[JakeSmith29]

So I washed my bike yesterday thinking this is great now I have a clean bike but now it won't start without me giving it gas and I have to help it keep an idle. Also it is hoping at idle and it doesn't seem smooth at all. It ran great before I washed it, I was having no issues now I'm just confused. The FI light is showing code 21 and I know the code has to do with the crankshaft sensor but I have no idea why that would be making my bike run so rough... All help is appreciated!

 

[SkyDork]

You have no idea why the crankshaft sensor would cause the bike to run rough? Well, the purpose of that sensor is to let the ECU know what position the crankshaft is in so that it can fire the spark plug when each piston gets to top-dead center. Without that sensor, the motor won't run at all. If that sensor is faulty, and the ECU doesn't know where the crank is positioned, it will fire off the plugs at random points causing the timing to be way off. And that, of course, would cause crappy running.

Did you wash it with a hose and bucket? Or a pressure washer? Pressure washers are usually a no-go when washing the bikes. Stick to the hose and bucket. You most likely have water in the connector or the sensor that's shorting it out between the sensor and the ECU. Give it a day or 2 to dry out on it's own and see if the problem goes away. If not, you're going to have to disconnect the sensor and physically dry the contacts out with compressed air or something. If that still doesn't work, then replacing the sensor is the last resort.

 

[JakeSmith29]

Thanks for the reply SkyDork! I was hoping you would chime in! That makes more sense now and I will check all the connections and make sure they are dry but the code only appears when the bike is off when I start the bike the code clears and the bike sounds like its starving for air. I just took out the air filter and it looks black so I'm replacing it today! Is there a connection for the crankshaft sensor farther up near the dash? Sorry for all the noob questions, this is just a new bike to me and I'm trying to learn myself instead of taking it in to the dealership!

 

[SkyDork]

Thanks for the reply SkyDork! I was hoping you would chime in! That makes more sense now and I will check all the connections and make sure they are dry but the code only appears when the bike is off when I start the bike the code clears and the bike sounds like its starving for air. I just took out the air filter and it looks black so I'm replacing it today! Is there a connection for the crankshaft sensor farther up near the dash? Sorry for all the noob questions, this is just a new bike to me and I'm trying to learn myself instead of taking it in to the dealership!

Interesting. The code shouldn't clear after you start the bike like that if it truly is a fault. The crank sensor should connect up under the tank near the TBs. There's nothing going to the dash. It connects directly to the ECU. If you're getting codes that clear out like you describe, it sounds like there's water somewhere causing higher resistance in the circuit.

The air filter being black should definitely be changed out, but it would have to be severely clogged to cause idle problems. Poor power output, yes, but it should idle OK. I think the majority of your issues are with the water in the harness. Hopefully you didn't get any into the fuel tank either due to a bad seal of something. That would cause poor running also.

 

[JakeSmith29]

Interesting. The code shouldn't clear after you start the bike like that if it truly is a fault. The crank sensor should connect up under the tank near the TBs. There's nothing going to the dash. It connects directly to the ECU. If you're getting codes that clear out like you describe, it sounds like there's water somewhere causing higher resistance in the circuit.

The air filter being black should definitely be changed out, but it would have to be severely clogged to cause idle problems. Poor power output, yes, but it should idle OK. I think the majority of your issues are with the water in the harness. Hopefully you didn't get any into the fuel tank either due to a bad seal of something. That would cause poor running also.

I think I cleared most of the water out of all the connections and the air filter was almost completely black so I'm changing it out asap! I ran the bike at idle without the filter and it ran like normal again, no issues and sound smoother than before! Thanks for all the help I will let you know what happens once I get it back together!