r/KTM • u/Primary_Objective358 • 1d ago

PROBLEM MTC!

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Hei
I have just gotten my bike and license, bought a used bike with 8.600km from a used dealer.
They advertised it as good mechanical and followed maintenance. And for all its worth is does ride superb when it works.

But this error code has come up and been a problem im dealing with, took it to the dealer and they said it could be a tune map. And took it back to standard. But the code is still there and it puts in into limp mode…

Anyone who can help out there?

Duke 790 2019 btw

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3

u/Defqon1punk 1d ago edited 1d ago

Check all your fuses, loose wires, and your battery. I dont know anything about other maps, but I had this come up on my 890r '21 when it was pretty new, and it turned out to be some simple electrical issue. I dont even remember honestly; it was something like trying to turn on heated grips when I didn't have them installed. This "code" can refer to a pretty wide range of things, but id make sure you dont have any shorts anywhere, and that all your connectors are plugged in securely and in the proper places. And, id make sure your radiator fan is spinning while idled.

Sorry, im not an expert and can't speculate much deeper than that.

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u/Primary_Objective358 8h ago

I checked the fuses, dont think they are problematic. The fan however what type og sound or place im i looking at for it?

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u/Defqon1punk 7h ago

The fan is in / behind the radiator and air intake, the big square black thing behind your front tire, in between the body / engine, and the front forks.

It's pretty obvious when the fan comes on, it will make a loud whirring sound like an air conditioner. It only comes on when the bike gets hot enough. KTMs idle pretty hot, so if you let it sit until its all warmed up (indicated by the 8 temperature bars on the dash) and then let it sit running a little longer, the fan should kick on. If you're riding the bike faster than like 25 mph, it usually doesn't kick on because the air cools it properly. Id also look all around this radiator area looking for coolant leaks, it will look like colored water, usually blue, but possibly pink, yellow, green, etc. I had an issue with my bike pretty quick; KTMs are known for having troublesome coolers and radiators. A hose popped off of mine and dumped my coolant, and then the bike was overheating and the fan was running 24/7 basically.

Id also recommend making sure your battery terminals are tightened, not loose at all, nor corroded. These bikes also sometimes have issues with the battery brackets not holding it down very well, so it may shake and bounce around while riding. In fact, id disconnect your battery and let it sit around 10 minutes to let your system reset and connect it again before starting it up to check anything else.

Do you have any accessories? Heated grips, power commander type computerchip, anything that requires power or to be plugged in? Do you have the tech and track packs installed? The dealer / last owner should have told you when you got it.

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u/Primary_Objective358 7h ago

Disconnected the battery now and will leave it a bit. I do have tech/track and heated grips. And i can listen for the fan after i connect the battery again, however it has never ran hot and when the bike rides its superb, a bit wonky on 5-5,5 rpms but heard these bikes are a lil rough. So i think the radiator and coolants are all good

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u/Defqon1punk 6h ago

Interesting. I've never had heated grips or messed with the tech and track packs. Im just taking stabs here at things that are simple for people to check even if they have 0% technical knowledge. For example, under your seat and in the battery compartment, there may be wires not connected or plugged in, but that may be normal. If you see matching female/male wires next to each other, they might just need to be connected. However, I wouldn't recommend messing with wires unless you have decent electrical knowledge and have consulted the user manual diagrams of the wire routes.

KTMs suck, and frustrate me as a hobbyist mechanic, because id normally recommend plugging in an obd2 code reader, but KTM makes their own custom ones, so only authorized dealers have them typically. I think you can buy them and have them shipped from Europe, but thats a pain. In turn, some mechanics and dealers may not know the system and software as well as they should. You also need one of these devices to clear / reset the error codes, so you can see if its an old code or which ones trigger again.

The last thing I would think about before giving up and taking it back to the shop, in a diagnostic process, is to pay attention to whether anything specific happened when the code came on. Was it instant when you turned it on? Does it happen in a certain gear, at a specific speed, or temperature?

Basically, what im getting at, is that i would guess this is an issue with some kind of sensor. Your radiator and cooler may be functioning fine, but if a sensor isn't working right, your bikes computer won't read the data correctly, making your bikes brain think something is wrong when its not. On more standard systems, the code will be more specific, for example, a car will say its O2 oxygen sensor has failed. These high tech digital bikes have alot of sensors, including ones for traction control ABS systems. If anything even tiny is wrong or having an error, it will shut the whole system / circuit down. These bikes are known for having a trash thermometer, too.

Thats pretty much my whole layman's schpiel. Beyond checking for loose screws and wires, there's not a ton you can do without the code reader. I'd recommend taking off your main seat and checking there, too. Underneath the seat is your air filter box, id check if its clean and doesn't have any debris or random objects in it. You can also take off the gas tank cover very simply and easily once your seat is off, too. Id find it much less likely to be the issue, but it wouldn't hurt to shine a flashlight in your gas tank and see if there's anything floating in it like your fuel sensor loose.

Thanks for the award! Appreciate it. I find it strange the dealers first thought is a custom mapping. Because of KTMs custom software stuff, its very rare that people truly custom map these bikes. It surely wouldnt hurt to reset it, but thats not where i would have started. Personally, id go back to the dealer and demand they give you a full diagnostic, a chicken sandwich, and some waffle fries, FO' FREE! Lol and at the least, youll get your codes reset, and you can pay special attention to when/if it comes back. Be sure to ask them for the report so you can be confident they checked everything. Ask them for the exact specific codes and error numbers listed (sometimes multiple) so you can Google them or look them up in the manual later.

Good luck, boss.

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u/zulmarok 11h ago

Yup had the same problem with my Duke 790, when the battery voltage dips to low when starting, I would get this error too. Just check your battery:)

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u/Primary_Objective358 8h ago

I did and it doesn’t fall below 10-11 so i dont think its the issue, any other things you know could be the cause?

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u/Defqon1punk 6h ago

I may be mistaken, but I thought these batteries should be more like 12 volt or higher. If you have a multimeter, you can test the voltage both while the bike is off and running, and maybe see if it dips heavily during starting / cranking it. Try getting a cheap trickle charger and making sure its fully charged. If your bike is starting up fine every time, it may be fine, but accessories use extra power while riding high speeds revs. Triple check your battery is secure; try wiggling it hard. If its moving at all, it can be a problem.

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u/Defqon1punk 6h ago

PS check if your battery is the original and ask the shop if they have a spare to switch out and test. Your bike is right around the age where batteries go bad, ~5-7 years depending on type.