left the bike out in the rain... now it wont run

[tkingIII]

i have the 07 cityx. i left it in the driveway one night and it rained pretty hard on the thing. i noticed it was raining and pulled it into the garage. the next morning i went to go to work. it turned over and fired up but as i was rolling down the street the bike shut off on me and the cel flashed on and the fan kept coming on and going off for a few minutes. every time i try to start the bike it turns over then flashes the cel and the fan comes on as if it was hot. before i checked the codes i replaced the rear temp sensor thinking it was the problem but it wasnt. the codes it threw were 11,27,44. i know what all of them mean i just dont know how to go about fixing them. help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Iamarchangel]

Leave the poor thing alone and take it to a shop.

 

[kbonarek]

These bikes hate rain...I chased a problem with mine for over a week after leaving it out in the rain.

Checked plugs, fuel injectors, tank vent, fuel pump...all to find out it was some water in the fuel.

Long story short: Dumped the fuel, put fresh fuel in with a 1/3 of a can of Sea Foam to get rid of what water was left and presto...worked like new.

I actually put an ounce of sea foam in the tank every other fill up. Like I said, these bikes don't really like water and the ethanol in our fuel now isn't helping with that issue.

 

[Iamarchangel]

What???

Did you leave your gas cap off while the drain spout poured directly into the tank?

This story makes less sense than the first post.

I rode 350 kilometers in the pouring rain on a major highway, The Buell never skipped a beat before or after.

I don't like rain, the Buell doesn't seem to mind.

 

[kbonarek]

Actually, when I first bought my bike (New in '07) I had been reading a lot about them and several people have had issues with their bikes not running right after being left out in the rain. First hand experience with the issue confirmed the stories. Chaffing wires from vibration is also another common thing to look for. Just a fact of life for some of these bikes. Some have no issues at all.

So instead of bashing me, why not offer the poor guy who's bike doesn't run some help instead of sticking your chest out and saying your bike is fine.

Mine's fine now too, but I did have issues when leaving it out in the rain. Several times.

 

[Iamarchangel]

Nope, not bashing you, lack of troubleshooting skills is not a personal thing, it's an education thing.

Not "sticking chest out" because my bike is blessed any more than your "example" defines the breed.

Advising the original post to take it to a shop was offering help. There is no logic flow in his actions, or yours. Letting a real mechanic look at it will save time, money and frustration. There might even be opportunity for learning.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[tkingIII]

anyone who lives in the atlanta area know of a shop that services buells other than harley?

 

[anrkizm95]

disconnect the battery for a couple of hours.unplug the ecm connector,remove the relays,unplug the bank angle sensor check the connectors for moisture and drt if needed.check your ground connections on the frame rails.reconnect battery and try it

 

[XBChuck9]

My 05 XB9SX lives outside. I ride in the rain. Never had a rain related problem.

 

[Iamarchangel]

Okay, let's start from the beginning.

If it rained on your bike last night, or the night before and there has been very high humidity, do what anrkizm suggests.

If you're talking about longer ago than that, forget about anything to do with the rain.

Forget about the codes and stuff for now.

If I've got your information right, you're saying every time you try to start the bike, this happens: CEL flashes and fan turns on. First question: is that right?

Second question: does bike start after those two things happen?

Third question: how long does the bike run if it starts (never mind the flashing and the fan)?

Troubleshooting lesson: don't ask the next question before the first has been answered.

 

[kelly]

is no biggie if its really a moisture issue man. is just some dew build up somewhere that hasnt dried yet. just hunt for it, adn its always good to do a connector cleaning and lever re-greasing if you ride or let it be overly wet. if you arent ready to go thru a checklist like the mighty anrkizm95 said then dont and let someone that is do it for you. dont let a little ole rain get ya down my friend. tking, i live in the atl area if ya need a hand. my bike doesnt hate rain my wet pack of cigs do though lol.

 

[tkingIII]

every time i try to start the bike the cel and the fan come on almost simultaneously. the bike doesnt start up but does turn over. if i let the bike sit with the negative terminal disconnected for a few hours i can connect it back and start it and it runs for about 5-10 minutes but when i give it any gas at all it the bike dies. i know its probably frustrating and all dealing with me but i appreciate it iamarchangel

kelly, the bikes been out of commission for about a week and a half now. im ready to do what i can to get it running. i could use a hand if youre up for it though.

 

[Mike Van V]

I've driven my 12S in the rain...also my old 12R.
Along with my 1125CR.

No problems with any of them.

Mike

 

[Iamarchangel]

Okay, basics: when you turn the key to start, you should see three lights: neutral, CEL, oil; the needles will sweep; fuel pump will prime.

CEL will turn off after a few seconds.

Press the start button.

Just making sure because the CEL is supposed to be on and the pump is making a noise, not the fan. Are you sure of the difference?

Is the CEL staying on for more than about four seconds? Or coming back on? Flashing?

1. Okay, so it's turning over but not starting. First thing to check is to load test the battery (an auto supply shop can do that for you, usually no charge). It should read close to 200 CCA.

2. Giving it a rest and getting a better response the second time, is also indicative of a dying battery.

3. Actually starting then stalling when given gas can also be dying battery.

So, first things first, get the battery checked.

Yes, 2 and 3 could be other things but they can't really be checked until we know about the battery.

 

[sfbmx88]

In the service manual for my 2008 cityx, code 11 is a TPS code and 44 is a Bank Angle Sensor code. By looking at the wiring diagram, it shows that the two sensors share some common wiring. Would code 27 possibly be a Cam Position Sensor code?

 

[kelly]

pmed ya tking. anrki adn lamar are both right. or it may just be a simple fuse never know. t.c.l.o.c.k. checklist is the best thign to do before trying to over think it for sure.

 

[Iamarchangel]

tclock is handy for buying or monthly checkup.

Not much use for distance troubleshooting.

Think CPR: we've got a flicker, breathing, we're checking the pulse, 911's been called. We're starting the ABCs. Not a good time to check if the shoes are polished.

 

[kelly]

lol shoes are polished lol, that was great haaa. yeah you have a dam good point. i could bring my cord over if ya got a laptop and the spyware. id offer my tester but they on order is all i know to say on that. i have a cheapo but not good with it. goin by my experience only its a simple fix found thru a once over or the computer fried. one of them choices or it purrs like a baby liger lol. longest i been down is like 6 months btu that was waiting on parts.