Hey Hey, its crank sensor day!

lynnbpa

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ECM fault codes can be cleared using this also.

I don't think the NT has any auto-reset feature that is dependent on starts or key cycles.
I had a fault code clear itself a couple of weeks ago, right after my NT was delivered. IIRC, it was the throttle position sensor code. I assume the battery had run down during shipment; once I started riding it, it charged back up, and code eventually cleared.
 
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I had a fault code clear itself a couple of weeks ago, right after my NT was delivered. IIRC, it was the throttle position sensor code. I assume the battery had run down during shipment; once I started riding it, it charged back up, and code eventually cleared.
That is interesting. I'm not completely sure if the stored ECM codes will clear if the battery is disconnected. I thought the stored ECM fault codes could only be manually reset.

The Maintenance Indicating Light (MIL) on the dash will only light when there is an active fault and clears when the fault condition clears. But when a fault condition happens not only should the MIL come on, but a code is stored in the ECM. The NT could have many stored fault codes in ECM, no MIL, and run perfectly. Resetting the stored codes in the ECM I thought could only be done manually, and I thought that the codes were stored even if the battery was disconnected & reconnected.
 
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Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

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As was very well explained below, there are almost as many different ways of doing it as there are different brand names.
For those of us who have to diagnose and fix them it would be a lot easier (and cheaper for the customer) if all systems followed the same principles.
The manufactures, of course, don't want that as it would take work away from the Dealerships.
Fortunately for us here, the NT system is fairly basic and easy to fix.

Macka
Good news. Frosty and I took a short morning ride to lunch in beautiful Spangle WA and that makes 100 miles with at least 10 hot starts and no leaks or issues so I will take it to Canada in two days with Frosty to the BMW rally at Kalso. Cough cough. Hepa N100 mask going in pannier.
 

Phil Tarman

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Glad to hear that your fix fixed it! Have a good trip!
 

lynnbpa

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That is interesting. I'm not completely sure if the stored ECM codes will clear if the battery is disconnected. I thought the stored ECM fault codes could only be manually reset.

The Maintenance Indicating Light (MIL) on the dash will only light when there is an active fault and clears when the fault condition clears. But when a fault condition happens not only should the MIL come on, but a code is stored in the ECM. The NT could have many stored fault codes in ECM, no MIL, and run perfectly. Resetting the stored codes in the ECM I thought could only be done manually, and I thought that the codes were stored even if the battery was disconnected & reconnected.
I stand corrected, MIL cleared, not sure if stored code cleared or not. Been too busy lately to squeeze in any riding, till I had some time to work on pannier latches and mount a top trunk the other day; bike was a little reluctant to start, and I got another MIL. Haven't taken the time to check this one out yet.
 

DirtFlier

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[...that makes 100 miles with at least 10 hot starts and no leaks or issues...Coyote Chris]

How many no-start situations did you experience prior the replacing the Crank Position Sensor? I only had two and they both happened on the same trip during hot weather.
 
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Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

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[...that makes 100 miles with at least 10 hot starts and no leaks or issues...Coyote Chris]

How many no-start situations did you experience prior the replacing the Crank Position Sensor? I only had two and they both happened on the same trip during hot weather.
I only had one. I rode the bike home and put all the junk on the FJR and we went to Spearfish. Then I came home and it was off to Oshkosh for two weeks so no riding. Is it fixed? What was the real problem if any? The connector looked good and the pigtail was undamaged. I routed the pigtail to keep it away from any heat source that looked too close just for something to do. My feeling is that it is hotter than heck now (record heat) during the last 100 miles and hot starts and I will be with my wingman for the next 500 miles of hot weather, so if it doesnt mess up, maybe it will continue to work and I can trust it as much as any machine. Note that I didnt say , "fixed". Anyone got a Gremlin bell for sale?
 
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Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

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Glad to hear that your fix fixed it! Have a good trip!
If it is just too smokey tomarrow, and I dont think it will be any worse than it is now, looking at the Web cams, I will go to Mt Baker next week as NOAA says the State of WA is clearing of smoke from West to East starting in a few days and the temp will drop to the 80s.
I have motorcycle RV insurance which is a good feeling.

I do wonder (he asked retorically) if anyone has fixed a gremlin my exercising a connector at the computer or at the sensor?
 
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I only had one. I rode the bike home and put all the junk on the FJR and we went to Spearfish. Then I came home and it was off to Oshkosh for two weeks so no riding. Is it fixed? What was the real problem if any? The connector looked good and the pigtail was undamaged. I routed the pigtail to keep it away from any heat source that looked too close just for something to do. My feeling is that it is hotter than heck now (record heat) during the last 100 miles and hot starts and I will be with my wingman for the next 500 miles of hot weather, so if it doesnt mess up, maybe it will continue to work and I can trust it as much as any machine. Note that I didnt say , "fixed". Anyone got a Gremlin bell for sale?
Two-wire crank sensors like the one in the NT typically fail when the magnet wire inside develops a tiny break somewhere, due to the heat cycles it's exposed to. Sometimes the wire breaks clean and the sensor stops working right away, and other times the ends touch and the sensor operates intermittently. The connector and pigtail are almost never the problem.

Brad
 
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Coyote Chris

Coyote Chris

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Two-wire crank sensors like the one in the NT typically fail when the magnet wire inside develops a tiny break somewhere, due to the heat cycles it's exposed to. Sometimes the wire breaks clean and the sensor stops working right away, and other times the ends touch and the sensor operates intermittently. The connector and pigtail are almost never the problem.

Brad
I agree. Older Subarus are famous for this. The coil breaks on the cam or crank angle sensor and if the engine is running, it continues to run cause the subaru computer has historical memory. But turn it off and the coil opens up and the vehicle wont start. The Subaru forum told me to tap on one of the sensors while cranking and if it starts, that is the bad sensor, Mine was the cam angle sensor. three minutes to replace.
 
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