Speedo

[thexaulted]

After a nice dinner out Sat. night with the wife we climbed back on the bike, it cranks momentarily then goes totally dead. Investigation revealed that the positive batt. terminal (6 month old interstate) had cracked/crumbled. Only, me, lol!
Anyway I rigged it, got it home and replaced the batt. with a new one, left it on the tender until today.
Now the speedo lights, does the sweep but doesn't register any miles or speed! The speedo had been replaced by the previous owner and is an autometer, or at least that's what is printed on the front. It worked fine on our way to dinner but after the dead batt. it won't register the speed or miles.
Help! What could it be?
The bike has been to the dealer so many times, its not going back for this. I fix it or it will be removed!!
I bought this bike last year with 3000 miles on it. Many upgrades and a great price. Thank God that I didn't buy a new one for $35,000 and I feel really bad for those that have. http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/images/smilies/09.gif

 

[Raywood]

Those Autometers are well know for there finicky state when they have a weak power supply. Go back and check your wires and ensure your battery is putting out at least 12.8 volts and it should come back on. Also follow the wires under the tank to the speedo and ensure all your connectors are tight and secure.

Good luck

 

[Nomad2day]

Mine is doing the same exact thing. It sweeps twice but no speedometer readings and no mileage readings at all. Had my tank off and checked all the connections and opened the speedometer to check the connections there. I will hook up tonight and see if the software registers speed with the bike on the lift and in 1st gear.
That will tell me if the speedometer pickup is working or not on the transmission. I just replaced the speedo head unit in July. That was the second one I think..
Go figure........
By the way the green wire is the signal wire.
Neil

 

[thexaulted]

Thanks guys, I am going to check to connections again tonight. Let me know how you make out Nomad!

 

[ChopperJeff]

Funny, mine began doing the same thing a couple weeks ago. It does the diag sweep, but then fails to register any speed or mileage. Once in a while, especially if I get up to over 80 MPH, it will come to life and show my speed, but usually it's just dead. The tach continues to work fine though. I've pulled the tank to check the wires, pulled out the speed sensor and checked the connector under the seat, and my battery voltage is good.

Is there any way to verify the speed sensor is bad, outside of simply replacing it and seeing if that fixes the problem?

Also, when looking at the schematic in the service manual, it appears that the output of the speed sensor goes into the EHC thru one connector, then straight thru and out the other connector. Is there any reason not to run the speed sensor output straight to the speedometer? Seems to me the fewer connections, the better.

 

[thexaulted]

Alright, the connections are all good. Unplugged, replugged and wiggled everyone I could. None of the wires or connections appeared to be damaged! Battery is good! How do I know if the speedo head is bad or if the sensor is bad? Already have the sensor out but don't want to get another if its not that.
I keep going back to the fact that it was working prior to the batt. problem. Could the reattachment of the batt. caused it to short out! Everything else is fine!!

 

[Nomad2day]

Well I plugged into my ECM and put it in monitor mode and brought up the speed reading feedback, put the bike in second on the lift and took it for a spin. No feedback at all for speed. The diagnostics's showed voltage was good to the sensor. Guess I will order a speedometer pickup from wicked bastards.... My battery voltage looks good. Mine just quit going down the road last weekend. The head of the speed sensor has been cut down but nothing but the potting showing. Had a bunch of shavings on it but no difference after cleaning it.
Neil in Tenn

 

[pathfinder]

I just went thru this last week. Took bike to dealer, they said it was battery. I brought it home, checked with meter, and had 12.6 vdc at battery and a charging rate of abotu 13.4 vdc or so - I shut it down, ate dinner, went back out to pull it in garage, and the battery was dead - no start. I changed battery, and the speedo works - go figure?!
Anyone, bought a battery tender to keep it on charge - 12.6 vdc is a little low apparently!

 

[Raywood]

Anyone, bought a battery tender to keep it on charge - 12.6 vdc is a little low apparently!

You've got some reading to do!!


Announcement to all newbies;


Your bike needs to be on life support all the time.

 

[thexaulted]

My battery is brand new and its on the tender. I always, always keep it on the tender, lol. Still nothing!!

Raywood I envy you, I see you have 56,000 miles on your bike! How do you keep a dog running long enough to do that! I hope to be there someday but at this rate I'll be an old man in a retirement home before I can do it, lol!

HELP MINE JUST BROKE 5,000 MILES!

 

[hoat]

mine does he same thing as above. sweeps twice fires up but no speed or miles. wtf

 

[ChopperJeff]

Perhaps you guys have seen my post in the "speed sensor" thread, but in case you've missed it, here's a recap of how I fixed my speedo problem:

Last night I decided to take the speedo itself apart and check the connections there. However, I soon realized that the speedo wires go thru a round connector and then into the speedo which is all sealed. I cut the damn thing (it's just plastic), and then was able to see the three wires going into the printed circuit board. The speed signal wire was off, so I soldered it back on, put it back together, and now it works!!!

At first I thought that it was my actions that caused the wire to come off as I mistakenly twisted the round connector thinking it would unscrew, but I ended up twisting the wires and causing the plastic nut that lives inside the speedo to come undone. However, since my act of soldering it back on fixed it, I have to think now that it was not me that broke it.

I wonder if this is what's happening with other people out there. The wires that go to the printed circuit board are very tiny, and I can certainly see where vibration could result in them breaking. Certainly replacing the speedo would have fixed it, but my dealer told me the speedo goes for $115. Seems a high price to pay for what amounts to a wire just needing to be soldered back on!

 

[Monte Motorcycle]

I live in Wagener SC and have a 10,000 mile-almost all mine 04 Big Dog Chopper. I have installes a Oddessey steel jacketed battery. It is supposed to be 600 CCA for 5 seconds, it spins the motor right up most of the time. My neutral light and oil pressure light come and go.
Monte Motorcycle

 

[thexaulted]

Thanks Jeff, I will check that wire!
I had a problem with the left brake light/turn signal coming on and off and that too was a wire that had broken. When we found it I was appalled at the size of the wire as my first thought was, I am no expert but a wire this thin would OBVIOUSLY break eventually.

This is what is so frustrating about Big Dog. If its obliviously obvious to us how is it not to the people engineering a supposedly high performance machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!