Top 20 2002 Harley Davidson XL 1200 S Sportster Sport Questions & Answers

Hi, Logan and the usual suspects are: 1. Fouled spark plugs. 2. Severely discharged or a damaged battery should have 12.5 volts or more and be able to pass a proper "LOAD" test if necessary, you may have a preliminary reading of 12.5 volts or more but little or zero amperage the battery is faulty and must be replaced, AGM batteries fail in this scenario more so than lead-acid batteries. 3. Check battery terminals for damage or corrosion, check the battery cables at "BOTH" ends for loose, corroded, or broken connectors, "INSIDE" and outside the cable harness, perform connector wiggle test and check cables with an ohmmeter if necessary. 4. Loose connection at the ignition coil or plug between ignition sensor and module. 5. Spark plug cables in bad condition, shorting/leaking, spark plug cable connections loose check for spark leakage in the dark. 6. Faulty ignition coil or electronic control module. 7. Faulty pulse coil. 8. Faulty CKP, CMP, or BAS sensor. 9. Faulty ignition switch. 10. Faulty run/off switch 11. Tilt sensor needs a reset. 12. Security alarm failing to disarm needs reset For more information about your issue and valuable "FREE" downloads that you will need for viewing or printing please click on the blue links below and for more specific information or questions at no charge please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Good luck and have a wonderful day. https://www.hdforums.com/forum/ignition-tuner-ecm-fuel-injection/628252-2001-sporty-no-spark-at-plugs.html http://www.mediafire.com/file/fjn2ksqmw7rci0f/2002_Harley_Sportster_Service_Manual.pdf/file https://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/ronnies/showmodel.asp?make=hdmc https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/owners/motorcycle-maintenance.html https://www.6ya.com/how-6ya-works to speak to me personally.

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TSM

more than likely it's to the accelerator pump on carb

have a look at your main breather

Check the cam sensor on the right side of the bike. It;s inside the round part of the cam cover.

With the engine cold, remove the wires from the spark plugs, then use a spark plug socket to remove them. Set the gap on the new plugs at 0.040 (forty thousandths). Give the threads a light coating of anti seize and install the new plugs. Re-install the wires and you are done.

I'd check both the petcock and the fuel cap. Harley went to a vacuum operated petcock in 1996. These things do give problems. If they get a hole in the diaphragm, they won't open and let fuel into the carb. You can test this by using a hand operated vacuum pump. Disconnect the fuel hose and apply a little vacuum to the nipple on the backside of the petcock where the vacuum hose connects. You ahould have a good fuel flow. If not, you can take the petcock out of the tank and remove the plate on the rear of it. Under the plate is a spring, needle, and a diaphragm. Watch how the parts come out. Hold the diaphragm up to the light and gently stretch it while looking for a hole. Replace the diaphragm if necessary. Check the vacuum hose for cracks or leaks. Also, the vent in your fuel cap may be clogged. Loosen the cap but don't take it off with less than half a tank of fuel and go for a ride. You don't want a lap full of gasoline. See if either of these helps. It your bike will "run like a raped ape", evidently it's not high RPM that is causing the problem. It's sustained high engine speeds when the problem manifests itself that requires more fuel.

Good Luck
Steve

get a clymer book or other for trublshoot details on clutch ajust etc

No problem except that the a couple of the bolts that hold the rocker cover on are pretty close quarters. Simply take the four bolts out and replace the gaskets. Make sure that you get the middle and top part properly aligned before tightening up the bolts. Torque is 100 inch pounds.

Good Luck
Steve

I would change the coil, the ignition coils fail when hot. I ran my XLCH 1000 for about a month on a Citroen Diane 4 coil. (It is the same coil!) no street cred though as it has a different fixing point and no chrome cover.

CHECK THE SENSOR IN THE CONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE , CAN BE AN FAULTY SENSOR, IF YOU HAVE TACHMETER CHECK IF ANY READING FOR RPM WHEN TURNING ENGINE, COIL ON THESE XL BIKES HAVE BEEN POOR, AND I HAVE MY SELF AN 2002 XL THAT THE COIL WHENT BAD AND DAMAGE THE IGNITION MODUL ALSO.

Harley has been moving things around since 2000 and it makes life tough for people that do what I do. Try to fix bikes over a computer. I used to tell people that I couldn't fix a bike over the phone. LOL

On your bike, I don't know of any way to test the ignition module. Harley has a way to do it if you use a meter exactly like the one they use but I have never seen one of their meters.

Before you spend a lot of money on a new unit, first check your ground on the unit. Check the plug on the unit. It's also got a cam position sensor in the timer cavity on the left side of the engine as best as I can remember. This part is a lot less expensive but I'd rather solve the problem and replace a part rather than replace parts until I solved the problem.

I'd go to the auto parts store and buy a set of Autolite 4164 spark plugs and try those. The two best brands of plugs in my opinion are Autolite's and NGK's. Not those expensive copper or titanium or whatever they are plugs. Those things are made of auto engines that are running a lot hotter ignition system than your Harley is running. In an air cooled motorcycle, the cheaper the plug, the better they run. Don't waste money on the expensive plugs.

Try that, at least it's cheap. If it doesn't work, start checking connections. I'll say this, when a solid state ignition unit it working, it works. When one stops working it's usually for good. They very rarely stop then start back. Look for that loose connection.

Good Luck
Steve

I sounds like you may be having a problem with you ignition unit. It is located in the timer cavity down on the right side of your engine. The plate may have rivets in it and you'll have to drill them out. To recover the timing cavity, simply buy a nice plate and put it on with screws.

Now, the reason for taking the plate off is to diagnose your problem. The ignition unit may be getting too hot and causing a problem. Of course it shouldn't but if everything always worked as it should, nothing would ever break. Just removing the plate might be enough to solve your problem. If not, stop by an electronic's supply shop and buy a small aersol can of "component cooler" and carry it with you. The next time the bike quits, spray a little of the stuff on the electronic unit to cool it off. Do not use ether unless you want to burn yourself and your bike up. Component cooler is non-flammable. If the bike starts right back up, the ignition unit is failing due to heat and needs to be replaced before it fails completely.

Ride Safe
Steve

Test the coil. Using a DVOM (Digital Volt Ohm Meter) , check the resistance of the primary winding of your coil. Disconnect the wires from the small wire connections on your coil. Put one meter lead of your meter on each small terminal. It makes no difference which lead go which connector. Put the meter in OHMS< R X 1. You should read 3 to 4 ohms of resistance.

Another way to test the coil is run a power wire straight to one side of the coil. One the other side, connect a straight wire. Turn the power on to the coil and the momentarily ground the stright wire on the other side of the coil. When you take the wire away from ground, you should see a spark at the spark plug.

If your coil test good and you have power on the coil when you turn the switch on, your problem is the sensor plate in the timing cavity or something to do with a security system.

If you want to change the module, it simply unplugs and another plugs in. The sensor plate is located in the timer cover. Drill out the rivets and mark the plate and the inside of the timer cover. Remove the plate and install the new plate getting it as close to the same position as the original as possible.

Good luck
Steve

I assume you're talking about the exhaust pipes turning blue on your bike. The reason is that the chrome on your pipes has gotten heated up to the point of turning blue. This is usually caused by a lean fuel to air mixture. A lean mixure makes more power but also burns hotter. A too lean mixture destroys pistons. A richer mixture helps keep the engine and other parts cooler. Due to EPA regulatlions, Harley's come from the factory with very lean fuel to air mixtures. If your engine is carburated, you can change the jets. If your engine is fuel injected, the dealership will have to make any changes in the programming of the fuel control computer.

Good Luck
Steve

Hello. Since your experiemcing an entire electrical failurte I would start by looking at your fuses. If they are all fine, then you might want to check to see if there is a short in the starter button, which seems to be the issue, but may not be. If these don't work, come back and we'll continue. I hope this helps you, and please remember to rate this fix when we are finished,

Is there a rubber gasket or o-ring on the bottom of the oil cap? a lot of times that little gasket/ring will slip down when unscrewing and won't let you put the cap all the way back on.

Remove the two bolts that hold the rear brake caliper into the rear brake caliper support bracket. Lift off caliper. Notice how the pads and anti-vibration clips are positioned in the rear brake caliper support bracket. Install new pads and anti-rattle clips or springs.

Now, using a large C-clamp or a large pair of slip joint pliers, depress piston all the way back into the caliper. Carefully reposition the caliper back on the rear brake caliper support bracket without disturbing the pads or clips. Install the two bolts and torque to 25 foot pounds of torque. Slowly depress and release the rear brake pedal until a good firm pedal is obtained. Check the brakes for proper operation prior to riding the bike. Failure to properly service the brakes can cause sever injury or death.