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[pj57]

Maybe it's time to give this Harley thing a rest.  Riding with my crew this morning and I'm last in the group waiting for a red light to change to green.  The light changes and the four ahead of me clear the four lane intersection just fine.  My bike hesitates as I slip the clutch and twist the throttle, The bike revs drops to idle and I've got no throttle response.  Unfortunately, I gained enough speed in "limp mode" to travel just beyond the middle of the intersection before the bike died. I try to do a quick diagnosis, but in the process of doing so, I momentarily lose track of the fact the light is about to change (it's a quick light). Realizing the pickle I'm now in, I now start peddling my 900+ lb. Road Glide Ultra to clear of the other side of the intersection. I was reminded how quickly a car travels at that speed as a car that was approaching the light (now green) noticed me at the last second and moved over enougn to sail behind me.  Under the circumstances, I'm not sure what I would have done differently except maybe ditching the bike and running my ass to the other side of the road.  So my buddies now double back and settle me down. Five minutes after the fact, the bike starts right up and I now have throttle response.  I drive the bike to a nearby dealer where, of course, they cannot duplicate the non-responsive throttle, however, fault codes say I need a new ECM. I'm out of warranty by three weeks...sorry...that'll be $500. OK, I chose not to get extended warranty, so no bitch there - it's on me. Anyway, new ECM is installed, but same fault code indicating ECM should still be replaced appears.  Mechanic puts in old ECM and when the scanner is hooked up, there's no fault code at all. Mechanic can't explain how it all happened, but at that point the bike seems fine. When he restarts the bike after buttoning it up for me to ride away, a new fault code appears (compression releases) which by the way was replaced a while back when the bike was under warranty.  Bike now sits at dealer with a lot of unanswered questions.  A quick Google search shows several incidents of Throttle by Wire failure, including a lawsuit in Texas where a guy and his wife were involved in an accident allegedly due to throttle failure.  I've got a 1000 mile trip planned for the end of the month. This sure give me a lot of confidence to make that trip.  Have there been any discussions here on the topic? For whatever it's worth, I plan on reporting this defect to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I've had it... PJ    

[Twolanerider]

Pete, for something the rest of the auto industry has ironed years ago Harley's electronic throttle record makes me glad I've still got cables.  So glad you're ok.

[Coyote.]

Replace your TCA. That is likely the problem. ECMs almost never go bad.

[89Speedy]

Replace your TCA. That is likely the problem. ECMs almost never go bad.

Pardon my ignorance, what's TCA?

[pj57]

I believe TCA = Throttle Control Actuator which I think is located inside the throttle hand grip assembly.  Funny, I suggested to the tech from the beginning that may be the problem, but, unfortunately, techs these days rely so heavily on what a freakin' computer tells them rather than the obvious.  Sad.

[efrbc1]

TBW (and all the posted problems) is what is keeping me away from a new HD.  My '03 FFRK and '05 SEEG have cables and I like the peace of mind that they will work when I need them to.  Is there a way to convert TBW back to a cable system?

Chris

[05Train]

Harley's record with TBW is quite good, you need to remember that there's a tiny percentage of owners on the forums, and for the most part, people use them to talk/ask/complain about problems.  You also have to wonder how many of the posted TBW "failures" are due to a DIY handlebar install, or some other ham-handed modification.

Throttle cables bind, stretch, and break, and they don't offer the precision of TBW.  No way I'd switch back, which is good, as there's no way to do so with the current ECM programming.

[Coyote.]

I believe TCA = Throttle Control Actuator which I think is located inside the throttle hand grip assembly.  Funny, I suggested to the tech from the beginning that may be the problem, but, unfortunately, techs these days rely so heavily on what a freakin' computer tells them rather than the obvious.  Sad.

The TCA is attached to the throttle body (induction module) and has a long history of failures, especially early on. The newer ones seem to be doing better. It's about $170 for a complete induction module. Some guys have had luck taking the TCA apart and cleaning everything but I think swapping it is the best thing to do.

 27200002      INDUCTION MODULE KIT, W/ REF # 6, 11

[North Georgia Hawg]

The TCA is attached to the throttle body (induction module) and has a long history of failures, especially early on. The newer ones seem to be doing better. It's about $170 for a complete induction module. Some guys have had luck taking the TCA apart and cleaning everything but I think swapping it is the best thing to do.

 27200002      INDUCTION MODULE KIT, W/ REF # 6, 11

There have also been corrosion problems with the big black connector on the rear side of the TCA. I would suggest disconnecting it and checking for corrosion on the pins, cleaning them if necessary, and putting some dielectric grease on the pins before reconnecting it. I know several people who have experienced corrosion on the pins in this connector.

Disassembling the TCA will void the warranty. It is not a field-serviceable part, and is only sold as a complete replacement unit.

Ken

[grc]

The TCA (Throttle Control Actuator) is actually the part that moves the throttle plate in the throttle body.  The part in the handlebar is the twist grip sensor.  They can be tested if the "technician" is truly capable and not just a part changer.

People can just start replacing parts I suppose, but that isn't necessarily the best approach.  However, you tend to be at the mercy of the shop you use and the capabilities (or lack thereof) of the personnel.  Case in point, the guy who just replaced the ECM when it wasn't defective.  DTC's are just a starting point for proper diagnostic work, and don't always immediately pinpoint the causal part.  With modern electronics a bad connection is often the real problem, but the folks who only know how to change parts throw new expensive parts at the bike until they stumble across something that works.  If the part they change just happens to include the electrical connector or harness where the real problem is located, then the part change may in fact fix the problem, at least temporarily.  I know, my ideas are radical and old fashioned and definitely not popular with many "technicians" these days.   

Jerry

[BostonboyDH]

There have also been corrosion problems with the big black connector on the rear side of the TCA. I would suggest disconnecting it and checking for corrosion on the pins, cleaning them if necessary, and putting some dielectric grease on the pins before reconnecting it. I know several people who have experienced corrosion on the pins in this connector.

Disassembling the TCA will void the warranty. It is not a field-serviceable part, and is only sold as a complete replacement unit.

Ken

  I Have had a similar problem in 2009 with less than 2000 miles on my bike while I was in upstate NY. The dealer there said I need a new TCA and did not have a part I was fortunate to have a friend there with a trailer got the bike to my dealer and they diagnosed the problem as "FRETTING" on three of the five pins that go to the TCA. He replaced all five pins and loaded them up with dielectric grease! Now 10,000 miles later no problems and saying my prayers!!!!   There is a tech bulletin from HD that says the "FRETTING" is due to excessive vibration on the 103's and the 110's only!!!!!  David H.

[michaelbmenaker]

This happened to me on the road. New ECM, same problem. It was a broken wire and it took my home dealer to find it. Long story, but your problems sound awfully familiar.

[JR]

  I Have had a similar problem in 2009 with less than 2000 miles on my bike while I was in upstate NY. The dealer there said I need a new TCA and did not have a part I was fortunate to have a friend there with a trailer got the bike to my dealer and they diagnosed the problem as "FRETTING" on three of the five pins that go to the TCA. He replaced all five pins and loaded them up with dielectric grease! Now 10,000 miles later no problems and saying my prayers!!!!   There is a tech bulletin from HD that says the "FRETTING" is due to excessive vibration on the 103's and the 110's only!!!!!  David H.

I work for a Cat dealer on heavy equipment and we use the same DT electrical connectors Harley does. I was troubleshooting an electrical problem and when I researched bulletins I found a service magazine the stated we should no longer use the dielectric  grease. Here is the bulletin...

Dielectric grease should NOT be used in electrical connectors on Caterpillar machines regardless of the connector family. The use of dielectric grease in connector assemblies can result in moisture and dirt contamination. Moisture and dirt contamination can lead to shorts and/or intermittent connections.

Dielectric grease shall be restricted to use on bolted connections such as the following: ring terminals, cable assemblies, battery posts and spark plug connections. On bolted connections, Caterpillar part number 151-1340 Dielectric Grease should be used.

Just sayin...

 

[joe_lyons50023]

Most of the problems are due to the pins they used from 2008-2010.5. They have since came out with new pins that are coated with a different metal and can handle the vibrations. They are a -11 pin and can be replaced under emissions warranty if the bike is 5 years from being sold or under 19,000 miles.

[JR]

For sometime now Cat has gone with Gold plated pins in all their connectors to help with corrosion.