Dealer won't work on a bike with a power commander?

[NorBSATriGuzzi]

I want to take my new (to me) guzzi in and have it serviced and checked over..I told the dealer that first I want to install my pipes, airbox lid elim, cross over and PCIII. He said he won't work on it with the PCIII. He said they are a pain. Why would that be? I assumed I had to have one...but I suppose he can just adjust for the mods and I don't need one?

[antonio carroccio]

Jaap, give this dealer a point, will you?

[dlaing]

In order for you bike to work optimally with the PCIII, it should be tuned to the specifications for which is was mapped.

 

This includes clean air filter,

proper valve clearance(set probably to factory world (not US) default),

balanced throttle bodies,

throttle position sensor to correct millivolts setting(set probably to factory default),

ECU trim (set probably to factory default)

air bypass screws (set probably to factory world (not US) default)

 

I am not sure why the dealer would have a problem with that

He should disconnect the PCIII before tuning it to spec.

If it does work properly after PCIII is hooked up, either the dealer tuned the bike wrong or the specs were wrong and you need a different map.

I suppose the dealer fears the later problem.

[robbiekb]

if the dealer doesnt have any experience with the pc 3 they might just be gunshy. I bet Todd E. would be happy to talk with the dealer to fill them in to properly setup the fuel injected bike with a pc3

[guzziownr]

I want to take my new (to me) guzzi in and have it serviced and checked over..I told the dealer that first I want to install my pipes, airbox lid elim, cross over and PCIII. He said he won't work on it with the PCIII. He said they are a pain. Why would that be? I assumed I had to have one...but I suppose he can just adjust for the mods and I don't need one?

 

 

When you say "I want to install..." Does that mean you, personally, want to install? If that is the case take the bike to the dealer stock. After the service put your goodies on with the appropriate map and go for a ride. I you want, a custom map will make it run better still but there is a law of diminishing returns.

[kaput]

I want to take my new (to me) guzzi in and have it serviced and checked over..I told the dealer that first I want to install my pipes, airbox lid elim, cross over and PCIII. He said he won't work on it with the PCIII. He said they are a pain. Why would that be? I assumed I had to have one...but I suppose he can just adjust for the mods and I don't need one?

 

 

Would assume that your bike would not run all that well with those mods without a PCIII. For what it's worth my own first experience with mounting a PCIII on my V11 sport (or on any bike carbs being my thing you understand) was painless once I figured out that the instructions or pictures were of an earlier model. On the newer ones you have to plug the PCII into the bottom of the computer which means you must first detach from the bike. I won't tell you how long it took for me to figure that out The applicable generic map downloaded (again not too difficult to figure out) to the PCIII worked well and the gains from the final dyno tuning were noticeable but not exactly earthshattering. It is all self doable. Ofcourse as others have mentioned you have to first set all the basic settings.

 

Kaput

[Steve G.]

I agree with the dealer. I've heard more horror stories about these P.O.S. than good stories.

Ciao, Steve

[RacerX]

...heard more horror stories about these P.O.S. than good stories.

Ignorance is bliss.

 

NorBSATriGuzzi, Don't know where you live... but sounds like a dealer I'd shy away from, honestly. If this is truly the case, and you don't have an option; Ride it in, unplug the PCIII, and tell them to make it run right. Pick it up, pop the seat, and plug it back in for your ride home.

 

FWIW, can't wait to hear similar stories about MyxxECU. No offense to Cliff please.

[dlaing]

I agree with the dealer. I've heard more horror stories about these P.O.S. than good stories.

Ciao, Steve

Please share some horror stories

I have only heard of three failures, all fixed under warranty or in my case past warranty for free.

If you start having trouble with a PCIII disconnect it

I heard probably over a hundred kudos for PCIIIs

as always YourMileageMayVary...

[Zoom Zoom]

IMHO the "older" bikes, say pre '03 seem to benifit more from the PCIII than the '03's and up. The stock mapping was better by then along with the front crossover. No doubt others know better than I here.

 

Having said that, the only trouble I had on the PCIII on my EV was, (I think), brought on by myself. It began causing the bike to run rich while away at a rally. I disconnected it until after my return home. I have an older one. This is what I think I was doing..... I would use the fast idle lever, aka choke, before I powered up the bike. I think the PC would set itself as if that were the base setting. I changed my starting procedure so I power up the bike, wait for the fuel pump to stop, THEN if needed pull the "choke". I have now logged many thousands of miles without any trouble.

 

In the perfect world, have your bike tuned by a dealer in pure stock form, pipes, air filter, etc. Then, after you make your changes, drop the $$ on a tuning link session for the PCIII. If everything is done right, the bike will run better without sacraficing fuel mileage. My EV runs better with it than without it. I get the same mileage as pretty much everyone else. Usually low to mid 40's. A pre defined map will get you real close. The tuning link will get it spot on.

 

My '03 LeMans is still evolving with only a bit over 5000 miles on the clock, but I think the factory fuel map is much better than that of my '01 EV. If you look at a graph of a fuel map, there were some big drops along the RPM range that translate into flat spots and so forth, at least for the EV. I have not looked for a graph for an '03 LM.

 

I also think that the newest PCIII's can regulate each injector individually, which is a good thing. Todd, feel free to chime in here.

 

Zoom Zoom,

John Henry

[jrt]

OK, girls, put the knitting needles down. Basically, NorBSA has a stock bike that he wants to put a bunch of aftermarket stuff on- all at once. The dealer was mainly suggesting to take it slowly and add a couple of things at a time, tune it or just run it for awhile, then add more. If you get to a point where you are happy with the bike....there you are. There may not be a need to buy every aftermarket goody.

[dlaing]

The dealer was mainly suggesting to take it slowly and add a couple of things at a time, tune it or just run it for awhile, then add more.

That is not how I read it

[NorBSATriGuzzi]

Whoa! I am not trying to slam the dealer at all. In talking to him I said that I wanted to bring the bike in for the 6k service and have it looked over since I don't know the history and am new to Guzzi so don't know how it is "supposed" to run/sound/feel. I told him I was going to put pipes, airbox lid elim and crossover on. He reccommended doing that first so he could tune it to that set-up. When I mentioned the PCIII he said he won't work on a bike with one on it, he thinks they are trouble. Now, he knows a hell of a lot more than I do, as do most of you. If the bike is tuned by a dealer with all the mods made does the PCIII still offer a benefit? If so, I can take it in stock, have it serviced, valves adjusted, gone over....when my pipes, etc...come in install them and the PCIII with the map that will be installed for that set up and all will be good...right?

 

[dlaing]

If the bike is tuned by a dealer with all the mods made does the PCIII still offer a benefit? If so, I can take it in stock, have it serviced, valves adjusted, gone over....when my pipes, etc...come in install them and the PCIII with the map that will be installed for that set up and all will be good...right?

 

Yes! All should be good as long as the dealer does not enrichen it too much.

The PCIII is still a benefit, but downloaded maps available on the internet may not offer a benefit or may make it worse after the dealer tweaks the trim, the CO, and the TPS away from base settings to enrichen it to work with your mods. This is because your dealer may be making it rich and then the PCIII may make it too rich.

This is why tuning it to basic stock specifications before adding the PCIII is a good idea, especially if you want to use a downloaded map.

Theoretically the maps were created with modified bikes that were running stock tuning specifications.

When you use a PCIII you want to be able to bring the bike back to the state of tune that works with that map.

If you have your dealer makes a notation of the exact TPS, air screw, and valve settings, then you can bring it back to that state of tune later.(more or less, because the engine will break in and wear out and the state of tune will change)

If you dyno tune a custom map after the dealer tunes the bike, you will be fine if the dealer tells you the tuning settings.

[jrt]

I still would like to try a Sport, similar to mine, that has a PCIII. I can't and won't say anything bad about PCIII's, simply because I've never tried one. What I can say, is that I am very happy with the way my bike runs without one. I may buy one someday just to try it out, though.

Dave, am I going to have to ride to San Diego? Damn that town with all it's...climate...and seals.