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.
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!
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.
. Peter