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camos

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Everything posted by camos

  1. camos
    I knew that but was wondering what the purpose of installing a manual switch was. Depending on how it is wired, a manual switch could turn on the fan before the sensor turned it on or the fan could be turned off after the sensor had turned it on. Or the sensor could be totally bypassed so the fan could be turned on whenever it was needed. There might be some benefit to being able to turn the fan on when you want it but it seems to me the automated switch should still be the best for all around usage. My switch was loose but not leaking. I disconnected the wires and turned it until it stopped then reconnected the wires. Assume that was not the problem as after a ride I was messing with the lights again and it boiled over again. During the ride the temp gauge was sitting about 1/3 of the way up the gauge. Found the fan connection on the left side and cleaned it before going on the ride. Tomorrow I'll hook up the fan directly to the battery and see if it works.
  2. camos
    Is the fan switch supposed to be in tight or will it normally be able to be turned by fingers? My fan isn't working so I'm thinking the fan switch is not properly installed. Why is it you want a relay to bypass the fan circuit?
  3. camos
    The light bar on the trunk has a burned out turn signal and only one tail/running light that works. Last night I removed the three screws inside the trunk but the bar did not budge. If I recall correctly this light bar does require heating to release the glue to separate the lens from the base but before I break something, should the light bar come off the trunk easily with the screws removed or is it necessary to pop the lens off first?
  4. camos
    Last night I had the VR idling (fast- 2000) for about 20 minutes while I fiddled with the headlight alignment and it boiled over. It has idled for longer than that in the past without boiling. The outside temp was about 66F so was probably not a factor. Could not hear the fan going so that is likely the cause of the problem. Did not find anything in the Tech Library and the search will not accept fan as a keyword so anything in particular I should know about troubleshooting this issue?
  5. camos
    It's not the washing your bike doesn't like, it's the MD's that are too traumatic for it to stand so it falls to pieces.
  6. camos
    A picture is worth a thousand words indeed. It's nice to see what the petcock switch is supposed to look like. Pull the knob and the faceplate off and that is what I have. It would be nice to come up with some kind of handle that will fit on the square shaft, well probably slightly rectangular shaft so it would not be so awkward to switch over. Anyway, until I get the CMS working I will have to rely on the reserve and/or the trip gauge. My Virago does not have a petcock, just a warning light and an electrically operated cylinder cutout to catch my attention. Thanks for all the responses, under the circumstances knowing how the reserve works is likely better than sleeping at a Holiday Inn. @ IslandMech: Were you asking about the CMS? The display stopped working while it was in storage. I tried re-soldering it twice but either didn't do it right or missed doing the part that was the problem. At least I did fix the gear indicator switch and no longer have the neutral light cutting out when the engine is hot. Tomorrow is insurance day and the first real ride for the VR and I.
  7. camos
    The CMS and therefore the gas gauge is not functioning. The knob and faceplate are missing from my petcock reserve switch. There is a stopper tab connected to the shaft that points fore or aft. Assuming OFF is in the middle, if the shaft is turned all the way clockwise would that be the REServe position or the On position?
  8. camos
    Listened to the Lone Ranger at 7pm on a crystal radio I built. When it was over I had to do my homework then go to bed.
  9. camos
    PayPal fee?
  10. camos
    Except for a worn contact point I don't see anything that appears less then good. Certainly did not find anything that looked like it would cause the gear indicator switch to stop working when it heated up. I cleaned the circle of contacts and the circle connectors on the wires. Tugged on all the connectors and they are solid. Cleaned the harness plug ends and cleaned the middle gear cover mating surfaces. Before I put the switch back together with the new spring, new contact point and new o-ring is there anything else that needs to be checked?
  11. camos
    I ride all year round and am now much less cautious in the wet since putting the E3s on my Virago a year ago.They are so much better than the Bridgestone Spitfire II tires that were on there before. Rarely get even a pucker from the tar snakes on my commute. Got 20,000 km (12,427 mi) on them now and they don't look like they are even half worn down. It's difficult imagine that the Avon tire is so much better than the E3's that anyone would choose to put up with cracking sidewalls and only 16,000 miles just to run them. The Virago is a light weight bike so comparing mileage is kinda like comparing apples to oranges. Anyway, that's my
  12. camos
    There isn't much point in syncing dirty carbs. Since the bike is new to you and it appears you do not really know what state the carbs are in, I would suggest you do not go ahead with the carb sync until you have run at least a full can of Seafoam through using 1/2 can per tankful and then run a tank of straight gas though it. There is no guarantee Seafoam will completely clean everything in the carbs but it does a very good job within its capabilities.
  13. camos
    I guess a trip to Walmart is on the agenda for tomorrow to find out what they can tell me about the cell phones they sell. The cheapest they show on their website is $29.
  14. camos
    I was meaning disposable in the sense of use up the minutes, throw it a way and get another one instead of just changing the card. I wonder if Walmart in Canada would carry a phone that will accept cards from Walmart in the US? Perhaps I'm making this more complicated than necessary.
  15. camos
    Do the prepaid cards fit in any phone or are they more like a disposable phone?
  16. camos
    I don't have a cell phone and don't particularly want one. That said it appears that a cell phone could be considered as a necessary piece of safety chrome. I'm coming to Cody so if I buy one in Canada, can I make calls in the US or do I need to buy one in the US for that? Obviously I know squat about this topic so any reasonably accurate info will be much appreciated.
  17. camos
    Do you think heating up would cause the oily crud around the switch to become more conductive? The LCD panel on the CMU is not working so to test the switch circuit continuity would it be best to use an ohmmeter with one lead at the plug end and the other on the case? Indeed, this little project has taken too much time and effort to not spend a couple of dollars more on a new spring and contact. In one of the pix in your earlier thread you show the replaced switch covered in silicon. Did that stand up to the hot oil treatment for a while? Do you still think it is worth doing? I don't remember exactly but the prices you have are about what they are at the local dealer. The contacts don't seem to be grooved at all. The wires on mine seem to be well connected and the only thing I can see that doesn't look good is the heat shrink on one of the wires has come about 3/4 off. Considering the terminal screws are open to the environment that does not seem like a serious flaw. When that area heats up I would think the brass contact pin would get longer and provide a better connection. Perhaps the spring loses it's strength when heated.
  18. camos
    Yes that is the problem that needs to be fixed. Actually, not only does the neutral light go out but the gear indicators go out as well. Just as well. What is in the way the most is the clutch line fitting and secondly the shift shaft. Yes, it didn't want to pull out but after rotating it came easy. The pin is definitely worn, close to but not quite a 1/8" flat, probably 3/32". I'll see if I can get a new one, can't be that expensive. Mine is a Phillips head and was probably not loctited as it came out fairly easily. I did not pull the spring out of the hole to look at it but it seems to be springy if that means anything. What exactly need to be done to fix whatever is wrong here? The whole area was very grungy looking, the pin is worn but probably not excessively and one of the wires has the shrink coming off at the ring connector. That wire did not appear to be touching anything it shouldn't but with the amount of crud in the area it would not be surprising if a short did develop. Perhaps that is why it quit after warming up.
  19. camos
    The neutral light comes on and works properly until the engine gets up to temp then goes out. At that point putting the side stand down will kill the engine. I'm just assuming the problem is with the switch.
  20. camos
    OK, the telephoto comment was tongue-in-cheek but those pix show way more apart than mine is. Compared to the corruption in the crevasse from Hell where my switch is mounted yours is as pristine as a bride dressed in white. So far I have only taken off the aft cover. It looks like the internal shift rod will make it difficult to get the switch out, or at least in without losing the three mounting screws more than once. With the stator cover off there would be much more elbow room to work. Unfortunately I did not order a gasket for that and I don't know how much trouble I can get into by removing it. The engine oil was not drained and I laid the bike down on the crash guards to open it up. So far that seems to be working OK but I'm not sure it would be adequate if the other cover were removed. I was able to put a screwdriver on each of the three mounting screws and loosened them. They weren't very tight. Well, I suppose I could remove the switch as it is and worry about the difficulty of getting it back together when the time comes. I thought red loctite was not appropriate for plastic.
  21. camos
    How much needs to be disassembled to be able to R/R the switch? I removed the aft cover and have spent an hour or more cleaning that gunked up area with naphtha and a toothbrush before I could actually identify the switch. I think I could remove the switch as it sits but doubt being able to reinstall it. Gary, your pix of the switch in position are very misleading. First everything is so unbelievably clean and second, mine has to be 3 or 4 times deeper than your pic seems to indicate. Did you take them with a telephoto lens? By the way, thanks a bunch for the pix and other info you have posted on this fix. They have been very helpful and will be more so once I figure out how to get at that switch.
  22. camos
    I didn't know Action was a Yamaha dealer. I'll have to check them out. It's kinda out of the way for me, being as it is in the deepest darkest reaches of Esquimalt. The only time I have been to Action is to deliver my Honda work scoot for service. As for getting parts for my, now two, bikes I've gotten most accessories online for a much better price than they could be had locally. It would take planning to get small stuff like gaskets in a timely manner although it seems the dealer has to order them anyway. I probably should get familiar with a good and nearby online supplier for the long term. Living on the island makes it impossible to have a cheap pickup point like SilvrT has. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm tackling the gear indicator switch tomorrow and perhaps the LCD display board if things go well and I can drum up the courage.
  23. camos
    Probably good advice but a bit too late as I stopped by S&G, as they are on my way home from work, and ordered the case gasket and the o-ring. Those two pieces were about $8.50 including tax and will take a week to get here. Getting to Action would probably have cost me $2 in gas... I'm rationalizing here... Oh well not likely too much difference in that moderate price anyway but I will be more careful next time. Gotta get a fuel filtre next. Do they carry them at Canadian Tire? Thanks for the input, hope you are enjoying your trip. I'm envious.
  24. camos
    I'll check and see if the gasket is readily available before taking the cover off just in case the old one can be re-used. Putting the question another way, where do those wires come out of what ever they are in? I can see a couple of connectors above and behind the aft case cover but rather deep inside the frame. In any case, I guess it will all become clear this Sunday when I take it apart.
  25. camos
    Yes but a gasket for the middle gear cover will probably be needed. What about where the wires come out of the case, is there a grommet or just use RTV?
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