Corrosion on electrical connections & switches
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I shall show my ignorance here most likely, but that's OK. I have an 85 GL1200A that I am experiencing some intermittent electrical problems with. One is that on occasion the turn signals won't flash unless I hit the switch again or my temperature guage slowly loses all of the bars until nothing shows and after a couple of minutes or perhaps 15 or more they will slowly return again one at a time in the reverse order they disappeared in. WHen the temp guage is blank the shock pressure guage will not work. At night it appears that when the temp guage is gone that applying the brakes seems to bring on a slight dimming of the instruement lights which goes away when they are released. The dimming does not seem to occur when the temp guage is present.
My guess is corroded contacts somewhere (does anyone know where I should start looking?). My questions are - what is the best way to clean them? Mechanically with fine sandpaper? Is there some chemical cleaner that works/helps? What works best for switches? I bought a can of silicon lube to spray into the handlebar switches but have not used it yet. Has any one installed or have experience with the ORIGINAL GL1200 Charging System Repair Harness from Campbells Electronics? Sounds like a good thing to do but wanted to check with everyone first. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://gl1200harness.tripod.com/harness.html">http://gl1200harness.tripod.com/harness.html</a><!-- m --> Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
Desmond
85 GL1200A The art of riding is that of keeping the bike between you and the ground! |
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#1
11-13-2009, 11:37 AM,
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i have the same problem with my temp guage and i'll bet its on the contacts in that connector but since its almost imposssible to get in there to disconnect it with my hands i'll just have to wait i guess,cause i know that i can probably get it off but back on looks like a hit miss proposition so i'll just live with it for now (2 yrs already)
if you find a person with small hands send them mu way too.
1987 Aspencade 129K
1986 SEI 93K 2014 Tri-Glide HD 17K Hancock,MD |
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#2
11-13-2009, 12:22 PM,
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To get at the LCD dash connectors, you have to remove the windshield trim and the headlight from the fairing. I believe there are two large white connectors that have all the connectors. I when to a electronics repair shop and got commercial grade contact cleaner and soaked both ends.
As for the turn signal, I removed mine from the handle bar and dissassembled and cleaned it and the internal contancts. The grease was very stiff and gummy, causing the lever to not return to center. I would recommend taking off the switch, follow the wires to their connectors, disconnect and remove the whole thing. There are several small pieces inside that you don't want to louse. It helps to have a digital camera to take pictures of what you see when you first open up the switch. That way you can use them for a reference when putting it back together. |
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#3
11-13-2009, 02:42 PM,
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Much obliged for the starting point and tips. The idea of taking digital photos as I go never occured to me, what a great idea!
Desmond
85 GL1200A The art of riding is that of keeping the bike between you and the ground! |
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#4
11-13-2009, 03:00 PM,
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After you clean the switches, what do you put back in them as a lubricant?
Desmond
85 GL1200A The art of riding is that of keeping the bike between you and the ground! |
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#5
11-13-2009, 03:08 PM,
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Wing nut Wrote:After you clean the switches, what do you put back in them as a lubricant?Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I would use dielectric grease both for for the internal parts and on the contacts of every plug you can get to. Ken |
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#6
11-13-2009, 03:31 PM,
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Dialectric grease will act as a sealant to have prevent corrosion after the contacts have been cleaned. It does not enhance electrical current flow!
After I cleaned the contacts of the plugs, I coat the wire end of the plug with silicon to seal the ends to prevent water and dirt from getting into the this end of the plug. Then I coat the male pulg with dialectric grease before reconnecting the male and female together. I am not aware of much more you can do to protect this type of wiring. When you compare the wiring on our Wings, to what is now found in cars, "We've come a long way baby. |
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#7
11-13-2009, 07:20 PM,
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Wing nut, this is just my opinion but I wouldn't use either the Campbell harness or the EC harness on my bike because I just don't see the "real world" benefit you get from installing either one... There was one guy over at Steve's site that was having MAJOR problems with his electrical system. It turned out that he had one of those harnesses installed. I recomended he remove it and Bingo!! All his problems disappeared.
In short,, I wouldn't use one....
1985 Limited Edition
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#8
11-13-2009, 11:37 PM,
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I have had good luck with just spraying connectors with WD40 and working the plug back and forth (plug and unplug several times)... As for the switches (and that dried up grease issue) I also just spray em with WD40 and work em back and forth (switch on and off several times)... I went through the entire bike (all connectors and switches) in this manor some 3 years ago and all are still working without any issues... If I should ever have problems, I'll just do it again (easy and long lasting fix)...
Ed Zogg
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#9
11-14-2009, 07:19 AM,
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WD-40 is amazing stuff. I too have used this method to fix an electrical problem. Sometimes I get a little anal-retentive when trying to prevent a problem from reaccurring. :d Anyway, whatever works.
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#10
11-14-2009, 04:04 PM,
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WD-40 is a jack of all trades, master of none.
Use a product designed for the job at hand whether it be protecting electrical connections or freeing rusted bolts. No single product can do what the popular hype behind WD-40 says. Ken |
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#11
11-14-2009, 06:12 PM,
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I have found a excellent penatrator solution. I use 50% automatic transmission fluid and 50% acetone. This stuff make WD-40 look like honey for freeing rusted bolts.
Sorry off subject #-O |
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#12
11-14-2009, 08:17 PM,
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owaace Wrote:I have found a excellent penatrator solution. I use 50% automatic transmission fluid and 50% acetone. This stuff make WD-40 look like honey for freeing rusted bolts. But a good idea, none the less!
Desmond
85 GL1200A The art of riding is that of keeping the bike between you and the ground! |
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#13
11-16-2009, 12:49 PM,
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roscoepc Wrote:Wing nut, this is just my opinion but I wouldn't use either the Campbell harness or the EC harness on my bike because I just don't see the "real world" benefit you get from installing either one... There was one guy over at Steve's site that was having MAJOR problems with his electrical system. It turned out that he had one of those harnesses installed. I recomended he remove it and Bingo!! All his problems disappeared. Good information to know, thanks. I really don't want to make changes unless they will be beneficial.
Desmond
85 GL1200A The art of riding is that of keeping the bike between you and the ground! |
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#14
11-16-2009, 12:53 PM,
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