| Author | Message | ||
     Kingken |
Any body else had this problem? I've gone through three speedo sensor and two speedos in less that 10k miles. All the wiring checks out. The way it starts is the speedo will stop working while riding but as soon as I pull in the clutch it comes to life. | ||
| Steveshakeshaft |
One of our members manufactures a device to protect the speedo sensors. Apparently, there's two failure modes. Firstly and way most common is failure due to overvoltage and secondly less common, ingrees of oil causing failure. The guy is frequently on our forum and is called Maz, check it out if you wish ( www.ukbeg.com/ ). I suppose it might be a bit pricey at £1 = $1.60, plus postage to the US, but its still cheaper than speedo sensors. HTH Steve www.ukbeg.com/ | ||
| 99x1 |
"speedo will stop working while riding but as soon as I pull in the clutch it comes to life." Is the cable pushing on the wiring (and shorting it to take out the sensor?). The gear tooth sensor mounts close to the output shaft gear - is something moving in the transmission with clutch movement? The sensor has a magnet in it - is there metal flakes sticking to it and taking it out? Electrical arcing/surging can take out electronic stuff - are your spark plug leads / coil OK? Is the cable that plugs in the sensor rubbing through to the chassis somewhere? Good Luck; John | ||
| Reepicheep |
Schematics abound on this site to build your own sensor filter with parts from Radio Shack, $5 worth of parts max. Your initial symptoms of failure are a little unusual, but these sensors fail by the boatload, so I don't know how much weight I would put on how it works when it is half broken. Let me know if you need a link to the schematics. They should be easy to find in the knowledge vault. Use the newer one that regulates to 5V constant, not the older passive inductor and diode version (though even the older one has protected my sensor for 10k miles now). | ||
| Richieg150 |
Im on speedo sensor #4.Had all 3 go bad in a short period of time!Never did figure it out.My bike is a 2000M2. | ||
| Reepicheep |
It's a widespread problem. Don't put in #5 without a filter. If you are not in a position to put one together, I will do it for you and ship it out. That's too much money to drop on a preventable problem. Bill | ||
| Kingken |
Thanks for all your input. I went to Radio Shack and got the diode and filter hooking it all up on another new sensor Even made sure to get the new part number sensor 74431-01 While I was at the dealer had them do the Sweep test. So to cut to the chase got home put in the modified new sensor Speedo still doing the same thing only works while when the clutch is pulled in or coasting in neutral. I’m going to check out how the clutch cable is routed next to the wires now see if I can find any wear marks other than that gona give up on the Speedo. Tach still works fine after all. | ||
| Djkaplan |
Would any of you recommend the filter if you don't have speedo problems? My 2000 M2 had a problem blowing the fuse for the speedo/turnsignals/horn but it stopped on it's own years ago. I've never lost a sensor (yet). | ||
| Reepicheep |
We have a "rev 2" on that filter, based on new and better info. It regulates at 5 volts. That being said, I am still running the "rev 1" (filter and diode) and it solved my sensor ingestion problem. It seems to be a bike to bike issue, so I would probably just wait until you ate the first one, then just get the replacement and add a filter. Many bikes don't do it, but the ones that do repeat the cycle often without the filter. That is an interesting failure mode. Ping the pins on the Deutsch connector and make sure the ground and V+ are good. (Battery voltage between positive lead and ground, zero resistance between black ground connection and good frame ground). | ||
| Hootowl |
For what it's worth, my sensor has held up for six months or so with the 5V regulator installed. The second sensor I bought lasted for three years with no filter or regulator, so I'm not ready to say that the regulator fixes the problem. However, the XB uses basically the same sensor (they are interchangable) and it runs off 5V. That alone leads me to believe that we're on the right track. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I did also until I ran across another thread here where two different XB's consumed speedo sensors... Even just my 'rev1' filter, just a coil and a diode, has done well on my bike for more then 10k miles now. Without the filter, neither sensor made it through a normal oil change interval. | ||
| Kingken |
I Got the dealer to call Buell and talk to one of their techs the Buell tech said that I should try replacing the Speedo and if that doesn't work the only other think he could think of is it would be the gear moving out of alignment in the tranny when the clutch is engaged. | ||
| Mikej |
If the tranny gear is moving that much then you have larger concerns than just the speedo. Just a thought. | ||
| Hootowl |
Reep, Is the 5V output from the XB ECM to the sensor regulated or just provided via a voltage divider? If it's not regulated, voltage spikes could still be present, and the filter would be needed on the XB as well. The output from the regulator SHOULD be pretty clean. Makes sense to me...Or I could just be hoping that I have fixed my speedo problem forever and will no longer listen to reason. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Hoot... You and me brother. If we believe hard enough it won't break  No idea if the 5 volts is regulated or not. Guess I gotta go buy that XB9S and find out  (I wish!) | ||
| Hotdog |
Since we're talking about sensors. This is the second time mine has gone out 2374 mi and holding. I've tried two after market sensors,(dont ask the PN don't know) one brand new the other known to work on Harleys. Still no speedo. Hooked my speedo to friends M2 and it works great (thank GOD). What next? Do the after market sensors for the Harley work? | ||
| Reepicheep |
How much do those aftermarket sensors run? The Buell part is around $50 as I recall. I think the filters will solve the problem almost every time. | ||
| Crusty |
My first sensor died at 10,000 miles. the second only lasted a week. My third just died at 25,000 miles. I'm going to try the filter. When the second sensor died, I called Customer Service.Although the person I spoke to was polite, he was unhelpful. That was when I realized that the "good old days" were over, and that Harley had taken over. Oh well; Life is Change. Even with a poorly designed H-D Speedo sensor, Buells are the neatest bikes out there. | ||
| Hotdog |
The aftermarket sensor was about 42$ I think. So far it hasn't worked so it's pretty much worthless. Checking the past strings my brain started hurting around 11pm. Which works better the filter or the regulator? Bill....A big thanks for hooking me up. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Regulator, no question. Radio shack has the simpler (no external components) fixed 5 volt regulator, there are a few different versions, the one I just got was a 7805, radio shack part number 276-1770. I am getting ready to build one for somebody, I will take detailed notes and create a "proper" knowledge vault entry within the next two weeks. My current design will use a diode, a regulator, and a coil and a couple caps. It's total overkill, but harmless as the parts are not likely to fail, and they are for all intents and purposes "free" given the $50 cost of the part we are protecting. Email me offline if you are not comfortable with a soldering iron, I can throw one of these things together over lunch, and will be happy to do it for you. Parts cost next to nothing, the inductors are the most expensive, and lately I have been scavenging those from old dead monitors or power supplies (which I have a bunch of laying around here). And just to keep the record straight, a bunch of people contributed to the regulator design. I originally just threw in a filter and diode. When a regulator was suggested, I just designed one around a variable regulator chip, as thats what I keep laying around here for various projects. I forgot about the fixed 5v deals (which require fewer external components), I think Hootowl pointed that out. I believe Hoot was also the guy that posted that gem of a piece of advice about using liquid electrical tape to seal the thing up. That stuff is fantastic solution for a lot of niggling problems that have haunted me for a decade. | ||
| Two_buells |
Reepicheep, check this out Building the Regulator http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-electronics4.htm One went bad on my 1999 S3 in 38,000 miles My XB9R has less than 8,000 miles and my second one just died yesterday (Message edited by Two_Buells on May 26, 2003, %time) | ||
| Two_buells |
Bill, could you draw a schematic?  | ||
| Reepicheep |
I will try and get it up later this afternoon. Have a minor work crisis and a project that I want out of my life, and the budget is on it's last threads.... it's crunch time for the rest of this week. Anyway, I will try and sketch something up and get it up by this evening. Bill | ||
| Two_buells |
Thanks, Bill. I'm getting a new sensor for my XB on Sat and would like to make that simple circuit this weekend and see how long it lasts Mike | ||
| Reepicheep |
Posted... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=3842&post=170040#POST 170040 | ||
| Fatpony |
Would someone please post the part# for the longest lived speedo speed sensor that will fit and work without modification on a 02 X1. Thanks | ||
| Reepicheep |
Fatpony, if your X1 has "tasted blood", none of the current parts will likely last. Email me a shipping address (my address is in my profile) and you will have a filter at your doorstep before next monday. 6 connections total, preferably soldered, but cableties, electrical tape, and wirenuts would probably work fine forever as well. You can send me a new sensor and I will be happy to solder in the filter and send it back as well. Buell will probably have a really fixed part out in the next few weeks, so you can wait for that if you want, but it will probably be functionally the same as what I would send you (though with fewer cuts and solders, which is always good). There are also parts found that can be fitted in the blown sensor assembly, but it is a non trivial build, and you need to buy parts in quantities of 5 or so. That being said, 5 of them are still cheaper then one new factory part. |
