Dragonslayer Posted August 31, 2012 Share #1 Posted August 31, 2012 Reassembling the 87VR XVZ1300 for mayby the 40th time, I'm trying to address and correct all known bugs the bike has had. My current road block is the temp gauge in the gauge cluster it does not work. Or, should I say it does not work correctly. Meaning that it is not calibrated right. Cold the needle is halfway up the scale. At normal operating temp the needle is pegged off the hot scale. Does anyone one have an old set of gauges laying around with a known good temp gauge the could part with, sell or trade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairiehammer Posted August 31, 2012 Share #2 Posted August 31, 2012 (edited) It is possible (likely?) that the gauge is not the problem, but the temperature sending (thermo) unit. Some have found the bullet connector there has loosened and/or corroded. Try cleaning and squeezing the connector. The wire color is green w/red stripe. Edited August 31, 2012 by Prairiehammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keemez Posted August 31, 2012 Share #3 Posted August 31, 2012 Also, what about the possibility of just rotating the needle on its shaft? A number of us have done that with the speedometer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonslayer Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share #4 Posted August 31, 2012 It is possible (likely?) that the gauge is not the problem, but the temperature sending unit. Some have found the bullet connector there has loosened. Try cleaning and squeezing the connector.While working on the bike I have noticed that the bullet connector had some paint on it where i had sprayed it while touching up the frame. I cleaned the paint off and the connection is good. I'm pretty sure I caused the damage by trying to remove the needle from the gauge and it has not been calibrated correctly since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsutley Posted August 31, 2012 Share #5 Posted August 31, 2012 I have one in my spare parts cache. If you still need one, send me a PM and it will be on the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingy Posted August 31, 2012 Share #6 Posted August 31, 2012 While working on the bike I have noticed that the bullet connector had some paint on it where i had sprayed it while touching up the frame. I cleaned the paint off and the connection is good. I'm pretty sure I caused the damage by trying to remove the needle from the gauge and it has not been calibrated correctly since. Also check the ground connection coming from the coolant sensor block, it is just as important. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonslayer Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share #7 Posted August 31, 2012 Also, what about the possibility of just rotating the needle on its shaft? A number of us have done that with the speedometer.I've tried that several times and it does not seem to make any difference at all. I think I screwed something up inside the gauge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbrood Posted August 31, 2012 Share #8 Posted August 31, 2012 I would think simply pulling the needle and carefully repositioning it at or very near the end post should make everything happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonslayer Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share #9 Posted August 31, 2012 I would think simply pulling the needle and carefully repositioning it at or very near the end post should make everything happy.Nope tried that it just goes back to where it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friesman Posted September 1, 2012 Share #10 Posted September 1, 2012 when working on mine lasr summer I had to disassemble a bunch of things and I found that the needle on the temp guage is just friction fitted onto a pin. the needle just lifts straight off the pin. when I put mine on I ended up like yours as I didnt check on the cold position well enough, so I just waited for the bike to be cold, and lifted the needle off the pin, and then made sure the needle was in the right position before I pushed it back onto the guage's pin. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonslayer Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted September 2, 2012 when working on mine lasr summer I had to disassemble a bunch of things and I found that the needle on the temp guage is just friction fitted onto a pin. the needle just lifts straight off the pin. when I put mine on I ended up like yours as I didnt check on the cold position well enough, so I just waited for the bike to be cold, and lifted the needle off the pin, and then made sure the needle was in the right position before I pushed it back onto the guage's pin. BrianIt didn't work that way with me. When I tried to lift the needle off the pin the needle, pin and all came out of the gauge. So now, no matter where I place the pin when engine is cold the needle goes back to the same place 1/2 way up the scale when stone cold. I don't know why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friesman Posted September 2, 2012 Share #12 Posted September 2, 2012 It didn't work that way with me. When I tried to lift the needle off the pin the needle, pin and all came out of the gauge. So now, no matter where I place the pin when engine is cold the needle goes back to the same place 1/2 way up the scale when stone cold. I don't know why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonslayer Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share #13 Posted September 2, 2012 That's what I said:bang head: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonslayer Posted September 4, 2012 Author Share #14 Posted September 4, 2012 That's what I said:bang head: But actually, I received a good temp gauge today from ISUTLEY (Thanks Les) and was able to compare his good one to my bad one. On a good one, or, one which has never had the needle pin removed from, there is a slight retraction action on the needle that returns the needle to the cold position when the sensor registers cold. On my bad one there is no retraction action. I'm not sure what causes that retraction action rather it be spring loaded or a reaction due to temp but it is deffinately there and neccessary. Does anyone know what causes the retraction action on the needle? Curious minds want to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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