Rocket III Help

[TxRIIIRider]

Okay.. I need help or something.. This is a long post, but if anyone can help, they need to know what I've done so far. I have been trying to get my Rocket running now for months to no avail. Well, it does run, but like crap. By crap, I mean it runs very rough at idle and at cruise speeds and backfires terribly on decel. I'm pretty much out this riding season at this rate and I'm really tired of having a bike no one can help with, including my local dealer. It is for sale in the classifieds if anyone is interested.. I love the bike it's been great.. but I am plain sick of guessing at what is wrong with it..

My Rocket has Jardines and a underseat K&N air filter, I also have a PC-III that is currently disconnected since I wanted to eliminate it as a cause to the problems.

My Rocket III has new plugs, new plug wires, new oil change, new coolant, freshly cleaned and oiled K&N air filter. My problem started out with a surging issued at cruising speeds. I did the above (except for plug wires) and searched for vacuum leaks, but to no avail.

I then used TuneECU and found the throttle bodies out of adjustment, so I synched them up and at this time, I also loaded the PowerTripp TORs/Underseat K&N tune and removed my PC-III to eliminate it as the possible source of the problem.
This tune actually runs pretty good with the Jardines, but I still had the surging problem. I then loaded a different tune downloaded from the TuneECU site that was supposed to be for Jardines and such just to try that.. That is about when my bike started running like crap...

I then put it on a trailer and hauled it to my local dealer. They replaced some rubber bits (not specified though I tried to ask), cleaned the spark plugs and loaded the Triumph TORs tune and told me that was all they could do. The bike did atleast run, but still ran like crap. I accepted it as is because I didn't want to pay them $80.00 an hour for guessing as much as I am. There are no error codes showing, and the dealer seems to have no trouble shooting skills beyond looking up error codes.

I actually rode the bike home.. and I sure shouldn't have. It ran like crap all the way home. The next day I looked under the tank, just looking for anything that could be wrong and I found the 2 plug wires on cylinder #3 were cracked through to the core (dealer did not see this when they cleaned the spark plugs), which is not a good thing. So I ordered a set of plug wires.

Today.. I pulled each spark plug and cleaned them. They all were tough to read.. they look lean in some spots, rich in some spots. I cleaned each plug and replaced all of the spark plug wires (high tension leads). I then decided to try and start the bike, but it still would barely run. I figured I would load the PowerTripp tune (above) again, since I did have some success with it before. I am now atleast back to where the dealer gave it to me. The bike does run... like crap..

The system really doesn't look that complicated. I can only guess that the throttle position sensor is bad, even though it doesn't show bad? I have done the ICSV reset several times. I will say that the TPS is not always spot on each time. It usually is on at the .060 setting.. but the .072 setting is almost always off. Could this be my issue?
I'm just looking for an opinion before I shoot of another $138.00 bucks guessing at what could be the problem.

 

[HellFire]

I think you should look up an old school shop that still diagnoses primary and secondary ignition problems with an oscilloscope. A good old Sun machine is difficult to find but allows for looking right at whats going on both pre and post ignition coil as well as injector firing.

The other idea is what we used to say about ECM's .... "They don't tattle on themselves". Unfortunately that also applies to the gold plated contact points used to plug into the bike wiring,

I always thought I could be a very wealthy man if I only knew enough to build the diagnostic machine that's been in my head for years. A totally mobile memory device that plugs onto every critical wire at both ends monitoring whats going on with the intelligence to recognize problems. But, .... I'm too **** dumb and lazy to learn how to build it. Someday someone will. LOL

Good luck, and I honestly think a dealer is not the way to go. Since it's pretty much a car motor anyway, maybe see where the street tuners take their cars for tweeking.

 

[nolton]

I think you should look up and old school shop that still diagnoses primary and secondary ignition problems with an oscilloscope. A good old Sun machine is difficult to find but allows for looking right at whats going on both pre and post ignition coil as well as injector firing.

The other idea is what we used to say about ECM's .... "They don't tattle on themselves". Unfortunately that also applies to the gold plated contact points used to plug into the bike wiring,

I always thought I could be a very wealthy man if I only knew enough to build the diagnostic machine that's been in my head for years. A totally mobile memory device that plugs onto every critical wire at both ends monitoring whats going on with the intelligence to recognize problems. But, .... I'm too **** dumb and lazy to learn how to build it. Someday someone will. LOL

Good luck, and I honestly think a dealer is not the way to go. Since it's pretty much a car motor anyway, maybe see where the street tuners take their cars for tweeking.

If you hook up with the right person you can do it. Just look of a tech. guy.

 

[Pig9r]

What have you done with the O2 sensor?

 

[TxRIIIRider]

I have the O2 sensor.. Should I put it back in since I have the PC-III taken out? I will also be checking/cleaning all coil connections tomorrow....

 

[Pig9r]

Yes, replace it or the bypass. Does the bypass you have use a wire or is a passive plug? Some of the older bypasses that were hard wired would go bad. Is the O2 disabled on the TuneEcu map?

 

[HellFire]

Hey Pig9r have you heard of one of those PCIII O2 plugs causing an idle surge that occurs slowly? Example would be a nice normal idle for 20 seconds followed by 20 seconds of 150 rpm less and slightly rough. This would cycle the same, back and forth constantly without change and without setting codes. Otherwise the guys bike runs fine other than he complains of it occasionally having a slight loss of power on the highway, kinda like having a gust of wind hit a windscreen or fairing.

We've discussed the possibility of it being something cycling like the O2 sensor it doesn't have.

 

[T Evans]

I know it sounds simple but the few times I have had my bike run like you are discribing, it was a vacume leak. I'm sure you have checked them but the way I check for vacume leaks is a can of WD-40. I spray the vacume hoses while the bike is running and listen for the engine to rev when it sucks in the WD-40. Then narrow it down from there. Hope this helps.

Big T

 

[Lonzol]

This may be a shot in the dark, but on the way to Maggie Valley earlier this year, "Blackie" started surging at crusing speeds. I rode it the last 400 miles into MV that way, by the time I got there, it would not even idle and also "ran like crap". It back fired and smoked heavily on attempted hard accelleration.

Long story short it was the connector to the primary TPS. I called Wayne Tripp, (Thanks again Wayne), from MV and he recommended I check the connectors. I disconnected both TPS connectors as well as the main ECU connectors, cleaned them and put some die electric grease on them and the bike has not missed a lick since. Ran great the whole time I was there and all the way home (1000 miles) and is still runnig great. It actually idles better than it ever has.

Hope this helps,

Lonnie

 

[TxRIIIRider]

Yep.. I've checked the vacuum lines that way also.. could suggestion though..

Lonzol, I will be cleaning every connection the next time I get out there.. It's gotta be something like that..

One thing.. after this, I will know this bike even better than before.. I will probably pull it out of the classifieds.. I do really, really like my Rocket.. Just frustrating right now.. lol