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Bike cought fire and not functioning after PCIII install
Hello, this is my long story with the PCIII...
I have installed Power CommanderIII on my 1000S. The PC has been installed under the seat and fixed to the plastic area of the underseat tray. Following my first ride with the PC (150km) the bike started to behave strangely during the ride -- the bike seemed to lose power and started to behave like working only on 2 or 3 cylinders with a sound of broken engine. I stopped and waited some 15 minutes and restarted the engine -- now it was all OK again. On the trip home the bike did the same fault once more. At home I checked the bike and realised tha the body of the PCIII melted from the heat.
The PCIII has been replaced by a new one by the dealer - so I thought all problems are cured as I blamed the PCIII for the issue. But I went out again with the new PC and after some 10km ride the bike started to do the same power loss and noise again during ride but it "cured" itself after few minutes. I returned home and on the way I saw that the charge indicator lamp came on on the instrument panel -- after 1km I stopped at a red lamp and at the same time some pedestrians started to shout to me that the bike is burning. I realised only that the bike caught fire when huge flames appeared from below the tank through the venting holes on the fairing.
I was simply lucky as was able to take of the side panel quickly - the whole bike was in flames and smoke in 15 seconds. To my luck a guy from a stopping van throw me a portable fire estinguisher. I emptied the whole lot and stopped the fire without blowing the tank.
The guys in the van turned out to be a motocross riders and they put my dead bike into their van and took me home (it was too much luck really but shows how bikers help each other ...)
The whole electrical cable system, relays etc. had to be changed but due to the quick action there was no significant damage to the mechanical parts, tank or bodywork on the bike - but all was black from the smoke and fire.
It took few months to repair everything (waiting for parts from Italy..) and I thought that all issues will be solved now.
I took my bike home from the service but after 5km the bike started the same powerloss, running on 1 or 2 cylinders less... I stopped immediately, waited some 15 minutes to cool down and tried to restart the engine -- but the battery was completely dead so I had to call a trailer and take it back to the service station.
So I have no bike again and have no idea what can be the issue with the bike. Seems some electrical issue or wrongly installed PCIII wiring.
Has anyone experienced any similar issue that during ride (when the bike gets hot??) its like the bike is running only on 3 cylinders with strange noise.
According to the guys its not the Eletronic Braking EBC issue as they checked and its a different cylinder stopping not the one which is killed by EBC on engine brake. They tried to put a Computer from anoother F4 to my bike but same problems. So the next suspect is again the cabling and they are changing the cable set under the seat.
Any similar experience or advice friends ? Getting tired from the whole issue as spent nearly 5 months to solve it and still no luck.
I have installed Power CommanderIII on my 1000S. The PC has been installed under the seat and fixed to the plastic area of the underseat tray. Following my first ride with the PC (150km) the bike started to behave strangely during the ride -- the bike seemed to lose power and started to behave like working only on 2 or 3 cylinders with a sound of broken engine. I stopped and waited some 15 minutes and restarted the engine -- now it was all OK again. On the trip home the bike did the same fault once more. At home I checked the bike and realised tha the body of the PCIII melted from the heat.
The PCIII has been replaced by a new one by the dealer - so I thought all problems are cured as I blamed the PCIII for the issue. But I went out again with the new PC and after some 10km ride the bike started to do the same power loss and noise again during ride but it "cured" itself after few minutes. I returned home and on the way I saw that the charge indicator lamp came on on the instrument panel -- after 1km I stopped at a red lamp and at the same time some pedestrians started to shout to me that the bike is burning. I realised only that the bike caught fire when huge flames appeared from below the tank through the venting holes on the fairing.
I was simply lucky as was able to take of the side panel quickly - the whole bike was in flames and smoke in 15 seconds. To my luck a guy from a stopping van throw me a portable fire estinguisher. I emptied the whole lot and stopped the fire without blowing the tank.
The guys in the van turned out to be a motocross riders and they put my dead bike into their van and took me home (it was too much luck really but shows how bikers help each other ...)
The whole electrical cable system, relays etc. had to be changed but due to the quick action there was no significant damage to the mechanical parts, tank or bodywork on the bike - but all was black from the smoke and fire.
It took few months to repair everything (waiting for parts from Italy..) and I thought that all issues will be solved now.
I took my bike home from the service but after 5km the bike started the same powerloss, running on 1 or 2 cylinders less... I stopped immediately, waited some 15 minutes to cool down and tried to restart the engine -- but the battery was completely dead so I had to call a trailer and take it back to the service station.
So I have no bike again and have no idea what can be the issue with the bike. Seems some electrical issue or wrongly installed PCIII wiring.
Has anyone experienced any similar issue that during ride (when the bike gets hot??) its like the bike is running only on 3 cylinders with strange noise.
According to the guys its not the Eletronic Braking EBC issue as they checked and its a different cylinder stopping not the one which is killed by EBC on engine brake. They tried to put a Computer from anoother F4 to my bike but same problems. So the next suspect is again the cabling and they are changing the cable set under the seat.
Any similar experience or advice friends ? Getting tired from the whole issue as spent nearly 5 months to solve it and still no luck.
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Senior Member 

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but I am glad you are ok and did not get hurt.
I have not had problems this bad however, I do have an overheating issue. When the bike over heats it drains the battery. I am not sure why it does it, but it does.
When you stopped for those 15 minutes to let the bike cool down on your 5km ride did you leave the power on so that the fan helped cool off the bike? If you did, the fan might have been the cause of your dead battery.
I hope you can resolve the issue. Good luck
I have not had problems this bad however, I do have an overheating issue. When the bike over heats it drains the battery. I am not sure why it does it, but it does.
When you stopped for those 15 minutes to let the bike cool down on your 5km ride did you leave the power on so that the fan helped cool off the bike? If you did, the fan might have been the cause of your dead battery.
I hope you can resolve the issue. Good luck
Don't make excuses, Make it happen
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07 SENNA (261/300)
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04 Ducati 749s (Track Project)
06 CBR600RR (Track Project II)
08 Aprilia RSV (Rest In Pieces)
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Paris, FRANCE
Posts: 378
Did you safety wire the PC3 connectors ?
In my opinion, the 2 issues are unrelated (fire and loosing a cylinder)
The fire was probably caused by a broken fuel connector when you installed the PC3
The cylinder cutting out is either a PC3 connection fault, the wrong PC3 for your bike or the EBS relay, regardless of what the dealer says (never trust them)
In my opinion, the 2 issues are unrelated (fire and loosing a cylinder)
The fire was probably caused by a broken fuel connector when you installed the PC3
The cylinder cutting out is either a PC3 connection fault, the wrong PC3 for your bike or the EBS relay, regardless of what the dealer says (never trust them)
Losing power
Scary story.. Good thing you were not speeding and no harm was done to you.
Well my 1078 keeps fouling spark plug of cylinder no 1 (left side of engine). Still no cure. symptoms same as yours, it happens every 2,000kms roughly. No PC or any engine upgrade just a stock bike. Cylinder headers all (except cylinder no 1) measure about 30C hotter than the left one so the mixture there must be rich. I suspect is either the ignition coil or the injector or even a sensor (which gives signal to the ecu and we found out is off the readings). In your case have the mechanic check:
the mixture
the sparks and their gap
coils/ injectors/sensors (voltage, resistance)
ecu giving wrong instructions to the engine (software needed).
Try to locate which cylinder is not working (measure temperature of header pipes with bike running). Then swap injector/ coil to other cylinder (any) to see if problem goes elsewere. If it does then it is that part you moved creating it.
It must be the ignition and not the injection I think. I am definetely no expert (still I haven't found out what's wrong with mine) and do check the above with your mechanic but this is what I learned in the last 2 months when problem appeared from people of the forum.
Let me know if you find something from your side, info always useful.
Phil
Well my 1078 keeps fouling spark plug of cylinder no 1 (left side of engine). Still no cure. symptoms same as yours, it happens every 2,000kms roughly. No PC or any engine upgrade just a stock bike. Cylinder headers all (except cylinder no 1) measure about 30C hotter than the left one so the mixture there must be rich. I suspect is either the ignition coil or the injector or even a sensor (which gives signal to the ecu and we found out is off the readings). In your case have the mechanic check:
the mixture
the sparks and their gap
coils/ injectors/sensors (voltage, resistance)
ecu giving wrong instructions to the engine (software needed).
Try to locate which cylinder is not working (measure temperature of header pipes with bike running). Then swap injector/ coil to other cylinder (any) to see if problem goes elsewere. If it does then it is that part you moved creating it.
It must be the ignition and not the injection I think. I am definetely no expert (still I haven't found out what's wrong with mine) and do check the above with your mechanic but this is what I learned in the last 2 months when problem appeared from people of the forum.
Let me know if you find something from your side, info always useful.
Phil
Last edited by PP1098; 07-15-2009 at 01:56 PM.
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: hertfordshire
Posts: 273
had the same thing with the fire was the main charge relay contacts had reistance and got hot where the fuse goes in and melts the plastic and bridges the contacts and as you say start a fire. I blow mine out and disconnected the battery straight away not sure about the other problem but would say was a seperate problem.
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