My Ride is Running Strange!

[86100FLST]

Hi All,
I'm brand new to this forum....I found it from searching for an answer to my problem I'm having......
I have a 2006 FLST special paint edition, carb model, air kit with pipes (dealer installed)....love the bike. It has approx 3500 miles on it and has run flawlessly. I have ridden it about 300 miles so far this year. Went out yesterday morning to go to an open house at a HD dealer.....Pulled the enricher, like I always do, started the bike.....The tone just didn't sound right and it seemed like it was backfiring through the pipes.....as it warmed up I push the enricher in, but not all the way.....the bike will not stay running and pops out the exhaust. I never had any problems before....thought maybe I had water in the gas....even though it was brand new....I drained the tank...but didn't see anything strange. Went and got new gas...same thing. The enricher can not be put in even after it is warm...it will shut off.....
It's almost like it has dirt in the carb. I'm really at a loss, and I'm just out of warranty. I'm not sure what to check. It doesn't make any sense that it drove perfect the last time I had it out, and then won't even run now, unless the enricher is out all the way....any suggestions would be great!

 

[glider]

From your description of the problem, I think you are on the right track with something in the carb that shouldn't be there.(dirt/water)

Take a look at the drain screw in this thread and give it a try to clear out the float bowl. If that doesn't do it, then the carb should come apart.

*Poor Performance With Carb Models - Harley Davidson Community

 

[Knotwillig]

Some probable causes from the HD manual.

Starts But Runs Irregularly or Misses
1. Spark plugs in bad condition or partially fouled.
2. Spark plug cables in bad condition and leaking.
3. Spark plug gap too close or too wide.
4. Faulty ignition coil, ECM, or sensor.
5. Battery nearly discharged.
6. Damaged wire or loose connection at battery terminals,
coil or ECM connector.
7. Intermittent short circuit due to damaged wire insulation.
8. Water or dirt in fuel system.
9. Fuel tank vent system plugged.
10. Air leak at intake manifold or air cleaner.
11. Loose or dirty ECM connector.
12. Faulty Sensor(s): Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP),
Crank Position (CKP) or Oxygen (02) .
13. Incorrect valve timing.
14. Weak or broken valve springs.
15. Damaged intake or exhaust valve.

 

[86100FLST]

Thanx for all the wonderful responses! Thanks to this site, my dad and I worked on the carb......and solved the problem!

I read this post:

Engine won't run unless enricher is pulled out (it won't let me post the link because I don't have enough posts yet)

and it was the same exact issue I was having....so after removing the low speed jet and using a small copper wire to clean it out....my bike is like brand new again.....it idles great and sounds great to!
The way we did it was to disengage the throttle cables and vacuum hose...that allowed enough movement to turn the carb and remove the bottom half where the float is located. It's only four screws and the bottom comes right off...from there you can see the low speed jet and remove it......clean it out thoroughly, and put it back in.....then we cleaned the float bowl...it did have some dirt in there, but it wasn't as bad, as we thought it might be. Most of the dirt was located in my gas tank.....the gas stations are terrible around here......we also turned my gas line back on and cranked the bike a few times to run clean fuel through the system......I have an electronic gas pump/vacuum, so that is the only way to make fuel run through the system.....got a little more dirt out that way to (just tiny things, barely visible).....it's as clean as can be now.
We also siphoned fuel out of my tank a few times to clean that out as best as possible.....I would recommend if you have any issues to siphone your tank.....you'll be amazed at what comes out of there.....

 

[glider]

Glad you got a handle on it. One recommendation to anyone is to remove and thoroughly clean the tank by draining it, then add fresh fuel and slosh it around and repeat it again draining through the filler opening turning the tank over upside down.
You would be surprised what can linger in there if you just siphon the fuel out and the problem could come back and bite you again down the road.

 

[fin_676]

you dont need a lot of dirt to clog a jet just one particle of grit in the wrong place will cause problems
perhaps if gas stations in your area arent too great might be worth fitting an in line filter between the tank and carb

Brian