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Bike won't start

27K views 58 replies 21 participants last post by  visionjohnny 
#1 ·
My 2014 Jackpot does not start. It cranks fine, but never fires. Every once in a while it will fire one time, but not start. Suspecting the battery, I replace don't it, but made no difference. I ride the bike daily, and one day, it just refused to start. It's got the Power Commanders V, which was installed just over a year ago, and has been working fine after it was dyno'd. I guess I can simply remove the Power Commander and see if it then starts, but that just seems to be a bit of a pain in the ass, and was wondering if there were simpler things to check. Perhaps I should check the crankshaft position sensor, and verify it's putting out the proper voltage? I understand it should put out an AC voltage, but at what value?
 
#2 ·
Make sure the PC-V LED is coming on when you turn on the ignition. If its not make sure the ground wire is still secure. Then check the rest of the connections of the PC-V
 
#3 ·
I took a look at the PC5 while tying to start the bike, and the Power LED does light up...though it's hard to see. Checked the ground wire of it running to the battery, and it was very tightly secured. The status LED on the PC5 flashes a couple times when I try to start it, if that means anything.
 
#4 ·
A couple of suggestions:
- Make sure there's fuel in the bike (half joking, half serious).
- Battery terminals tight?
- Take each spark plug out and check them while cranking to make sure you have a spark in each one.
 
#5 ·
Plenty of gas in the tank. When installing the battery, I tightened the bejesus on the connections. As for spark, I haven't checked that yet. However, if the is no spark, that would point to the PV5 being bad, right? Or would that also be a symptom of the crankshaft position sensor going south?
 
#10 ·
Yes both a bad PCV and/or bad Crank Position Sensor will give no spark from coil to wires and plugs.
 
#6 ·
You need to eliminate the 3 basic things for an engine to run to make sure you're looking in the right place. Fire (spark), fuel, and compression. On a new bike like this we can safely eliminate compression so that leaves fire and fuel. You can eliminate fuel being the reason by spraying starting fluid into the intake. You will need to remove the tank for this or you can check the fuel pressure. I forget what it needs to be to run. Then you can look for reasons for there to be no spark if it starts up using starting fluid.

Fuel pumps do go bad; even fairly new ones. Check to see if you're getting spark by jumping it from the plug to the cylinder or get one of those inexpensive spark checkers that go inline between the plug and plug wire.

These are just basic things to get a starting point to go from. I would check those battery connections again though and possibly the circuit breaker. While this isn't an X bike; they are known to go bad on those. PC-5's rarely go bad that I've heard of but someone who works on Victory's everyday might have a different opinion. Mine is just based on what I read on the forums. It may just be a simple wire connection that has come loose somewhere.

Love your dog! I have one who looks similar. Great pup. One of the best I've ever had.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the input! Certainly wouldn't hurt to check for spark, and go from there. As for fuel, would I expect to smell gas in the cylinders after a bit of cranking? I mean, should I perhaps crank it a bit, then pull a plug out and take a sniff?
It would be great if it turns out to be the fuel pump, or anything other that the PC5, as I have the extended warranty, and thus it would be covered.
As for the dog, he was terrific! A rescue dog we got a while ago that was a mix of who knows what. Best dog ever!
 
#8 ·
Check to see if PC5 wiring has chaffed and shorted. This will blow the fuse, obviously. I mean- I guess you could check & replace the fuse as a quickie, but if there's a short- it will blow again. That is what happened to mine. I believe it was up by the coil. Check all over, and if needed separate / wrap any chaffing you see.

There's just not as much room on the steel frames- this has happened on a few bikes, now- all steel frames as far as I have read about anyway.

There was no priming of the fuel system. Would turn over but obviously would not start. At first- I didn't realize there was no priming. I was on the side of I-95- too much background noise to hear myself think & cuss- never mind hear that.

Once I realized that was not happening- it sort of cleaned up the options..
 
#11 · (Edited)
how to check spark.
one of the PCV caps could've come off the injector. Push the connector down to make sure its on all the way on both injectors.
If you pull the plugs and there wet it will not start. get new plugs. Auto parts store ask for 3481. Buy more the 2.
You might be better off if you ground the PCV to the frame instead of the battery

 
#12 ·
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#14 ·
That is a fun thing to have in your garage, so it fits ALL spark plugs??

Andre
TaPaTaLk
 
#15 ·
#16 ·
I've got one that's more or less a test light you pop onto the plug and plug the wire in on the other end. Not fancy, but it sure saved me some hassle a time or two. Got it at Harbor Freight
 
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#20 ·
Ok i found this one to be the best "for me"

It is in my shopping list



Andre
TaPaTaLk
 
#23 · (Edited)
Finally got around to checking for spark by using an inline spark tester, and both plugs appear to be getting a spark. Being I'm coming up on 28000 miles, I'm going to replace the plugs tomorrow. Doubt that will fix it, but it can't hurt. After that, I'll look into the crankshaft position sensor. Or, if I get ambitious, I'll remove the Power commander. I'll keep you guys posted.
 
#24 · (Edited)
@ChopperJeff , leave the PCV in place , just disconnect it for now and see if the bike starts . If it still doesn't just reconnect your PVC as its probably not your issue . When you turn your key on , you should hear your fuel pump energize , if not , this is where you point your diagnosis .
 
#25 ·
Disconnecting the PCV involves removing all 5 connections, as in fuel injectors, TPS, coil, crank sensor, correct?
As for the fuel pump, I do hear the whine of it starting when the key is turned on.
I just had a thought about the crankshaft position sensor, and that is, since I'm getting a spark on both cylinders, wouldn't that mean that the crankshaft position sensor is working?
 
#26 · (Edited)
Since I have spark in both cylinders, and now new spark plugs installed, I'm thinking the easiest thing to test at this point would be the fuel pump. It does whine at startup, but when I researched the fuel pump, I've seen people state that the pump may not be putting out the required PSI even though it whines. Don't know about my 2014 Jackpot, but one guy has a video of his Victory showing that there's a test post under the cheese wedge on the right side, where you can hook up a fuel pump pressure gauge.
For what it's worth, my bike had the fuel pump recall done a couple years ago
 
#27 ·
You have spark, should be easy to spray some carb cleaner or starter fluid while cranking it, if it starts you have fuel issue. If it doesn't it's not fuel issue
 
#29 ·
I believe all you need to do to verify the PCV is remove power from it.
Also, adjustments made below 1000 RPM may interfere with the computer when you are trying to start the bike.
 
#30 ·
I've verified that the ground wire of the PCV is good, and going to the negative terminal of the battery. As for removing power from the PCV, I believe it gets its power from the connections with the fuel injectors, so I'd have to at least put those back to stock connections. I know just removing the ground from the PCV will not work, as I did that as an experiment after I originally installed it, as I wondered back then if just removing power from it by removing its ground would cause the bike to use its stock ignition system, but that failed, as the bike just cranked without starting.
I'll see about spraying starter fluid into the bike while cranking to see what happens.
 
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