1. After 20+ years it's time to pass the torch. If you are interested in acquiring this forum please contact support@cv-performance.com for details. Any spam will be reported and blocked.
  2. Welcome to Bike Talk, a forum for all bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts. If you are new to Bike Talk, be sure to register for free and join the conversation.

    There's always someone around willing to help out with questions or give a friendly wave back. All Harley and metric riders are welcome.

99 fxd looses spark after warm up

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by paultfxdboy, Feb 22, 2012.

  1. paultfxdboy

    paultfxdboy New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hello
    my 99 fxd with 47,000 on it runs awesome until it warms up then riding down the road shuts off like you turned the key off. no spark but everything else works lights speedo gas gage.
    while still coasting and in gear if you turn the key off then back on pop you get spark it will run for 10 seconds and then die again.

    i figured the ignition module so i swapped out the screaming eagle coil and module i had for at least 45,000 miles with the stock one i saved and took her for a ride and BAM! the same thing.

    Ok now i guess i'm looking at a cam position sensor or a crank position sensor problem i don't know?
    i pulled the crank pos sensor and cleaned it off stuck it back in and same crap happened.
    i have yet to pull the cam position sensor and check it with a multi meter.
    Has anyone seen this before ?
    i don't think its a bank angle sensor cause its getting hot and shutting off
    any help?
    Bueller Bueller anyone?
  2. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Messages:
    13,682
    Likes Received:
    584
    Location:
    Mouseville USA
    Could be a loose ground check all grounds first


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  3. joshbob

    joshbob Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2010
    Messages:
    5,687
    Likes Received:
    167
    Location:
    Hobgood, N.C.
    Yeah, the most common electrical problem is a bad ground somewhere. Check cheap & easy first before you start replacing things.
  4. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2008
    Messages:
    3,861
    Likes Received:
    102
    Location:
    Cape Breton NS,Canada
    Yep make sure all grounds are clean and tight....had a similar thing going on with one of my cages...it would run fine until it got up to temp then no power,once it cooled down run fine for a while then same thing...turned out to be the crank sensor.
  5. charlie46

    charlie46 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2010
    Messages:
    2,069
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Melbourne Fl
  6. paultfxdboy

    paultfxdboy New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    I did check for bad ground with a meter
    Had continuity on all ground points
    The coil was swapped as well.
    Plus it starts back up when the key is cycled off then back on

    Would the cam position sensor or
    The crank possition sensor
    not sending a signal
    Cause the ignition module to stop sending spark ?
  7. charlie46

    charlie46 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2010
    Messages:
    2,069
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Melbourne Fl
    Try jumping out the key switch.
  8. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Messages:
    13,682
    Likes Received:
    584
    Location:
    Mouseville USA
    when I say check grounds I mean the cables going to the frame and battery, make sure they are good condition and that the connections are snug and clean.

    If you have a ground wire going to the frame make sure there is a star washer under the cable to the frame so it bites through the powdercoat, clean it good under it and put on dielectric grease.

    Check connections.

    It could be a sensor but these are the "free" checks and sometimes work.

    If it was the main circuit breaker you'd loose all power, it would die, then
    kick back on with a backfire. You can get a 40amp breaker at any auto parts
    store for half the price of the dealer to replace it.
  9. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2008
    Messages:
    3,861
    Likes Received:
    102
    Location:
    Cape Breton NS,Canada
    Crank sensor would stop spark,ignition system would loose the time when to fire the spark...but...if it was the crank sensor it wouldn't come back on when you cycle the ignition...starting to seem to me like the ignition switch or the breaker on the ignition system..
  10. baggerpaul

    baggerpaul Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2011
    Messages:
    2,670
    Likes Received:
    108
    Location:
    south fl.
    sounds to me like you got a funky ignition switch getting hot and droping voltage . also you might be loose rpm signal to the module from the crank angle sensor . crank sensor is a magnetic high low signal . ac current generator . you can set your multimeter on ac scale if you have a fluke and back probe that wire at module and see if you lost that signal there you will have to look at your wiring diagram to see witch one is the pin for crank signal . (rpm)
  11. alex the dog

    alex the dog Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2010
    Messages:
    1,336
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Buena Vista, CO
    This is a high voltage wire in ignition system that is either cracked or insulation rubbed though to bare wire. When it gets hot, it opens the circuit. It's tough to find these intermittant wiring problems when in a wrapped bundle, but look for blackened (burnt) copper wire around ignition switch terminals first.
  12. charlie46

    charlie46 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2010
    Messages:
    2,069
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Melbourne Fl
    Try jmping the ignition (key) switch,
  13. fldl02

    fldl02 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2012
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    If you didn't get that bike shutting down problem fixed already, I had a similar problem on my 88 fxstc.
    The engine run/off switch on the right hand control had a bad connection in the cannon plug somewhere in the harness. First I tried cleaning the carb thinking fuel contamination. I would be driving on the road and it would just die as if you turned the kill switch off. Cycle the key and it would restart while coasting in gear. Sometimes it wouldn't restart. After sitting there 10 minutes scratching my head I would try it and it would start no problem. For me it just happened to be the kill switch cannon plug but others with ill fitting connectors may have the same effect.
    I hope this helps. Once had the wiring harness fall out of the frame and rub the back tire til it grounded out something, shutting the bike down. Had it towed and the bike shop found the problem as soon as they saw the bare wires by the tire. Loose connectors, bare wires and other sources of grounds and shorts are sometimes tricky to find.
    Good luck.
  14. Sleepy

    Sleepy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2004
    Messages:
    1,665
    Likes Received:
    73
    buddy of mine has a 2000 touring rig. Last year we were out on a tour of Idaho and Montana, the bike starts acting up..shuts off turn key off and on and the bike would fire, wasn't bad at first and gradually got worse. He wound up changing out the crank position sensor and that cured it. the insulatin for the wires was chafed ..maybe it was just the wires but the bike didn't run with the old setup. Not sure if your problem is gradually getting worse but your sensor is 13 years old..

Share This Page