| Author | Message | ||
     Mattwhite |
I lost all power to the speedo panel on my '05 city cross while riding in the rain today. The accessory fuse was blown. I left my meter at work so I used the "spare fuse" method to determine it was the license plate lamp. I have a couple of questions. Are these standard fuses available at the hardware store? The only spec listed is 10A, nothing about speed or any other rating. Anyone else have the license plate lamp short out? I plan on bringing the meter home tomorrow to try to narrow down the fault. Any laws about lighting the plate? | ||
| Mattwhite |
Well the fuses were obviously standard once I got to the store and looked. It's a dead short in the wiring with the bulb removed. I can't see any obvious damage to the wiring, but I noticed the tube holding the wires looks a little short - It doesn't go all the way into the seat. I disconnected the lamp and taped up the open connectors for now. | ||
| Mattwhite |
In case anybody ends up searching for this, here's what I know now. The accessory circuit grounds out when the ignition is off, so I don't know if it was really still shorted when I took the meter to it the next day. It's not shorted now, so I'm guessing water got in somewhere to cause the short. Today it was parked in heavy rain for a few hours and then a ride through light rain without a problem. I guess I'll just be traveling with a few extra fuses. | ||
| Lightning_bug |
I am going through a similar issue right now with the Accessory fuse blowing on my 2006 XB12Ss Lightning Long. The first time it happened was on a dry, sunny day as I was coming home from work. I was trying to merge and noticed that my blinker was not working, looked down and also saw the non-functining instrument cluster. Bike was running fine, so got home changed bulb...all OK. A few days later, hop on the bike and it blows within a few minutes. Change and it blows again within a few minutes. I gave up on tracking it down after trying everything I read about on this forum, so I turned it over to the dealer for a go at it. I have heard about others experiencing this this issue, some worse, so it is a bit concerning as I only have 500 miles on the motorcycle. I will re-post with the results...it has only been at the dealer for 3 days, which from what I hear is just the beginning for electrical issues. I am new to this forum and would like to express my appreciation for the great group of riders that offer their assistance to the frazzled, confused, and frustrated. | ||
| Mattwhite |
Occasional problems like that are tough - I work on robots, so I see a lot of wiring problems. That accessory fuse goes everywhere, so it's hard to find. A problem with a new one will most likely be found by inspection - insulation worn off, or a bad connector. That accessory circuit goes all over. It goes through the ignition, to the tail lamp, license plate lamp, instrument panel, turn signals. Not the brakes or headlight, though. Hopefully the dealer finds a bad connector or wire. I would start with an inspection for the obvious stuff - insulation rubbed off, bad fitting connector. If something looks bad turn on the ignition and start wiggling the suspect part - buy a lot of fuses. With a warranty repair they may throw parts at it. Replacing a wiring harness may be the best bet. As for mine, it hasn't come back. I just did a 2000 mile trip, mostly in heavy rain, including sitting out overnight in a ton of rain. I'm guessing the license plate lamp cover was letting water in and it got better when I took it apart and put it back together, not that I saw a problem. | ||
| Lightning_bug |
I heard from the dealership today and I can pick up my bike. When I asked what the problem was, they told me "we do not know, we checked all the trouble spots and test rode it and could not get the fuse to blow again" They are chalking it up to a fluke...even though it happened twice with me. I will hope for the best, but expect the worse. I picked up a box of fuses in case I need to track down the short myself. The information I have learned on this site is amazing and feel much more prepared to handle the situation if it is to re-occur. Since they took the bike apart and could not find anything, they may have fixed it without realizing it. From what I have been reading the Buells are sensitive and often wiring issues remain mysteries. Matt, I want to thank you for your support and great feedback. I mentioned the license plate lamp to the tech and he did check it out. He could not give a cause, but was baffled by the occurrence. One week to find nothing...Next time I think I will take your advice and try to find it myself. I will arm myself with fuses, patience, perseverance, and prayer. Thanks again, Ramean | ||
| Fahren |
Bump of an old post. Having the same random, out of the blue occasional 10A accessory fuse blow. So I have searched, and found this thread. But also this thread, which notes that the acc fuse also covers the power to the small extra socket behind the headlights - the one for the non-US parking light. This thread notes that there is often a problem there, at least on the S's. I'm going to check this out - hope I can find out why this is happening, but it is so random, it may be hard to find. Any other suggestions, anyone? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/20809.html |
