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Stepper motor repaired. Triangle of death gone bye bye.

KayJay said:
I hear ya...
Will buckle up the ecu connectors and put the rubber boot over the whole thing and start riding. Out of sight, out of mind. Keeping a dehumidifier in the garage as well so corrosion should be kept to a minimum...
Click to expand...
An 8 year battle with nuisance service alerts (B-11) came to an end this fall. I had pulled the big plug in the dash (with the cam-lock) and cleaned it with CRC electronic cleaner, compressed air and re-assembled thinking I finally got it. Not!
Taking it apart again, I treated it with a product called Corrosion Block. It,s a marine product. That finally did it.
You can buy it at the West Marine stores. It is safe on circuit boards, inside electric motors, radios etc. I've had the bottle for 20 years, and had already used it on all connections around the bike except this last one.
A quick google search will give you the specs. Maybe you have time to look into it before you button it up. Good luck.
 
Nordicnorm said:
An 8 year battle with nuisance service alerts (B-11) came to an end this fall. I had pulled the big plug in the dash (with the cam-lock) and cleaned it with CRC electronic cleaner, compressed air and re-assembled thinking I finally got it. Not!
Taking it apart again, I treated it with a product called Corrosion Block. It,s a marine product. That finally did it.
You can buy it at the West Marine stores. It is safe on circuit boards, inside electric motors, radios etc. I've had the bottle for 20 years, and had already used it on all connections around the bike except this last one.
A quick google search will give you the specs. Maybe you have time to look into it before you button it up. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
I'll google it. Have not had time to do much over the past week or so but today I gave the ecu pins to the stepper motor one more check before putting the tank and plastics back together. The readings on the meter were perfect so I started looking at anything else that may need attention before re assembly and sure enough I found another screw up from the last so called mechanic that worked on the bike. He had replaced the oil pressure switch and I found the top of the connector weather boot cut off. Mind you the boot was in place but with the top cut off there was a gap all around the wire, Every time I washed the bike water would enter the boot and sit inside it submerging the spade connector. The switch is only a few months old and already had surface rust on the connector. I ordered a new boot but it won't arrive from China until late Feb. A little high temp. RTV will have to suffice along with a quick cleaning of the connector. Also waiting on a spacer for the tank cover that the same idiot neglected to replace. Anyway I have most of the bike back together and now I have a question:

Does the fuel tank have to be pressurized? I plan to charge the battery tonight and install it in the AM to check and clear any codes. At that point I should be able to turn the engine over if the bike can be started without the tank cover and fuel cap. All that said I will hopefully know if everything is working tomorrow. I'll keep everyone posted....
 
Great!

I didn't think so but I wanted to make sure. I'll Throw some fresh gas in the tank and give it a try tomorrow...
 
Well, I put the battery in the bike this morning and turned the ignition on. Immediately the dash went through it's normal exercise and the red warning light remained on. Disappointed, I turned the ignition off and back on again and heard a sound (sounded like a mini fart for a fraction of a second) from the area around the ECU and bingo, the red triangle of death turned off! I checked for any ecu or dash codes and alas, everything was clear, No more codes! :whew: I never had to clear anything, the code went away on it's own once the ecu reset itself. I started the engine and it idled at about 1,000 - 1100 RPM for about 5 to ten seconds and then settled down to about 800 RPM so the stepper motor is working. Idling nice and smooth with good snappy throttle response. Just the slightest bit of popping as RPM drops while engine is cold but once warm seems to run just fine. As soon as my parts arrive next week (rubber spacer for tank cover and passenger seat release cable) I'll get the old girl out on the road for a real test. Hopefully this was the last gremlin to be sorted out.

The biggest issue I had with the whole job was getting the bloody airbox drain hose to stay on the nipple while wrestling the airbox back in place. I tried spring retainers and hose clamps to no avail. IMO the nipple should have been barbed to better grip the hose. Could also be due to the hose being aftermarket from the last shop that worked on the bike I guess. All that said it looks like I'm back in business thanks to the expert help and advice I received on this forum. I've learned a great deal from all the folks here and can't thank you all enough....
 
KayJay said:
Well, I put the battery in the bike this morning and turned the ignition on. Immediately the dash went through it's normal exercise and the red warning light remained on. Disappointed, I turned the ignition off and back on again and heard a sound (sounded like a mini fart for a fraction of a second) from the area around the ECU and bingo, the red triangle of death turned off! I checked for any ecu or dash codes and alas, everything was clear, No more codes! :whew: I never had to clear anything, the code went away on it's own once the ecu reset itself. I started the engine and it idled at about 1,000 - 1100 RPM for about 5 to ten seconds and then settled down to about 800 RPM so the stepper motor is working. Idling nice and smooth with good snappy throttle response. Just the slightest bit of popping as RPM drops while engine is cold but once warm seems to run just fine. As soon as my parts arrive next week (rubber spacer for tank cover and passenger seat release cable) I'll get the old girl out on the road for a real test. Hopefully this was the last gremlin to be sorted out.

The biggest issue I had with the whole job was getting the bloody airbox drain hose to stay on the nipple while wrestling the airbox back in place. I tried spring retainers and hose clamps to no avail. IMO the nipple should have been barbed to better grip the hose. Could also be due to the hose being aftermarket from the last shop that worked on the bike I guess. All that said it looks like I'm back in business thanks to the expert help and advice I received on this forum. I've learned a great deal from all the folks here and can't thank you all enough....
Click to expand...

800 RPM idle is way too low. Should be at 1100 to 1150 once warned up. Have someone check the sync and TPS value. Hopefully someone hasn't messed with the idle stop screw which should never be touched. see https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/discontinued-alaris-centurion-vdsts-info-instructions.1676/
 
john zibell said:
800 RPM idle is way too low. Should be at 1100 to 1150 once warned up. Have someone check the sync and TPS value. Hopefully someone hasn't messed with the idle stop screw which should never be touched. see https://www.guzzitech.com/forums/threads/discontinued-alaris-centurion-vdsts-info-instructions.1676/
Click to expand...
Thanks John,
I was fully aware of the sacred screw and that was the reason I didn't allow the nearby Ducatti GP race shop to work on the bike. Amazing shop with millions of $$$ worth of factory GP race bikes but the owner admitted they would "adjust" the screw if needed. I explained that the throttle stop was a benchmark that everything else should should be adjusted to. His reply was "That sounds like B.S." so I never took the bike to him. Thankfully the yellow paint is still on the sacred screw. Hopefully it is just a TPS/sync issue as you suggest. I'll give the thread you mention a good read and do my best to learn how to get things adjusted myself. I have no issue buying the necessary tools/equipment but not so sure I can process the knowledge to use it without actually seeing it done. We'll see... If absolutely necessary, I guess I can take the bike to an authorized dealer on the other side of the state (In your neighborhood Adam). The thing that worries me is this; When I spoke to him a while back he admitted that even though he is an authorized dealer he "hasn't worked on many guzzis". I suppose I could feel him out with a few questions and insist on his not touching the sacred screw If I decide I can't do it myself.
 
Hey John,

I must be loosing my mind! I guess the limited sleep and having other things on my mind is catching up to me and I'm not paying attention. I misread the tach! I just started the bike again and the tach read 2,000 after initial start up and settled to 1150.:whew: That said I still want to be able to reset the tps value and sync the throttle bodies myself. I know the jest of it, how things work and why so with a little reading I think I can pull it off....
 
Great news!!
For me it was a great day when I finally had the tools to sync TBs and re-set the tps.
Self-reliance is a huge benefit as a Guzzisti.
Not putting your foot down regarding the sacred screw could have opened up a can of worms.
Congratulations, a fine decision.
 
KayJay said:
Hey John,

I must be loosing my mind! I guess the limited sleep and having other things on my mind is catching up to me and I'm not paying attention. I misread the tach! I just started the bike again and the tach read 2,000 after initial start up and settled to 1150.:whew: That said I still want to be able to reset the tps value and sync the throttle bodies myself. I know the jest of it, how things work and why so with a little reading I think I can pull it off....
Click to expand...


This tool should do what you need. https://gtmotocycles.com/collections/fueling/products/gt-motocycles-5am-7sm-reflash-tool
 
john zibell said:
This tool should do what you need. https://gtmotocycles.com/collections/fueling/products/gt-motocycles-5am-7sm-reflash-tool
Click to expand...
Yes, Scott mentioned that as well.
I am considering it but I was a bit confused after reading about it in the store. It seemed to be geared toward bikes with the PC5 mod/ removed canister. My old gal is stone cold stock. Is it still compatible with the stock map, pipe and all the pollution control BS?

I will still go ahead with the PC5 and re-flash at some point. Scott suggested it and explained how it made his Stelvio the best running Stelvio on the planet (I'm paraphrasing here but I'm sure I'm pretty close). Right now I want to invest in the tools and equipment necessary to perform my own maintenance and minor repairs. Not sure what I will do when I need any major work done but after talking to my Ducatti friend who owns the race shop mentioned above it seems folks ship their race bikes to him from all over the world. I think I have decided that a freight charge for the major work is part of the cost of owning a Guzzi in the U.S.
 
I re read the info on the reflash tool. I think I get it now. the revised maps are what are geared to the mods after sending the file. I guess after sending the file of my stock map it would be tweaked if necessary and set up for a stock bike...
 
KayJay said:
I re read the info on the reflash tool. I think I get it now. the revised maps are what are geared to the mods after sending the file. I guess after sending the file of my stock map it would be tweaked if necessary and set up for a stock bike...
Click to expand...

That is how it works. If you have changed crossover or air filter from stock just let Todd know.
 
KayJay said:
Thanks John,
I was fully aware of the sacred screw and that was the reason I didn't allow the nearby Ducatti GP race shop to work on the bike. Amazing shop with millions of $$$ worth of factory GP race bikes but the owner admitted they would "adjust" the screw if needed. I explained that the throttle stop was a benchmark that everything else should should be adjusted to. His reply was "That sounds like B.S." so I never took the bike to him. Thankfully the yellow paint is still on the sacred screw. Hopefully it is just a TPS/sync issue as you suggest. I'll give the thread you mention a good read and do my best to learn how to get things adjusted myself. I have no issue buying the necessary tools/equipment but not so sure I can process the knowledge to use it without actually seeing it done. We'll see... If absolutely necessary, I guess I can take the bike to an authorized dealer on the other side of the state (In your neighborhood Adam). The thing that worries me is this; When I spoke to him a while back he admitted that even though he is an authorized dealer he "hasn't worked on many guzzis". I suppose I could feel him out with a few questions and insist on his not touching the sacred screw If I decide I can't do it myself.
Click to expand...

KayJay,

----see
it forced me to be patient in regards to doing all my work including mapping myself with the help of this forum and a few tools of which, Todd sells most all of it. Including just sending him your ECU. He sells quality performance equipment only. Expensive yes, but you get what you pay for....Being in a very similar predicament as you with error code. Finally getting my bike finally set up and tuned it's been trouble free miles and miles. And at the end of the day after a 300 mile or so juant for example. I'm pretty proud of myself of doing it all myself. No disrespect intended to the expert mechanics that do this kinda work for a living. Of which, I am not in that class at all. Your work on troubleshooting and listening to those in the know. You can handle the mapping and TPS reset on your own with the right tools.....
 
Last edited:
Thanks Adam!

Yes, you guessed it. Maybe Santa will drop Todd's reflash tool in my stocking this year!

For the really big repairs (I know Guzzi's are built like tanks so it shouldn't be any time soon but at some point the bike will require work over and above my skill level)) I'll either rent a trailer or ship the bike to a competent Guzzi Professional. Even if it means shipping the bike half way across the Country.

(You reading this Scott)!

I dropped several thousand dollars over the last couple of years to have incompetent so called professionals all but ruin my bike. The sad thing is all the problems were self induced by unprofessional, lazy so called mechanics taking short cuts and performing shitty work. It started when an authorized Guzzi dealer some 6 hours away damaged a spark plug cap during rollerization. Instead of replacing the cap they wrapped it with electrical tape, put the cover over it and called it a day. This was after charging 9 hrs. labor at $145.00 for a 3-4 hour job... Everything snowballed from there. The bad plug cap caused an intermittent warning light problem and occasional false codes when shorting to the valve cover, usually between 3 and 4K RPM when vibration is more pronounced. Second so called mechanic charged a grand to try and diagnose the warning light issue missing the bad plug cap but replacing a perfectly good oil pressure switch and 02 sensor along with 10 hours of diagnostics. While replacing the oil pressure switch he took a short cut and cut the top off the oil pressure switch dust cover/boot allowing water to puddle inside the boot on the spade connector causing 07/08 dash codes even though the switch was brand new. (Mechanic's reply to the codes before I found the cut rubber boot was "bring it back cause it sounds like that switch is going again")I'm sure he would have charged another 4 or 5 hundred dollars to replace the switch again had I done that.

Not wanting to take the bike back I decided to check and clean every electrical connection I could find just to rule out a corroded or poor connection. This included the ecu connector. Then I found the bad plug cap but repairing it didn't fix the problem because I had induced a short in the ecu connector using the wrong or too much contact cleaner (don't use deoxit on multi wire connectors as it leaves an oily film that may cause a short). Additionally the oil pressure switch connector was covered in surface rust and corrosion from the water inside the rubber boot. :mad:

After fixing the plug cap, letting the ecu connector dry out and after cleaning and sealing the oil pressure switch connection the bike seems to be running great with no codes and no warning light. I Still need to get it on the road for a good 100 miles or so next week to know for sure.

The point is I could have put all that effort and money toward shipping and transport charges and had the work done right the first time. Then I would have been riding the past 2 years instead of loosing sleep wondering if I was ever going to ride my Stelvio again!

My advice to any Guzzi owner needing service or maintenance is, as you said Adam, to check this forum and spend time doing the necessary research to perform as much work as possible at home. There is plenty of expert help available here but don't be lazy. Spend the time and search the forum first. Just about every topic imaginable is covered. If your still not comfortable help is available from the experts on this forum. If it is absolutely necessary to have the work done by someone else (even by an authorized dealer) do your due diligence first! Don't be afraid to ask the mechanic how much experience he has working on Moto Guzzis and ask for references from other Guzzi owners. Most folks won't bad mouth a shop on public forums nor should they but a private message to other Guzzi enthusiasts in the area may be all you need to determine if the repair shop is competent. Guzzis are comparatively very simple machines but they have certain quirks that the mechanic needs to be aware of. If not, even a seasoned mechanic with no Guzzi background can ruin your bike by doing something stupid like messing with the sacred screw. Unfamiliar mechanics may also be inclined to perform unnecessary work costing hundreds of dollars. For instance Guzzis are known for noisy clutch chatter. This is part of the Guzzi character and although it can be fixed it won't cause any damage. A mechanic not familiar with Guzzis and hearing all that noise may insist you need a new clutch. BIG $$$$$.

It is my sincere hope that this thread will help others avoid the same nightmare that I experienced and provide some valuable insight at the same time... What I have learned and the knowledge I have gained on this forum is invaluable!
 
Well said Pete. The situation with for mentioned shop warning would take to long to explain. And it may be that since they just started servicing and selling Guzzi no more than six months prior. Perhaps the Mechanic was not up to speed on training perhaps....He may have moved on or completed training certification in Italy since then for all I know. Call there Technician and pick his brain. That would be the proper way to go about it. Instead of calling
them out on here. I truly work on kindness in my life but this world has challenged myself and countless others to all new limitations. Thanks Pete and I will edit posting because I agree with your statement upon further deliberance. Let's ride sometime soon after Christmas.
 
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