No Lo Fuel Light

[Nicholr]

Greetings all, After a sh port summer of sweet riding my 2002 Le Mans has created a 'honey do list' for me to deal with. The eternal speedo replacement (done), heat soaking (wrapped and isolated), broken kick stand (replaced and reinforced), indicator lites out, da duh da duh. I have 2 open issues that I need help on. After determining I had 3 burnt bulbs (blackened out ?) the lites now all work except the lo fuel lite. Connections all look ok. Any ideas? Issue two the bike has developed a weird condition at start up. Key on, ignition button pressed, lites on NO CRANK. If I wiggle the bars mocking a very lo speed tank slapper it starts. It there a likely connector that causes this? I installed some MPH bar risers last year and did have to clip the harness zap straps extending the harness range but it ran to Sturgess / Yellowstone and back without a problem (3000kms). All help gracioulsy accepted.

 

regards

Nicholr

[savagehenry]

For the no start issue, try following the wires coming off the clutch. Moving the bars and then starting is usually the sign of this.

On the left side below the tank will be two bullet connectors for the clutch safety switch. Just pull them apart, clean and lube them, and pinch the female ends a bit to make them tighter. Seems to be a common issue with many bikes here.

[docc]

For the fuel light, look at the wires from the sensor on the lower side of the tank on left. They do commonly break there.

 

The bulbs will darken over time as the metal from the filament "plates" the inside of the glass. Much brighter usually on replacement!

[Skeeve]

For the fuel light, look at the wires from the sensor on the lower side of the tank on left. They do commonly break there.

 

The bulbs will darken over time as the metal from the filament "plates" the inside of the glass. Much brighter usually on replacement!

 

Sounds like a prime candidate for LED replacement. Any hitches [ie, changes to resistance/impedance/whatever making things go pear-shaped] to this idea?

[raz]

Sounds like a prime candidate for LED replacement. Any hitches [ie, changes to resistance/impedance/whatever making things go pear-shaped] to this idea?

You can replace the gauge backlight bulbs with LEDs but I wouldn't recommend replacing the indicator bulbs with LEDs unless really knowing what you are doing. Off the top of my head:

• The turn indicator (unless there are two of them) must have two diodes and an own ground added (apart from the resistor you always need for a LED), otherwise it wont work for both directions.
• The fuel indicator will not work unless using a resistor in parallel with the LED, mimicing the load from a bulb pretty much exactly. This because the sender is current dependant.
• The oil pressure light will be more prone to false readings unless it too is shunted with a parallel resistor. This because the LED will light up from any little stray currents from moisture or whatever.
• Same goes for the neutral indicator.
• High beam indicator should work fine with a LED.
• Charging indicator will probably work fine too.

If you have problems with bulb life, check your voltage at the battery with engine running at 3-4000 rpm or more. It shouldn't ever be 15 volts or more.

[Kiwi_Roy]

 

Sounds like a prime candidate for LED replacement. Any hitches [ie, changes to resistance/impedance/whatever making things go pear-shaped] to this idea?

As Raz says, replacing the lamps with LEDs is a bit tricky but well worth it.

I found simply pluging in LEDs caused a short circuit because the original lamps have a contact on one side

only whereas the LEDs have a wire on both sides, I solved this by scraping the original contacts and simply

soldering the wires to the leds.

For the fuel light resistor use one of the old lamps in parallel with the LED, chances are it will never

burn out because it's an easy service.

My oil light comes on dimly in the wet but that's not a worry, I have a gauge and as soon as the switch

dries it goes out again.

One thing you must do is make sure the lamp is the same colour as the lenz it sits behind otherwise it

will appear very dim, LEDs have a very narrow light bandwidth

[Mandello]

...The fuel indicator will not work unless using a resistor in parallel with the LED, mimicing the load from a bulb pretty much exactly. This because the sender is current dependant...

 

Hi,

I encountered this problem 2 years ago when I installed the LEDs on my V11.

For the fuel indicator, the use of resistor does not solve the problem, the LED stays on continuously, so I solved this using a universal relay (no resistor):

 

Text is in French but the drawing is understandable: http://www.forumtwinzone.fr/forum/faqs.php?msg=46462&return=1#top

[Buzzard]

Concerning the no-start issue, I have a solution, if you truly trust yourself. I eliminated the clutch switch, and wired around the on-off switch, simply by shorting the leads going to them. My on-off switch proved to be the culprit in the Guzzi cutting out as I cruised down the road. For all the time it took me to find the problem, I have never forgiven the nasty switch. The clutch switch has this awful ability to leave you embarassed in front of the guys you are riding with, and frustrated as well. I know. So it went away, too. I'm old enough to have ridden bikes for many years that didn't have these government mandated safety items, and never rocketed into the parked auto in front of me. I have, up to now, left the sidestand switch. Taking off with the stand down could get ugly, and it has not yet offended me.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Concerning the no-start issue, I have a solution, if you truly trust yourself. I eliminated the clutch switch, and wired around the on-off switch, simply by shorting the leads going to them. My on-off switch proved to be the culprit in the Guzzi cutting out as I cruised down the road. For all the time it took me to find the problem, I have never forgiven the nasty switch. The clutch switch has this awful ability to leave you embarassed in front of the guys you are riding with, and frustrated as well. I know. So it went away, too. I'm old enough to have ridden bikes for many years that didn't have these government mandated safety items, and never rocketed into the parked auto in front of me. I have, up to now, left the sidestand switch. Taking off with the stand down could get ugly, and it has not yet offended me.

I too have the fail to engage starter problem, I find if I go full right lock on the steering it starts every time. I assumed it was a broken wire where they flex all the time. I will fix it over the winter.

[Buzzard]

. I assumed it was a broken wire where they flex all the time. I will fix it over the winter.

To my experience, the problem is the slide in bullet connectors, where the sleeve portion of the connector is wallowed out to too large a size, not making contact with the bullet part. I suspect that heat under the tank may even contribute to the sizing disparity.

[dhansen]

. I assumed it was a broken wire where they flex all the time. I will fix it over the winter.

To my experience, the problem is the slide in bullet connectors, where the sleeve portion of the connector is wallowed out to too large a size, not making contact with the bullet part. I suspect that heat under the tank may even contribute to the sizing disparity.

 

I had the same symptoms. Full left thunk on the bars resulted in a start. Cleaned the two connectors that the sidestand switch wires run through (under the tank, left side of frame) and no more starting trouble.