Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: 2005 XB9SX running on one cylinder

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    9

    2005 XB9SX running on one cylinder

    Hello BuellXB forums! I've been lurking here a while trying to fix an XB9SX but am having some issues getting it done.

    So first off it was running terribly and was really down on power. I also noticed that the front cylinder's exhaust pipe was only warm to the touch. I disconnected the good cylinder's spark plug and tried starting the bike on just the bad cylinder to see what would happen. The bike would rumble a bit but would die pretty quickly. Giving a bit of throttle would allow it to run a little longer but it would backfire through both the airbox and the exhaust. I pulled the spark plugs and replaced them with DCPR9EIX's but it didn't fix it. Because I wasn't in the mood to tear down the entire bike I decided to open up the timing cover and see what messing with the timing would do. I found that if I advanced the timing as much as it could go the bike would idle fine but was still down on power. Obviously this isn't a fix at all but its certainly interesting from a diagnostic point of view I believe. My next step was going to be to remove and clean the fuel injectors but I haven't found a good video or guide on how to exactly do that yet.

    I've ordered a cable to connect the ECM to my laptop but I'm a bit confused about ECMSpy. I thought ecmspy was free but it turns out only the demo is. Is there a free alternative out there for the buell that I could use? Or can I use the demo version to do what I need (Injector test, download/reset error codes, TPS reset)?

    Will keep searching for answers but I'm hoping someone here has some good ideas as well.


    Thanks in advance,

    Kyle

  2. #2
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Crawling up your skirt
    Posts
    10,877
    Whoa cowboy.
    You have bypassed about 1000 steps in simple diagnosis and you want to learn ECMSpy? I smell trouble...

    How about we start simple.
    Got spark to that plug?
    Got fuel?
    Got air?

    I think an Intake leak is a possibility, but we have a path to go before we jump to conclusions.

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    9
    Quote Originally Posted by Cooter View Post
    Whoa cowboy.
    You have bypassed about 1000 steps in simple diagnosis and you want to learn ECMSpy? I smell trouble...

    How about we start simple.
    Got spark to that plug?
    Got fuel?
    Got air?

    I think an Intake leak is a possibility, but we have a path to go before we jump to conclusions.
    Whoops yeah I completely forgot some infos. It does get spark, fuel, and I assume air to that cylinder since it runs if I advance the timing, albeit poorly. I didn't find anything about checking intake leaks before so I will try that next. Main reason I wanted to go with ECM spy was to do a TPS reset and see if that did anything since it seems like a pretty simple procedure.

    edit: looking through the service manual I found the section for testing for an intake air leak and it looks like I'd have to buy a kit to do it. Thats kind of why I asked about cleaning the injectors and the ECMspy first since those don't require me to buy anything else (seemingly). I'm short on cash right now but I would like to get this bike working. I found an alternative suggestion while googling to use WD40 spray instead of the propane and listen for engine note changes. Since it doesn't actually run on that one cylinder I'm wonder how I will accomplish that. Should I be spraying around the intake flange or higher up?
    Last edited by KClaisse; 10-01-2016 at 03:12 AM.

  4. #4
    Member WhiskeyFox's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    42
    You can spray Carb-Cleaner or Brake-Clean to check for intake leaks or vacuum leaks. I wouldn't use WD-40 because of the mess it'd make, and I wouldn't use propane either because it sounds potentially dangerous...

  5. #5
    Senior Member Simplymichaeljr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Tacoma, wa
    Posts
    318
    ^^^ I agree. Use the cleaner if checking for intake leaks. But, at this point I don't think you've gotten far enough along the checklist to need to look into the brain of this bike. Start with the basics. The more information you can provide the better it will help diagnosing. If the plug was iridium it should come pre gap. I would check the wires and coil before checking the injector.

  6. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    9
    Thanks for the replies. About the spark plug gap. I actually had to gap the plugs I got because they were set to 0.030" instead of the 0.035" i've read was the standard so I opened them up a bit. The old plugs were nearly 0.040" for some reason.

    Some extra infos about the bike. It has like 10k miles on it and hasn't had much maintenance done. It was sitting in a garage with fuel in the tank for a good 5 years before I started working on it. The previous owner had a loss of power while driving it home and after replacing the timing sensor without fixing it just gave up. He had ordered a TPS to install as well but never did it. One issue he said he always had with the bike, even before the loss of power, was that the fuel pump never turned off after a few seconds of priming. It just stays on. Might be part of the problem but he said it was like that for a while before the loss of power and rough running happened.

    So just to recap, tomorrow I will take the front plug out completely and see if I can see it sparking. I believe it must be sparking since it runs for a second or so if I give it the right amount of throttle but I'll check to be sure. I will do a continuity test on the spark plug wire leading to the front cylinder as well. I'll then do a vacuum leak test with carb cleaner to see if spraying anywhere around the intake manifold/throttle body effects the engine RPM.

    Thanks again for the help, I think I'm slightly in over my head with this one >.<.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Crawling up your skirt
    Posts
    10,877
    And down the wormhole we go...

    You'll need to buy new plugs no that you 'gapped' them. The only plugs you gap are the old school metal tipped ones. Iridium is very brittle and if it didn't break when you bent it, it can (will) break with some heat cycles and fall into the cylinder. It is so hard it will ruin the cylinder wall, valve heads, and piston. Within .005 gap is fine, just install them.

    Old gas isn't just in the tank. It's in the fuel rail, fuel injectors, and pressure regulator. Running it without cleaning it first was the worst thing that could have been done. A tank of super unleaded won't magically clean and flush the system.
    Are you having the same problem the PO had with the fuel pump staying on? Could be a plugged pressure regulator. You should have about 55 psi (double check in the manual) at the rail. You'll need to get a gauge from the auto parts store, rent one for free, or buy one on e-bay for $20.

    Never mind with the continuity test. Pull out the plugs, reattach the wire, ground the base, and crank the bike. It is an all inclusive ignition test.

    "If the result of the diagnostic test is indeterminate, you must expand the range of the question"

  8. #8
    Inactive
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    AmishLand, PA.
    Posts
    7,526
    kyle: the situation and the XB you're describing here falls into the classification of what i call a "square-one" bike. by that i mean both the tech working on it (you?) and the bike need to begin at square one. as per your postings it had serious problems and lack of maintenance prior to being parked 5 years ago......presumptively parked with fuel in frame and system, and battery connected....now has even more problems plus amateur-ish fiddling with it. and by amateur-ish i mean the rotation of the CPS unit is precisely that. if it were in my shop i would do the following basic steps then see what i have:
    1-compression test with entire air intake system removed sans the base plate to TB boot.
    2-start with above said boot and be absolutely certain it is installed and seated correctly....then check harness-to-coil connection as well as plug wires.
    3-CAREFULLY check every single wire and connection atop the motor with air system removed. look for disconnects, chafing, anything out of place. CHECK ALL VISIBLE GROUNDS including dog-bone braided wire. do NOT just look....remove, clean, inspect, replace.
    4-CPS will have to be reset to factory spec. manual gives simple procedure for same. go no further till completed correctly.
    5-NOW run full ecmspy diagnostics. worthless endeavor to go any further without performing this step.
    6-you can risk it but personally i would remove fuel pump drain plug.....drain frame....pull pump...inspect and test....reinstall.
    bottom line and don't lose sight of this: if you have compression, fuel, air and spark at the correct time it will start and run well.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Crawling up your skirt
    Posts
    10,877
    Ed-Zachary^^^

    Can't get a home run without starting at home plate!

  10. #10
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    9
    Ok so I did most of the work you all mentioned. I first reset the CPS using ECMSpy so it was right on the money, and did a tps reset at the same time. I then spent all day today removing the intake (good lord it is damn near impossible with standard tools) and inspecting lines/hoses for damage. The only cracked hoses I found were the california emissions junk which I just removed and capped as required. I replaced the seals (which looked fine) and cleaned the injectors while I was there (both injectors opened and closed fully and had a good spray). I tried to clean the throttle body as best I could but as you can see from the pictures it was an absolute mess. I should also mention that ECMspy found no error codes.

    Are you having the same problem the PO had with the fuel pump staying on? Could be a plugged pressure regulator.
    I am having the same issue still, yes. The pump will run like normal and then switch into a lower-power sounding mode indefinitely. I don't have a way to hoist the bike so I have no way to remove the pump and check anything on it. All I have is a rear wheel stand.

    I didn't do a compression check because I don't have a gauge to do it (yet) but that is next.

    The weirdest thing now is that ECMspy wont stay connected to the bike but that could be my own setup. I don't have any windows laptops so I am having to really jury rig my linux laptop into cooperating with ecmspy. I'll have to borrow someone's windows laptop to be sure.

    After putting it all back together it still was running only on the rear cylinder.


    Did I miss anything?

    pictures of the throttle body:
    http://i.imgur.com/I6xlGA9.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/bO3NdMV.jpg



Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •