How to remove dash bulbs?

[creole]

How do you remove the dash bulbs? I want to check the low fuel bulb and have the fairing split, but cant decide if the bulbs come out the back or the dash has to be removed.

 

Any help?

 

Thanks,

Creole

[muffinman]

Most dash bulb holders are removed by turning them 1/4 turn normally in the clockwise direction

Jeff

[creole]

the backs (with the wires protruding) are rubber plugs. Do those come out of the back of the indicator housing without removing the dash?

[eusa1]

you do NOT have to remove the dash, the bulbs are easy to turn 1/4 and pull from backside with fairing split

[creole]

thanks,

I'll try to get my sausage fingers in there..LOL

[eusa1]

Needle nose plyers work, the housing is strong and rubber

[creole]

got it guys....thanks guys! However, not the problem........Trying to figure out why the low fuel light won't work. Thermistor seems fine, bulb is ok, correct wattage and everything. However, the book says 12v for the thermistor circuit and I've only got 9. Can't find a bad connection, or why there wouldn't be 12?

[M61A1MECH]

You say the thermister is good , but did not explain how you checked it. If it is bad the on board diagnostics will cause the fuel gauge to flash 3 repitions of 8 blinks and then the last segment on the left side will flash if the thermister is bad. If the sending unit is bad the last segment on the right will flash.

 

Mine is getting ready to go, I have the fault flashing when I turn the ignition switch on and the right end segment flashes and the bingo fuel light and mileage counter come on after I have to switch to the reserve on the petcock. They both still work, but come on much later that they did in the past.

 

Not sure why you would have 9 volts. Is that 9 volts going to the sensor or coming out of the sensor?

[creole]

9 volts going to the fuel sensor. I'm not sure what the thermistor values should be, but my understanding of them is they change resistance values with temperature. I pulled the sending unit out of the tank and used a hair drier to warm it up while I watched an ohm meter. The cold value was 44K ohms (if I remember correctly) and after warming 10K. Now I understand it still could be of a value too high to make the system work. It seems to me that when the fuel level drops below the thermistor in the tank it should warm slightly just by being out of the fuel. It didn't seem that sensitive to me which could be the problem. I first tried to warm it enough just by holding it in my hand. I did get the error code a few weeks back for the first time. This light has not worked since I've had the bike. We are planning a trip in June and I thought it would be nice to have, although I've not really needed it thus far.

[creole]

Ok a few things. A search for Thermistor took me to some posts, one of which a fella by the name of Goose said this:

 

"Next, check the resistance between the Green/Red wire and black wire - it should read around 1.2 Kohms. If there is no continuity, then the thermistor is bad.

Goose "

 

That being said mine is most likely the problem showing 44K ohm and the 9 volt issue is most likely that messing with it and the bike sitting a while, barely had enough voltage to crank over. Had to put a charger on it to crank it over. Guess a sending unit is in the cards for me.

 

Thanks for the help

[Beau-Kat]

A few years ago my fuel gauge worked fine, but low fuel light AND reserve tripometer went out at the same time. I never did see any kind of flashing fuel gauge bars to indicate any problems. It just crapped out.

Installed a slightly used fuel sending unit from a 2006 and it has been fine since.

I am careful about trying to not use too much fuel additive these days.