Engine light + inactive selective torque

[CT_Ron]

Happy new year to all of you. My CT welcomed 2022 with a reoccurring problem. When I start the bike and flip the side stand up, the check engine light comes on (it sort of flashes irregularly) and my torque control function is gone. The bike refuses to revv above 2000 rpm and it force me to ride like an 80 year old on a sunday. After riding for a few minutes, when I turn the bike off and on again, the check engine light stays off and selective torque control is back.

This first happend last september and ever since then, I haven't ridden that much due to having a baby, so rust does build up on the brake disks and bike isn't powered on often. In August and after September I did power wash my bike, thoroughly. I haven't taken a look at the rear ABS/Torque(??) sensor underneath the swing arm right under the axle pointed at the metal perforated ring. Judging by the smudge I saw on the front ABS, could the rear be clogged up/corroded enough for it to stop working? It's not an optic sensor though... Or is the side stand somehow connected to the torque control of the bike?

Before I start taking things off, I'd like to hear from others what could be causing this annoying problem.

[Beer Belly]

Possibly a dirty or corroded contact somewhere, is the battery good, are the leads to it clean and tight? The bike has a self diagnostic DTC function and the number of blinks of the engine warning light can point towards any issues. To push it into the DTC mode I believe you need to bridge two contacts in a connector block under the seat, near the battery, green and brown wires.  I'm sure it will be covered somewhere on the forum if you have a dig.
Failing that I think I'd start by checking all the connectors I can readily access, a squirt of contact cleaner, make sure all are seated properly, ECU connectors ok? Sidestand switch could be worth a look as well. If it's been laid up for a while my first guess would be a bad battery.

[CT_Ron]

@Beer Belly; battery is good, my bike is always hooked up on an Optimate battery optimizer/reader/charger. Nothing but green lights on that. Battery is ±2.5 years old.

If I bridge those wires, do I get to see anything on my display?

I find it strange that whenever I ride and then turn the bike off and on, it's all good. Shouldn't corroded connectors always and consistently cause a failure?

**Edit: To protect my bike from salts during winter, I spray fully cover it in ACF50, an oily protector. I do clean the bike after winter, but maybe some have penetrated into contact points, especially under the seat and both engine sides... 
Shops are in full lockdown here, but thank god the local toolstation has a click&collect service and 1 WD40 contact cleaner in stock, so I'm picking it up tommorow and start cleaning everything first. Then see if the problem is still there.

[Beer Belly]

The dummy connector is located towards the rear of the battery / fuse cover. Havent done it myself but I believe you need the side stand down, bridge the wires, turn ignition on but dont start it, the engine light blinks in a series of long or short blinks, one long one is classed as ten short ones hence two long blinks and three short will equal 23. That code can point to the defective component. I may have a list of codes somewhere in my workshop manual. There is a diagnostic tool that gives more detail but those Honda Pocket Testers are a bit pricey. If not used regularly some batteries can go bad in a fairly short space of time though, even if kept on trickle chargers, some of the older smart chargers have been known to overcharge and ruin them. Dirty / bad connections can cause all sorts of weird intermittent faults.

[CT_Ron]

Originally Posted by Beer Belly

Havent done it myself but I believe you need the side stand down, bridge the wires, turn ignition on but dont start it, the engine light blinks in a series of long or short blinks, one long one is classed as ten short ones hence two long blinks and three short will equal 23. That code can point to the defective component. I may have a list of codes somewhere in my workshop manual. There is a diagnostic tool that gives more detail but those Honda Pocket Testers are a bit pricey. If not used regularly some batteries can go bad in a fairly short space of time though, even if kept on trickle chargers, some of the older smart chargers have been known to overcharge and ruin them. Dirty / bad connections can cause all sorts of weird intermittent faults.

Hmm, about the battery, mine is an Optimate 3+, I think I bought it somehwere in 2014, and I do sometimes (rarely) see it jumps to "desulfate state" shortly after a ride, but it changes back to fully charged afterwards or in a short amount of time. I have a feeling that the battery is still hot and has a higher voltage due to the  dynamo charging it and then shortly after plugging in a different charger. Bike starts perfectly though, nothing indicating a bad battery. But, can a bad battery really specifically target my torque control function? I don't want to rule anything out.

Throwing in another problem I had last year, while on holiday with the bike; I kicked the side stand out and killed the bike with the killswitch due to luggage issues while parking. I was also standing on a slope. No way in hell did the bike want to start, warning lights were flickering. After a retarded looking tippy tap push infront of a loaded mcdonalds it start again, but definitely after 15 attempts. It never happened again (not will I do the same again).

[Beer Belly]

It's always tricky to diagnose this sort of thing as there are so many possibilities, just had a quick look around and found someone else who had a similar issue https://vfrworld.com/threads/hard-to-start-after-laying-up.56987/ maybe start with the same connectors and that side stand switch?.

[CT_Ron]

Originally Posted by Beer Belly

It's always tricky to diagnose this sort of thing as there are so many possibilities, just had a quick look around and found someone else who had a similar issue https://vfrworld.com/threads/hard-to-start-after-laying-up.56987/ maybe start with the same connectors and that side stand switch?.

Thanks for taking the effort!  I sure hope it's not the TBW. When I tried to change the spark plugs (and for those who followed my quest in doing so, I still did not manage to do the front two) I disconnect all the plugs underneath the air filter that were in the way. Maybe grease got inside. I must admit that the contacts looked a bit dull, but I'm no electrician so I just let it be.

I'm going to pick up the contact cleaner tomorrow and start spraying the contacts. Hell, might even try and finally take out the front two spark plugs (I have no clue how people manage to insert Honda's OEM spark plug key into the front two cilinders).

 

[CT_Ron]

Well, figures, I can't reproduce the check engine/torque problem... 

Probably will reoccur when I take off on a holiday trip or when I'm in a hurry