| Author | Message | ||
     Tailspining |
On my ride into work today my speedo and tach performed a sweep while I was riding. My 2005, XB9R has done this a couple of times now. I suspect I have a grounding issue somewhere and was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and what/where they found the cure. Intermittent electrical issues can be hard to find and any help would be greatly appreciated. | ||
| 984gasm |
I had a similar issue. It was my battery cable screw. Just tightened it down and fine since. I'd try that first. | ||
| Gunut75 |
984gasm is right. Mine will sweep about once a season. Just a reminder to clean the battery terminals. I sand down the contact surfaces, then torque the screws. It will also reset your trip odometer too. | ||
| Migs16 |
i had that too but mine wasnt the battery. mine was loose in the back of the dash it rattled the huge plug loose all i did was tighten it and tie wrap it down. | ||
| Wolfo68 |
and it'll reset your clock, I forget to change it back every time I disconnect my battery so I never remember that it's wrong | ||
| Buelltroll |
If it didn't actually stumble or stutter when it did it, odds are that it's just a loose wire or ground issue. Mine did that right before it started VIOLENTLY shuddering and the rpms went all crazy.Mine was a cracked ECM. If you can't chase it down anywhere else inspect your ECM REALLY good. My crack was so small I never did see it or the tiiiiny tiiiiny little bit of movement the tech convinced me was there. But when I put the stock ECM back in all was good. | ||
| Rsh |
The other possibility is the wiring that exits the bottom of the key switch "dongle" has stretched. It can cause intermittent contact inside the switch whenever the bars are moved, IIRC the gray wire supplies the instrument cluster power. This happened to me. If that is the problem, you can repair the wiring yourself or buy a new "dongle" from the dealer. | ||
| Tailspining |
I checked the battery connections and they were well torqued. I condition has worsened. While riding to work the instrument cluster went dead, blank, na da and then returned. So today I ripped into the front end looking for a short. Could find anything so I slaved everything back together and now the cluster is dead. The bike will run, headlights and tail lights work but no instrument cluster. Pulled the connector to the cluster and checked for power on the red pin. There was 12 volts. Turned the high beams on and the high beam light on the cluster came on. Now, when I plugged the connector into the cluster the tach and speedo did a sweep but the clock, neutral light, and oil light remained off. After all this checking and re checking I ran my battery down. Great! I've got it on the trickle charger and I'm trying to regroup. (I'm having a beer... or two). Yet another problem, my turn signals are no longer flashing and I suspect the flasher unit is tango uniform. Crap! What else can go wrong? Or, are both of them related? At this point I believe I either have a bad cluster or a short deep in the engine harness.  | ||
| Rays |
The cluster issue sounds like the ground connection. The indicator lights and the instrument function are essentially two separate things and the only common point is the ground connection. This is a black wire on pin 13 of the connector going to the cluster. I'm sorry but I don't know where that actually connects to ground on an 'R' but on a Uly that wire goes back to the rear where it splices into the ground line that goes to the System Ground B on the ECM Black connector. The High Beam indicator coming on with no headlight is another symptom of a bad ground for the headlights. The flasher problem could also be a ground - do you have power to the flasher relay? The first thing I would do is get a meter and check the continuity of pin 13 in the cluster connector to the battery ground and work from there. | ||
| Tailspining |
Have a meter? I've seen more of my meter than my wife this weekend. Pin 13 was the first place I went and I have a good ground. Also had power. About the High Beam, I meant to say that it is the only thing on the cluster that is working when the High Beams are switched on. I've got a breakdown of the harness and today after work I plan on pinning the connector to make sure I'm getting power and or ground. I'll verify the "GRD 3" as well, I agree, it seems the only thing in common could be the grounding. | ||
| Rays |
"Have a meter? I've seen more of my meter than my wife this weekend." Sorry - don't always get the target audience right when trying to help with electrical issues.  If the ground to the cluster is OK then one thing you need to check is the voltage on pin 12 (Orange/White wire). This is the power for the cluster that is supplied when the ignition is on. The power that you measured on the Red wire is pin 2 and that is direct battery power that is the 'keep alive' for the odometer and the clock settings. Now, when this power is removed and reapplied with the ignition switched off the needles will sweep once - as it did when you reconnected the cluster connector. You haven't popped the Accessories fuse have you? | ||
| Tailspining |
First, thanks for the help Ray. I'm tracking, and I've checked the accessories fuse and will continue to do so throughout the troubleshooting process to make sure. I was getting 9 volts on pin 12 (Orange/White) with the ignition on yesterday before I had enough and started to get frustrated. Your advice is helping me "regroup" and it is greatly appreciated. Thanks again! | ||
| Iamarchangel |
If the clock zeroes then it's loss of power, follow battery advice. Could be debris on speed sensor. Easy enough to remove and clean. Couple of grounds on the steering stem. One is for the cluster. Lights and signals are common on the left grip. Something else to check. Call a priest. | ||
| Tailspining |
Today I pinned out the wires with the ignition on and found no power to the orange and white wire at the cluster, no power at the turn signal flasher, or the "running" tail light. I believe Rsh may have something. I then checked power at the fuse, which is the point the the orange/white becomes red/gray and had no power on the red/gray. I believe the short is in the "dongle" of which Rsh speaks of. I'll let you know what I find... | ||
| Mikemax |
I had the speedo and turn signals go dead on a long ride. Fuse was blown. Replaced it and OK for a bit then did it again. Finally noticed my license plate light was out and went to change it... found the bulb loose in the housing and apparently shorting when I hit big bumps. I cable tied the contacts to the bulb, replaced the fuse one last time and good ever since. | ||
| Tailspining |
FOUND IT!  The Gray/Red wire on the back of the ignition switch was broken clean off. A little bit of solder and I'm good-to-go. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond to this thread. I appreciate all of your input. Gary | ||
| Socalbueller |
So my cluster went out on me Sunday. The whole thing, gauges, warning lights, odometer, completely dead. Bike still runs as it did before. I've checked pin 12 and I wasn't getting any voltage. Checked the gray/red wire on the ignition switch and that is good, at least it makes the connection between one of the other wires in switch when turned on. When I plug the cluster back in the gauges do sweep so it is getting the 12v for the clock and trip meters. I also checked the service manual and it doesn't show anything on pin 12. Was wondering where that information came from. This is the only thread I've found that had any useful information. Would you guys know of any other places to look? Thanks, Brian | ||
| Tailspining |
Ignition switch ground wire.I had the same problem. | ||
| Tailspining |
Do your turn signals still work? | ||
| Tailspining |
Brian, I found the broken wire in the ignition switch itself. The continued articulation of the handle bars fatigued the wire inside the switch. It was a gradual deterioration and the wire strands broke one at a time until all of them broke. | ||
| Socalbueller |
Are you talking about pin 13 on the connector? I'll check that again but I'm pretty sure I was getting a ground on that with the ignition switch in the on or off position. Not sure on the turn signals. It was at a track day so I took them off. Probably won't have time until this weekend to look at it again. I'll put them back on then. I took the ignition switch off and the wires look in pretty good shape, ohmed out the contacts with the switch in the off and on position, wigged the wires etc. | ||
| Tailspining |
At the connector on the back of the instrument cluster, I was getting power on the orange/white - pin 12. I checked the accessory fuse, it was good. When the key is turned on there should have been power on the two red wires. I was getting intermittent power. I moved the handle bars back and forth and lost power. I took the key ignition switch apart and found that the red/gray wire had broke at the solder. |
