| Author | Message | ||
     Timberwolf |
Anyone had any trouble with the speed sensor before? Where is it located? Riding home yesterday and the speedometer and odometer quit. Everything else is working fine, no CEL, tach still works and the needles still sweep normally when I turn the key, so I'm hoping maybe the connector to the speed sensor just fell off. Too much to hope for? | ||
| Andymnelson |
Check your service manual - right rear of the engine. Pull it (just 1 bolt), clean it, and reinstall. Might work. Might be buying a new sensor tho. | ||
| Schwara |
I cleaned mine & it seems to have helped some, but my speedo still occasionally drops to zero. The real downside in my situation is that I believe the fan control on a Race ECM is speed controlled. In other words if your doing 70 & the speedo says 0 then no fan to cool the oil temp ... not a good combination. My speedo doesn't drop to 0 as often as it used to, but it does still happen. I'll put anew sensor on my next order from A.S.B. | ||
| Froggy |
While fan operation would be affected, it will still run the fan if it gets hot enough. This only applies if you have the 2010 style fan operation. | ||
| Timberwolf |
Thanks guys, I'll check it out | ||
| Eric_h |
@Timberwolf... My bike (2006 XB12X) is and has been kept in mint condition by myself since 0km and now has just under 80000km on it. The problem you describe, exactly as you have described it, has also happened to me. I noticed it by chance mid-season last year. It began to happen for the first time somewhere between 60-65000km... @Schwara... I too went straight for the speed sensor. I removed it and cleaned it - and this genuinely did seem to fix the problem. However, as you also experience, the problem occasionally returns for me as well. I find it very irritating. For me, the problem (now) usually happens only after motor start-up (not in mid-ride as it usually did last year) and seems to correct itself after a few moments more of riding once I've noticed it. If not, I pull over, hit the kill switch and re-start the bike - that seems to work... I simply cannot believe that I must pull and clean the sensor every 10000km... I have wondered if this has anything to do with the ECM in anyway - however mine appears to be undamaged as are its wires, connections and sockets. There appears to be no visible reason for this to happen anywhere else on the bike or it's wiring net and I wonder if it is simply the speedo itself that is defekt and should be replaced... I have several new & used speedos so this is my next move - a change out for awhile to see if that solves the problem once and for all or not... I look forward to what other have to say about this... | ||
| Andymnelson |
Eric_h: Put a new sensor in, headache gone. Cheap, easy fix. http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-p rodshow/17188.html | ||
| Ejbeert |
SAME PROBLEM REPLACE THE SENSOR AMERICAN SPORT BIKE | ||
| Ratbuell |
It's a magnet sensor. On a big, shaky, hot engine. Shall I even try to list the number of environmentals that will conspire to piss off the sensor during normal use?? Add to the fact that it's electronic - some are bulletproof (nearly 30k on mine without a hiccup on the Uly), and some aren't (6k on my CR and it acts up pretty regularly). Electronics = no rhyme or reason. Get a new one, put it in, and enjoy the ride. | ||
| Ratbuell |
And as froggy noted - the ECM only references vehicle speed for fan operation if you have an 08-up bike, with the 'comfort kit' (2010) fan logic. Any other time, I'm 99% certain it only references engine temp. | ||
| Xbkris |
Rode my new to me 08 uly for the fourth time today to work. Took it to lunch with some friends and mid trip the speedo quit working. Dang, then about 2 min later the check engine light came on. Still dont have the ecm spy yet. Will try to clean the sensor once i get home this afternoon. Will the fuel light still work with the speedo not working? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sounds like something other than the speedo sensor is acting up. Bad battery / bad ground maybe? Worn spot in wiring bundle? You will have to start digging... | ||
| Etennuly |
I would check the ground wires at the front of the steering neck, behind the headlights first, mine were broken, but looked fine. Next I would look into the wires in the steering bundle that runs from the bike up to the headlight area. These wires power everything up there. The red main power wire has a three wire splice in the area that these wires need to flex for steering. If you unwrap them the splicer can seem fine with it's wax filled crimps. Mine showed up when I pulled on each of the wires one at a time. The wax was holding it just enough to make it a miserable intermittent short that caused the speedo to drop to zero every now and then. | ||
| Xbkris |
Thanks Reepicheep and Etennuly, It would be nice if it was something that simple. Looks like I will be working on her again this evening. Will post what I find. | ||
| Schwara |
Xb - is there any chance that are running a Race ECM with the 2010 fan logic? That is what I am running. I have seen the same symptoms as yours when riding with the speedo acting up. Speedo drops to zero, keep riding for a bit, check engine light comes on, I pull over. It's just my theory, but I think that when the speedo drops to zero while riding my ECM says no fan needed to cool the oil since speed=0. If I keep riding the oil and engine temp starts to rise until I finally get a warning light. This has happened once or twice and I have immediately pulled over, shut her down, did a quick walk around to make sure nothing obvious is wrong while letting her cool down. Upon starting back up speedo works again and no check engine light. Like I said before, a new speedo will be on my next parts order but until then I'm just dealing with it since I'm not having any other issues. This scenario has only happened (to me) on rare occasions or I would be more worried. | ||
| Xbkris |
Schwara, I dont think that mine has the new ecm logic because my fan comes on when I shut the bike off every time. I'm pretty sure the 10 logic has the fan come on at low speeds and not when the bike is turned off. 1. Gonna try cleaning it first. 2. Then I will try and find all the grounds and hot connections that these guys are talking about. Will post here when I find out. | ||
| Schwara |
Now that I think about it, I think my theory has some holes ... no big surprise. I noticed a definite difference in fan operation when I went to the Race ECM. I'll have to go find the scan I made of the note from E.B.R., but I swear it said something about speed and the fan. That being said, often when I am slowing down and coming to a stop I will actually hear the fan cut off. By the same token when I am done with a ride however I can recall the fan staying on after I pull up into the garage and then pull the key out (just last night). The fan logic must not be 100% based on speed or the later wouldn't happen ??? I am actually going to do some research on the connections mentioned above as well this weekend since I have some rearranging to do under the hood anyway. Good luck. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Etennuly pointed you at the most common trouble spot. Mine had issues there as well, likely due to me wedging a big horn and HID ballast under the flyscreen. That gave that wire bundle less radius to flex through, which exceeded young's modules, and lead to my break (I think). Mine was a break internal to a wire as well. You can find them by just gently bending the wire with your right hand between thumb and forefinger as you pull it firmly with your left hand. Where the copper is good internally, it will just curve slightly. Where the copper is broken, you can feel it act like a hinge. It was plain as day (to feel, not see) when I tried it. Mine was the kill switch wire, so full right lock would kill the engine (occasionally). | ||
| Xbkris |
Started the bike up and rode home with no issues. I have all new plastic coming for the bike this weekend so I will tackle this along with some other things once I remove them. Oil change, Primary Change Clean speed sensor Remove and Replace all gloss black plastic with blue Check for broken wires behind fly screen and in the bundle that runs from it to the bike for the splice. Check Grounds in that area as well. Looks like another full weekend. LOL. | ||
| Etennuly |
Xbkris, I hope you are eating pizza, drinking beer, watching the olympics and the Nascar races, and getting a good nap. That and the work on the bike should fill the weekend!   | ||
| Xbkris |
Pizza..Yes...Beer...yes...olympics...beach volleyball and water polo....nascar....nope never have.  | ||
| Nxdirtbag |
I replaced the sensor on my 06 Uly last week because of the intermittent problems. I have ridden several 9 mile rides since and am still seeing intermittent problems with the speedometer still cutting out. I will be checking the wiring and grounds mentioned next. Wish me luck. | ||
| Fordhotline |
I am starting to see my speedo acting up. The needle is starting to fluctuate while riding. Anywhere from 5 to 10 miles per hour off at times. Speed sensor maybe? | ||
| Nxdirtbag |
IMO, I wouldn't jump to the speed sensor unless you just really want to spend that nonrefundable $69 to make sure the sensor is good. I did, but still had the shaky needle and sometimes no needle rise. So I unwrapped my wire harness last night from the speedo down to the frame and (just like other posts here) found several wires were broken right where the wire harness is flexing at the frame. I am planning to splice/solder/shrink wrap them the next time I have a free night. I was reluctant to dig into the wire harness, but it only took an hour and I have multiple wires where the copper is broken under the plastic. I am sure I would have had additional electrical issues within a month if I had ignored the speedo trouble. Also, I am 100% sure my old sensor is fine. I even pulled it out of the garbage. If you lived nearby, I'd let you try my speed sensor after I get the bike back together and test the old one. Good luck. | ||
| Nxdirtbag |
Sad sight: http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l583/nxdirtbag /0829121328-1.jpg But hopefully it will be short term. The breaks are near the cover over the wiring harness right in between the bolts in the middle of the pic. http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l583/nxdirtbag /0829121329.jpg | ||
| Reepicheep |
Let the healing begin!  You probably want to take that cover off and check the rest of the harness as well. And don't assume a non broken insulator means a non broken wire. Run each one through your fingers and check for internal breaks (the wire will flex easily there). | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
Mine did this around 7k miles IIRC. Cleaned it off, it's been good ever since. 17k now. I assume some shavings got onto it while the bike was being broken in. After break in, not as many shavings, hence the problem not returning. | ||
| Nxdirtbag |
I priced the main wire harness at about $300 yesterday, so I decided it would be cheaper and probably faster to repair mine. Found 8 wires in this main harness broken under the insulator (plastic) last night. They hinge/bend just like described above and with a little tension they just pop in two. I repaired 4 by splicing in about 1 inch of wire, soldering each joint and pre-installing heat shrink tubing above the joint for later shrinking. I was getting pretty sloppy at 1am so I'll have to finish the other 4 plus the one I found already broken in two another night. It's not pretty, but hopefully with some good taping it will be fixed. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Just a note for those who are going about fixing their wire harness: Do not simply splice it back together! If a wire breaks at that point, a splice will surely break. Rather, cut back a few inched to either side, so that you can leave a section of solid wire at the flex/stress point of the harness. | ||
| Nxdirtbag |
I am wondering if there is a way to reduce or even eliminate the flex/stress point. I think the Buell engineers were close but didn't go far enough. It looks like the stress was at the hard plastic cover bolted to the frame. I think the flexible wire loom (that was a couple inches above this plastic cover) should be moved down to start 2 inches inside this plastic cover so the loom keeps the wires in more of a radius, eliminating the "bend" that caused the problem. Has anyone considered or tried this? | ||
| Reepicheep |
I traced mine (Uly) back to me stuffing too much crap under my flyscreen. That wire bundle from the factory has a good 8 inches of "float" length, and a good 4 inches right and left to be free when the bars go from lock to lock. By the time I stuffed a HID ballast and ignitor, a Fiam Freeway blaster horn, and a heated grip controller, it was down to about 4 inches of float length and about 2 inches of right to left float. I'm assuming that's why mine cracked. And +1 on Andy's note. You need the extra length anyway. Splice in an inch or so of new wire. I soldered, and shrink wrapped as well, but for what it's worth I have finally found a crimp tool that makes crimps you can trust. http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partn umber=360-642 Lovely tool. Though crimp connectors will be a bit big, so a bunch in the same place will get difficult to package. So soldering is probably a better scratch for this itch anyway. | ||
| Arry |
When you solder stranded type wire, it becomes less flexible. This may lead to more breaks in the future. Just something to consider. | ||
| Nxdirtbag |
Pulled the Ulysses out for a ride as the weather is warming and the speedometer is dropping out at higher speeds and jumping around. Already replaced the sensor and repaired the 9 wires. Plan to use the GPS until I can pull the harness apart again to find any other breaks. Anyone know of anything else this could be before I start unwrapping my repair work to the wire harness? |
