ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS-HELP !!!

[WRM66]

I have an "07 K9 and it's having some electrical problems... First off, I have been plauqed by repeated transmission problems since last summer caused by Mancusco not putting transmission fluid back in it after having it serviced....anyhow, I have been round and round with them and finally got a new transmission out of the deal, but the bike sat for 5 months....Now a bike sitting up that long shouldn't be a problem, but I have heard of electrical problems arising after one has set for a long time, and now mine has done it....NOW, on to problem....The day after I get it back I crank it up, everything's good...I ride about 2-3 miles and it dies like you turned the key off....No power to tach, speedo, oil light...nothing. I flared the key 8 or 10 times and it powered back up and I rode on.....later that same day it does the same thing at 75 mph. Before I came to a complete stop, again flaring the key several times, it powered back up, cycled the tach and I restarted it and went on. It went about 2 weeks of riding without any problems, then Saturday, I went to ride and when I turned the key on for the first time that day, nothing....but the headlight was on, so for the hell of it I hit the run button and it fired up and ran......Now, here's the part that don't make sense, when I put it in gear, it kills it.....now I know there is not any kind of a neutral safety switch on these bikes so explain that one???....I tried it several times, same thing start up and run, but die like you turned the key off as soon as you put it in gear....I tried to leave it in gear and start it, nothing...put back in neutral and it would start, but die as soon as you put it in gear. BTW, All this time, the speedo, tach etc, is dead(no power)......after anther 20 minutes I turn the key on again and everthing powers up correctly and it starts, goes into gear without dying...ride a few miles , same issue......finally it cycles correctly and I get it back home....
Does anyone have any idea what can be causing this? I have pulled the tank off and checked all the connectors, checked all the wiring to make sure everything is tight....battery terminals, big ground on starter, terminals to ignition switch as well as the relay terminal under the seat next to battery.
Maybe a bad EHC ? Ignition switch? Any help and/or input is greatly appreciated......

Will

 

[BadBrad]

Will,
While the bike was sitting up, was it kept on a tender? If not, I would say to start off by having the battery tested. I know you cycle the key and it starts back up, but batteries that are on the edge of dying can cause a host of problems with these dogs. Seems like everyone that had a battery that was bad had a different symptom. That's what is so odd. So many different issues, but all related to a bad battery. If you can start the bike, I would also check the VR and the stator. See the "how to" section of the forum to do this. While you were riding, were all your signals, tach and dummy lights working properly? Generally, when the VR or Stator are bad, the bike will begin shutting down electrically......or mine did with me anyway. Be sure your EHC connections have di-electric grease to prevent moisture from entering. Moisture, like a bad battery, will cause another host of electrical issues.

 

[PurpleDog]

This sounds like a strange one; when it does have pwr when you turn the key on - have you checked the EHC indicator lights to determine if the start-up ckt is going into over current/short mode? EHC pwr indicator comes on during that I presume. Is it tripping a fault condition when you put it into gear and the bike dies?

Sounds like some ckt is shorting to ground when you kick it gear or your loosing EHC pwr maybe. Seems like you might be able to determine which when it happens by taking a look at the LEDs to get you somewhat closer.

 

[WRM66]

Badbrad, I can almost guarentee the battery was NOT kept on a tender while at the dealership...but it is fully charged and spins the motor over easily....I can't hardly believe if it was battery related it would crank the motor easily over and over....

Purple Dog: I will have to check out the EHC indicator lights.
Funny thing is...when it powers up correctly, everything works right....
when it goes dead, it'll start, BUT all the speedo bucket stuff is off(lights)....although the headlight works, the horn, signal lights and the brake lights.....the running lights are off and it dies when put into gear...

 

[RRRUFF]

Will another thing to check is the battery ground at the starter. If the replaced you tranny they probably had to pull the starter. Be sure the connector is tight and also check the crimp on the connector. Check the battery connections also. If all this checks out then there is a number of things to check. Key switch could also be the culprit. Check the connectors at the EHC, be sure there is not moisture there and no corrision. The problem could even be in your speedo bucket, moisture can get in there and cause a short. But as mentioned above something maybe causing your EHC to go into failure mode and shut everything down. The shutting down issue sounds like the key switch issure I had, but mine would go completely dead and come back to life when I cycled the key. Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[BigDogBro1]

I had exactly the same problems and all it was were the wire crimps worked LOOSE on the wires connecting to the battery terminals.

TUG on the wires to see if the crimps are loose...and recrimp.

Sounds like a speedo head LED board short or trans neutral switch.

If it happens again, see if it will go into gear and not kill the engine with the trans neutral switch disconnected.

A good battery should have 12.8 volts off charger for 2+ hours.


Good luck.

 

[WRM66]

RRRUFF, thanks for the info....i was just reading on another thread where the guy had loose/bad crimps and was loosing power much the same way as mine.....He reclimped everything and has over 1000 miles on it without any more issues......I'm gonna check all of the connections out and hopefully i find a loose one....that dying when put into gear puzzles the shit outta me though.

 

[WRM66]

BIGDOGBRO1, hey yeah, yours was the thread i was reading.....i hope that's all it is and not the EHC.....As intermitten as it is, i feel like it has to be something like that. From what I hear and know from electronic circuit boards, like an EHC, once it shorts out, it's not going to power back up and work 100% correct and then do it all over again 20-25 times.....it will just fry and that is that....

 

[RRRUFF]

Hopefully it will be that simple. Sometimes intermittent electrical issues can be hard to find. I believe also that we have replaced alot of ehc's where the ehc wasn't initially at fault. The ehc will shut down to protect it self when there is an issue in the electrical system. Now the bdm ehc is very sensitive and is not the best option out there. The "Wire Plus" harness controller is a more dependable unit. At least that's what I think.

The deal when shutting down when you shift into gear is puzzling. Hopefully its just the shock jaring the electrical causing it to loose power.

 

[BigDogBro1]

I think the EHC is designed to monitor output current draw and to shutdown anything in that circuit that is senses over-current, open or shorted.

That trans neutral sensor may be in the cause reason as well. Reread my earlier post.

 

[WRM66]

BDB1, Yeah, I saw that after I had already posted that response....I will check that first off....

 

[WRM66]

THANKS AGAIN GUYS FOR ALL THE INPUT.....HOPEFULLY IT IS AN EASY FIX.

 

[lee]

could be a couple of things. Key switch springs to mind as others have said - not an uncommon problem. The bike cutting out when putting it into gear could, as also already said, just be the heavy clunk - I used to have this problem and a new clutch pushrod solved that for me - for you it might just be a clutch adjustment. Having said that, the fact that it doesn't start at all when in gear is odd. When it doesn't start when in gear is it completely dead or just won't fire?

 

[WRM66]

LEE -Completely dead...but put it in neutral and it will start, but nothing lit up but the front head light...

 

[POPEYE]

HEY guys I had work done a manusco,they do not put any bike on a tender no matter how long it sits there,sucks if you ask me

 

[Brew]

The way you explain this I would think the neutral switch may be shorting out your system...Just my thoughts...

 

[WRM66]

Mancuso SUCKS PERIOD !!!!!!!!!!

 

[WRM66]

BREW454.....I'm thinking you may be right.....I'm gonna check it out this afternoon.....didn't have a chance to look at it yesterday....Valentines day crap...!!!
thanks for the input.

 

[BadBrad]

BREW454.....I'm thinking you may be right.....I'm gonna check it out this afternoon.....didn't have a chance to look at it yesterday....Valentines day crap...!!!
thanks for the input.

If that's the case, you should be able to disconnect your dummy lights and see if you still have the same problem. When your bike is in gear and you have the clutch pulled in, can you freely push the bike? Just thinking about what Lee had to say about the clutch.

 

[BikerDave]

Mancuso SUCKS PERIOD !!!!!!!!!!

Hey WRM66 Which mancuso dealer screwed you up? The only good BDM tech left is Anthony (AKA Razor) at the Gulf freeway store. I live 2 miles from the SW Freeway dealer but wont touch them.

Most Houston BDM owners have nothing but good things to say about Anthony.