Limp Mode?

[Hoople]

it starts sputtering and the frond cylinder starts cutting out, and there are no error codes! Any suggestions?

How are you determining it's the front cylinder that is missing.

 

[vtwinrider]

I pull the front plug wire and nothing changes, I pill the rear plug wire and the engine quits.

 

[glider]

By any chance have you swapped the two spark plugs and see what happens?

 

[vtwinrider]

2 new plugs, that was the first thing I did.

 

[glider]

OK then let's get down to business. Have you done a compression test yet?

 

[Hoople]

I pull the front plug wire and nothing changes, I pill the rear plug wire and the engine quits.

Since you know for a fact it's the front cylinder, parade/heat management mode won't even apply here because it disables the rear cylinder, not the front. Limp mode is just a set of ECM default settings which apply to throttle by wire failures and won't disable cylinders from firing.

Sounds to me like you just have a simple dead cylinder caused by lack of compression, no fuel or no spark. After checking compression as Glider recommends, you may also try hooking up the front spark plug wire to a spare spark plug. See if you have any spark while the engine is running and missing. If you see a steady spark jumping the gap, swapping injectors would be next.

I don't feel its related to your problem but it is strange you read 7.7k ohms and 7,5k ohms on your spark plug wires. I assume the spark plug wires are not the same length by a long shot and it's strange they read near the same resistance value. There is a wide window but usually 400 ohms per inch of wire is a good number.

 

[vtwinrider]

Compression is 150psi both cylinders, cold and warm. Yes the rear plug wire is about 4in longer than the front one. Thank you again for your help, you guys are going above and beyond! I am very grateful!

RUNNING LIKE NEW! I after spending some time with my new Clymer manual I decided to do a coil test. I took the coil off and tested it cold and found everything within limits, than as directed i brought the coil up to operating temperature with a hair dryer, again within limits.

So out of desperation I put it all back together and started it up again, it ran great and continued to run great even when it warmed up! I let it cool than I ditched my family and went for a nice long ride still runs great. I'm not sure if it was a connection issue or the hair drier dried something out. It runs and that is all that matters. I think I will replace it anyway just in case!

Thanks guys! you are the best. :small3d028:

 

[Hoople]

2011 Road Glide Ultra with the 103 cid It shuts down 1 cyl to 1/2 power.

All you said is you have a problem where it shuts down 1 cylinder to 1/2 power. What does that mean. Under what conditions. When running at steady speed on the road. While sitting at a light when hot. After you start it when cold. Tell us a little about when it happens. Has anything been done to correct it so far. When did it start happening. How may miles on the bike. Has any modifications been made.

Some detail would help us. Try running a WOW test to see if there are any stored codes.

http://www.hdtimeline.com/archive/index.php/t-26845.html

 

[HMCVET444]

I ride a '09 Road King....23,000 miles...love the bike. Last week I went to start it and got NO throttle response...five starts later, it ran fine,but I did take it to the local Harley dealer. It is still there, diagnosed with a "Limp Mode" problem. This seems to be a problem with many new wireless throttle bikes. Any advice? Shouldn't Harley cover this with a recall of some sort?

 

[Gator454]

Keep that ethanol out of your tank as much as possible as it has been damaging more that it cures. Thanks to the EPA, a lot of more parts will be replaced.