Limp Mode, again

[chaos901]

This weekend on an overnight trip my 2010 CVO Ultra went into "Limp Mode" again but we were only about 4 miles from the hotel, so we limped to there.  Got my SIL to bring a trailer up and we got it home OK.  Tried to ECM Reset several times without any help.  Was throwing seven codes, almost all related the throttle.  This bike had been "fixed" by the dealer in Amarillo last year when we had to get towed into there. 

Anyway, once home, tried a couple of things that did not work so I got into the suspected connector that plugs into TCA on the throttle body.  Was looking for the total of 5 volts between TP1 and TP2 per the manual.  What I noticed was that if I checked between the wire from TP1 or TP2 in the connector to the GRND that is in the connector I got nothing, but if I went from TP1 or TP2 to the engine I got my total of 5 volts. 

Upon further inspection of the connector the GRND has a shrink wrap on the wire going into the connector like it has been spliced, so now I suspect that is my culprit.  Maybe they put it on because they stripped too much, not sure yet.

My question, after all the story, shouldn't I be be able to check for the voltage using TP1 or TP2 and the GRND in the connector? 

With the switches turned to IGN and RUN of course. 

[fleetmechanic]

Is the ground pin in the connector making connection to the bike's ground?  The spliced ground wire itself may be weak or open.

[Boe Cole]

You may want to check for continuity through the connector.  If you can, best to go from the output side of the previous connector and make sure power gets all the way to the connector you are looking at.  You may also want to check that the throttle is working properly.  I do not know it for a fact but most controllers that I've dealt with in previous lives work on resistance which is easily measured.

[chaos901]

Is the ground pin in the connector making connection to the bike's ground?  The spliced ground wire itself may be weak or open.

The splice in question is very close to the connector, the shrink wrap goes into the connector.  This ground comes out of the ECM.

My plan is to cut this wire and make a splice that will be located in the vertical run of the wire and not this close to the connector where it is turning 270 degrees.  Hopefully can find out this evening if this will solve the issue.   

[Screamin beagle]

If you need them you can buy the pins to rebuild the plug both male female from the dealer...been there.  Mine ended up being the throttle position sensor on the throttle body. Luckily I still had the 50mm I took off and just swapped out the throttle position sensors, a couple metal clips hold it on. Of course harley says the tps is not serviceable. Hope you find it

[road-dawgs1]

I just went through replacing all my pins in the TCA plug. As I was doing it, I saw how tight the wires were and thought to myself that I better go easy cutting the old pins off. I've seen where some folks have spliced in extra length of wiring so it is not stretched too tight. I also install the rubber boot from the Rushmores on the connector. The fix seems to be holding up nicely so far. The wiring where it is zip tied at the neck of the bike can also have breakage inside the insulation due to the zip tie being too darn tight.

[chaos901]

Found it last night.  The splice that had been installed right at the connector I cut the wire an inch or so away from the splice and I get a good ground there.  Should solve my problem.  When I took that connector out of the TCA plug and just gave the wire a little tug it pulled out of the splice clean.  Actually all of the copper stayed in the splice, this looked like a clean wire end so it was just broken off.  I suspect this was done last year when the dealer in Amarillo replaced the pins on the TCA plug. 

Anyway, going to make the splice in a safer place, was going to have it located in the vertical run above the throttle body but I believe now it will be better if the splice is located in the cable tray. 

Just have to pick up some of the right size wire today, got everything else.  Even have placed a pull wire in the sheath to pull it back through. 

Yes, per the earlier comment, the strap was pulled too tight where it attaches to the throttle body. 


NOTE TO SELF: Now I have to check the other wires to make certain that they don't also have a splice close to the connector but hidden by the sheath.

[chaos901]

All good now, runs like a champ.  Checked the other wires to the TCA plug and none of them were spliced, guess they just messed up on that one.