Diagnosing Limp Mode

My F3 has kept going into Limp Home mode after a few minutes of running since dusting it off this spring. How do I access engine codes? I can only find instructions for older models and can't seem to get them to work. I'm trying to figure out if I really need to take it in now that its out of warranty or not. Its kind of behaving like my SeaDoo did a few years back where it wouldn't get above 20mph on full throttle and I just held the throttle at full for half an hour while it was sputtering and having erratic throttle behavior before suddenly it got full power back.

My assumption is/was bad gasoline. It was running rough and the throttle constantly goes back and forth between full power and a lower power level. I feel like maybe a plug or injector is gummed up and one of the cylinder isn't firing correctly. I also smell unburned gasoline that kind of backs up that assumption.

I picked up an "all engine" 4-in-one cleaner/conditioner/fuel drier . It seems like it helped a bit, I also threw in a quarter tank of fresh gas. It no longer stalls when I drop from high RPMs to idle, but it still has the Limp Home warning, the erratic throttle, and alternating between the inline 3 sound and something else when its struggling.

If anyone has any other guesses before I make a call to my dealer tomorrow to schedule an appointment, I'd love to hear it.

Did you stabilize the gas before you stored it. If not the gas is bad. You need to empty the gas tank and get premium fuel and put 1 ounce of seafoam fuel system cleaner in per gallon gas to clean injectors. That may fix it.

I thought I did, but I could be mistaken

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Originally Posted by dguisinger

I thought I did, but I could be mistaken

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That should be your first, least expensive remedy.

Ohhhhhhhh maybe that is my problem.... So I just read up on Rislone which i used this year (Complete Fuel System Treatment)....the instructions called for full bottle, i just watched their video and they just said "also good for motorcycles, just reduce the dosage".... I didn't remember see that on that instruction on bottle, I just recall it saying pour the whole thing in your tank, I bet the mix is off by about 2-3x.

If I siphon half the gas out and put fresh gas in with it, think I'd be good to give it another ride?
Some of my issues went away when i used that fuel system cleaner, but thats also about when I started getting limp mode.

I would get as much out as you can siphon.

You access Active Codes by pushing the Mode, Set and Turn Signal buttons all at the same time and with the key on. If the code is no longer active you will get a blank screen, occurred codes can be retrieved using BUDS

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Originally Posted by dguisinger

If I siphon half the gas out and put fresh gas in with it, think I'd be good to give it another ride?
Some of my issues went away when i used that fuel system cleaner, but thats also about when I started getting limp mode.

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Yes, replace as much gas as you can......and then pray that is the only problem.

Too MUCH stabilizer can cause any bike to run bad.
Putting in a second additive when one is already in there can cause problems too.

It might be necessary to have a dealer use BUDS to reset the trouble light.

You should start over and get as much of the old gas out and re-fill with clean fuel. I would not add any more additives at this time. Most fuel additives are automotive and calculated on a 15-20 gal tank. Many do recommend per gal but not all. As SpyderAnn01 stated you may no longer have the code present and would have to have BUDS to find it....:thumbup:

Alright, so its been about a week and a half since I siphoned out half the tank, and i've topped off the tank twice.
I'm still getting an occassional limp mode, the smell of (gas?) burning, and i'm still having my original throttle problem that precipitated this whole thing.

What it feels like to me is 1 cylinder isn't firing. 80% of the time, the F3 is running really loud, a low growl....then suddenly I get a burst of speed and the machine purrs like a kitten, then a few seconds later, the performance is gone and its got a low growl again. At idle its kind of a strange swishing sound. My first guess with all those symptoms would be a sparkplug, since it really sounds like there is a gap in the sound of the 3 cyl. Sometimes I can ride 20 minutes before it decides something is wrong and puts it into limp mode.

I really can't afford a major repair at the moment. I'm assuming everyone would suggest taking it in to get it looked at. Any thoughts at what this could be?

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Originally Posted by dguisinger

Any thoughts at what this could be?

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First, riding it like that is a BAD idea.

My suggestion is that you check the plug wires to be sure one hasn't come loose.
Give it a double dose of good fuel system cleaner, like Berrymans B12.
And pray.

With the smell of gas that you are getting, that very well could mean that at least one cylinder isn't firing when you notice the problem.
If an injector is sticking OPEN, you could be damaging the rings on that cylinder with raw gas.

When and while it's running badly, switch off and take out the spark plugs to identify the offending cylinder. If fuel is being injected but there's no spark the plug will be wet. If there's no fuel but there is a spark, the offending plug will show a slight dampness and it will be darker than the others.
Reading spark plugs is a little tricky but you've got to start somewhere!

Come back and tell us what you find.