PROBLEM FIXED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long story to follow!!!!!!!!!!!
Well… the problem was apparently the ignition coil on my 2003 Buell XB9S (with factory race kit)!
I think I gave too much credit to the Electronic Control Module (ECM) to know exactly what it THINKS the problem was, or REPORTS the problem as. Originally over filled with oil and thought I blew oil into the intake fouling spark plugs causing the bike to miss and die. Then not restart.
Back to my shop, fresh plugs, started and ran for one minute and died! Figured out how to CORRECTLY read fault codes and the indication was short or open to rear injector. (Please keep in mind there is one 02 sensor on the headers and it is the one off the rear cylinder, as this is a clue!) Check for broken/shorted wires between ECM and injectors, no problems. Checked injectors, no problem found. Only logical thought, ECM failed! If the wires are good and the injectors are good… that only leaves the ECM.
So bought a new ECM from Erik Buell Racing (EBR), switched out with the “bad” one, reset the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) and the bike started. BUT smelled to be running rich. Out for test ride, fault light came on, back to shop, read the code, O2 Sensor always lean. I gave up for the day and purchased a new O2 sensor and as a “why the heck not” I also bought an ignition coil.
Curiosity got the best of me… so… I read the EBR Race ECM map and saved it, popped in the “broken” ECM and read the map and saved it. I wanted to compare the maps to see if they were identical (they were). Just to try and make my self more frustrated I hit the starter to listen to it NOT START… and the crazy thing started with no fault light!!!!! Now I was speechless! I took it for a spin and 2 blocks later a fault code. Back to shop and read code… same O2 fault always lean. Back out, idled no fault… 2 blocks later O2 fault code. AND one more time out to see the same fault… I guess because I am a slow learner!!!!! Kick dog… yell at wife… wait for purchased parts to arrive.
Parts arrive I look at the parts… look at the bike… look at the parts… look at the bike… see ignition coil is the easiest thing to replace… so since it was over 100 degrees and no air conditioning in the shop… replace coil. Start bike… no fault code… get set to take on test ride expecting 2 blocks later to turn around with fault code, I set out. MUCH TO MY PLEASURE AND SURPRISE… no fault code!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! …of any type!!!!!!!!!!!!! The bike runs like a top (no, it did not spin around and fall over!)
So, here is what I think. ECMs on XB series Buells are STUPID! Yep… they see a problem make changes that cause another problems to be reported (or falsely reported) all the time lying to the tech about what the problem really is!
My logic. (Stay with me here!) The coil got hot and failed (or just failed with heat not being a factor. Texas is hot in the summer!) one cylinder cut out (wild guess rear cylinder) then a bit later the other cylinder cut out. The coil being the problem. Tried to start bike, major smell of fuel, one of both injectors obviously working but no spark to run. For that short time the front cylinder ran (speculation) after the coil failed to fire the rear spark plug… the ECM started trying to make mapping adjustment to make the bike run from the sensor input. The rear cylinder is injecting fuel but not igniting, ONLY the REAR CYLINDER is sampled by the O2 sensor, so the ECM tried to stop the injector from giving too much fuel (running rich) and shut down the rear injector entirely! The front cylinder next failed to have spark from the bad coil… engine died. Between the bad coil and the bad corrective action by the ECM… the fault code sent was rear injector short or open since the ECM shut it totally off (speculation on my part).
So, the coil cooled during the 30 mile trailer ride home, started and got warm and failed again, the ECM still thought it was the injector because I had no way to clear the fault codes. I knew I needed to reset the TPS when I got a replacement ECM. I bought a ECM Spy cable and received the software. Now I had to wait for the replacement ECM. The ignition coil had LOTS of time to cool, so when I plugged in the new ECM, and reset the TPS the bike started and ran. BUT it was throwing a weak spark. At idle it was strong enough to do a complete fuel burn (or enough where the O2 sensor read within “normal” range) so no fault code. HOWEVER… at higher RPM the spark was too weak and there was incomplete fuel burn… the O2 sensor was reading unburned fuel in the REAR exhaust and telling the injectors to run leaner, therefore throwing the “always lean” fault code! As it was telling the injectors to be “always lean” compared to the mapping!
Anyway… speculating the ECM had limited programming to comprehensively read and evaluate the sensor input, it tries to adjust what it controls to make the engine run so the O2 sensor gets the reading it needs to be within “normal”. BUT by doing so reports what it has done giving a stupid human like me the impression the darn thing knows what it is talking about! Therefore taking the fault code literally!!!!
So… there ya go. The ignition coil, replaced the bike runs perfect with no fault codes. I now have a spare (expensive) EBR Race ECM and a spare O2 sensor.
The moral of the story… do not take the fault codes literally! They report only what they are programmed to report AND NOT the reason they are reporting that fault. The ECM constantly works to change output, from the input and may report what it had to do make (or try and make) the engine run.