Fuse Issue---Lower Faring

[Everette]

About a month ago I go out to get on the bike and my speedometer does not work. No gas gauge or anything. No problem, pull the fuse and tested it. No, the fuse is good, but just for the heck of it I replaced it anyway. Speedometer works! No problem. Noticed a week or so ago that the cruise control does not work. Not a real issue, because I rarely use it. When I leave the office this afternoon, my passing lamps don't work. So I pull the fuses from the fuse box and test all of them. They all test ok, but I replace them anyway and the passing lamps now work. I don't know if the cruise works yet, but I would bet that it does.

 

Any Ideas? I use a multimeter to test and I know it works.

 

On a related issue. The plastic screw that holds the bottom of the lower farings together seems to be striped or something. I could not get it loose. Any problems with drilling this thing out?

[Squidley]

Everette,

Your bike is an '03 this being the last year of your warranty, I would suggest you take it to a dealer and let them troubleshoot it first. I personally can't help you out with the electrical gremlins, not really my strong suit. You can drill out that piece between the fairing and replace it. But I would try to pull it out by pulling the screw thats in it out, if I'm not mistaken it is a spread bolt that opens the plastic casing up inside. You can pull off the lowers by removing the lowers off by removing the 4 allen head bolts on the front. I'm fairly confident thats all that holds them on.

[James Ardrey]

It sounds like the main switch is going bad. I had the same problem with the dashboard instruments. It was intermittent and became more regular over time. I did not notice the cruise not working but I may not have been using it much at the time. That main switch causes all kinds of weird things. At least it is starting and running and hasn't left you stranded yet. I agree take it to the dealer. That main switch is connected to everything electronic on some level albeit the strange happenings.

They changed mine and have had no problems since. Good luck!

[Pilot]

About a month ago I go out to get on the bike and my speedometer does not work. No gas gauge or anything. No problem, pull the fuse and tested it. No, the fuse is good, but just for the heck of it I replaced it anyway. Speedometer works! No problem. Noticed a week or so ago that the cruise control does not work. Not a real issue, because I rarely use it. When I leave the office this afternoon, my passing lamps don't work. So I pull the fuses from the fuse box and test all of them. They all test ok, but I replace them anyway and the passing lamps now work. I don't know if the cruise works yet, but I would bet that it does.

 

Any Ideas? I use a multimeter to test and I know it works.

 

On a related issue. The plastic screw that holds the bottom of the lower farings together seems to be striped or something. I could not get it loose. Any problems with drilling this thing out?

 

As far as the plastic screw goes it should unscrew a few turns. If it does you should be able to just pull it out with your finger if you can get a finger nail under the head. If you try and drill it it most lickly will just spin as it doesn't have much to hold to in the first place. Lots of people remove the screw and the plastic part that has the male threads on it (the part that the screw goes into. The fairing will stay in place, or you can install a bolt and nut if you want.

 

Now on to your electrical problem, it sounds to me that all of your power problems are coming from the fuse block in the lower right cowling. If the fuses are good and all you are doing is removing and reinstalling the fuse and it works then I would look for a bad connection on the fuse block. Look at the large wire feeding the fuse block and the main power wire. To test this theory the next time you have a problem leave your key on while you play with the fuse block and see if the problem becomes intermittant or goes away. It's possible that your main switch is also going bad, but check the fuse block first. If you still have warranty and you can't solve the issue bring it to a dealer. Good luck Bud.

[V7Goose]

It is not a screw - it is a self locking rivet. 1/4 turn releases the inner post to pop up (a little), then you pull the whole thing out. Easier to get out than back in. To replace, you have to hold the inner post up just enough to let the bottom petals compress. Once you manage to get it back in place, you just push down on the center post to lock it in.

Goose

[Everette]

Well this thing is getting more wierd as it goes. I drove to work this morning and when I got there I checked the passing lamps and one was off. Must be a bad bulb. I just changed both of them a couple of months ago.

This afternoon I go out and it's still pretty chilly. I forgot to pull out the choke and it took a littel while to start. But it did start. I'm not running the starter too long, but it seems to be turning slowly or lugging a little. I look at the dash and the speedometer is out again. I get home and turn it off and then think, I should turn the key back on and see if anything else is out. No only the one light and guess what, the dang speedometer is back on again.

[Guest silvertramp]

Sounds like the switch--soon the wiggle trick won't work--the stereo will and that's it. Basically you have a 900 lb. boom box. The switch on my '99 went @ 6k and 12k. I put in an aux. fuse block and ran two relayed circuts. One for the headlight-one for the passing lights. All the juice now goes around the ign. switch. The ign. just triggers the relays. I'm at 73k now--no prablems.