16 RT-L showing Limp Mode, Parking brake warning, and check engine light! Why?

[Hound]

The bike is up on a table for maintenance. I jacked up the rear wheel to adjust the belt.
Started and shut the bike off and listened to the parking brake alarm so I could rotate the wheel.
It was started and shut off numerous times to run the rear wheel while making adjustments.
Then I changed the oil and started it up afterwards. Only ran it for a couple of minutes to
watch the oil light go off. Noticed the check engine light did not shut off and the bike was
in limp mode with a brake warning.
Bike is still on table and may remain there for the season unless I need to reinstall all the
panels and ride it to get everything sorted out.
16 RTL that I found in August with about 1200 miles and now has just under 3800 miles
and I believe this is the first service.

 

[Peter Aawen]

The bike is up on a table for maintenance. I jacked up the rear wheel to adjust the belt.
Started and shut the bike off and listened to the parking brake alarm so I could rotate the wheel.
It was started and shut off numerous times to run the rear wheel while making adjustments.
Then I changed the oil and started it up afterwards. Only ran it for a couple of minutes to
watch the oil light go off. Noticed the check engine light did not shut off and the bike was
in limp mode with a brake warning.
Bike is still on table and may remain there for the season unless I need to reinstall all the
panels and ride it to get everything sorted out.
16 RTL that I found in August with about 1200 miles and now has just under 3800 miles
and I believe this is the first service.

That's cos you ran it with the rear wheel in the air, so only that wheel was turning.... the Nanny really doesn't like to see any of the three wheels turning at noticeably different speeds for very long, so she objects. :banghead: . If you'd been watching as you ran it in gear, you would've seen that you set off a bunch of VSS warnings too, but cos you weren't up there to see them, you missed those!

It should be an easy fix - when you get it down & have all three wheels on the ground again, gently ryde it for a few hundred metres so that the wheel sensors can report that all three wheels are back to turning at the same speed again, and the limp mode/warnings etc should all be cleared from the active list. hyea:

There is a slight chance that by running it with the rear wheel only spinning as much as you did/so often, the Nanny became REALLY upset, so it might take a bit more straight & level ryding than you'd expect, possibly followed by a bit of turning each way, some gentle braking, etc - basically exercising all the sensors & modules that you upset by spinning just the one wheel, but she should settle down in due course... altho the Limp Mode, those errors & any codes, warnings, etc will be recorded in history & visible to the techs when next your Spyder is connected to BUDS. But they shouldn't be a long term problem - none of the multitude of Stability &/or Traction alerts & Wheel Speed discrepancies/Limp Modes that I've incurred like this, spinning the rear wheel, &/or lifting wheels while ryding so far have proven to be a long term problem. :thumbup:

Cheers :cheers:

 

[canamjhb]

What Peter said..... You also stated the brake warning was lit. Make sure your brake fluid level is topped up. It just takes a tablespoon or two from full to set off the sensor and put the bike into limp mode. And make sure you use the correct DOT fluid. Good luck..... Jim

 

[Hound]

I have a few other things to do before putting all the panels back on and it looks like I'll have a good reason to get it done before the snow flies and get one more ride in.

Thanks.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have a few other things to do before putting all the panels back on and it looks like I'll have a good reason to get it done before the snow flies and get one more ride in.

Thanks.

IF the new riding doesn't accomplish what you want ..... Take off BOTH battery leads and touch them to-gether ..... let it sit for 20 min. and then re-connect ( adding STAR washers ) ..... this procedure will allow all the computer systems to re-boot ..... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Hound]

IF the new riding doesn't accomplish what you want .... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

I'll be wiring the pigtail for the battery tender before any test driving. I gather I should wait to do the 're-boot' after giving it all a chance to reset on it's own?

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I'll be wiring the pigtail for the battery tender before any test driving. I gather I should wait to do the 're-boot' after giving it all a chance to reset on it's own?

If what you are going to do with the " pigtail " involves removing the Batt. terminal connections, then I think you could easily do it then .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Hound]

Thanks

 

[Hound]

I wired in the Battery Tender connector and as long as the wires were off connected the cables together for about a half hour. I didn't seem to change anything. Finished the belt guard install and put everything back together and only had one push pin left over. Fired up the Spyder today - 46* out - and back it out of the shop and drove a short 1/4 mile trip and all the warnings went off and back to normal. Then figured instead of an almost empty gas tank for the winter a full one would be better so made about a 30 mile round trip and filled it. Everything worked great so drove it back up on the table and let it run a bit to check the oil after ity was changed. Then checked the belt and it was right back up running against the flange on the rear pulley so will have some more adjusting to do.
Sure do appreciate all the help on this site.

 

[canamjhb]

Sounds like you're making good progress. Adjusting those belts can be a "learning experience"! There is lots of information on this forum about that. Once you find what works for you, it really does become easy to get it where you want. A local dealer adjusted mine and said he couldn't get it any better.......But it was hard against the flange. That caused me to learn how to do it myself..... and have it adjusted correctly. You'll get it there. Good luck..... Jim

 

[Peter Aawen]

..... Then checked the belt and it was right back up running against the flange on the rear pulley so will have some more adjusting to do. ....

While the alignment may still be out a smidge, it's generally not a real biggie if the belt is just rubbing up against the flange. It's really only a problem if the belt is pressing so hard that it's either wearing it noticeably, making a burning smell, &/or if it's riding up on the flange every now & then - or even worse, riding up & making a burning smell all the time!! :shocked:

So if you've got it 'fairly close' to that desired 'credit card gap' between the belt & the flange while setting it, then you go for a ryde & notice on your return that it's now just rubbing up against the flange, I wouldn't worry too much. :lecturef_smilie: . Simply keep an eye on it; inspect the inside edge of the belt occasionally to make sure it's only being polished & not fraying or burning; inspect the belt side edge of the flange at the same time to make sure it's only being polished up a bit & not being abnormally worn; and then the NEXT TIME you NEED to change a tire or adjust the rear axle/belt tension/alignment etc for any reason, you can give it a just smidge more adjustment away from the flange. :thumbup:

And in the meantime, if you aren't experiencing any other issues & the belt is only polishing that flange a little with the belt edge not being frayed or burnt, it's almost certainly fine to just live with it. hyea: . You are extremely unlikely to be doing any real harm in ryding it like that, and if you try to fix such a tiny mis-alignment you could end up falling down the rabbit hole of repeatedly chasing/making minor adjustments in a 'check, adjust, re-check, re-adjust, repeat ad nauseum' never ending circle until you're spinning so fast trying to fix that last little bee's whisker of alignment that you could eventually disappear up your own fundamental orifice!! :yikes:

It really isn't worth it for such a minor mis-alignment; so when it's that close to exact, I'd suggest you call it OK for now & just...


Ryde More, & Worry Less! hyea:

 

[Hound]

While the alignment may still be out a smidge, it's generally not a real biggie if the belt is just rubbing up against the flange. It's really only a problem if the belt is pressing so hard that it's either wearing it noticeably, making a burning smell,

Yeah it really smelled when I got home from a 30 minute ride today. So off to mess with it again, later. Has anyone disconnected the rear speed sensor to prevent pissing off the nanny when running with the rear wheel jacked up?

 

[Peter Aawen]

Yeah it really smelled when I got home from a 30 minute ride today. So off to mess with it again, later. Has anyone disconnected the rear speed sensor to prevent pissing off the nanny when running with the rear wheel jacked up?

They probably have, but given that you're only correcting a small bit, why not just leave the engine & ignition off & spin the tire by hand?? :dontknow:

Oh, and when you turn the ignition off, leave the Park Brake off - the alarm only goes for 30 seconds or so. :thumbup:

 

[K80Shooter]

I never had an issue with mine when I started it with the rear tire off the ground but I only let it idle in gear.

Either way by hand or at idle when you get it where you want it (make sure to tap the adjusting blocks to make sure they are all the way forward before tightening) try letting it down onto the ground then tighten the bolt.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Has anyone disconnected the rear speed sensor to prevent pissing off the nanny when running with the rear wheel jacked up?

I haven't tried it, but I'm going to say it won't work. Nanny will see the bike in gear, engine reved up, and no rear wheel speed input. "Somethin' ain't right! Time to scream!"

 

[Peter Aawen]

I haven't tried it, but I'm going to say it won't work. Nanny will see the bike in gear, engine reved up, and no rear wheel speed input. "Somethin' ain't right! Time to scream!"

That's certainly what happens if you just disconnect the front wheel speed sensors while trying to run your Spyder on a Dyno! :shocked: The Nanny gets very upset VERY quickly, and basically shuts everything down! :banghead:

Do you really need to ask me how I know this occurs?!? pps:

 

[Mikey]

These 1330 models are really touchy, I have had my old 2012 up in the rear and spun the tire in gear to adjust my belt and have never pissed the old girl off a bit!!

 

[Hound]

Sorry this thread seems never ending. . .
Today I cheated and removed the muffler to get at the axle nut easier.
I'm guessing some engineer got a bonus for deciding to use extra tough thread locker on the muffler hanger bolt. I cleaned off most of the BRP crap and just added some blue locktite when putting it back together. It was much easier with the muffler off and when backing off the left adjuster a little, I cheated. Put a 6" 5/8 bolt into the hollow axle and tapped it with a dead-blow hammer. Rolled the wheel over a few times and it moved about 1 1/2 credit card off the flange. Technical measurement here. Dropped the rear wheel to the table and then tightened the axle nut. I'm getting too old for 160 ft lbs of torque. Hope to get at least one more short ride in before the snow flies.
Certainly appreciate the help on this forum.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Dropped the rear wheel to the table and then tightened the axle nut. I'm getting too old for 160 ft lbs of torque.

That's why you want to use one of these, a torque multiplier wrench. With the added length you can achieve 160 lb-ft of torque with only about 115 lb-ft pull.



https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Torque...9&sprefix=harley+davidson+axle,aps,171&sr=8-3

 

[Hound]

Have one but use it on the side opposite of the nut and use a small jack stand to hold it in place. Then I can use the socket on the nut because of the brake lines that get in the way.