somebody HEP me!! tail light

[barend]

so I got the modified headlight system (with the two bulbs) and i am installing this, aside from some broken tabs which needed fixing I get the thing in, tried a different RSL and re-soldered the CMU to get the high beam working. so far so good! I'm getting ready to install the other half of the front fairing when I discover the tail light, brake light and all my running lights are out (they are all LEDs) Zip, zilch, nada. first thought it was a busted fuse, not! The tail light fuse does get hotter then a firecracker though and next thing I know I look up and I have smoke coming from the CMU:headache:. there are four wrapped coils on the back and the TOP one on the left (fuel gauge side) has the clear coating melted off.

 

any suggestions as to what might have happened?

any ideas as to how to resolve this?

anyone have a spare, working CMU laying around that they might want to part with? Do you deliver and can you do so today

Thanks!

[Eck]

next thing I know I look up and I have smoke coming from the CMU:headache:. there are four wrapped coils on the back and the TOP one on the left (fuel gauge side) has the clear coating melted off.

 

 

Sounds like you released the factory installed SMOKE in your CMU....not good..once the factory installed SMOKE has been released.....you are actualy in deep poo poo...and the CMU must be replaced.

Before I would replace the CMU..I would UN-DO what I did prior to releasing the SMOKE and get some proper help before reinstalling anything...but this is just MY opinon.

Here's wishing you lots of Good luck!!!

[mbrood]

Sure sounds like you pinched a wire on reassembly somewhere... a resistance check from the fuse to ground would answer this.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Barend,

You toasted your CMU by allowing full voltage to run thru it. I just had a 1990 VR in the house with the same problem. I ran the wiring directly to the fuse box for the rear lighting system. Lights worked fine but the tail light Icon stays on all the time now. At this point, even if you run the wiring for your new headlight on another circut, the damage has been done. That circut in the CMU is toasted. If I can steer you in the right direction as far as the tail light bypass goes, send me a PM.

Sorry for the bad news, my friend,

Earl

[barend]

silly question: how could I run full voltage through the CMU if all I did was unplug the old headlight and plugged in the new set-up? you saying the new head light set up was not wired properly? and what does plugging the headlight in have to do with losing the tail lights/brake

 

 

as an aside, the tail light icon was on all the time since I was running LED's

Edited September 18, 2010 by barend
Bubba was here?????

[skydoc_17]

Hey Barend,

Not knowing how you wired the headlight up, that would be a hard answer to give but I think it is safe to say that because the back of the CMU melted is a pretty good indicator that the CMU received a bit to much amperage! This effect is simular to connecting the battery sensor directly on the battery terminal. It is why a resistor is used to lower the voltage when bypassing the battery sensor.

Earl

[bongobobny]

When you resoldered the cmu maybe you induced a solder short somehow. Anyway, I do have a spare '83 board you can have but it won't go out until Monday, flat rate priority mail...

[6m459]

Is there anything you don't have Bob?

 

When you resoldered the cmu maybe you induced a solder short somehow. Anyway, I do have a spare '83 board you can have but it won't go out until Monday, flat rate priority mail...

 

Brian H.

[bkuhr]

so I got the modified headlight system (with the two bulbs) and i am installing this, aside from some broken tabs which needed fixing I get the thing in, tried a different RSL and re-soldered the CMU to get the high beam working. so far so good! I'm getting ready to install the other half of the front fairing when I discover the tail light, brake light and all my running lights are out (they are all LEDs) Zip, zilch, nada. first thought it was a busted fuse, not! The tail light fuse does get hotter then a firecracker though and next thing I know I look up and I have smoke coming from the CMU:headache:. there are four wrapped coils on the back and the TOP one on the left (fuel gauge side) has the clear coating melted off.

 

any suggestions as to what might have happened?

any ideas as to how to resolve this?

anyone have a spare, working CMU laying around that they might want to part with? Do you deliver and can you do so today

Thanks!

 

The 4 coils are for brake light, tail light, headlight high, and headlight low. All current for each circuit flows thru the coil for that circuit. The coil acts as an electromagnic to activate the reed switch in the middle of the coil/s. The reed switch actually activates the fail icons on the display.

 

It is possible you can still save your CMU, because the high current was restriced to only the coil and seperate from the rest of the circutry. If the high heat was bad enough to burn the PCB or other nearby components, then CMU is probably toast.

The PCB traces, coils, and solder connection is only rated for x number of amps. If a higher than normal wattage lamp installed, could have overloaded. Also if resolder job was not done very well(preferable with silver solder vs rosin solder) could have left a higher than zero ohm solder junction, and resistance plus amps = heat.

 

Repair melted/lifted PCB traces with wire soldered to the traces. The surface area of the repair wire needs to be at least the surface area of the traces. Use only silver solder and ensure good solder flow. Make sure you leave no solder bridges to other components/traces. Scrape green or blue coating of traces first to get down to the copper.

 

If using higher than stock electrical loads(lights), use relays rated to handle the high loads. Relay control can be run thru stock controls. Same applies to current run thru grip switches-use relays, and headlight current does run thru starter switch. High headlamp load can cause starter switch to arc and spark until it fails.

[bongobobny]

Is there anything you don't have Bob?

 

 

 

Brian H.

 

Uhhhh, a brain?? If I did I never would have bought all those spare parts I'll never use in the first place...

[Flyinfool]

Can you post pics of the damage so that we are guessing as to how bad it is?

[barend]

Which fuse got hot? The lights fuse? The main 40 amp fuse off of the

battery positive terminal?

I actually have a 30Amp main fuse, since that is all I could get from the dealer. I do have a spare 40A which I acquired later and am keeping as a spare. Since the bike starts and I still have power everywhere else I must assume it is OK.

Did any fuses blow? Have you tested all of

them from the fuse block outside of the fuse block with an Ohm meter to

see if they are good? ( a fuse can be blown but not look blown)

I still have the stock fusepanel, the only fuse that got hot is the bottom one or the tail light fuse. It, nor any of the others blew. I just Ohmed it out and it read 00.3 on my little cheapy meter and it also beeps. Except for the ACC fuse they all read/do the same. I can not get a reading or a beep from that fuse and the glass is slightly discolored on the battery side. I cannot find where it says what if anything should be hooked up to the ACC fuse.

Did the fuse get hot with the original headlight after you had

problems? my guess is that it didn't.

I do not know, I did not have a problem (did not realize I had a problem) until after I installed your head light mod.

Do you have extra lights (running lights, driving lights, stereo amp,

I have a set of 55W fog light which are hooked with their own switch and fuse directly to the battery.

 

To the best of my knowledge no one modified the head light wiring. And when I turn on the ignition either the low or the high beam is on depending on switch position.

 

I converted all my tail lights, brake lights and running lights (light bars in back, front fender lights and brake disk lights) to LED’s. I also tied in my LED’s on the sidecar. Even with at that point I still show a warning on my CMU saying I have a tail light problem.

After I pulled the CMU a second time I saw that two of the pins did not have solder on them (these pins were in the area of the overheated component). I re-soldered them, but my fuse still got hot.

What was the problem? How did you fix it?

I can’t say for sure, but I had one solder joint which looked like maybe it might have been marginal, so I added some solder and the high beam works. I think it’d be fair to assume it was.

 

It's important to find out what & fix it before moving forward.

It occurred to me this morning that I had a blown fuse a month or so back (maybe 2) which took out my tail and running lights. I contributed it to disconnecting the sidecar and somehow causing a spike/short.

I’ll swap my main fuse, just in case. I’ll get some new fuses to replace the ACC one, I’ll trace the sidecar wiring and make sure nothing rubbed or pinched and pull the saddle to look under there as well since that’s where I hooked in to get power to the sidecar. I can take the CMU to a computer repair shop and have them check the components, but with the clear coating on it I do not know if that would be possible. Guess I’ll find out.

[Uturn]

Barend,

 

That "Bullet" you got hanging on the right side caused all this. Your 1stGen is paying you back....lol

 

Best of luck getting it sorted out.

 

MIKE aka Uturn

[barend]

trying to get the camera to upload, but it's throwing a hissy fit, gimme a sec ....

[barend]

Barend,

 

That "Bullet" you got hanging on the right side caused all this. Your 1stGen is paying you back....lol

 

Best of luck getting it sorted out.

 

MIKE aka Uturn

 

Technically Mike, it's Mini's fault i offered for her to ride in that "bullet" and she turned it down!! Bike took it as a personal affront and said .... well, we know what she said.

[barend]

OK, I was gonna shoot someone, but someone got lucky!!!:bang head: Here wass the deal, head light works; blinkers and emergency flashers work, brake works on the hand control but not the foot lever (different story I think). If I bridged the tail light fuse holder the headlight and panel lights dim and nothing in back works!

 

I could get continuity from the fuse holder to the tail light, but I could only measure 1.97Volt at the last tail light connector. I tried a bypass wire from the use holder to the tail light, that didn't work, so I cut all wires going to the back and started isolating which ones would work and which ones created problems. So here's the confession, when I put the fairing back on I pinched the supply line to the airdam light and since everything is LED and tight together in back; it shorted it out. I've done less intelligent things, but this has this months "Here's your sign" award! So after I put everything back together, I'm back to riding

 

Which leaves this little brake light problem. I have 9-1/2 volts at the foot brake switch and with the battery on a charger, if I disconnect the foot switch, I do not get continuity at the switch whether I press the brake lever or not. and the pedal sticks somewhat. What do I do about that?

 

Thanks for the input, the personal help and pics from Dingy and the CMU from Bongobobny and the ecouragement from Skydoc_17 and Doug!!