And That intermittent electrical fault turned out to be ...

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k1w1boy
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And That intermittent electrical fault turned out to be ...

#1 Post by k1w1boy » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:02 pm

... Broken insulating washer in starter motor causing shorting (washer replaced; commutator and brushes cleaned),
Damaged wires in regulator and stator (2nd hand stator fitted)
Damaged diode in starter (replaced),
And finally, that pesky neutral light? Trapped, now repaired.

The wallet is empty but my Falco-riding heart is full of optimism ....






I just hope I haven't been taken for a ride. :smt019
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Aladinsaneuk
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#2 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:06 pm

;) good news


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...

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D-Rider
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Re: And That intermittent electrical fault turned out to be

#3 Post by D-Rider » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:07 pm

k1w1boy wrote:... Broken insulating washer in starter motor causing shorting (washer replaced; commutator and brushes cleaned),
Damaged wires in regulator and stator (2nd hand stator fitted)
Damaged diode in starter (replaced),
And finally, that pesky neutral light? Trapped, now repaired.

The wallet is empty but my Falco-riding heart is full of optimism ....






I just hope I haven't been taken for a ride. :smt019
Nice ..... and all ready for when the better weather comes.
An obscure one that - somehow doubt we'd have got to the bottom of it online without the bike infront of us
“Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been.”
-- Albert Einstein
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Samray
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Re: And That intermittent electrical fault turned out to be

#4 Post by Samray » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:59 pm

D-Rider wrote: An obscure one that - somehow doubt we'd have got to the bottom of it online without the bike inf ront of us
Nope. That's one for a nasal diagnosis. :smt001
In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.
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Vinnie
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#5 Post by Vinnie » Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:19 pm

I had a wire pull of the back of the ignition switch coz the previous owner had zip tied the lead to the fork leg
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HowardQ
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#6 Post by HowardQ » Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:54 pm

Glad you got it sorted finally.
HowardQ

Take a ride on the Dark Side :smt004 :smt096 :smt004

2001 Aprilia Falco in Black
2002 Kawasaki ZX9R F1P
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k1w1boy
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#7 Post by k1w1boy » Fri Mar 02, 2012 7:40 pm

... And alas it's still not right: in the half dozen starts since Wednesday I've had 2 zappy sounding starts that left diag1 on the dash which cleared on a later start, one zappy sounding start that reset the clocks, and one start that wasn't 'zappy' but sounded rattly under the tank. Are mechanics obligated to do me any favours after such a comprehensive and expensive attempt, or will I just have to keep throwing money at it/them?
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Aladinsaneuk
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#8 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:36 pm

Battery

Get a new one


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...

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anzacinexile
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#9 Post by anzacinexile » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:47 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:Battery

Get a new one
Yes, and check the diag wires at the ECU ain't touching each other
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k1w1boy
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#10 Post by k1w1boy » Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:01 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:Battery

Get a new one
...that's the first thing the shop did - a big, kick-arse Yuasa 14cca one..
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Aladinsaneuk
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#11 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:03 pm

Check the battery terminals are tight..... Seriously

And call the shop - they fixed it but.....


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...

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#12 Post by D-Rider » Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:36 am

k1w1boy wrote:
Aladinsaneuk wrote:Battery

Get a new one
...that's the first thing the shop did - a big, kick-arse Yuasa 14cca one..
14cca - that wouldn't turn over a moped with a hole in the piston and the plug removed!

Don't worry though, Yaussa don't do a 14cca - the ones for our bikes are around the 200 to 230cca range.
I'm betting the guy said it was 14Ah ..... though that'll be wrong too .... it'll be one of them with the number 14 in the battery model number that some people mistakenly assume to be the capacity in Ah (it'll probably be between 11 and 12 Ah).

All said, it will probably be the right one.
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#13 Post by k1w1boy » Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:54 pm

...just an update: the thing had been running ok into the winter - occasional dash resets, but no drama. Then the first really cold weeks rolled in and the starts got more and more sluggish until I was stranded after work one day. My commute is laughable - 3 miles each way, with the bike left outside for 10-12 hours. The last month I've just left it at home in the garage and gone for a couple of 10-20mile rides on the weekends... and it starts strongly, despite the 'rests' between rides, the temperatures, and the alarm... but, since last weekend the dash resets every time the key is turned on (normal sounding, 'strong' start follows).
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