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ECU Disconnect

Vt-Guzzi

Just got it firing!
Joined
Jun 4, 2017
Messages
21
Location
Vermont
I have a 2013 Stelvio NTX. A few weeks ago I had a no start issue. Stopped for lunch and afterwards with the key on I got the triangle of death and ECU-Disconnect message. This mode also does not show the Neutral light. While checking things out I found that the main 30amp fuse under the seat was a bit corroded. Still nothing. About 20 minutes later the bike showed the neutral light and no disconnect message so I hit the start button. It would start and then quickly die. Giving extra gas had no effect. Eventually it does catch and run, poorly. It does iron out enough to get home. Then it works fine for a few rides until it acts up again. I have inspected and cleaned all the fuse, relay and ground connections.

I also installed a Solenoid relay. After that it fired right up! I turned it off and got my gear on to go for a test ride. When I got back on it wouldn't start. It quickly progressed through the same start fazes.

The last couple of days I have had no issues. It starts up normally. As you might suspect, I have lost faith in the reliability and therefore I am not taking it camping on my week off.

Any ideas on what is going on here? Thanks, Jon
 
BATTERY...BATTERY...BATTERY.

Take it to Auto Parts store and load test it. (Not a voltmeter reading). LOAD TEST.

Bet you it fails.

90% of issues like this I have encountered are bad batteries.
 
There is a ground wire on the body of the ECU. Make sure that is clean and tight. I've seen ECU failures from a poor ground at that location.
I have no intention of hi-jacking, but I have had a rash of service alerts lately (B-11) and was about to ask the question about any alternate ground connections besides the main one behind the starter. I get fault codes 1 through 7 in the dash memory, which would indicate a faulty ground. I have cleaned all connectors I could find after lifting the tank. I will investigate and also check the connector inside the dash as John suggests.
Timely info much appreciated.
 
Here's another vote to check the battery first. I always keep my battery on a high quality 'tender'. Once morning I thumbed the starter and pulled away heading to the gas station. After filling, thumbed the starter and got a very brief attempt to turn over. I pulled out my VOM meter and voltage read 12.9 volts. Terminals perfectly tight and clean. Thumbed again and zero. I have the startus-interruptus so I know that wasn't the issue. Got the wife to come to the station and jump me off and got the bike home. Measured the voltage again and got 13.1. Tore into everything and discovered nothing that should prevent a start. Now to the internet. After hours or readying, I found a two sentence post that said some Guzzi ECU's shut down the starting sequence if the voltage is less than, if I remember correctly, 10.5 or 11 volts. You can hear the starter solenoid engage but nothing else happens afterwards when the ECU takes over.

At first I dismissed this since I measured 12.9 volts at the station even after the several starts attempts and with the idiot lights and fuel pump whirling and I]m sure drawing down the battery. BUT, what i didn't immediately realize was that the battery was weak and the starting load was pulling the voltage down below the ECU starting threshold. After a couple more hours I decided to got the auto parts store and get the battery checked. Cold cranking amps was about 50. BINGO. Purchased a new battery and all is good. Not a problem since.
 
EXACTLY 2veloce !

I get so exasperated trying to teach people that a voltmeter reading across the + and - terminals of a battery reads SURFACE VOLTAGE.

When you do a LOAD TEST, it checks the condition of the cells and their ability to maintain both VOLTAGE and CURRENT which are not the same thing! Many batteries causing these Dash error code problems will read 12.2+ V, but will absolutely fail a load test.

Whenever you encounter ECU Dash errors, CHECK THE BATTERY WITH A LOAD TEST! If it fails, replace it and 99.9% of the time those errors magically disappear.

Bravo on your post!
 
I am under the understanding that if a battery shows fully charged while using a volt meter but drops to 8.7v, indicated on the volt meter, during start up that this is a sure indicator that the battery has dropped a cell or stuffed.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
BATTERY...BATTERY...BATTERY.

Take it to Auto Parts store and load test it. (Not a voltmeter reading). LOAD TEST.

Bet you it fails.

90% of issues like this I have encountered are bad batteries.
My battery passed the load test no problem, but I noticed when undoing the terminals that they were somewhat looser than I would expect. I use Permatex Battery Saver, a highly conductive grease and anti corrosion agent (as opposed to Dielectric grease).
Having re-installed the battery I have had no sign of Service Alerts in several days of riding.
Maybe lubrication and vibration could loosen the battery terminals over time?
I will certainly keep an eye on them in the future.
So YES, indirectly the battery was my problem too. Quite a relief actually!
 
Great! Congratulations.

Please though people...

DIELECTRIC GREASE IS AN INSULATOR!

It is not conductive and should never be applied to electrical connections.

It’s principal use on motorcycles is on old rubber style spark plug boots on the ignition wires, to facilitate easy slipping of the rubber over the porcelain insulator of the spark plug WITHOUT allowing arcing (BECAUSE IT’S AN INSULATOR!)

If I could get people here to understand One Key Concept here, this understanding would be it.
 
I thought I would revisit this. My bike is always on a tender when in the garage. I purchased a battery right before the issue began.
The dealer didn't have one in stock BUT his employee had one in the shed in his snowmobile that was new in the spring. Was it charged? He said it was but obviously he hadn't run it in a few months. I suspect that this was the issue.

The starter circuit shut down is an interesting theory. I wounder how much time or other perimeters pass before it re-connects? This would explain some of my later no start events when the battery was fully charged and connections re-established.

Dielectric grease: I understand that it is an insulator. I would never use it on a battery terminal. However on corroded fuses and relay spades that have been cleaned and have a tight connection established, I think using it to keep the moisture out that caused the corrosion is acceptable.

I successfully put 1500+ miles on the bike in the fall with no re-occurrence.

Jon
 
Dielectric grease: I understand that it is an insulator. I would never use it on a battery terminal. However on corroded fuses and relay spades that have been cleaned and have a tight connection established, I think using it to keep the moisture out that caused the corrosion is acceptable.

No, it's not. Please... Never put dielectric grease on electrical connections. There are much better choices for keeping out moisture from electrical connections. A poster above listed one, Permatex Battery Saver
 
I have no intention of hi-jacking, but I have had a rash of service alerts lately (B-11) and was about to ask the question about any alternate ground connections besides the main one behind the starter. I get fault codes 1 through 7 in the dash memory, which would indicate a faulty ground. I have cleaned all connectors I could find after lifting the tank. I will investigate and also check the connector inside the dash as John suggests.
Timely info much appreciated.
Fooling with battery connections on my Norge I discovered that the second thinner negative (earth) cable to the battery had no continuity to the frame with the battery out. WTF!! Cable is covered with vinyl protector, but underneath are all these white wires, ie the ground wires from sensors. I asked my son who is a professional HD mechanic if it is normal to run all the ground (earth) sensor wires to the battery instead of the frame, and he said yes it is, apparently it helps with diagnosis or something. So check your battery earth connection as well as this is the other end of sensor grounding apparently.
 
It is actually extremely rare to have a sudden ground failure. It's really a rare occurrence and usually immediately traceable to a broken ground strap.

Before you start going all off on your hunch, I strongly recommend that you take the battery to an auto parts store and have it LOAD TESTED. I'll bet it fails. (This has been proven to be correct right here in this forum!)

FWIW: I have seen every conceivable error message thrown into the ECU from poor battery condition. In 97% of the cases, they magically vanish when a new fresh battery is installed.

LOAD TESTING is a free service at most auto parts stores.
 
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