Now it's my time to ask for some help

Started by mittico68, March 04, 2019, 09:49:03 AM

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tj

Just read through your problems with the scoot...I'm glad you sorted it. Well done!


Tfrank59

yeah great job!  Now get out there and clock some miles on her, or kilometers ;D

Tom

'06 Drifter 800, '98 Valkyrie

"HD: The most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the pesky effects of horsepower."

rob f


mittico68

I love my swingin' bike!

mittico68

Brief update.
I finally ended the assembly of the whole ignition harness, but before it I've changed the OEM resistor with a brand new one, as it was really in bad conditions and I didn't like to risk ignition failures...
BTW, if you should ever decide to go with the same solution of mine, remember that the resistor that goes on the grey wire MUST be a 100 ohm AND 1/2 watt: that's mandatory, just to let the igniter receive NOT more than 6 volts, otherwise it WON'T start...
P.S.: A short video will come soon...  ;)

I love my swingin' bike!

mittico68

Thank you guys, for your kind words.
This Forum is full of empathy...  :)

I love my swingin' bike!

greenbarn

Great news, Mitt!!    I'm happy for you that you got it running, and the brake light was an easy fix.  Way to go, Bro....

No Worries

Old Drifter

Marco, I've been following this post and I'm glad that you've solved the mystery! Hat's off to you for sticking with it and figuring it out! Now ride that beautiful Drifter!  8)

Gene

1999 Drifter

mittico68

Quote from: Tfrank59 on May 12, 2019, 10:08:01 AM

Well you're going to be the go-to guy from now on on electrical I hope you know that. So don't sell your Drifter because we'll still need you for a few years around here 8)

I'm not worried, at all, because even though someone should ever ask me something, I would just answer: "I'm a lucky guy, because of the VDR Forum, where you can find all the answers you need for your Drifter...".  ;)
BTW: I don't think I'll ever sell ma-deuce. It's 20 years since I bought her, back in july 1999, and I'm still in love with her! Geez, if my wife should ever hear me... :-X

I love my swingin' bike!

Tfrank59

Well you're going to be the go-to guy from now on on electrical I hope you know that. So don't sell your Drifter because we'll still need you for a few years around here 8)

Tom

'06 Drifter 800, '98 Valkyrie

"HD: The most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the pesky effects of horsepower."

mittico68

#64

Thank you guys, for all your camaraderie!
I've checked the fuses box and it came out that the brake light 10A fuse was blown up... So, for once in my (electrician) life, I was damn right!  8)
I've then double checked the (damn) whole thing and everything's OK.  :)
Now, before get ma-deuce back on the road, I'm gonna solder each and every connection, put on some silicon insulating spray and then add heatshrink wraps.
After that, I will mount the HD ignition switch on the dashboard and get rid of the old OEM one!
In the meanwhile, I'm gonna solder the Indian taillight's connections and then mount this nice and cool light on ma-deuce.
And finally, I'll be ready to ROCK!  ;D
P.S.: I wanna really thank Robf, Greenbarn, Troll, Texasdrifter and Tfrank, for all their helpful infos and tips, without wich I could never have reached the finish line!
Thanx again, buds!  8)

I love my swingin' bike!

rob f

Right on Mitt!! Good for you for sticking with it!
It seems like our minds work about the same. Before I retired I would take my work related problems home to bed with me  and usually at about 4 or 5 in the morning my subconscious would come up with an answer. Funny how the brain works.
The brake light should be an easy fix for you now, especially now that you are an electrical expert. ;D
Just follow the wiring diagram and use your volt meter at every junction. Doesn't matter at what end of the system you start at. I prefer to start at the power source and work my way down. It's like betting red or black at the Roulette Wheel....... got a 50/50 chance ;)

Rob


Tfrank59

#62

Well congrats on finally getting the thing to fire up!  now chase down the tail light problem--start with the fuse ;D--and then get out there and put some miles on the clock!

post script: I never open an electrical can o' worms unless I have no choice.  This debacle you faced is such a good example of that (not saying you had a choice), where just a seemingly small thing like the # of ohms left you dead in the water for weeks.  What a nightmare!
Tom

'06 Drifter 800, '98 Valkyrie

"HD: The most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the pesky effects of horsepower."

mittico68

#61

Good news.
Last night I was mumblin' about the issue, while tryin' to sleep, and suddenly the light came on: why not try to put the OEM resistor on the grey wire of the damn thing?  ???
So the day after I did it and... the engine fired up! YES, it did!  :D
Now I can finally end the job.
And these are my conclusions, about the issue:
- the new resistor I had put in the grey wire was not a 100 ohm: and indeed, comparing its bands with the ohm scale, I can see it is a 100000 ohm (look at pic, please)!  :o
- the OEM resistor is a 100 ohm, and this allows the 12v flow to fall to 5v: this lets the igniter to work properly.
- WHY DIDN'T I THINK BEFORE ABOUT THAT SIMPLE SOLUTION?  >:(  :o
That said, now I must try to solve the other issue that I faced, while attemptin' at the main problem: the brake light is not workin'.
I bet it depends on the taillight fuse: I haven't checked it out, yet, but I think that it could have blown up when I tried to start the engine without the resistor on the grey wire...
THe soap opera still goes on!
Any thought would be much appreciated.

I love my swingin' bike!

rob f

Just checked my bike again and had 5.8v just with key on and climbed to 7 v while running (Grey wire at key to main harness connector).
Looked  again in my tech manual and can't find anything about  testing that grey wire.
I found this in a Vulcan Forum:

Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 126
I am with Sfair on this one. You say you no longer have the original ignition switch, which makes me assume you have used the Harley clone switch in the tank console. At this point I would condemn that switch( cause I had one fail, poor contact internally). I would at this point short the white wire to the brown and grey( keeping in mind that you NEED the 100 ohm resistor on the grey upstream of the ecu). I had to do this this past summer to bypass an ignition switch failure and lo and behold it ran

Maybe if you hunt around you can find more info. Looks like the main issue is to somehow get that lower voltage on the grey wire.


rob f

What the heck is right my friend.
At least you are in the right area. Not sure why the chip is reading 11.3. Looks like the 100 ohms is to much resistance and that is why you have 0V?
I suppose the resistor that was in the old key switch can't be installed in the wire? Can you get an ohm reading from it?
I will go out to my bike today and  double-check that grey wire for a reading.


mittico68

Quote from: rob f on May 08, 2019, 07:48:14 AM

So as I try to understand.... You have 12v on one end of the resistor ( that comes from the key switch)  but 0v on the other end (that goes into the bike harness)?

Exactly.
And you know what?
Yesterday I bought a car charger, as said in the discussions site of your link, then I extracted the chip and added it to the grey wire, together with the 100 ohm resistor and... NOTHING! NO voltage!  >:(
Then, I took off the resistor, leaving in place the chip: so, actually I read 11.30v on one end (that goes into the bike harness), and 12v on the other end (i.e.: coming from the key switch)... What the heck?!?  :-[

I love my swingin' bike!

rob f

Well at least you have found something Mitt.
So as I try to understand.... You have 12v on one end of the resistor ( that comes from the key switch)  but 0v on the other end (that goes into the bike harness)?


mittico68

Quote from: Tfrank59 on May 07, 2019, 12:00:55 PM

Sorry Mitt as usual I got nothing but hoping you get this thing solved.

Thanx, bud.
I really hope to get it, because I wouldn't like to pay $170 for a new key switch harness...  :-[

Quote from: Tfrank59 on May 07, 2019, 12:00:55 PM

If your weather is anything like ours locally it really sucks I have your bike down >:(

The weird weather we're facing in this days here in Italy is the only (lean) consolation...  :(

I love my swingin' bike!

Tfrank59

Sorry Mitt as usual I got nothing but hoping you get this thing solved. If your weather is anything like ours locally it really sucks I have your bike down >:(

Tom

'06 Drifter 800, '98 Valkyrie

"HD: The most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the pesky effects of horsepower."

mittico68

#54

The never ending story is still alive...
I've just (re)added a 100 ohm resistor on the grey wire (BTW, it's got no diode inside), but again no luck at all: the engine doesn't fire up!
I've also checked the whole damn stuff, with my voltmeter and guess what? I found that the part of the grey wire that goes from said resistor to the OEM switch harness has got ZERO volts!  :o
The weird thing is that I can read 12v (+/-) on the resistor's lead that is connected to said part of the wire, BUT nothing after it...  ???
Maybe it's all because, as Rob stated before, the grey wire needs to have 5.7v only, instead of 12v?
I'm really starting to get nuts.
But before giving me up, I'll try to reduce the voltage on that wire...
Until then, any suggestion would be much appreciated.

I love my swingin' bike!

rob f

Good idea. I will be curious as to what the voltage is after you reinstall it.
And just a thought........... not sure if  some resistors  come with a built in diode. A diode is a device that only lets current flow one way. Easy to check.... take your ohm meter and check resistance one way and then flip your leads around and check the other way. If you get a reading both ways then there is no diode.
R


mittico68

Thanx a lot, Rob.
But before goin' that way, I wanna try to (re)add the 100 ohm resistor on the grey wire of the whole (damn) thing.
That's because I've just checked the OEM resistor and it looks like a 100 ohm.
Here's the pic of said resistor.

I love my swingin' bike!

rob f

You could try this for 12v reduction...............https://www.instructables.com/topics/How-can-I-convert-12v-down-to-5v/
This is getting out of my range of knowledge so you are on your own now. I still will be available if you need me to take some readings on my bike for comparison.
Rob


mittico68

So guys, I just got back from holidays with my family, but before leaving I've found the time to check those sparks out.
And it came out that there is no spark at all, when I hit the engine switch button...  :-\
So, I guess that the problem is related to the grey wire and its resistor, as Rob stated.
In my first attempts, I put a 100 ohm resistor in, as suggested. But now I believe it is too big, referred to the OEM tiny one.
So, next thing I will do is to check the ohm size of the OEM resistor and buy a new one, if it's smaller than the 100 ohm (as I believe).
Hope this will help... :( 

I love my swingin' bike!

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