2004 Firebolt, I need HELP!

[chase12s]

2004 Firebolt, I need HELP

Folks I have a beautiful 2004 XB12r that I have really enjoyed riding but it's been out of commission for about a year now and I'm getting that itch to ride, especially with the weather getting nice out! Here's the story. The bike has a race ecm but AFAIK that's the only real mod. I don't even think it has a race exhaust, but I'm not positive on that. The bike has seemed to run rich ever since I got it. It constantly fouls the plugs and I have to remove them and clean them. The last time it got where it wouldn't run I took it to the Harley shop just hoping that I would find success but of course I didn't. They did nothing but piss me off. They keep calling me and telling me they couldn't connect to it with their scanner, which didn't surprise me too much since it's an older machine but they told me that they needed a stock ecm in order to connect and work on it. So, like a fool, I bought one myself and took it to them and of course they still couldn't make a connection. So I told them to stop and put the bike back together. I picked the bike up and that's where I am now. I intend to diagnose this problem myself or possibly take it to a local mechanic to assist. I just need all the advice I can get. Where should I start? ECMspy? If will be forever grateful to anyone who can help me get this baby running right. Thanks!

 

[Cooter]

Post a pic of the muffler to ID it, but the Buell "race" muffler has 2 outlets.

Don't try to 'fix' the ECM. You don't even know if it's bad. No need to open a can of worms by guessing, until you diagnose whats happening or it will cost you time, money, and frustration.
Read this:
http://buellmods.com/content/downloads/manuals/xbrfirebolt/2004_firebolt_manual.pdf
Yes it's boring, but if you want to play mechanic, thats where real mechanics start. Guesses will only cost you time, money, and frustration.

What do you mean by "constantly fouls plugs". Like:
(1) you go for a ride, stop for lunch, and it won't re-start?
Or
(2) After sitting for a month or 2 in the garage it won't start until you clean the plugs?

There is NO physical difference between a Race ECM and a OE one. The fuel program can be modded in either one and the OE ECM you bought is a big mystery, so I'd leave it on the shelf for now.
Normal operation with either a Race ECM or stock ECM will NOT foul plugs, no matter what muffler you have. The only difference between the OE and Race program is when you are at Wide Open Throttle*, ONLY. Any other starting/riding/idling and the bike is in OE map or CL (Closed Loop) and using the O2 sensor to target for stoic/clean running.

What WILL foul plugs is starting it (or repeatedly attempting to start it) and not riding it for a minimum of 10 miles. Buells have a very rich, very long cold start program, many times I get this complaint and it's simply a matter of someone getting bored enough, they keep going out to the garage during winter and thinking that starting the bike every month is a good idea. It is NOT. It WILL foul the plugs and be much harder on the bike and the battery.

Buell rule: If you start it, ride it. They are fine sitting for months at a time on a Battery Tender. Even a year is OK with crappy Ethanol gas in it, but try to make your last fill up before winter, Ethanol free gas.

Whether you swapped the ECM or not, now you NEED to do a TPS re-set. Follow the instructions in the manual I linked for you, EXACTLY.

Now you can begin to diagnose the bike by swapping the plugs (what plugs are in there now? XB's love Iridiums), to get it to run, ride it for 30 miles to let the ECM adjust and then you can check the ECM settings. I found ECMDroid (Free on GooglePlay) to be the easiest to use for diagnosis. It uses a wireless bluetooth connection to the bike (I like the "Buelltooth" one I got from Rev-mo.com),
PLEASE don't get suckered thinking that putting in a 'tune' or messing with the fuel program in any way will magically fix your issue, you don't even know if you have an issue yet. ...Time, money, frustration....

Once you use ECMDroid, check the AFV value, and EGO CORR value under ECM parameters (instructions on Rev-mo.com). They should both be around 90-110. Anything outside those parameters and the ECM is trying to overcompensate for something like a leaky TB gasket, clogged air filter, sticky injectors, lazy O2 sensor, etc.

Get that far and post up what you find.

TL;DR
RTFM
TPS re-set
Clean the plugs
Check AFV and EGO to see whats next.


*simplicity warning

 

[chase12s]

Thanks Cooter, I will get started with this helpful info. I actually have a hard copy of the shop manual that I got when I bought the bike and I have already been looking through some of the flow charts for diagnosing the issue. With regard to the plugs, YES, I do like to start the bike up and let it idle sometime for several minutes or more... sometime maybe 10 minutes or so. My dad is an auto mechanic and that's exactly what he said, that is not a good idea, lol. I'm not sure if did that before this last bout of trouble but I very well could have. It's a bad habit I guess, thinking I'm "warming up" the bike.

BTW, the fuel has been in this tank(possibly w/ ethanol) for over a year. Should I drain the fuel tank?

 

[Barrett]

Sir: You have absolutely NO baseline here from which to start and until you establish same...everything you're asking and pondering is a crap-shoot. I would do the following:

1-Absolutely confirm that you have a top quality battery installed along with a functioning charging system.
2-Clean every connector...cable...plug...ground wires readily visible with seat removed.
3-Fully drain the tank. Reinstall new drain plug O-ring prior to installation. I keep them in stock if needed.
4-Install the correct OEM ECM assembly you purchased.
5-Install 2 new NGK DCPR8EIX spark plugs. They are the plug of choice and stock heat range.
6-Remove airbox cover...airbox lid....access air filter. Your problem could be as simple as a clogged/disintegrated air filter element along with vermin having nested inside this area. View throttle body throat for blockage. Confirm that whatever muffler is now installed, hasn't internally collapsed. Lack of air-flow into and out of the motor can cause a myriad of problems.
7-Install a few gallons of fresh premium fuel with a small amount of cleaner additive. Check if fuel pump priming.
8-Now start...gently feather throttle...get heat into motor...take for a ride....see what you have.

Right there's your baseline. Nothing else matters till you establish same.

 

[chase12s]

I also verified that there is only a single outlet on this muffler so that would make it a stock muffler. I have no idea why they slapped a race ecm on the bike with no mods... weird

 

[Cooter]

1) You don't know it's history. It probably had a different muffler on it that blew up, was removed, sold, or the neighbors just complained enough to put a stock one back on it.
2) You don't know what program in inside the box labeled "For Race Use Only". Could be a stock tune?
3) The difference isn't that big anyway. Ya they run better, but not enough you'd notice if I snuck into your garage and swapped it to stock. But you would notice your beer fridge empty!

 

[chase12s]

So I put in some new NGK Iridium plugs after removing the black sooted stockers and it actually crunk up. I ran it for just a sec and switched it off as I didn't want to possibly foul the new plugs. I did notice that the white smoke is still there. I guess now I can begin actually diagnosing that issue!

 

[Barrett]

So I put in some new NGK Iridium plugs after removing the black sooted stockers and it actually crunk up. I ran it for just a sec and switched it off as I didn't want to possibly foul the new plugs. I did notice that the white smoke is still there. I guess now I can begin actually diagnosing that issue!

I ran it for just a sec and switched it off as I didn't want to possibly foul the new plugs.

And that is precisely how you DO foul plugs on any XB model Buell.
Clearly evident you never read or comprehended #8 above.
Questioning why I even waste my time on here.

 

[chase12s]

I ran it for just a sec and switched it off as I didn't want to possibly foul the new plugs.

And that is precisely how you DO foul plugs on any XB model Buell.
Clearly evident you never read or comprehended #8 above.
Questioning why I even waste my time on here.

Yea you are wasting time with that comment. Did I ask you to be a prick? No I didn't. I ran the bike for like 5 seconds. That won't foul the plugs. What fouls plugs is letting it sit there idling for 15 minutes and not riding it and doing it repeatedly. I rode the piss out of it today! If they were fouled I wouldn't have been able to do that...

 

[Barrett]

So, according to you, the local "Harley Shop" couldn't get this thing up and running and I accomplished it in 6 minutes with my keyboard. I gave you all the pertinent, concise CORRECT info you needed to get this 18 year old POS up and running and rideable again....and I'm a "prick"? F U

 

[TheWood]

Yea you are wasting time with that comment. Did I ask you to be a prick? No I didn't. I ran the bike for like 5 seconds. That won't foul the plugs. What fouls plugs is letting it sit there idling for 15 minutes and not riding it and doing it repeatedly. I rode the piss out of it today! If they were fouled I wouldn't have been able to do that...

You just shot yourself in the foot boy. Made me laugh though!

 

[chase12s]

You just shot yourself in the foot boy. Made me laugh though!

Glad I gave you a laugh...

Thanks for all the serious comments from OG members:up:

 

[34nineteen]

Barrett is about as OG as it gets. Only one member stands over him and that is our dear departed lunatic_fringe. I miss that guy.