[Midnight Warrior]

Ok...I've searched around and can't seem to find any info on my particular problem.

I installed a PCIII on my 2008 at the same time I installed my big shots. It's one of the newer versions with the correct plugs for the TPS and all that jazz...so the install was fairly straight forward, because of this...I didn't do the perfect install.


The bike ran great when I first put it on...which was on a Saturday afternoon. I rode around that day, Sunday, and Monday with it doing fine...probably a few hundred miles. I drove it home on Monday night running like a champ. Then on Tuesday I went to start up the bike in the morning and it just wouldn't idle...less than 10 hours later. I started it a few times and finally just held a little gas to keep it running thinking it may have been the morning cold messing with it (stupid...I know, but it was a new bike to me). I just figured it would get better as it warmed up, so I decided to take it to work, which is about 20 miles away. I start going down the highway and notice a plume of white smoke coming out from my pipes. It was running very rough too...choppy, no power, just bad all around. So maybe 15 miles of that later, I ended up hitting traffic and having to stop...and the bike cut out since it wouldn't idle. At this point I finally decided to get off the highway and check things over.

Everything seemed totally normal other than its bad running characteristics, so I got a ride to my truck and brought it home to further investigate, since it's hard to look at the bike without any tools in a church parking lot

I tried resending the map to the PCIII when I got home, but when I started it up it had exactly the same problem. My computer was showing everything as normal with the PCIII, so I decided to double check my install...which checked out fine. Good ground, tight fitting plugs, everything was sound. So I finally yanked it out and hooked everything up as normalthan tried starting it again...and it fired right up like there was nothing wrong.

My best guess it that there is either somethign wrong with my install (which I don't think there was) or there is something wrong with my PCIII. I want to get it all straightened out, sinceI sunk money into this thing and it's given me nothing but problems so far. I haven't contacted DnyoJet yet, as I want to see if anybody has any ideas of what the problem could be, or if you ran into similar problems.

If there was a problem with the install, and a perfect install in the only solution how do I make sure the PCIII is ok before I go and void it's warranty and spend the time installing it only to run ito the same problem in the end. Also...why did DynoJet release a product with directions that didn't allow the unti to function properl? Seems like bad engineering to me...



Thanks for reading!

 

[washingtonwarrior]

There may be something wrong with your map.If it were me, the first thing I would do is see if it runs OK with a zero map. Set all the map settings to zero and see if it runs the same as it did with out the PCIII hooked up. If it does, get another map or go to the dyno. If it doesn't, recheck your installation. Maybe the PCIII is bad, it's possible.

 

[Midnight Warrior]

I was using Dynojets map, the one for V&H Big Shots w/ stock air box...so I would think the map is fine. I'll check it out just in case though...

 

[arizonawarrior]

You said you have heavy white smoke coming out the exhaust. For how long? Just a few seconds or the whole 20miles?


Do you have black soot coating the inside of the tailpipe?


Pull a plug, write down it's position in the cylinder, and 'read' its condition. Is it wet? Clean and gap it, reinstall it, do all four one at a time.


Do you somehow have water in your gas tank? Did you wash thebike with a hose (which should be fine but just asking in case)?


Because your PC3 was running fine for a couple of days, I'm betting the map is way too rich. However, white smoke can mean water, or very hot oil in the cylinder. On an '08 the odds are against oil, and unless you got the bike wet there's no need to hunt for water entry points like the intake. If your plugs and tailpipe are sooty-black you're running very rich, which would foul the plugs after a hundred miles. The vast odds are cleaning/gapping all four plugs and gently but firmly installing the wires AND gently making sure the coil wires are seated on both coils (pay attention and be gentle here!!!) may solve your troubles, assuming your fuel is good.


Or not

 

[Midnight Warrior]

It was for the whole 20 miles, it was more noticeable when idling though. However, I'm pretty sure tha map is all "0's" for the diol There was black soot...and the plugs were fouled as well. I figured it was running rich, but I didn't think anything would be wrong with the map since it came directly from Dynojet and I'm sure plenty of guys are running that map...

I'm still wondering about the choppiness though, the throttle was not smooth at all. Also, why would it have ran fine for a few days, then all of the sudden have this problem? There was no smok, choppy throttle, or any problems for the first 3 days...then all of the sudden, major problems.

There was no water in the bike...at that point I don;t think I ever washed it, nor did it ever see rain. I've ridden in therain plenty of times since and never had a problem. And the gas was a-ok.


I'm going to try all of the suggestions this weekend and see what I can figure out.

 

[arizonawarrior]

Unless your plugs are wet with oil then your map is too rich and your plugs will be sooty and can't fire hot enough so it'll keep getting sooty. This usually produces darker smoke but in the absence of a radiator and considering the the recent mod preceded the condition, the air:fuel is logical culprit. You need to add a program line for 500rpm (which is below the 850~950 rpm idle point) that is identical to the program data line for 1,000 rpm. That way the idle rpm is also managed by the PC3. Clean/gap gives you a fresh start but it may just soot-up again in 100 miles. Look in the DOWNLOADS link on this forum top of page and see if there's a map. The maps here are usually better having been developed on the dyno. Look in 'Popular Mods' (Technical forum) for links to reading spark plug condition and you can lean it yourself without doing cylinder damage. Or take it to a dyno-tuner.


In the absence of a wire pulled off a coil or some other, and in the absence of any error codes, I'd check plugs and map first

It was for the whole 20 miles, it was more noticeable when idling though. However, I'm pretty sure tha map is all "0's" for the diol There was black soot...and the plugs were fouled as well. I figured it was running rich, but I didn't think anything would be wrong with the map since it came directly from Dynojet and I'm sure plenty of guys are running that map. I'm still wondering about the choppiness though, the throttle was not smooth at all. There was no water in the bike...at that point I don;t think I ever washed it, nor did it ever see rain. I've ridden in therain plenty of times since and never had a problem. And the gas was a-ok. I'm going to try all of the suggestions this weekend and see what I can figure out.

 

[bearwarrior]

You said you did not do the perfect install on it too?? I had idle problems that were driving me nuts. I didnt die too much but was very erratic. I did the the recall on the tps and the coil and figured thats what it was. It did run a bit better but still idled like crap. I did not have smoke or fouling though. I then found the exact symptoms on this site and figured I would take on a perfect install myself. It was a new bike.The idle was smooth and steady, the readings on the pcIII were allsteady on the laptop, less vibration, more power. I couldnt believe it. I would suggest trying that as well.

 

[Midnight Warrior]

It's the newer PCIII TPS version...so a perfect install isn't neccesary, or so I have read/thought...

 

[arizonawarrior]

You are correct the new TPS-Plug version does NOT need perfect install because the digital ground is already separated.

It's the newer PCIII TPS version...so a perfect install isn't neccesary, or so I have read/thought...

 

[washingtonwarrior]

Just thought I'd pop up with the fact that the first bigshot map I got from the power commander site sucked big time and was nowhere close to what the dyno got me. I'm also pretty sure that any map downloaded will at best get you close and at worst be way off. The only way to get a correct map andbe sure it's perfect is on a dyno

 

[Midnight Warrior]

Does anybody know where I could get a map for a stock 2008 with big shots being the only mod? I checked around this site but I couldn't find anything close...unless I'm retarded...

 

[washingtonwarrior]

I didn't see one either, you could try one of the ones listed here

They are listed for bigshots and other stuff like AIS and vbak but any of them are worth a try at this point aren't they? I used to have one for just bigshots but that was three computers and 6 years ago

 

[YoungWarrior]

Have you reset the throttle position on the PCIII? Maybe those values are off.


YoungWarrior

 

[arizonawarrior]

YoungWarrior makes a valid point. Here's conversations to review:


ECU - PCIIIUSB - Set Throttle%:
1. http://www.powercommander.com/powercommander_iii_usb/powercommander_general_downloads.aspx
2. http://www.powercommander.com/powercommander_iii_usb/Qarbon/Set%20Throttle.zip
ECU - PCIIIUSB - .MAP and .DJM: Change filename extension from .MAP to .DJM so PC3USB can read it.
ECU - PCIIIUSB - Maps:
1. http://www.powercommander.com/powercommander_iii_usb/powercommander_all_downloads.aspx?mk=15&mdl=133&yr=2008
2. http://rswarrior.com/forums/23.aspx


WW also makes a valid point, dynotuning is the ticket:

Just thought I'd pop up with the fact that the first bigshot map I got from the power commander site sucked big time and was nowhere close to what the dyno got me. I'm also pretty sure that any map downloaded will at best get you close and at worst be way off. The only way to get a correct map andbe sure it's perfect is on a dyno

 

[Midnight Warrior]

So I reinstalled it when I got home from work on Friday nigh, loaded it up with the zero map and it ran like a champ. Then I loaded in the map that I was using before just to see if there was any change, and again...ran like a champ. I took it for a few decent rides over the weekend to make sure it was all good.



I'm almost convinced that one of the connections just wasn't seated properly. I made sure each connection was nice and tight this time around, but it all seems fine so far. Hopefully I won't run into any other problems with it.



Thanks for all of the ideas and help! It's appreciated