PLEASE HELP!!! Speedo Problem, I'm Stumped

Energy One
J

johny125

Member
Hi All,
My 03 Husky has a very sick Speedometer/Odometer. Neither one works!! During startup, the needle sweeps below zero and back to zero as it is supposed to. When I ride, however, neither the speedo or Odometer works. I followed the instructions in the service manual on 3 separate tries. Each time the window registers "err". I have checked all wiring and it is all hooked up. I pulled the speed sensor and it was covered with tranny fluid, but no damage to the wires or sensor were observed. I this normal (tranny fluid) and a little black goop which I cleaned off. I have looked at every post and nothing seems to work. This is an OEM autometer gauge.

What do you think, Sensor is bad, speedo bad? THank you!! John:cheers:
 
J

johny125

Member
Oh I forgot to add, during the 2 mile stretch, the count stayed at 0000000. The program set up data 0------0 worked, it just didnt register any numbers while I was riding.
:bang:
 
Guillaume

Guillaume

Active Member
Well when I had the Husky 03 had him for ten years but change out the speed sensor twice ,it had the same problem what you descibe ,so I think you need a new one .:up:
 
J

johny125

Member
Guillaume said:
Well when I had the Husky 03 had him for ten years but change out the speed sensor twice ,it had the same problem what you descibe ,so I think you need a new one .:up:
Click to expand...
You know what Guillaume, I think you are right. I was reading on a Harley forum that some of those guys had the same problem in addition to their turn signals not cancelling, and their idle being low. My turn signals are doing the same thing and my idle has been low to the point the engine dies. They complained these are all symptoms of a bad speed sensor.
I will try that first, if that doesnt work, Kaptian America you will be getting a call. Thanks all. John
 
N

NZBigDog

Member
johny125 said:
A pic of the speedometer? No I dont, but the last time I had it off, it was sealed plastic.
Click to expand...
It is "sealed" when the front chrome ring is pushed on, but you can cut around the plastic at the back and then you have access. there is info on here about doing it.
But it sounds like that may not be your problem anyway
 
Ohmster

Ohmster

Kansas Motorcycle Works
Sounds like lack of sensor signal getting to the speedometer. If you put it in cal mode and your still showing all zeros after the 2 mile ride then nothing made it to the unit. Take the speedo off and go to the bike side connector. Take a meter and set it to read volts dc. Take one lead of the meter to ground and the other to the center pin of that connector. That will be signal in from the speedo sensor. Then slowly slide the bike forward or aft while its on the kickstand. You should see voltage going from zero volts up to 6 or 12 volts. Cant remember on your bike. If you see voltage pulsing them you have a bad speedo head. If you dont see voltage then go to the speedo sensor connector and on the bike side of the connector do a continuity test on the center pin of that connector to the center pin of the speedo head connector. You should have good continuity unless you have a broken wire or connection. Also check that pin for continuity to ground. If you have continuity to ground then you have a wire chaffed and shorted out. If all of the above checks out good then check you speedo sensor bike side connector for power and ground. You should be able to take your meter and go between the two outside pins of that connector and see 12vdc. If you have that then you have a bad speedo sensor. If you dont have that then you need to chase that wiring back to the EHC to verify you have continuity. If that checks out good then you have a bad EHC.
 
S

Sven

Well-Known Member
1. Because I have no clue watt I'm doing, I gravitate to the first signal out.
a. What does my swipe'r look like? In other words, I have a hump that is going to swipe past the sensor and make AC to occur.
b. Say for argument sake I let the husky sit and the swiper's face is rusted over sitting in the air, not the oil. Say that may cause a resistance, so I should check to see if that is there at all?
c. I want to make sure the sensor has a clean face, not peppered with tranny chew off gears, bits of metal clung to the magnet, etc.

2. The physical part is done. I have no clue how they mount the sweeper, so a check was made by looking in the sensor's mounting hole, what the tone wheel looked like, it's all assembled, now:
a. I'm going to throw the bike in top gear, spark plug out, back wheel up in the air or I push the bike in top gear.
b. I have my ohm meter set to millivolts, and I don't care how the +/- probes are hooked up, it's AC so either side reads the same.
c. I now have to see if the sensor is making a square wave? The faster I spin, the shorter the wave, right? So I should peg the meter or swing it very little.
d. I see very little output, budda-boom-budda-bing.
e. I see I have to set the meter to the next volt scale, it pushes out more volts you can measure against a good known sensor number, we see it is not the trans sensor. Look elsewhere.
 
Jwooky

Jwooky

Well-Known Member
Ohmster said:
Sounds like lack of sensor signal getting to the speedometer. If you put it in cal mode and your still showing all zeros after the 2 mile ride then nothing made it to the unit. Take the speedo off and go to the bike side connector. Take a meter and set it to read volts dc. Take one lead of the meter to ground and the other to the center pin of that connector. That will be signal in from the speedo sensor. Then slowly slide the bike forward or aft while its on the kickstand. You should see voltage going from zero volts up to 6 or 12 volts. Cant remember on your bike. If you see voltage pulsing them you have a bad speedo head. If you dont see voltage then go to the speedo sensor connector and on the bike side of the connector do a continuity test on the center pin of that connector to the center pin of the speedo head connector. You should have good continuity unless you have a broken wire or connection. Also check that pin for continuity to ground. If you have continuity to ground then you have a wire chaffed and shorted out. If all of the above checks out good then check you speedo sensor bike side connector for power and ground. You should be able to take your meter and go between the two outside pins of that connector and see 12vdc. If you have that then you have a bad speedo sensor. If you dont have that then you need to chase that wiring back to the EHC to verify you have continuity. If that checks out good then you have a bad EHC.
Click to expand...
Jason, what causes the needle to bounce when you get on it?
 
Ohmster

Ohmster

Kansas Motorcycle Works
Jwooky said:
Jason, what causes the needle to bounce when you get on it?
Click to expand...
In the case of your 2008 I am assuming you get maybe a 5 or 10 mile bounce when you get on it. Around 2008, maybe even late 2007 models we at Big Dog did an internal change to the speedometer. We went to an electromagnetic control of the needle. This would operate the needle but under extreme force or vibration it could cause the needle to bounce. This could be caused by hard acceleration in conjunction with a loose speedometer mount or even worn handlebar bushings. Prior to that change we ran a stepper motor drive in the speedometers. However one problem we found was in that same extreme vibration it could cause the unit internally to vibrate enough it would cause the stepper motor to "slip' a single tooth. Then your speedometer would be forever reading an incorrect speed.
 
Jwooky

Jwooky

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the explanation. Don't think I have anything loose but I'll verify. Appears it's a design issue and not much can be done.
 
J

johny125

Member
Just to follow up and close the loop, I changed the speed sensor and the speedometer works like a charm. Thank you for all of the suggestions.:D

John
 
francoblay1

francoblay1

The Spaniard
Will never be bored... my speedometer never worked... (only if going slow... if I get onto hard riding it's gone straight away) the needle stays put at zero. ... it's been like this since day 1.

so.... what is the fix?

and don't tell the me speed sensor or get a new one, it's been checked/changed already.
 
S

Sven

Well-Known Member
Sven said:
What does my swipe'r look like?
Click to expand...
Signed,

NOLTT (no one listens to turtle)

franco: and don't tell me to change the sensor!
turtle: watt did I say about an ocean wave and how far is the shoreline?

franco: oh no, not another Sven post.
turtle: I'd find my gear sweeper, see if there is rust it sat in the air say for awhile.

franco: while I'm guessing watthis clown is saying, I'm chasing what?
turtle: an air gap. Air gap is a wave in the troubletree: 1)not connected-nope. 2)wire out of connector-?making contact. Or 3)signal out of range/short to ground = Bingo! 'Signal out of range.' I have a new speedo, new sensor, new wire harness, new, new, everything.

franco: you mean I checked all my wires and not fuse is popping or my speedo light is off and don't tell me about a speed sensor, I have a box at home full of them.
turtle: I'd find the sweeper, note a clean surface and not take material off, because first I want to clay/wax/ruler/where is my air gap?

Signed,

NOLTT


Pea. Yes.

Yes or no, ask Ohmster if I disconnected the speed sensor, took a kid's electric motor, the wife's dildo motor, etc., took those two wires off the motor, connect to those two wires on the harness side of the speed sensor, I make a square wave by spinning the motor by hand, see if I get a pulse off the needle. Yes or no I caused a square wave on the remote analog input. :confused:


:D Make sense?

1. Gap? Do the work. Find the stock OEM sensor they used, measure at the tip to the contact point of the tranny case it's going to kiss first. Are we the same height? = Clear the gap if not an OE swap for swap, sweep for sweep. Right? First step is analog input. Match my wave length.

2. Input Signal:
These are both of those wires from the input [speed] sensor that travels up to the processor. If my processor works, my wires are cleared up to this point, i.e., all connections are not broken (do the work with an ohm meter).

3. Speedo Signal:
a. Speed sensor puts out an analog (means many) signals or here is my mph I sustain this throttle speed.
b. Processor takes in a single digital input number, (means one), or that sustained throttle speed, then coverts to the mph in computer or machine speak, and sends it back out thru a wire up to the speedo. We ohm that wire [step up to the plate and do the work] looking for a break.
c. Speedo Needle Sweep is an analog unit, therefore the signal out is received as an analog signal, the needle sweeps to said mph.

WATT Say Ye?
 
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