My 2nd Gen Is Having Carb Issues!

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The Chicken Man

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Obviously, the title is not exactly true, but that it is the best way I can describe my issue.

So, I'm looking for some advice with an issue I started experiencing with my bike yesterday. My bike is a 2009 with about 22,000 miles. Notable modifications included a Voodoo exhaust, typical airbox mod, and ECU flash by Chris Moore Mafia.

The Issue
:
The issue is that my throttle response has suddenly became very choppy. It only really occurs at lower rpms. I'd say below 4,000 but is especially apparent below 2,000. How choppy it is is not super consistent, but it is consistently choppy (if that makes any sense). At it's worse it makes the bike surge and jolt when trying to pull away from a stop or just put along at low speeds. I've also noticed a bit of sputtering and popping from the exhaust at times and increased deceleration popping. It really feels like my1st gen when I had carb issues.

I took some videos of it idling this morning to show. In the videos you can hear the inconsistency in the idle, though I wouldn't say it sounds bad as it did yesterday. I can't get them to upload unfortunately.

I also checked for any fault codes. There are none present or in the history. I have not I seen the engine light come on at any point either.

The Background:
I first noticed this issue yesterday when I was coming back from a ride up through New Hampshire. I had driven about 300 miles prior to this during the day without any signs of an issue. I was riding on the highway when I slowed down from probably 70mph to maybe ~20mph to pass through a toll meter. When I started to accelerate from there back to highway speeds I noticed something was very wrong. My bike started surging and jerk, literally jolting me around as the bike lunged. I felt as if I was flicking the throttle back and forth (though I wasn't). I struggle my way back up to highway speeds, but I could still feel the power was inconstant. The motor was going back a forth between sounding right and sputtering and farting, running concerningly bad at times. Symptomatically, it felt like I was running out of fuel.

I was at 1/4 tank of fuel when this first started but dropped down to 1/8 shortly after, so limped to the next exit to get fuel. On the off ramp I noticed quite a bit more deceleration popping than normal. I was even told from riders behind me that they saw flames come from my pipes at times. I thought maybe my fuel pump has sucked some air at first, as it did feel similar to a time when I ran out of fuel on my old 1st gen. So, I filled up and hit the highway again with hopes of at least making it home.

It continued to act up as I made my way back to the highway, but the conditions soon improved once I was back up to highway speeds. On the highway the rest of the way home (~75 miles) it was pretty much normal. If slowed down to bring the bike to around 3,000 RPMs and the accelerated back to around 5,000 RPMs I could feel it act up a little, but once above 4,000 RPMs it was basically unnoticeable. Under any decent amount of throttle it would accelerate pretty normally. It seemed to operate totally fine under hard acceleration and a high speeds, showing no sign of hesitation.

Once back in town and on slower roads I found it was still acting up a lower speeds and RPMs, but it seemed better than before. At idle it was noticeably sputtery and poppy. The engines RPMs never rose or fell by any significant amount though, nor did it ever stall or shut off at any point. The engine would also crank and start completely fine, it just sounded garbage once running. I noticed pulling away from stops it didn't feel so much like it was lacking power, but more that the power was just inconsistent. Nevertheless, I made it home. Though my Vmax did let me down, it did not leave me stranded.

The Thoughts:
Air In The Fuel System: As I said, initially it felt like the bike was running out of fuel. After my initial panic wore off, I thought maybe it would make more sense that the fuel pump might have sucked some air. I was only at 1/4 of a tank, so maybe when I slowed down for the tolls the little fuel I had left had sloshed around letting the pump suck air. It was running pretty bad on the way to the gas station so I thought maybe it could be just taking some time to work the air out of the system. I thought after being on the highway for an hour any air in the fuel system would surely have worked it's way out though. So that the fact that I was still having some issue when I got home makes me feel as though this theory is less likely.

Wiring Recall: Another thought I had was that this could be a result of an issue associated with the "Throttle and Accelerator Position Sensor" recall (NHTSA Campaign No. 10V327000). My bike was manufactured in November of 2008, so it would fall into this range. The only symptoms of this recall I've read about are the bike stalling or not returning to idle, which aren't things I experienced. But logically I feel as though an issue with wires between those sensors and the ECU could possibly cause an issue like mine. I'm not the original owner of the bike so I do not have any confirmation as to whether this recall has ever been fixed on my bike. I will have to contact a dealer when they are open.

I did find these two articles that mention the wiring recall, but I don't know if the websites are really reliable resources. One article does not even distinctly mention if it refers to a 1st or 2nd gen.
Here is where the recall is mentioned on the NHTSA website. It provides a lot of information including tech bulletins for how to perform the recall. I'm not sure if my modifications or the fact that it has been 14 years will disqualify me from coverage though.
Additional Thoughts: The articles I linked mention issues with fuel lines and the pump, by I don't know that my bike running fine at high RPMs matches with issues that would create fuel restrictions. Maybe it's an issue with an injector, a sensor, or some part of the ignition system.

My concern is that the affirmationed ideas are just that... ideas. I honestly don't have any other leads moving forward. So, I just wanted to throw this long-winded post out here to seek some advice from any passersbys while I continue to look into it. I'm curious to see if anybody else has had an issue like this. Has anyone experienced symptoms of the wiring recall? Or has anybody ever gotten air in their fuel system/run out of gas on their 2nd gen? Do these bikes do things like this if they run out of fuel? Any advice you have is greatly appreciated! I'm still pretty new to these bikes and not super familiar with how everything works just yet.
 
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CONTACT YAMAHA AT 1-800-962-7926. Have your vin# handy. It will only take a few minutes to look it up. If the recall has been performed, The Yamaha service tech would have punch stamped asterisks next to the vin# on the bike. Not the white decal vin, but the stamped vin on the down tube. One stamp for the oil pump recall, and one stamp for TPS. Here is an example of the asterisk placements. *Vin-Number*. Just had my new to me 2009 done. No questions asked.
 
Your Gen 2 is NOT having carburettor issues - it has fuel injection. It is also posted in a Gen I section; I've suggested the Mods move to a more suitable location.
Have you checked for error codes?
 
Your Gen 2 is NOT having carburettor issues - it has fuel injection. It is also posted in a Gen I section; I've suggested the Mods move to a more suitable location.
Have you checked for error codes?

Oh man! I messed up!! I'm so sorry! Idk who the moderators are but yes please move this to the Gen II section.

But I do know it is fuel injected. The title was more of a gag. And no error codes, active or in the history.
 
I'd look into the TPS and fuel filter first. More likely the TPS.

Thanks for the advice!

I checked the TPS following the instruction in the service manual (Section CHECKING THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, Pg 8-137). My senor's resistance measured at 1.825 kΩ, within the 1.2–2.8 kΩ range the manual gives.

1693965888470.png

I also checked that the TPS was adjusted properly again following the service manuals instructions (Section "ADJUSTING THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR", Pg 7-16). The minimum and maximum values were 15 and 100 respectively, right on the money by the manual's specs.

1693966340836.png1693966379657.png

So, it seems like the TPS is all good. Is there anything else you think I should check regarding it though?

Also, do you know where the fuel filter is? I assume it's in the tank attached to the fuel pump somewhere, but I couldn't find any mention of it in the service manual.
 
Well, your TPS is good. Next thing to check is fuel delivery, filter, correct system pressure. Another thing to check is air metering. Even if your ECU is not registering any codes then it doesn't mean everything is good. Erratic metering in EFI systems is a ****** to track down sometimes.

I used to diagnose faulty new vehicles for GM years ago and you would not believe what kind of stupid things I found wrong with them.
 
CONTACT YAMAHA AT 1-800-962-7926. Have your vin# handy. It will only take a few minutes to look it up. If the recall has been performed, The Yamaha service tech would have punch stamped asterisks next to the vin# on the bike. Not the white decal vin, but the stamped vin on the down tube. One stamp for the oil pump recall, and one stamp for TPS. Here is an example of the asterisk placements. *Vin-Number*. Just had my new to me 2009 done. No questions asked.

Thank you for the info!

I took a look at my frame and my bike has one mark punched on it at the end of VIN, none before it. I called up the number today and the assistant told me that my bike had one recall fixed on it, the oil pump one. When I asked about the wiring harness recall they told me that my bike was only affected by one recall, and it was the one for the oil pump.

Reading through the service bulletin I found further clarification as to exactly which bikes were affected by the wire harness recall though (picture below). Going by the VIN my bike falls just outside of the range of bikes effected, so I guess I can write off the wire harness as a possible cause. It must be the California bikes that were made later.


1694005913889.png
From Pg. 2 of wire harness recall the technical bulletin

Your info about the frame stamping seems to right on though! Maybe the stamp after the VIN is for the oil pump and the one before it is for the wire harness?

VIN Picture Bottom.jpgVIN Picture Top.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Throttle and Accelerator Position Sensor Wiring Recall Technical Bulletin.pdf
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Have you figured it out? I’m having a similar issue but mine is a 2020 no recalls.

I was gonna write post eventually, but I hadn't yet because I wanted to give it a little more time to make sure my issue is resolved.

I replaced my sparkplugs about a week ago and since then I haven't had any more issues. But I've only drive about 50 miles since. The issue was pretty consistent before though, so it has definitely made a difference.



I didn't have the proper tools to check the fuel pressure, so I figured I would check the ignition system just to try to rule somethings out in the meantime. So, following the service manual's guidance for troubleshooting the ignition system (Pg. 8-4) I first checked all relevant fuses, the battery. All checked out. I then went to pull the sparkplugs to check them and figured I would test the coils while I had them out. And let me tell you, removing those sparkplugs is a damn job! So, after going through all the work to get the plugs out I figured I would just replace them to avoid having to do all that work again. Plus, according to the service manual they are supposed to be replaced every 12,000 miles or 18 months (Pg. 3-1).

Here's a few pictures of the plugs. Two had seen a little moisture, but they don't look all that bad IMO. Take a look for yourself though. I did not test them before I removed them, an oversight on my part. I did however test all the new ones before installing them using the bikes diagnostics system (diagnostic codes D:30-D:33, service manual Pg. 8-41).

20230904_191817.jpg20230904_202820.jpg20230905_193427.jpg20230905_195135.jpg

20230904_202756.jpg20230904_191847.jpg20230905_195159.jpg20230905_193402.jpg

The old man in me instinctively did a compression test while I had the plugs and coils out. The results all came back bad since these engines have decompression valves. The service manual also gives no guidance on how to properly perform a compression test so I'm gonna just assume that there is no proper way to do one. I can only include 10 photos in one post so I will put pictures from my compression test in a second response on this thread.

Overall, my luck is not typically good enough to get simply fixes like this. So, I'm still a little skeptical. I also have no proof that changing the plugs is what cause my issue to go away, could just be a coincidence. I will have to test my old plugs at some point to confirm if any of them were actually bad. Either way, I will keep this thread updated if I experience any further issues.
 
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I once had a miss on a KZ1000J after I had changed plugs. I checked the caps/wires, coils, etc but didn't find the problem. I told my mechanic friend, and he said 'try switching the plugs, and see what happens. Sure enough the missing cyl followed...

the bad plug! Brand new but bad.

Here's hoping things stay OK now for you.
 
Obviously, the title is not exactly true, but that it is the best way I can describe my issue.

So, I'm looking for some advice with an issue I started experiencing with my bike yesterday. My bike is a 2009 with about 22,000 miles. Notable modifications included a Voodoo exhaust, typical airbox mod, and ECU flash by Chris Moore Mafia.

The Issue
:
The issue is that my throttle response has suddenly became very choppy. It only really occurs at lower rpms. I'd say below 4,000 but is especially apparent below 2,000. How choppy it is is not super consistent, but it is consistently choppy (if that makes any sense). At it's worse it makes the bike surge and jolt when trying to pull away from a stop or just put along at low speeds. I've also noticed a bit of sputtering and popping from the exhaust at times and increased deceleration popping. It really feels like my1st gen when I had carb issues.

I took some videos of it idling this morning to show. In the videos you can hear the inconsistency in the idle, though I wouldn't say it sounds bad as it did yesterday. I can't get them to upload unfortunately.

I also checked for any fault codes. There are none present or in the history. I have not I seen the engine light come on at any point either.

The Background:
I first noticed this issue yesterday when I was coming back from a ride up through New Hampshire. I had driven about 300 miles prior to this during the day without any signs of an issue. I was riding on the highway when I slowed down from probably 70mph to maybe ~20mph to pass through a toll meter. When I started to accelerate from there back to highway speeds I noticed something was very wrong. My bike started surging and jerk, literally jolting me around as the bike lunged. I felt as if I was flicking the throttle back and forth (though I wasn't). I struggle my way back up to highway speeds, but I could still feel the power was inconstant. The motor was going back a forth between sounding right and sputtering and farting, running concerningly bad at times. Symptomatically, it felt like I was running out of fuel.

I was at 1/4 tank of fuel when this first started but dropped down to 1/8 shortly after, so limped to the next exit to get fuel. On the off ramp I noticed quite a bit more deceleration popping than normal. I was even told from riders behind me that they saw flames come from my pipes at times. I thought maybe my fuel pump has sucked some air at first, as it did feel similar to a time when I ran out of fuel on my old 1st gen. So, I filled up and hit the highway again with hopes of at least making it home.

It continued to act up as I made my way back to the highway, but the conditions soon improved once I was back up to highway speeds. On the highway the rest of the way home (~75 miles) it was pretty much normal. If slowed down to bring the bike to around 3,000 RPMs and the accelerated back to around 5,000 RPMs I could feel it act up a little, but once above 4,000 RPMs it was basically unnoticeable. Under any decent amount of throttle it would accelerate pretty normally. It seemed to operate totally fine under hard acceleration and a high speeds, showing no sign of hesitation.

Once back in town and on slower roads I found it was still acting up a lower speeds and RPMs, but it seemed better than before. At idle it was noticeably sputtery and poppy. The engines RPMs never rose or fell by any significant amount though, nor did it ever stall or shut off at any point. The engine would also crank and start completely fine, it just sounded garbage once running. I noticed pulling away from stops it didn't feel so much like it was lacking power, but more that the power was just inconsistent. Nevertheless, I made it home. Though my Vmax did let me down, it did not leave me stranded.

The Thoughts:
Air In The Fuel System: As I said, initially it felt like the bike was running out of fuel. After my initial panic wore off, I thought maybe it would make more sense that the fuel pump might have sucked some air. I was only at 1/4 of a tank, so maybe when I slowed down for the tolls the little fuel I had left had sloshed around letting the pump suck air. It was running pretty bad on the way to the gas station so I thought maybe it could be just taking some time to work the air out of the system. I thought after being on the highway for an hour any air in the fuel system would surely have worked it's way out though. So that the fact that I was still having some issue when I got home makes me feel as though this theory is less likely.

Wiring Recall: Another thought I had was that this could be a result of an issue associated with the "Throttle and Accelerator Position Sensor" recall (NHTSA Campaign No. 10V327000). My bike was manufactured in November of 2008, so it would fall into this range. The only symptoms of this recall I've read about are the bike stalling or not returning to idle, which aren't things I experienced. But logically I feel as though an issue with wires between those sensors and the ECU could possibly cause an issue like mine. I'm not the original owner of the bike so I do not have any confirmation as to whether this recall has ever been fixed on my bike. I will have to contact a dealer when they are open.

I did find these two articles that mention the wiring recall, but I don't know if the websites are really reliable resources. One article does not even distinctly mention if it refers to a 1st or 2nd gen.
Here is where the recall is mentioned on the NHTSA website. It provides a lot of information including tech bulletins for how to perform the recall. I'm not sure if my modifications or the fact that it has been 14 years will disqualify me from coverage though.
Additional Thoughts: The articles I linked mention issues with fuel lines and the pump, by I don't know that my bike running fine at high RPMs matches with issues that would create fuel restrictions. Maybe it's an issue with an injector, a sensor, or some part of the ignition system.

My concern is that the affirmationed ideas are just that... ideas. I honestly don't have any other leads moving forward. So, I just wanted to throw this long-winded post out here to seek some advice from any passersbys while I continue to look into it. I'm curious to see if anybody else has had an issue like this. Has anyone experienced symptoms of the wiring recall? Or has anybody ever gotten air in their fuel system/run out of gas on their 2nd gen? Do these bikes do things like this if they run out of fuel? Any advice you have is greatly appreciated! I'm still pretty new to these bikes and not super familiar with how everything works just yet.
Dude!!!
 
I was gonna write post eventually, but I hadn't yet because I wanted to give it a little more time to make sure my issue is resolved.

I replaced my sparkplugs about a week ago and since then I haven't had any more issues. But I've only drive about 50 miles since. The issue was pretty consistent before though, so it has definitely made a difference.



I didn't have the proper tools to check the fuel pressure, so I figured I would check the ignition system just to try to rule somethings out in the meantime. So, following the service manual's guidance for troubleshooting the ignition system (Pg. 8-4) I first checked all relevant fuses, the battery. All checked out. I then went to pull the sparkplugs to check them and figured I would test the coils while I had them out. And let me tell you, removing those sparkplugs is a damn job! So, after going through all the work to get the plugs out I figured I would just replace them to avoid having to do all that work again. Plus, according to the service manual they are supposed to be replaced every 12,000 miles or 18 months (Pg. 3-1).

Here's a few pictures of the plugs. Two had seen a little moisture, but they don't look all that bad IMO. Take a look for yourself though. I did not test them before I removed them, an oversight on my part. I did however test all the new ones before installing them using the bikes diagnostics system (diagnostic codes D:30-D:33, service manual Pg. 8-41).

View attachment 91204View attachment 91207View attachment 91209View attachment 91210

View attachment 91206View attachment 91205View attachment 91211View attachment 91208

The old man in me instinctively did a compression test while I had the plugs and coils out. The results all came back bad since these engines have decompression valves. The service manual also gives no guidance on how to properly perform a compression test so I'm gonna just assume that there is no proper way to do one. I can only include 10 photos in one post so I will put pictures from my compression test in a second response on this thread.

Overall, my luck is not typically good enough to get simply fixes like this. So, I'm still a little skeptical. I also have no proof that changing the plugs is what cause my issue to go away, could just be a coincidence. I will have to test my old plugs at some point to confirm if any of them were actually bad. Either way, I will keep this thread updated if I experience any further issues.
Yeah I actually bought plugs and just haven’t done it yet. I do have like 8 codes that I’m not sure how to clear. I just disconnected my battery and I’m gonna check tomorrow to see if codes are still there. I have a friend in mass with a gen2 that’s trying to help me figure this thing out. I’m hoping it’s something stupid like plugs or deleting these codes. I’m gonna keep my eye on this post and I will also post if I find a fix.
Thanks
Mark
 
Yeah I actually bought plugs and just haven’t done it yet. I do have like 8 codes that I’m not sure how to clear. I just disconnected my battery and I’m gonna check tomorrow to see if codes are still there. I have a friend in mass with a gen2 that’s trying to help me figure this thing out. I’m hoping it’s something stupid like plugs or deleting these codes. I’m gonna keep my eye on this post and I will also post if I find a fix.
Thanks
Mark

For guidance on how to clear fault codes you will want to see page 8-40 of the service manual. I have included it below for convivence.

Diagnostic codes D:60 and D:61 are for viewing which fault codes are present. They will show both currently active and past fault codes. Diagnostic code D:62 will display the quantity of stored fault codes you have. This diagnostic code is also used to clear/erase fault codes. To erase fault codes simply flick the engine stop switch back in forth while the display is showing D:62.

(Do note the difference between diagnostic codes and fault codes)

I would recommend you record which fault codes your bike is displaying before you erase them though, just for your record. That information could be useful later when trying to determine your issue.

1695212168456.png
Page 8-40 of the service manual.
 
Thank you for the info!

I took a look at my frame and my bike has one mark punched on it at the end of VIN, none before it. I called up the number today and the assistant told me that my bike had one recall fixed on it, the oil pump one. When I asked about the wiring harness recall they told me that my bike was only affected by one recall, and it was the one for the oil pump.

Reading through the service bulletin I found further clarification as to exactly which bikes were affected by the wire harness recall though (picture below). Going by the VIN my bike falls just outside of the range of bikes effected, so I guess I can write off the wire harness as a possible cause. It must be the California bikes that were made later.


View attachment 91127
From Pg. 2 of wire harness recall the technical bulletin

Your info about the frame stamping seems to right on though! Maybe the stamp after the VIN is for the oil pump and the one before it is for the wire harness?

View attachment 91124View attachment 91125
Wow so my 09 hasn’t had the oil pump recall or the harness recall. Not sure if my bike is affected on the harness recall. But definitely on the oil pump recall. Gotta figure out how I can find out about my harness if it’s affected or not. Also my 09 always seems not so perfect in the low rpm’s as well. I think it could use a tune and plugs.
 
Thank you for the info!

I took a look at my frame and my bike has one mark punched on it at the end of VIN, none before it. I called up the number today and the assistant told me that my bike had one recall fixed on it, the oil pump one. When I asked about the wiring harness recall they told me that my bike was only affected by one recall, and it was the one for the oil pump.

Reading through the service bulletin I found further clarification as to exactly which bikes were affected by the wire harness recall though (picture below). Going by the VIN my bike falls just outside of the range of bikes effected, so I guess I can write off the wire harness as a possible cause. It must be the California bikes that were made later.


View attachment 91127
From Pg. 2 of wire harness recall the technical bulletin

Your info about the frame stamping seems to right on though! Maybe the stamp after the VIN is for the oil pump and the one before it is for the wire harness?

View attachment 91124View attachment 91125
Are the 2 vin numbers above for 2 different recalls?? One is circled in red and one is not. Also neither looks like my vin, my vin has only 3 zeros befor the last 4 numbers so confusing to me.
Where yours is A000719
Mine is A000269
 
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Are the 2 vin numbers above for 2 different recalls?? One is circled in red and one is not. Also neither looks like my vin, my vin has only 3 zeros befor the last 4 numbers so confusing to me.
Where yours is A000719
Mine is A000269

There are two main ways to tell if you bike is affected under either recall.
  • Look through the recalls listed on the NHTSA's website (2009 YAMAHA VMX17 | NHTSA)
  • Call Yamaha and provide them your VIN number (1-800-962-7926)
More info on these is in the prior posts.


As far as the two VIN number ranges shown in the picture I included prior, those are both for the wire harness recall. That picture from the 2nd page of the service bulletin for that recall, as I captioned. The two sets of VIN numbers are for non-California models and California models respectively. California models are designate by a 'C' after the first 'Y' in the VIN.

If you want to know if your bike falls within one of the ranges shown, you must first see if your bike a California model or not. Then, using the correct range of VIN numbers you want to ignore the leading zeros and just look at the range of the remain numbers. If your VIN falls within that range, then your bike needs the recall performed. If it does not fall in that range, then you are all good.

For example...
  1. My bike, being a non-Cali bike, I would use the first range. (that's why I circled it in red)
  2. The first range (VP29E-0000013~0000611) essentially means... 13 thru 611
  3. My bike being 719 falls outside that range, so my bike is not affected by that recall.
For the oil pump recall, you can use the NHTSA's website I linked above to find the service bulletin for that recall which should provide VIN ranges. The service bulletin will be under the associated documents.
 
There are two main ways to tell if you bike is affected under either recall.
  • Look through the recalls listed on the NHTSA's website (2009 YAMAHA VMX17 | NHTSA)
  • Call Yamaha and provide them your VIN number (1-800-962-7926)
More info on these is in the prior posts.


As far as the two VIN number ranges shown in the picture I included prior, those are both for the wire harness recall. That picture from the 2nd page of the service bulletin for that recall, as I captioned. The two sets of VIN numbers are for non-California models and California models respectively. California models are designate by a 'C' after the first 'Y' in the VIN.

If you want to know if your bike falls within one of the ranges shown, you must first see if your bike a California model or not. Then, using the correct range of VIN numbers you want to ignore the leading zeros and just look at the range of the remain numbers. If your VIN falls within that range, then your bike needs the recall performed. If it does not fall in that range, then you are all good.

For example...
  1. My bike, being a non-Cali bike, I would use the first range. (that's why I circled it in red)
  2. The first range (VP29E-0000013~0000611) essentially means... 13 thru 611
  3. My bike being 719 falls outside that range, so my bike is not affected by that recall.
For the oil pump recall, you can use the NHTSA's website I linked above to find the service bulletin for that recall which should provide VIN ranges. The service bulletin will be under the associated documents.
Mine is non Cali as well and does fall in between those 2 numbers so I’ll be needing both the harness and oil pump recall. Thanks very much for this info.
 
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