCEDURE

2008 XB and 1125R Buell motorcycles provide a feature to help clear residual fuel from the combustion chamber if a flooded engine or fouled spark plugs are suspected. This is achieved by opening the throttle to wide open, setting the Run/Stop switch to Run, then turning the ignition switch ON. This will fire the spark plugs for approximately 4 seconds, burning any fuel left over in the combustion chamber. It may be necessary to repeat this procedure several times to allow a severely flooded engine to start.

NOTE: Motorcycle should be in Neutral.

Silverrider
10-19-2017, 08:05 PM
Thx you , Buell Whisper.

Dysan
11-18-2017, 11:16 PM
Hi, you provided me great info before. Now I have a new problem. My horn is not working nor are the 2 12v Power plugs. The fuses are good and the horn works when hooked to a battery. Any advice?
Thanks again.

Dysan
11-18-2017, 11:18 PM
Hi, now my horn and power plugs aren’t working. Fuses are good. Any ideas?

njloco
11-19-2017, 01:38 AM
Did you check them for continuity? If they're not hot, check appropriate fuses, if they're good, start tracing the wires for possible breaks.

user_deleted
11-19-2017, 12:00 PM
Hi, now my horn and power plugs aren’t working. Fuses are good. Any ideas?


simple trouble-shoot and fix. if you don't have one buy yourself one as per pic. a few bucks buys quality and a lifetime of assistance. on your ulysses simply remove the windscreen to access the horn and wiring in the headlight bucket area.
the bucket bracket is a large ground source as is any black wire observed in that area.....black wire in 4-wire headlight wiring harness also ground source. then do this:
1-go to headlight wiring harness and disconnect. you'll be probing the ORANGE wire in the harness on the main harness side.....NOT the headlight assembly side. with key on and test light grounded probe the orange wire on the harness plug end....NOT the headlight assembly harness plug end. test light should light. if not it is not grounded properly. after establishing that test light is now working plug the harness back together and move on to next step.
2-turn key on....red-run switch to on just to be sure....make sure the wiring plug is connected to horn....press horn button....and probe horn terminal with test light. test light does NOT illuminate? try the other horn terminal. test light NOW illuminuates? bad ground for horn circuit.
3-do precisely the same procedure for your uly dash mounted power outlet. CAUTION HOWEVER: when doing the test you will be probing the center connector terminal inside of the outlet. that is the positive source of the outlet. do NOT touch the sides of the outlet with the test light probe while performing this test or you'll pop the circuit fuse.
4-you'll find that it was not coincidental that both your horn and power outlet ceased operating at the same time. they both source their ground from the steering neck area ground loom. your problem lies there.
8695

rchuff
11-19-2017, 01:16 PM
John has always had the best write ups on this site. I had always wished 07 and under had that option for cleaning plugs. Nice write up John as always.

user_deleted
11-19-2017, 01:43 PM
John has always had the best write ups on this site. I had always wished 07 and under had that option for cleaning plugs. Nice write up John as always.

thanks much ricky for the kind words.

Outlaw
11-19-2017, 03:38 PM
I give that ^^^^ a big he'll yeah. 👍🇺🇸
' Merica. Let's make some stuff.

vicenzajay
11-19-2017, 05:15 PM
Lunatic is just channeling his inner teabag....

Dysan
11-20-2017, 01:12 AM
Lunaticfringe, you were exactly right. Thank you so much for your extremely helpful and detailed responses. I found a broken ground wire in the horn area that fixed the horn and outlets. Do you think this broken ground wire could be the problem I was experiencing with the “poof” and combustion from the coil firing? I really appreciate you assistance. 👍

user_deleted
11-20-2017, 01:44 PM
Lunatic is just channeling his inner teabag....


LOL jay! and for what it's worth if you could capitalize "TEABAG" in the future it's even more of an attention-getter.

user_deleted
11-20-2017, 01:54 PM
Lunaticfringe, you were exactly right. Thank you so much for your extremely helpful and detailed responses. I found a broken ground wire in the horn area that fixed the horn and outlets. Do you think this broken ground wire could be the problem I was experiencing with the “poof” and combustion from the coil firing? I really appreciate you assistance. ��

you're quite welcome and thanks much for the kind words. always appreciated. keep this in mind about electrons....buells...and your bike in general. vehicle current ALWAYS flows from ground source to the positive battery terminal. always! think of it in terms of a lightning strike from a tall object such as a tree....tall building....tv transmission tower. they are all "grounded". a lightning strike flows from that object up to the positively charged atmosphere.....from ground to positive. simplest way i can explain it. XB model buells are very smooth runners at speed but shake and vibrate like hell at idle and just off idle which is tough on batteries, fasteners, and ground sources. your coil is activated by the bikes' ecm which sends the coil a "ground" signal to make it fire both plugs simultaneously. an ecm with a "confused" ground does weird things. i don't know if faulty front end grounds in the headlight bucket area and steering neck would have caused your "poof and pop" problem but anything's possible. many but not all XB's also have a small multi-wire ground cluster near the battery box/ecm area. it's a cluster of a few black wires going to frame ground. if you find that little cluster on your bike address it with my prior instructions.

Dysan
06-04-2018, 01:07 PM
Hi Lunaticfringe, is Rotella T6 a good oil to use in my Uly?

njloco
06-04-2018, 01:57 PM
Most of us use 20-50 Vtwin amsoil in both holes but I don't see why you couldn't as long as it meets the MFG requirements.

user_deleted
06-04-2018, 02:03 PM
Hi Lunaticfringe, is Rotella T6 a good oil to use in my Uly?

yes sir. it is one of the finest oils in the world. just be sure to run the correct viscosity. i've used their 15wt-40 in XB motors during cooler temps like under 80 degrees F with great results. last i looked it's also JASO-MA rated which means it's wet-clutch trans/primary compatible/suitable. check back of container for ratings and look there closely but i'm sure rating still listed. i'll also add that it's an outstanding oil for most popular common sump jap bikes like v-stroms, etc etc.
link is pic of ratings back of container.

https://www.quora.com/Is-Synthetic-Rotella-T6-Oil-still-JASO-MA-rated-safe-for-motorcycles

Dysan
06-04-2018, 02:22 PM
Great, I have pails of T6 synthetic 5W40 for my truck. I’m hoping that’s the correct weight for my Ulysses. It does have that JASO-MA rating so I guess I can run it in the primary too.

Cooter
06-04-2018, 04:31 PM
No. The type of oil is ok but the 5W-40 for your truck is much too thin.

15w-40 for cold temps and 20w-50 for higher temps. Run the oil for the lowest ambient temp your bike will see.

You can get a service manual download for free from Buellmods.com or Buelltooth.com

Dysan
07-29-2018, 08:07 PM
Hi again, I keep coming back for your knowledge about this bike lol. I love my 08 Uly XT and I’m trying to learn about it. I did an oil change and I put in the right amount of oil (actually a bit more) but I can’t get an accurate oil reading no matter what I try. I’ve read other posts about it but I’d like to hear your opinion. It always reads low. Thanks in advance for your help again.

rchuff
07-30-2018, 10:11 AM
2 1/2 quarts that's it. Should be on sidestand and when oil gets hot it expands so read it after bike has run for a little. Should show a little higher on dipstick then.

Dysan
07-30-2018, 10:20 AM
Thanks, I know the level is good now, even though it shows very low. My concern is as the oil burns off between oil changes I will never know how much is in the bike or how much to add. I do get the bike very hot and try checking right it after shutdown and 10 mins after shutdown and it is always low. I think it is draing back into motor.

Cooter
07-30-2018, 04:37 PM
You can get a service manual download for free from Buellmods.com or Buelltooth.com

The check procedure is laid out step-by-step. The timing and all the steps in order does matter. If you follow the steps and it reads low, add oil until it is between the full and add marks. No need to have it maxed out.

The level in the reservoir (swing-arm) will change because it is a dry sump engine, thats why the check procedure is important. It does not have anything to do with "oil expanding".

Dysan
09-12-2018, 02:05 PM
Good morning. Have any of you ever had your xb12 lose all electical power while riding? Happened to me yesterday. Everything shut off and bike won’t restart. No power. Had to tow it home. I checked everything obvious. No luck

Silverrider
09-12-2018, 04:20 PM
Yes, I had loose batt cable, my Batt strap was not holding the Batt place and neg cable was loose killing all. Easy fix New strap and tighten up cables. One other time my key switch was bad at the power contacts so I opened it up dressed the contacts lubed worked fine. If you are not very handy dont open it up get a new one.

GregoXB
09-12-2018, 05:03 PM
Good morning. Have any of you ever had your xb12 lose all electical power while riding? Happened to me yesterday. Everything shut off and bike won’t restart. No power. Had to tow it home. I checked everything obvious. No luck

Dead battery. The question is why did your battery die? I would put an ohm meter to the stator and VR.

34nineteen
09-12-2018, 06:14 PM
Make sure the seat isnt hitting your ECM connector(s) and possibly breaking a connection.

Silverrider
09-12-2018, 06:17 PM
Make sure the seat isnt hitting your ECM connector(s) and possibly breaking a connection.

3419 Thats usually just with the Uly.

Dysan
09-13-2018, 04:39 AM
Thanks for your replies guys. It ended up being a loose 15 amp fuse for the ignition switch. Probably vibrated loose.

njloco
09-13-2018, 02:04 PM
Don't take this the wrong way but, one of the first things you always check when having a running or starting problem is the entire fuse box that's including the contacts then next in line is your grounds, they should be cleaned off no matter how good you think they look !

Good luck.

Turd_fergusson
11-06-2018, 01:58 AM
Old thread here. When I first got my Ulysses I’m pretty sure it did the cleaning feature for the plugs. Does it make an audible sound when you do it? Because I’m pretty sure mine did and now it does not. I wonder if that has anything to do with my bike not starting

DASTARDLEY
02-03-2019, 08:24 AM
Every day is a school day, I certainly learned a few things reading this thread, thanks guys

Silverrider
02-03-2019, 12:17 PM
Keep reading , keep learning as I do.:eagerness: