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1999 885i advice please

11K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  JoeBob 
#1 ·
My amazing wife surprised me with a 1999 885i Tiger for my birthday in January. Since then I have ridden all over the state and commuted on it putting on a little more than 3,000 miles since I got it. I totally love this bike.

Yesterday, I started home from work and the engine light came on. It has just under 20,800 miles on it. I stopped and added a little oil, thinking that it was just a little low, but the light stayed on. Stopped again for gas on my way home. As I've read others suggest on this forum, I ran it until the fan came on 3 times, but the light hasn't reset, so something is obviously not right. It did run fine all the way home, but I understand that the computer has a "limp home" mode which allows it to isolate the problem.

I live in Southwest Idaho, and work in Boise. Unfortunately the dealer that used to be a Triumph dealer only deals BMWs now. I called to get see if they still could still do diagnostics, but they had to return all their Triumph stuff when they stopped carrying Triumph.

The nearest dealer to my knowledge is 226 miles away. When I got the bike, a Haynes manual came with it.

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions on a way I can figure out why the engine light came on, and how to service it without needing to take it 4 hours away for service. I read a little about OBD devices. Can someone tell me if it would be worth my time and money to figure that out, and if so, which one I should mess with?

To top it all off, it seems like overnight I need a new rear tire. Any suggestions on tires. I spend an awful lot of time, commuting on freeway :( and really haven't ventured off pavement yet, although that's not out of the question. I was planning to try a couple dirt road trips this summer. Right now the tires are Metzler Tourance. Is there a better tire for the tiger for mostly sport touring type of riding?

Any input is much appreciated. I'd really like to be able to take her on a long trip in a couple of weeks.
 
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#3 ·
Hi JoeBob - you need to find out what is triggering the light
It will only go out after the three warm-up cycles if the originating error is no longer present

Read about TuneECU in the EFI sub-forum - you can purchase an inexpensive cable that will hook-up to your diagnostic cable & using the software (freeware - with voluntary donation) to determine what your problem is, then take it from there.
TuneECU is a 'must-have' for your EFI Triumph
 
#6 ·
Empire Motorsports is THE place in your part of the world. They were fantastic when I was up there last summer, the best place I have ever taken motor vehicle. Worth the trip. Tune ECU is also a must-have. Weird, inconsequential stuff will set off the check-engine light. That's why being about to reset the light is a real plus.
 
#7 ·
.... Tune ECU is also a must-have. Weird, inconsequential stuff will set off the check-engine light. That's why being about to reset the light is a real plus.
I would have to say there is no inconsequential stuff that sets the light - if the light goes off something is accountable and should be addressed. And that's where TuneECU really comes in by providing the originating information so it can be put to bed, not merely cancelled.
I would say that a LOT of the time the light is on after some servicing activity - this is due to the ignition being turned on while some sensors are disconnected (like the fuel tank/airbox being removed) - in that case the requirement to reset is not really necessary, normal riding will address that anyway. Fair enough, we can call that inconsequential since it is induced, not 'real' failure.

In JoeBob's case, a little more disconcerting since it came on while riding! So something clearly amiss there - and since it did not clear the light, presumably the failure is not spurious (this is actually often better - nothing worse than a problem that happens then goes away! - although the code still leaves its signature regardless, even after the light has gone out)

By the way JoeBob, you mentioned adding Oil - there is no correlation to Oil Pressure within the ECM - it does not know what is going on there, that is not a sensor that is monitored by ECM.
So be careful not to overfill - it will only end up in your airbox!
So - once you get your cable and the program loaded & hooked up, let us know what your trigger error was - even if light has already gone out - as mentioned, it will still leave footrpint (for 40 warm-up/cool-down cycles).
 
#9 ·
Well, I hope I haven't done something really bad.

I need more advice. After disconnecting, I still have electrical power, but when I try to start it, it gives me nothing. Did I fry the electronic ignition somehow?

The codes I got off the bike are:

P0230 Fuel pump relay default

P1231 Fuel pump relay open circuit or short to ground

Ideas for next steps? I reset the codes and now when I press the button, nothing (well the odometer goes off).

Could it be that I just wore down the battery? Headlights and horn still work? What am I missing? Thanks!
 
#11 ·
stumbled into this discussion

I oo have a 1999 Tiger, 67K miles now
well paperwork-wise a 2000 now after a Bambi Attack, broken frame & cylinder head motor mount, I transplanted everything onto a 2000 frame.

good info about the software and cable, I'll be looking into that

a friend used a OBD II to reset his MIL on a 2000 Sprint

As to the tires

I now run Michelin Pilot Road 2 on the rear, the dual compound is great on the highway 10-12K / tire, but when I'm only around home I tend to wear out the sides (softer) and have middle tread left!!
(I live in WNC so everything is curves)

since Michelin doesn't make the Pilot Road 2 in 19", I run a Continental Road Attack up front.

When I got Tigger, I had a new set of Road Attacks waiting to go on the TDM850, right sizes so I spooned 'em on.

Rear only went about 4K and was toast!!!

Fronts go 17-18K.

Yeah they're mismtched, but they're both BLACK and ROUND.

Good luck with the MIL, if the lights go out when you push the starter button, the headlight relay is picking up. Try a jumper to battery ground on the solenoid coil (small wires from starter button).

Bypasses the clutch switch (ground completion circuit) and I found mine finicky even with hot battery. Triumph runs very small gauge wires.

On my factory schematic, it's a BK wire. Pull the connector and stick a wire on the spade lug, then to battery neg.

made all the difference in getting mine to click over.

good luck and post back
 
#12 ·
OK, to update. I just went out to see if some miracle had occurred, and lo and behold, she started up (with a slight hesitation). I went for a ride to charge the battery. On Thursday after pulling the codes off with TuneECU, I cleared the codes. No engine light now. If the engine light doesn't come back on, does it mean that there really isn't a problem? Again, the codes were:

P0230 Fuel pump relay default
P1231 Fuel pump relay open circuit or short to ground

Is it possible that there was a false reading? How urgent is this issue?
 
#13 ·
Those are faults that seem to show up real often and don't seem to be related to anything other than disconnecting the battery. Mine shows them many times the battery's out. I reset them, and life's good. I would run the battery to a Batteries Plus or some sort of battery shop and have them check that the battery's perfect. The Tigers are truly sensitive to worn-out batteries.
 
#15 ·
Those are faults that seem to show up real often and don't seem to be related to anything other than disconnecting the battery. ...
Sorry - I respectfully disagree. Disconnecting/reconnecting battery cannot post errors to the ECM.

Those fuel pump errors are commonplace during servicing if the ignition was turned on while the tank was removed.
(note that there is actually no fuel pump relay - the pump is turned on directly by the ECM - so when unplugged, it reports an error when the ignition is turned on, as there is no pump current detected)
Those error codes will remain in memory for 40 hot/cold cycles unless cleared, even when no longer active alarms.

The no-start can possibly be due to your clutch switch - if you press the start button without the clutch pulled, the lights will actually cut out - this is normal
That is not to be confused by battery sag due to it being severly discharged.

But without the clutch switch, the starter will not engage, even the lights will cut.
After-market levers can cause issues with the clutch switch - if adjusted to give shorter span, it may be insufficient to throw the switch, if the lever has less travel to the bar.
The test for that is simple - open the adjuster to the widest setting & try to start - then close to smalles setting (closest to bar) and try again.
If it will not start in the closer position, you can trim a few mm off the actuating pin of the switch

If you have not adjustable levers, you may just have a dicky clutch switch
 
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